"Stilwell's Foot Cavalry"

[Peter H]

From ebay,seller old-boston.

Myitkyina---badly burnt trooper being evacuated

[Peter H]

Mars Force photos here: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ ... opic=89592

Poster seige1863

[Peter H]

Same source.

Of interest,man on right wears 1944 Experimental Tropical Uniform:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sta ... rld_War_II

In 1943, after extensive testing in the swamplands and jungles of Florida and Panama, the U.S. Army determined that an experimental tropical uniform made of Byrd Cloth (in Britain, Grenfell Cloth), would best protect soldiers from insects and disease while cooling the body and minimizing losses from perspiration. Byrd Cloth, as used in the Experimental Tropical Uniform, was a single-layer uniform of untreated OD long-staple Egyptian cotton, made in a tightly woven herringbone twill to prevent penetration by the probosces of female mosquitoes. In use, the uniform was intended to cool the wearer even when continuously wetted, as might be expected in a humid, rainy jungle environment. The uniform featured a short-tailed shirt, trousers with cuffs fitted with half-inch boottop fastening tapes, and a flap-protected fly to keep out crawling insects such as leeches, ticks, and chiggers. Pockets were shallow and kept to a minimum to increase cooling; users carried all their gear in load-bearing belts, suspenders, or in low-mounted field packs designed to minimize body contact (jungle packs). The uniform, always in short supply because of a shortage of Byrd Cloth, was used in combat by members of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Mars Task Force (Army 5332nd Brigade-Provisional) in Burma.

Because of the shortage of suitable weaving machines and resultant cost of weaving Byrd Cloth, a less expensive 5-ounce OD cotton poplin shirt and trouser were issued on an experimental basis in 1944 for use in jungle and tropical regions; while reports were favorable, existing HBT stockpiles were deemed adequate, and the uniform was not adopted.

[Peter H]

From Youtube,NARA

The only combat footage of the Marauders

[noel callow]

Peter H,
My first time on this site. I think you wanted to know if Auburn Callow ( my father) was in WW2 as well as with the 8th ALH in the "great" war.
He was 2IC of the 39th , rank of Major. They were the first to go to PNG, but Dad and Col Coron were sent back to Oz when the AIF came back from the middle East. Dad was cheesed off and quit briefly; but soon joined the RAAF, as a rookie!!!

Cheers
Noel Callow

[dgfred]

Welcome!

We salute him.

[Trackhead M2]

Dear PH,
Ever hear that there was a 2d RGT raised for Merrill's Maurauders? There is a great book about them written by Roger Hilsman. He was a veteran of the unit and wrote of his experiences in "American Guerilla". He also related experiences with Detatchment 101 of the OSS and of liberating his own father who was captured in 1942 in the Philippines. Quite a book.
Strike Swiflty,
TH-M2

[Peter H]

Thanks gents,all good added discussion points here.

The NARA footage narrative also surprised me with the mention of deaths through typhus etc.

Scrub Typhus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrub_typhus

Severe epidemics of the disease occurred among troops in Burma and Ceylon during World War II (WWII). Several members of the U.S. Army's 5307th Composite Unit (Merrill's Marauders) died of the disease; and before 1944, there were no effective antibiotics or vaccines available.