Wars and ConflictsΜύ permalink
Pacific Campaign
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Message 1.Μύ
Posted by aapottsy (U2328780) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
Is the Pacific Campaign almost lost in the public's mind?
As the grandson of two pacific veterans, I feel that World War Two is disproportionably dedicated (if not entirely) to the European theatre.
I wonder how many Americans know that almost half their military were dedicated to the defeat of Imperial Japan. How many British children know of the struggles in Burma, & the barbaric treatment of allied prisoners (which put the Nazis to shame)?
How many fully appreciate the brutality of the Japanese soldiers in China, Philippines, etc.
Do you agree? -
Message 2
Posted by Mr Pedant (U2464726) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
I think in the British publics mind the American Pacific campaign is probably fairly familiar and the suffering of allied POWs as well.
But I'd say that the British & Commonwealth campaigns are not at all well known. My Grandpa was at Imphal so I'm quite conscious of it.
They were even forgotten at the time. -
Message 3
Posted by Dirk Marinus (U1648073) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
Is the Pacific Campaign almost lost in the public's mind?
As the grandson of two pacific veterans, I feel that World War Two is disproportionably dedicated (if not entirely) to the European theatre.
I wonder how many Americans know that almost half their military were dedicated to the defeat of Imperial Japan. How many British children know of the struggles in Burma, & the barbaric treatment of allied prisoners (which put the Nazis to shame)?
How many fully appreciate the brutality of the Japanese soldiers in China, Philippines, etc.
Do you agree?
Μύ
If you would reside in Australia or New Zealand then most of the WW2 stories you would come across are the ones in the Far East and New Guinea in particular.
In America most of the military campaigns are those fought in the Far East.
Here in the UK most of the WW2 history is the actions and incidents as they happened in Europe and a little in North Africa.
It is not often that you hear of the Allied actions in Burma etc.( thence the expression "The Forgotten Army"). -
Message 4
Posted by aapottsy (U2328780) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
I am actually Australian.
Regardless of what the Australians did, I think that America, Australia and India (the most forgotten allied country) fought an almost 'titanic' struggle against then Japanese.
It should be remembered!!! -
Message 5
Posted by Dirk Marinus (U1648073) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
I am actually Australian.
Regardless of what the Australians did, I think that America, Australia and India (the most forgotten allied country) fought an almost 'titanic' struggle against then Japanese.
It should be remembered!!!
Μύ
aapottsy,
I don't think anybody will argue that fact with you.
I certainly won't.
B.t.w there are some good Australian web sites where one can find the exploits of the Australian and New Zealand forces during WW2. -
Message 6
Posted by aapottsy (U2328780) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
Dirk,
Thank you for your reply.
I know there are some very good web sites. However my piont remains.
Namely, Why is the Pacific theatre never venerated??
It is not about Australians (although I am deeply proud of my grandfather's efforts).
I am not here to write about Anzac history.
I guess I am unsure as to what you mean, please elaborate!!! -
Message 7
Posted by HoustonTexan (U1804541) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
"Namely, Why is the Pacific theatre never venerated??"
Probably because you never see footage (such as the liberation of Paris) of celebration when allied forces liberated Burma, Indonesia, the Phillipines etc.
I've yet to see a movie in celebrated in the way Saving Private Ryan was on the Pacific theatre. There is "The Great Raid" but that was virtually ignored. -
Message 8
Posted by Little Enos Rides Again (U1777880) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
The Thin Red Line is a very good Pacific Theatre WWII movie for one!
But I think awareness of the Pacific theatre is increasing for instance last week or week before the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News site had an article on Iwo Jima as it was the anniversary in February to the day of the capture of Mount Suribachi.
The photo of the US marines raising the flag on Mt Suribachi must to this day be one of, if not THE most famous photo of WWII.
But being English myself, I would tend to agree that the British involvement in the Pacific i.e. Burma is very much understated compared to the European theatre. Indeed my great uncle was Killed in Action Burma in 1944.
Certainly at school etc the emphasis of study of WWII was always on the Nazi's and Europe / N.Africa. The pacific was almost a side show. -
Message 9
Posted by arnaldalmaric (U1756653) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
Is the Pacific Campaign almost lost in the public's mind?
As the grandson of two pacific veterans, I feel that World War Two is disproportionably dedicated (if not entirely) to the European theatre.
I wonder how many Americans know that almost half their military were dedicated to the defeat of Imperial Japan. How many British children know of the struggles in Burma, & the barbaric treatment of allied prisoners (which put the Nazis to shame)?
How many fully appreciate the brutality of the Japanese soldiers in China, Philippines, etc.
Do you agree?
Μύ
aapottsy,
Agree, however you will find some who try to raise the awareness on these boards. (I do mainly Burma myself, when I can).
Cheers AA. -
Message 10
Posted by aapottsy (U2328780) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
AA,
I am at a loss as to what you mean.
aapottsy -
Message 11
Posted by Dirk Marinus (U1648073) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
Something what is never mentioned in books , magazines and on these boards, is a situation what came about just after the war when all the civilians (mainly Dutch and British) came back to their home countries after having spend some 4years in Japanese prison camps.
THey had lost everything theu owned and in many cases had even lost members of their family.
Yes they were treated fairly well , but as soon as they mentioned their life in the camps they were told :
"Listen we were at war as well you know, We had shortage of foods, we were bombed" and other stories like that.
Little was it realised at that time about the hell those people had gone through.
Eventually they did give up telling the people about the camps and the terror of living under the Japanese occupation, and became reluctant to even mention what all happened .
Could this be one of the reason that so little time is given to the happenings in the Far East as far as the civilian population is concerned? -
Message 12
Posted by wollemi (U2318584) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
If you would reside in Australia or New Zealand then most of the WW2 stories you would come across are the ones in the Far East and New Guinea in particular.
In America most of the military campaigns are those fought in the Far East.
Here in the UK most of the WW2 history is the actions and incidents as they happened in Europe and a little in North Africa.
It is not often that you hear of the Allied actions in Burma etc.( thence the expression "The Forgotten Army").
Μύ
Much of Australian involvement was directed towards the war against Germany, even after the onset of the war in the Pacific
So you don't have the 'our war and their war' effect that is found in Europe. It's all WW2 -
Message 13
Posted by billy the ball (U2740765) on Wednesday, 1st March 2006
I think in the British publics mind the American Pacific campaign is probably fairly familiar and the suffering of allied POWs as well.
But I'd say that the British & Commonwealth campaigns are not at all well known. My Grandpa was at Imphal so I'm quite conscious of it.
They were even forgotten at the time.Μύ
The fact that cameras weren't allowed beyond Chittagong did little to raise the profile of the Burma campaign. -
Message 14
Posted by arnaldalmaric (U1756653) on Thursday, 2nd March 2006
AA,
I am at a loss as to what you mean.
aapottsyΜύ
aapottsy,
I was referring (somewhat obliquely I admit) to my tendency to bang on about Slim being the greatest general of WW2 and to attempt to include a reference to the Burma campaign whenever I give my opinion on "greatest action of WW2".
Cheers (hope it clears it up) AA. -
Message 15
Posted by Brevabloke (U1685837) on Thursday, 2nd March 2006
As a person with a big interest in the glider war, I think Burma was very important! Some of the stuff that was done there was quite amazing.
Scotty, former Blanik pilot. -
Message 16
Posted by Grand Falcon Railroad (U3267675) on Thursday, 2nd March 2006
Remember this though the offical War Office line and English War Ministry line was "Germany First" - although the US made by 1945 some 40-50% of all the equipment used in the war (an amazing figure when you think of all the things made by the USSR).
I think though much of the fighting in the Pacific Arena though was smaller battles which didn't figure on the public concious and the fact that when the US were fighting say around Guadalcanal it's hard to envisage why (in the public's eye) it took almost year to take a couple of islands - we know it was hard fighting and hard conditions but a tank Blitzkreig along the lines of Kursk makes better copy.
Not right but I think it's the way it goes sometimes. -
Message 17
Posted by wollemi (U2318584) on Thursday, 2nd March 2006
Remember this though the offical War Office line and English War Ministry line was "Germany First" - although the US made by 1945 some 40-50% of all the equipment used in the war (an amazing figure when you think of all the things made by the USSR).
I think though much of the fighting in the Pacific Arena though was smaller battles which didn't figure on the public concious and the fact that when the US were fighting say around Guadalcanal it's hard to envisage why (in the public's eye) it took almost year to take a couple of islands - we know it was hard fighting and hard conditions but a tank Blitzkreig along the lines of Kursk makes better copy.
Not right but I think it's the way it goes sometimes.Μύ
Guadalcanal was a British colony,
It's part of the Solomon Islands. The Islanders give a vivid witness - the sea was said to be red with bood, American blood.
Anecdotally, I had a relative on HMAS Australia, serving with the US Pacific fleet and hit by kamikazes. The war in the Pacific was a lot more than 'island hopping'.
The flaw with prioritising the European war in late 1941 was that this coincided with Japan's invasion/threat of invasion of the British Empire in the Asia Pacific.
Hong Kong
India
Burma
Malaya
Borneo
Singapore
Australia
NZ
New Guinea
the Pacific (Solomon Islands, Nauru Fiji..)
If the security of the region was of lesser priority to Britain, then the security of Britain beomes of lesser priority to the region
The US position, understandably, was that they were fighting to defeat Japan, not to defend parts of European empires. -
Message 18
Posted by wollemi (U2318584) on Thursday, 2nd March 2006
India (the most forgotten allied country)
Μύ
Unfortunately, true. And their contribution in WW1 also
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