2nd Battalion The Welch Regiment

KYAUKMYAUNG BRIDGEHEAD

The next objective of 19th Indian Division was to clear the Shwebo area and establish bridgeheads on the Irrawaddy River, preparatory to an all-out thrust on Mandalay. On 5th January 1945 2nd WELCH arrived within twelve miles of the Irrawaddy. Since the previous November they had covered some 350 miles from the plains of Imphal, nearly all of it on their own feet. Next day, B and D companies moved forward and a patrol of D under Lieutenant A Murrow crossed the river to carry out a reconnaissance on the east bank. This small body of 2nd WELCH were the first British troops to cross the Irrawaddy since the retreat from Burma in 1942. They returned with valuable intelligence, but Lieutenant Murrow was killed by a sniper. On 14th January 1945 the 19th Division established a bridgehead on the cast bank of the river, and next day a second bridgehead was secured eight miles downstream at Kyaukmyaung. The actual crossings were affected without casualties, but consolidation proved more difficult. Suspecting (erroneously) that the whole of the British IV Corps would follow 19th Division, the Japanese concentrated all available forces in the area, consisting of two infantry divisions supported by regiments of artillery and tanks.

The battle of the Kyaukmyaung bridgehead was fought out for a whole month, from 14th January to 14th February 1945, and 2nd WELCH were constantly engaged with their 62nd Brigade. At first holding positions on the west bank of the river, they suffered severely from artillery fire, but launched several attacks across the river. On one of these A Company captured a strongly-held Japanese position, with much ammunition, stores and valuable documents, losing only four men wounded. Among the Japanese dead were discovered the horribly mutilated bodies of two of the Battalion's men who had been taken prisoner earlier.

With the arrival of reinforcements from Imphal on 20th January 1945, it was possible to reform C Company, who promptly carried out a successful reconnaissance on the far- side of the river. On the night of 28th/29th January 2nd WELCH crossed the Irrawaddy at the Kyaukmyaung bridgehead and two days later took over a section of the perimeter at Yeshin, two miles into the jungle. Continuously opposed by enemy ambushes, and the difficult terrain, the Battalion took nearly ten hours to cover those two miles. For the next fortnight the dispersed companies were subjected to almost continuous shelling and sniping, while movement between the positions nearly always involved clashes with parties of Japanese who remained exceedingly active by night as well as by day. On 3rd February 1945 the 4th/6th GURKHAS Rifles passed through 2nd WELCH, and with tank support attempted to clear the main enemy position. But the Japanese put down such a devastating concentration of artillery fire, from 105 mm and 150 mm guns, that both Gurkhas and tanks were halted, with heavy casualties. 2nd WELCH, too, suffered as the shelling fell among their positions, but this did not deter- them from going to the aid of their Gurkha friends, and there were several acts of gallantry as wounded Gurkhas were brought back under fire. This day's action cost 2nd WELCH 19 killed and 32 wounded, while the 4th/6th GURKHA Rifles lost 22 killed and 87 wounded.

It was not until 14th February 1945 that the Battalion was relieved and pulled back for a much-needed rest. The final two weeks at Yeshin proved the most trying period of the campaign. As General Lomax wrote: 'Shelling was almost continuous ... The water supply was contaminated by Japanese corpses and the bodies of 120 mules ... There were clouds of flies, breeding as fast as only flies can. The mosquitoes were merciless. Constant harassment by small parties of Japanese made it almost impossible to use mosquito veils. The stench of decomposing flesh was overpowering and repulsive. It was impossible to bury all the bodies, and paraffin was used for speedy cremation. The health of the Battalion began to suffer.' To add to these sufferings, the air drops included Indian and not British rations, for the rear supply base was under the mistaken impression that the Gurkhas had relieved 2nd WELCH. Thus the Welshmen had to make do with a strange diet of dried fish, lentils. peas, nuts and hard biscuits.