Arctic explorer, survival expert and naturalist Freddy Spencer Chapman was trapped behind enemy lines when the Japanese overran Malaya in 1942. His response was to begin a commando campaign of such lethal effectiveness that the Japanese deployed an entire regiment against him, hunting for him as they did for no other. He was wounded, and racked by tropical disease. His companions were killed, or captured and then beheaded. Cut off from friendly forces, his only shelter the deep jungle, Chapman held out for three years and five months. Jungle Soldier recounts the thrilling and unforgettable adventures of the north country orphan who survived against all odds to become a legend of guerrilla warfare.
Jungle Mission is a poignant account of René Riesen’s life and mission during the First Indochina War amongst the Montagnards, and his ever growing love for these people by going native, learning their language, their traditions, their rituals, and their way of life. During World War II, Riesen worked briefly for the Vichy government and, following liberation, received a 20-year prison sentence. He volunteered to serve in the “BILOM” (Bataillon Leger d’Infanterie d’Outre-Mer), where WWII political prisoners could redeem themselves. Arriving in Saigon in May 1950 as a Colonial Infantry “2eme Classe” soldier affected to the BILOM—which by then had ceased to exist and most of its soldiers assigned to the BMEO (“Bataillon de Marche Extreme Orient”) created in January 1950—Riesen was assigned to the 1st Company, 4th BMEO at the outpost of Kon Plong, controlling access to the coastal plains of Son Ha and Ba To; this post was located about a day’s travel away from Kontum, positioned on a 1,800m high peak, where the rainy season lasted about seven months, with thick fog present almost every day. In December 1950, the 4th BMEO was renamed to the 4th Montagnard battalion, and its HQ remained at Ban Mé Thuot whilst its Battalions operated around Kontum. Riesen would go on to serve four years in the Kontum area and joined the GCMA after its formation, serving under Captain Hentic (“L’action Hre”). For his services in French Indochina, Corporal Riesen was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, the Croix des T.O.E (Théâtres d’opérations extérieures) and the Croix de la Vaillance Vietnamienne, with palm for his actions in French Indochina. As with many others, following his tour in Indochina Riesen was sent to the much quieter operational theatre of Algeria; however, this area too did not remain peaceful for long, escalating quickly into full warfare, and Riesen and his wife died during an ambush by Arabs in December 1956.
His book tells not only how victory was gained through a combination of technology, tactics, and army-navy cooperation but also how the New Guinea campaign exemplified the strategic differences that plagued the Pacific War, since many high-ranking officers considered it a diversionary tactic rather than a key offensive.
A story of guerrilla warfare against the Japanese in Malaya, this title is an inspiring account of survival against the odds, the elements and the Japanese army in World War Two.
Australians are acknowledged as being among the best, if not the best, jungle fighters. This fascinating and revealing history explores how the Australian soldier evolved from being trained for and fighting European and desert wars, fought in open country often by large numbers of troops, to the very close warfare of jungle combat.
In the spring of 1974, Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda of the Japanese army made world headlines when he emerged from the Philippine jungle after a thirty-year ordeal. Hunted in turn by American troops, the Philippine police, hostile islanders, and successive Japanese search parties, Onoda had skillfully outmaneuvered all his pursuers, convinced that World War II was still being fought and that one day his fellow soldiers would return victorious. This account of those years is an epic tale of the will to survive that offers a rare glimpse of man's invincible spirit, resourcefulness, and ingenuity. A hero to his people, Onoda wrote down his experiences soon after his return to civilization. This book was translated into English the following year and has enjoyed an approving audience ever since.
Jonathan Fennell captures for the first time the true wartime experience of the ordinary soldiers from across the empire who made up the British and Commonwealth armies. He analyses why the great battles were won and lost and how the men that fought went on to change the world.
The physical conditions of jungle warfare and the closeness of contact with the enemy pose unique problems and call for special soldiering skills. Colonel John Cross, a life long Gurkha officer, has an unrivalled knowledge of this demanding warfare and uses it to best advantage in this instructive yet personal account of techniques and experiences. He uses examples from British and Japanese sides in the Second World War and goes on to demonstrate how tactics and strategy developed in the Malay, Borneo and Indo-China theatres thereafter. He laces his work with vivid recollections and assessments of friend and foe along with entertaining anecdotes from a wide range of sources. This excellent book offers a perfect blend of factual military history and personal recollection and the reader gains a unique insight into this most challenging form of warfare.
Nineteen-year-old private Taggert joins the SAS on one of their toughest missions: D squadron must capture a gang of guerrillas living in the heart of the notorious Malayan jungle. Will they survive?
A visual history of the Vietnam War in the Stackpole Military Photo Series. Included are detailed photos of soldiers, helicopters and ground vehicles, villages and terrain, base camps, and more. With hundreds of photos, many of them rare and never published before, this is the perfect complement to the narrative accounts in the Stackpole Military History Series, such as Street Without Joy and Land With No Sun.
