Jungle Commandos
The Battle for Arakan, Burma 1945
Published on 9. October 2025
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-4728-6664-6 (ISBN)
Description
Drawing on unpublished first-hand accounts, this is a gripping history of the experiences of the Commandos and their unsung allies in one of the bloodiest battles of the Burma Campaign.
Following the battles of Kohima and Imphal in mid-1944, the tide was turning against the Imperial Japanese Army. By the end of that fateful year, the Allies were preparing to launch an offensive in the Arakan region of Burma, to deliver a knockout blow to the increasingly desperate Japanese 28th Army. This fascinating new history details the actions of 3 Commando Brigade, who would spearhead this attack in a series of daring amphibious landings into the depths of the Burmese jungle, culminating in the brutal fight for Hill 170.
They would be the only Commando Brigade to serve in the Far East, yet their story has never before been told in detail. With access to previously unseen primary sources, this book is the story of the men who volunteered for a fight against a fearless enemy, 5000 miles away from home in one of the most unforgiving environments in the world. Thrown into combat with limited jungle training and scant resources, it would be a baptism of fire, but the Commandos, alongside the brave men of the Indian and West African Divisions of XV Corps, would inflict a terrible defeat on an enemy once thought to be unbeatable.
Written by a granddaughter of a Commando veteran who fought at Arakan, this new book shines a light on a largely forgotten yet crucial battle of World War II.
Following the battles of Kohima and Imphal in mid-1944, the tide was turning against the Imperial Japanese Army. By the end of that fateful year, the Allies were preparing to launch an offensive in the Arakan region of Burma, to deliver a knockout blow to the increasingly desperate Japanese 28th Army. This fascinating new history details the actions of 3 Commando Brigade, who would spearhead this attack in a series of daring amphibious landings into the depths of the Burmese jungle, culminating in the brutal fight for Hill 170.
They would be the only Commando Brigade to serve in the Far East, yet their story has never before been told in detail. With access to previously unseen primary sources, this book is the story of the men who volunteered for a fight against a fearless enemy, 5000 miles away from home in one of the most unforgiving environments in the world. Thrown into combat with limited jungle training and scant resources, it would be a baptism of fire, but the Commandos, alongside the brave men of the Indian and West African Divisions of XV Corps, would inflict a terrible defeat on an enemy once thought to be unbeatable.
Written by a granddaughter of a Commando veteran who fought at Arakan, this new book shines a light on a largely forgotten yet crucial battle of World War II.
Reviews / Votes
This is a much needed account of a largely forgotten campaign. * Lieutenant General Sir James Dutton, KCB, CBE * Betteridge-Dyson's expert eye picks out strategy, operational brilliance and all the extraordinary drama and detail of the war on the ground, at sea and in the air. This is a brilliant debut for a talented historian. * Robert Lyman, author of 'A War of Empires' * Jungle Commandos is a haunting and beautifully written account of a complex theatre - a crucial contribution to our understanding of Burma in the Second World War. This is the sort of book that in the best possible way, you are not the same after reading. * Dr Sarah-Louise Miller, King's College London, author of 'The Lancaster Story' * This book is a superb balance of theatre-level strategic and operational thinking, tactical detail, and the personal accounts that bring any history to life. * Prit Buttar, author of 'Into the Reich: The Red Army's Advance to the Oder in 1945' * With the passion of a descendant and the objectivity of a scholar, Lucy Betteridge-Dyson has shed badly needed new light on the 1945 struggle for Burma, a campaign that did much to decide the future course of British involvement in Asia. Well written, absorbing, and highly readable. * John C. McManus, PhD, author of 'To the End of the Earth: The US Army and the Downfall of Japan, 1945' * Debut author Lucy Betteridge-Dyson has forged a vivid, scholarly tale of this unsung campaign that did much to decide the future of the war. * Unseen Histories *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
2 Maps
Dimensions
Height: 238 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 31 mm
Weight
542 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4728-6664-6 (9781472866646)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2025
1st Edition
Osprey Publishing
€16.99
Available for download
Person
Lucy Betteridge-Dyson is a historian and broadcaster. She co-presented Channel 4's 48 Hours to Victory series alongside Dermot O'Leary and also co-presented the BBC Sounds podcast, Obsessed With...SAS Rogue Heroes. She has contributed to BBC One's Who Do You Think You Are? and has worked with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Royal British Legion.
Content
Prologue
Introduction
Notes on the Text
List of Illustrations
Maps
Chronology
Part I: The Turn of the Tide
Part II: The Birth of 3 Commando Brigade
Part III: The Ace of Spades
Park IV: Africans in Arakan
Part V: Mud and Mangroves
Part VI: The Kangaw Blockade
Epilogue - Heroes Return
Acknowledgements
Selected Bibliography
Index
Introduction
Notes on the Text
List of Illustrations
Maps
Chronology
Part I: The Turn of the Tide
Part II: The Birth of 3 Commando Brigade
Part III: The Ace of Spades
Park IV: Africans in Arakan
Part V: Mud and Mangroves
Part VI: The Kangaw Blockade
Epilogue - Heroes Return
Acknowledgements
Selected Bibliography
Index