REPORT IN S.E.A.C. SOUVENIR NEWSPAPER

WITH the distinction of having concentrated more misery and hardship of the battle-field in its first spell of fighting than any other Indian division during the same length of time, 25 Div is also the most nick­named of the Indian divisions. 

It has been known at various times as the “Anonymous Division,” the Unknown Division” and the “Spade Division,” a name derived from its divisional flash bearing the sign of the highest colour suit in a game of cards. 

Soon after first going into action in March 1944, in the Arakan, the division presented the Japs with two headaches—one arising out of its mys­terious identity which was kept obscure for security reasons, and the other due to the tenacity and hard fighting qualities of its fresh, young troops. 

Battle maps of enemy commanders showed a question mark wherever troops of the division struck. All attempts to gain identification met with failure. The dead carried no reveal­ing papers and not one prisoner was taken. 

Under security silence its hard-won achievements remained unsung while the heroes of the Indian and. British divisions up north, at Kohima and Imphal, were being proclaimed on the front pages of the world’s news­papers. 

Regiments which comprised the division were: The 10 Baluch Regi­ment, -the 19 Hyderabad Regiment, 5 Mahratta Light Infantry. 18 Royal Garhwal Rifles, 2 Gurkha Rifles, 16 Punjab Regiment. York and Lancast­er Regiment and the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. 

The division was formed in August 1941 at Salem, Madras. At that time a Jap invasion attempt on the Madras coastline was considered a possi­bility and the division was earmarked for an anti-invasion role. 

In April 1944 the division took over from 36th British Division in the area of Maungdaw-Buthidaung. Its task was to guard the “ Maungdaw Keep,” maintain the Maungdaw-Bu­thidaung road, which runs across the Mayu range horn east to west, and watch 15 Corps’ southern flank. 

Rains ended, the division left its Monsoon positions and started spread­ing out. In December they captured Buthidaun~, with the help of the 82nd (West African) Division. Men of the  Baluch Regiment, 2nd Gurkha Rifles and the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry took part in this operation. 

With Buthidaung in our hands the division began their advance down the Mayu Peninsula, and 11 days later they had reached Foul Point at its tip. 

Troops of the 5th Mahratta Light Infantry, the 18th Garhwal Rifles and the York and Lancaster Regiment ad­vanced down the west bank of the Mayu river with the 82nd on the east bank. 

By the time the West Africans had captured Tinwa, north of Kyauktaw on the Kaladan river, it was obvious that the Japs were pulling out faster than expected.  The rate of our advance surprised the enemy and it was decided at this stage to press home the attack as expeditiously as possible. 

Akyab was the next objective — a fair reward for long months of patient waiting. To save time, 25 Div was em­barked across the Mayu estuary, early in the New Year. On 3 January 1945 the division landed unopposed on Akyab and began the long advance southwards. 

Although Akyab was an easy vic­tory; fierce fighting lay ahead of the division when five days later it took part in the amphibious landings on the Myebon Peninsula.  Position after position fell to Commandos and Indian and British troops as they swept on, strongly supported from sea and air. 

Pressing inland, the division was soon launching its attack on Kangaw in the bloodiest battle fought since the operations began. The 10th Baluch, the 19th Hyderabad and the 2nd Punjab were employed in this battle and for four weeks, from 22 January to 18 February, fighting con­tinued. 

Kangaw, being on the direct supply line and line of retreat of the Jap forces operating further north, against the 81st (West African) Division. The Japs knew that it must be held at all costs if their forces were not to be cut off and surrounded. 

In the four weeks they put in re­peated attacks to try to throw 25 Division back, and on two successive nights poured 600 and 800 shells into our positions. 

Fighting their way foot by foot up the hill slopes north-east of Kangaw, Indian troops encountered a “Siegfried Line” of bunkers and trenches defended by concentrations of artillery and machine guns. Recovering from their initial surprise, the Japs fought back with all they had got — and pro­bably more than they could spare. 

Most determined counter-attack of all occurred when the Japs attacked our salient in an attempt to sever our supply line. The charge melted away only 50 yards from its starting point under a withering concentration of fire, leaving the field strewn with bodies. 

Tanks of the 19th Lancers, the first Indian tanks to take part in a sea landing, did great work in the Kan­gaw area, where the division cut the Jap main escape route from the Ara­kan.

On 16 February a formation of 25 Div landed across the bay at Ru-Ywa. The landing was another shattering surprise to the Japs, and men of the 5th Mahratta swiftly captured the village. Within a few hours more in­fantry arrived and the bridgehead was consolidated.

Even after men of the York and Lancs had got astride the enemy’s escape route to Taungup, and the Mahrattas had occupied the dominat­ing features around the bridgehead for more than 24 hours, the enemy was still sending out patrols in a be­wildered attempt to find out what 15th corps intended. 

Meanwhile ships of the Royal In­dian Navy, from a fantastic anchor­age in the middle of acres of mangrove, had been battering Jap strong points with devastating fire.  Many of the twisting inland water­ways were uncharted. Ships were moored fore and aft with ropes lashed to mangrove trees to steady their fire. Without doubt this was the most fan­tastic battle front that had till then developed in the Burma theatre of war. 

Next came Taniandu, a pre-war river ferry station which made a valu­able supply base for the army. 

The Japs here threw in a new trick, hurling mines attached to grenades into the Gurkha’s positions. While one Gurkha platoon was working des­perately to dig in on the hillside in the failing light, Jap jitter parties came up in trucks. The Gurkhas were caught before their trenches were ready. Until one a.m. this “war of nerves” went on, and then the Japs came in with a full-scale attack. The Gurkhas held them off till their am­munition gave out. 

At three p.m. next day the Japs came back for more. Gurkha casual­ties were heavy — but the Japs paid dearly.  The toil and tumult of this fighting was followed by a few “light” days -then 25 Div, after a solid year of action, was given a rest.