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The 2nd Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment at the Battle of Sittang Bridge, Burma, February 1942 by David Rowlands. In December 1941, Japan entered the Second World War and invaded southern Burma. 17th Indian Infantry Division withdrew to the Sittang River to prevent the Japanese reaching the bridge first, which would have allowed them free access to Rangoon. 2nd Bn The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was rushed from India to join the rearguard.The river, spanned by the railway bridge, was fast-flowing and nearly 1000 yards wide. The bridge was prepared for demolition. Troops mainly from the Indian Army were defending the bridgehead, having suffered severe casualties during a fighting retreat over many days. By 22nd February the Divisional commander decided that he had little choice but to order the demolition of the bridge, knowing that two-thirds of his Division would be stranded on the far bank.As the two central spans of the bridge were blown, the exhausted troops continued fighting to prevent the Japanese securing the bridgehead. This allowed many troops to continue to cross the bridge with the aid of ropes, and rafts made from anything that would float. Others had to swim. The demolition of the bridge was the greatest disaster in the epic fighting retreat of the small, outnumbered British force in Burma, which covered nearly 1,000 miles in three and a half months. |
Patrol in Az Zubayr, Iraq by David Rowlands. 1st Battalion The Duke of Wellingtons Regiment. Operation TELIC, April 2003. |
Battle of the Hook, Korea by David Rowlands. Depicting the 1st Battalion the Duke of Wellington's Regiment and a Centurion Mk 3 tank during The Korean war at the Battle of the Hook. |
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