A Chindit's Chronicle

Fighting with grim determination against their fanatical opponents, in what became a conflict of primeval ferocity, with no quarter asked or given, the Chindits exerted a stranglehold over the enemy supply routes and so impeded the Japanese divisions to the north which were attempting to force their way into India via Imphal and Kohima. When the monsoon came, the fighting continued in a sea of mud, with the Chindits often starving and short of ammunition since the low lying cloud prevented supply drops being made to them by the RAF and USAAF. Inflicting enormous casualties on the enemy, they also took heavy casualties from battle and sickness until, at the last, broken in body but not in spirit, less than 5% of those who still survived were judged on medical examination to be physically fit enough to continue the fight. Bill Towill, serving with the 3rd Battalion 9th Gurkha Rifles, first as intelligence officer and later as adjutant, was in one of the leading gliders and was one of the fortunate few who survived the whole of the five months long campaign. "A Chindit's Chronicle" is his intensely personal, vivid, sometimes amusing and often very moving account of his experiences.