Japan vs Burma: The Forgotten WW2 Battle To Halt Japan’s Expansion | Forgotten Allies | War Stories

By 1942, Imperial Japan's expansion had taken them to the border of Burma, a British territory. However, what deeply concerned Britain, was the looming threat of a potential Japanese invasion of British India should they succeed in conquering Burma. This is the story of how British and Burmese troops rallied against the rising Imperial threat and how, despite their valor, the veterans of Burma were relegated to obscurity post-war. Join us in honoring these overlooked allies, shedding light on their resilience, sacrifices, and the historical context that shaped this forgotten chapter of WW2.
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[@bauer9101]

Thanks for this. My great uncle was in the RAF flying missions into Burma from India. It often feels like his part of the war is overlooked.

[@kevinsuriano9663]

My grandfather was in Burma during WWII, as well. I agree that most of the Burma campaigns are overlooked.

[@mikesyria1787]

Thanks to all the Burmese men that sacrificed and died in this war they deserve to be remembered and their families should be taken care of by the British

[@ElijahBenjamin-ug6op]

I hardly cry.. But by the end, I was in tears. Thank you for your service and thank you for this incredible documentary.

[@Breca]

My neighbour the President of Burma Star Association First Canadian Branch Geoffrey Osborn Always told me to remember the war ended Aug 15 1945 V-J Day. *When you go home...Tell them of us and say for your tomorrow...We gave our today* I miss my old friend he was an air plane mechanic in Burma I'm looking at his picture on my wall he passed at 95 years old R.I.P. mate.

[@conemadam]

Oh my heart is so full!! Thank you for this lovely documentary. Those lovely people, forgotten until recently.

[@draconightwalker4964]

There are no words that can describe just how beautiful and heartwarming this is

[@MWM-dj6dn]

BEAUTIFUL AND VERY CHARMING DOCUMENTARY

[@karlehresmann6283]

😢 thank you for sharing such a touching story. As an American, I've had to learn about the campaign in Burma on my own and this broke me. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

[@curiousuranus810]

Thank you for this documentary and thanks to all those heros that were there in Britain's hour of need.

[@Russia-bullies]

A heartfelt thanks to those who sacrificed to make our lives better.Thanks for remembering them.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was a wonderful documentary about forgotten allies ( Bormies local volunteers in the British army during WW2) . Thanks for sharing

[@bravo2zero796]

Absolutely fantastic, thank you

[@robertdelacruz2951]

Excellent! A new video, a new topic!

[@donQpublic]

Wonderful video!

[@robertdelacruz2951]

Fantastic documentary!

[@moeti9647]

Thank your so much for the documentary. An for showing the real truth about our culture thanks again

[@suzannakoizumi8605]

Thank you.

[@chrisholland7367]

A truly humbling documentary.

[@oneshotme]

Great video great video!!!!!!!!! I very much enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@Artist_Knyaw]

As Burma gained independence from Britain in 1948s, the ethnic groups stood to gain self-determination and freedom from government and many Karen, Kachin, and Chin fought alongside the British against Japanese forces. I have a 94-year-old grandfather who lived in Burma during World War II when he was 15 years old. Due the WW2, he joined the Karen National Liberation Army at the age of 18 and fought against the brutal Burmese regime and protected Karen territory from southern Myanmar. He used to tell us about his experiences during the war and how he followed British soldiers in his village and how he really wanted to be in the British army. A Japanese soldier came to the village or town and ran fast, he said.

[@tylergermany460]

It’s such a sad shame that the actual leaders of Great Britain are not the ones that are leading this. They should get these guys back and have a wonderful ceremony to honor these guys. It’s such a small gesture for a great thing these men did. So disappointing how world governments act. So sad. America is right on top as well.

[@chrislouden7329]

You can blame the war criminal Churchill for that! He was a secret racist as well!

[@idimusiccollection2561]

i'm touched, you never forget your allies.

[@princehamdanbinfazza1597]

Just beautiful❤

[@jamespriyam9362]

Very touching , poignant , still a beautiful documentary . My regards for the Britishers who are accomplishing this mission 🎉🎉🎉

[@MWM-dj6dn]

A thousand greetings, great admiration, respect and greater pride in your wonderful channel, which presents beautiful works full of accurate and useful information. You deserve to be praised with all the beautiful words, respect and pride with sincere feelings. I thank you and wish you lasting success and all goodness and happiness. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for your sincere efforts. May God protect you

[@dreamsdocometrue.3730]

Your team is doing a very great work. Keep it up. 👍 Do come to Kohima, Nagaland where there is a cemetery for the thousands of fallen soldiers of British, India and Nagaland are laid down here. It will be a great gesture for those fallen heroes of WWII. Thank you. 🙏

[@tommykaung5882]

As a young Burmese who also love studying WW2 history, this is a love letter to me. I was the weird kid who understand and can comprehend the history timeline in the high school while others can't. Our education system is so bad. We are taught only a page amount of content about WW2 and didn't even bother to teach the Cold War. The Military government systematically censored about every contribution the Allied Forces did during the Burma campaign against the Japanese. So even most Burmese today don't know much about WW2. Let alone WW2 Burmese veterans. Right now a new revolution is happening and those ethnic people and Burmese now once again pick up arms and fight against the fascist military junta.

[@LanumerenLeo]

Thank you for the documentary. I'm from Nagaland where the famous battle of kohima took place during the ww2 between the British and the japanese troops, to stop the japanese from entering into India. There is also the famous kohima war cemetery where many British soldiers are buried.

[@njones2061]

A passed family member fought in Burma and he never ever spoke of it

[@alexanderkidonakis9185]

“Don’t worry boy I’ll get it back for you” -but I’m the one doing the bloody fighting 😢😂😢

[@Mizonoob]

At 18:33 there is a poster in the veteran house. The language is duhlian(which is a language spoken in Mizoram NE India) let me translate as it is my language The above soliders belongs to members of the Chin hills battalion BFF company or Hualngo company which was formed in 1894 by British in Falam(town in burma). By 1947 most of the members went back to their home(Mizoram, India) after pension. The above person in the photo are all duhlian speakers(ie Mizo speakers in Mizoram, India). In 1950 the battalion name was changed to 3rd Chin rifle and now is known as 103Myanmar Regiment. Most of the senior officers are not known. Note: what I can tell from here is that the team should visit Mizoram, India where many veteran will still reside. My state Mizoram has one of the highest volunteer among the Northeast indian state during ww2.

[@user-ql8cg2fo2m]

Burma was a British colony. General Aung San, who contributed to Burma's independence, established the Burma Independence Volunteer Army (BIA) with the cooperation of the Japanese military. The Japanese army also fought alongside the BIA against the British army. The Japanese army was not against the Burmese, and Japan had no grudge against the Burmese. It was a war between Britain and Japan.

[@1CounterTerrorist]

As was the case in every country Japan occupied, the Imperial Japanese army committed crimes and savagery against civilians on a scale not seen since the mongols. Your comment here seeking to disavow Japanese responsibility for these crimes against the Burmese is sickening.

[@desmondwaters3566]

Is there a way to watch these unedited?

[@murrayscott9546]

Bless them all.

[@lytlelynch9784]

My grandfather was a railroad engineer on the railway of death for 3 yrs.

[@user-uh6bs7tp7e]

thanks Uncles. For all your sacrifices. We people in Asia got to enjoy freedom.

[@Ameetz]

Profound Respects to the fallen Men 🌹

[@dayhsit4551]

Myanmar’s forgotten WWII heroes Myanmar’s Karen veterans of WWII, despite being abandoned by the British, recall their service with fondness.

[@Dad_Life_Marine_Vet]

I'd recommed the book "Burma 44".

[@ComfortsSpecter]

Incredible Presentation Beautiful Documentary Amazingly Deserved Fame Such Immaculate History Deserve’s so Much More The Comfort Of Man Know’s No Bounds Epic KZbin Censorship They Hate Real History

[@brettcurtis5710]

If you'd like to learn more about the Burma Campaign, I recommend George Macdonald Fraser's, Quartered Safe Out Here - the best from-the-foxhole memoir ever written!!

[@hlamoe5821]

စိတ်မကောင်းဖြစ်မိတယ် ကျေးဇူးအများကြီးတင်ပါတယ်

[@Angus1966]

My grandmothers brothers died in Burma

[@kaungkhantaye6318]

You see, there's great difference between War heroes..most of ethnic minorities as Kayin, Chins in Burma served and fight for British since their occupation,so as in WW2, however, burmese majorities fight side by side with Japanese empire, such as figureheads like Aung San, Ba Maw...same way as Indian nationalists INA,Subhas Chandra Bose...including my grandfather who was with Burma Independent Army(later B.D.A) under I.J.A 28th Army of General Shozo Sakurai. However it's World War and no one's wrong.. the one shouldn't be forgotten are lots of Chinese volunteers army (RPC)from Yunnan, fallen in Burma and famous British guerrilla Hugh Seagrim (GC) known as grandfather longlegs executed by Japanese, brother of Seagrim (VC).... I am Burmese and loves history!!!!

[@oldsoulwandering4345]

At about minute 457 you mention a man by the name of Duncan Gilmour..... would you know if he has any connection to the Gilmour's from Nova Scotia Please?

[@murrayscott9546]

As my father once said, " Politics is like 2 dogs fighting over a bone. Sometimes the bone goes this way, then it goes that way. "

[@kidd32888]

Chinese Army also fought the Japanese in Burma

[@siamwatchdog]

Also fought aginst Thai Royal Army who was Japanese alliancesv at that time in Shan state, Chiang Tung.

[@briancoon641]

This is sad seeing this group of old men feeling haunted by horrific memories of their young combat days fighting battles.

[@z.f.chicken]

So when was this filmed? A decade ago? Myanmar has been burning for the last 3 years.

[@caifrank7425]

A lots of Chinese Troops (Chinese Expeditionary Force ) came into the Burma and saving the British in 1942

[@user-wj6nj2ih1f]

For me you cannot pay goodwill.

[@davidjones535]

Some of most bravest fighters are the one whos story's are forgotten by the people they where fighting

[@KGBSpyGeorgeCostanza]

They hid in the trees.....the TREEES

[@noldo3837]

This has brought tears to my eyes. But, sincerely, Britain was not fighting for democracy, neither in Europe nor in Asia. They simply coouldn't afford united Europe as a rival empire, or Japanese threating their empire in Asia. The same way as they did centuries before against French, Spanish, Dutch or whomever.

[@matthewjay660]

God damn it. I hate this censorship. It's history.

[@billyrock8305]

Topgun fighters 🇯🇵

[@patricksalish]

That’s a pretty wide trench

[@federalisticnewyorkians4470]

8:59, one of my grand(?x) fathers made that march

[@chandarsundaram1394]

Good video, but you are wrong about the Japanese wanting to conquer India. Had they harboured such ambitions, they could have easily done so in the summer of 1942 when the Raj was unprepared, instead of waiting until 1944. Even then, their offensives in the Arakan and in Assam were limited, meant to destroy Allied military build-up in the area.

[@LimWJ2023]

You are misinformed... Japanese are going to invade British colony India.. The invasion of burma is a must to reach India. The Japanese however are slow down by the British forces and the US Chinese Joint guerilla forces in burma while aiding the chinese government to fight against the Japanese in china. The Japanese advancement are also slow down by their vast conquest of SEA, Pacific and China... Their already tight resources can't supply their troops needs occupying vast areas.

[@TahWe]

We need freedom right now in Burma thank you my Karen grandpa u sharing great stories 😂

[@paulredinger5830]

Look up the Japanese Unit 731.

[@rikijett310]

War is flat out stupid.

[@Russia-bullies]

Its better to die a free person than to live as a slave without rights.

[@rikijett310]

@Russia-bullies so war is mandatory because peace cannot be achieved by any other means? Death and destruction is the only way to peaceful living??

[@user-io6pj8bz8h]

What nonsense, England was never in danger, Canada was there from day 1. If india fell it would have had 0 impact on britian, because of Canada's leadership.

[@murrayscott9546]

Also the Philliipinos, the locals, who contributed much- fighting for their homeland.

[@aungsoe4637]

This is how the British want to get their foot in the door before the new government? Where were you before all the lives that had lost and very much of needed of your help? All the sudden there are forgotten heroes from Burma?

[@jaymudd2817]

Wonder how many Americans could identify "the Hump" .

[@piangthang275]

😙😙😙😢😢😢😢💕💕💕💕

[@salilsawkar8775]

Thanks to Churchill, in Bengal India millions died of starvation

[@Parabaiksmalldick]

British promises to give Karen/Knyaw people country after help defeat Japanese, but once allied victory British give to Burman which is British enemy during WWII. The land of Kawthoolei will never recognize for Karen people until today. Karen insurgents carried out their duties to fight for recognized of Kawthoolei until today, which is known as the longest civil war in Burma.

[@thekingminn]

The British pulled the Lawrence of Arabia on all the hill tribes in Myanmar.

[@nyiminhtun9418]

That's the thing. British knew that burma was so divided since the last union wasn't even a century old before british came, so a lot of tribes and such still want independence. British just cause more mayhem by their divide and rule technique.