With Wingate in Burma. By David Halley. (Hodge. 7s. 6d.)
IN this book Sergeant Tony Aubrey, of the King's (Liverpool) Regiment, tells of his experiences with Wingate's first expedition into Burma. Mr. Halley's part in the making of the book is not explained ; he is possibly the editor, although it is fair to say that there is little sign of anyone having tried to impart elegance to 9 narrative written in a direct but by no means uhpleasing way. Wherever the responsibility lies, however, a useful, if slight, contr.. bution has been made to the scanty literature of the war in Burma- We are told something of the hazards and hardships of the Chindits' life. No attempt is made to explain the strategic significance of their raid. Lord Wavell, indeed, has denied that it had any, and he is probably right. Its importance was wholly tactical, and seems to have lain in its effect on the morale of the British and Indian troops and in its explosion of the myth that only japs could fight in the jungle. Wingate himself makes a brief appearance in the book, but it is enough to leave a deep impression on the author of "someone who was a man and, above all, a fighter." The secret of his success as a leader is explained by the fact that he never gave an order without his men realising that he was capable of carrying it out himself.
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