NAM.1989-04-117-341-12
Photograph of a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, USA, 1977. One of 21 photographs of graves and war cemeteries in the Far East. Associated with World War Two (Far East), 1941-1945. From the Burma Memorial Collection of R Moffatt.
World War Two, Far East (1941-1945)
Typescript: 'BURMA MARCH 1944./ On March the 24th. 1944, Major-General Orde. C. Wingate, flew on a visit to his/ CHINDIT strongholds, firmly established some 150 miles behind the Japanese lines/ in the northern battle area of BURMA./ After visiting his jungle air-fields of, BROADWAY, WHITE CITY, and ABERDEEN, he then flew on to IMPHAL, at 1700hrs he took off in a American B-25/ bomber to visit the forward CHINDIT air-base at LALLAGHAT./ With Gen Wingate, and his aide-de-camp Capt George Borrow MC, there were/ two British war correspondents, who Wingate had given a lift, plus the five/ members of the bombers crew./ The aircraft was last seen flying smoothly over the Bishenpur Hills, what happened next will never be known, all that one can be certain of is that the aircraft plunged down into the westward slopes of the hills, bursting into/ flames on impact./ Everyone on board were killed instantly, three days later when a search/ party made its way up from Bishenpur, and came to the scene of the accident they/ found the wreckage scattered over half a square mile./ In the centre of the wreckage near an engine, almost like a symbol of/ defiance, lay Orde Wingate's topee, the search party also found Capt Borrow's/ revolver twisted out of shape, but still with the issue number intact./ After the war the bodies were taken to the USA, and interred in a/ common grave in Arlington National Cemetery, and in accordance with the American/ custom the names were listed in alphabetical order./ GEORGE HENRY BORROW CAPT MC BRITISH ARMY/ S EMENY BRITISH CIVILIAN/ JAMES WALTON HICKEY T SGT AIR CORPS/ BRIAN FLOYD HODGES 1ST LT AIR CORPS/ VERNON A Mc ININCH S SGT AIR CORPS/ FRANK SADOSKI T SGT AIR CORPS/ STEPHEN ALBERT WANDERER 2nd LT AIR CORPS/ S WILLS BRITISH CIVILIAN/ ORDE CHARLES WINGATE MAJ GEN DSO BRITISH ARMY. MARCH 24 1944' Typescript: 'Arlington National Cemetery U.S.A. 1977. Wreath laying ceremony. Brigadier Mike Calvert D.S.O. Retd, lays the wreath on the grave of:- Major General. Orde. C. Wingate. D.S.O. Commander Extraordinary. Brigadier Calvert commanded Wingates old Brigade, 77 Bde Chindits.'