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The British 14th Army

Heroes Remember

The British 14th Army

Transcript
You know that the British 14th Army was, they call them the Forgotten Army. Even in England, they’re considered the Forgotten Army. And yet, the British 14th Army, under Field Marshall Slim, killed 350,000 Japanese soldiers. They killed more Japanese soldiers than any other army, Americans included. Nobody gives them credit for that. That’s why they call it the Forgotten Army. And until this year, the thousand Canadians that went to India, they’re forgotten, too. They were never mentioned. You read all the Air Force history books… never mentioned. Is it because we were in the RAF? We were in the RAF squadrons, but they were Canadian crews. Our officers up to squadron leader were Canadian. The crew captains and up, the commander-in-chief was Earl Mountbatten. But all the other higher officers were British, I imagine. And, but there was never any mention of people in Burma, except this year. This is the first year. And we’ve been trying to... I know my first navigator, Ira McNaughton, he tried to get the recognition, and he failed. He never got any. And it’s only this year that, you know, they mention Veterans of the Far East, they mention the soldiers in Hong Kong, and that’s about it. That’s the only Veterans. They don’t mention the thousand Canadians that went to Burma, or Burma Campaign.
Description

Mr. Thomarat talks about the impact that the British 14th Army had on the outcome of the Second World War and the lack of recognition that the Burma Campaign has received.

Armand E. Thomarat

Armand Thomarat was born on the 19th of February in 1922. His father was a carpenter and a highly decorated first World War Veteran who was awarded, among other medals, the Legion of Honor. Following in the footsteps of his father and four brothers, Mr. Thomarat joined the army in 1941. After serving briefly as a clerk, he transferred to the air force, becoming a bomb aimer and a gunner on the front turret. On long trips, he served as second navigator.

Meta Data
Medium:
Video
Owner:
Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:
1:59
Person Interviewed:
Armand E. Thomarat
War, Conflict or Mission:
Second World War
Location/Theatre:
Burma
Battle/Campaign:
Burma
Branch:
Air Force
Units/Ship:
357 Squadron
Rank:
Flying Officer

Copyright / Permission to Reproduce

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