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Part 10
EVENTS DURING MONSOON FROM JUNE TO OCTOBER.
22. On the eastern front of India there was little military activity during the monsoon period. Some good patrol work in difficult conditions was carried out in the Chindwin valley by troops of the 23rd Division and local levies. The rains were exceptionally heavy, and all northern Burma and Assam are highly malarial during the rainy season. It seemed at one time that the enemy intended to move from the Chindwin and Myitta valleys into the Chin Hills, which were held only by local levies whom we could not support in the absence of communications. The Chins became alarmed by Japanese threats and depressed by shortage of food, and there was a danger that they might come to terms with the enemy. The danger was averted by vigorous bombing of the enemy and the dropping of supplies to the Chins.
I had determined in June to re-occupy Fort Hertz (Putao) in the extreme north of Burma, in order to protect the landing ground there and to raise and support Kachin levies to operate between Myitkyina and Fort Hertz. There was no road from India to Fort Hertz, and a detachment could only be flown in by air. It was September before this was possible and it had to be preceded by a small detachment dropped by parachute to prepare the landing ground.
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