Hello, and thank you for listening to the History of World War II podcast, Episode

301, Burma, The Great Retreat, Begins.

Last time General Sun Li-jen and more directly, the 113th Regiment of the Chinese 38th Division

had pushed back elements of the Japanese 33rd Division at Yanan-Yan on April 20th, though

it was already a Japanese victory, considering the Mauling, the First Burma Division, suffered

that and the retreat of General Slim's forces.

But the Allies were about to be reminded, if such a thing was necessary, to avoid at all

costs becoming POWs of the Japanese, or even getting left behind.

Just before the last of the First Burma Division made it across the Ford north of Yanan-Yan

to relative safety, its ambulances had become separated.

And right before General Sun Li-jen's 113th Regiment temporarily pushed back the enemy

33rd Division, a British gunnery officer volunteered to re-cross the Ford to get an

update on the wounded left behind.

What he found was one of the blackest episodes in the long history of British arms.

Before being pushed back, the Japanese had come upon the Allied wounded and killed every

single one of them.

The British gunner found that, to a man, each corpse had either been bayonetted or had

their throat cut.

Word of this quickly spread among the British led troops, as well as to their Chinese

allies.

Despite all this, General William Slim still wanted to go over to the offensive, to, at

the very least, strike at the nearby enemy 33rd Division.

...