THE MAGAZINE OF THE COUNTRY JULY 2001
No Mandalay, No Maymyo — 79 survive by Capt Gerald Fitzpatrick, published by The Book Guild, £16.95, hardback
It’s tempting for an author, when recounting events many years after they actually happened, to 'spice up’ the story to meet the excitementquota requirements of today’s readers. But No Mandalay, No Maymyo 79 Survive doesn’t fall into this trap... it simply doesn’t need to. The book tells the story of the 2nd battalion of the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as it made its retreat from the Japanese in Burma in 1942. Sixty years on, Capt Fitzpatrick tells the story of that desperate retreat with great clarity. The recollections must be painful. . . the plight of Capt Fitzpatrick’s colleagues and the decisions he, as a 22year old officer, had to make, are difficult to comprehend from the comfort of a fireside armchair. This is a story of great courage and resilience as the battalion struggled to safety while pursued by a relentless Japanese army. Only 79, less than one-tenth of the original battalion, survived the retreat. Capt Fitzpatrick's anger is not directed only against his enemy, but also against his own generals and the British Government. His disillusionment is deep-felt. but so is his pride: the book is a reminder to us all of the respect which is due to those soldiers of the ‘Forgotten Army’.