Posted 7 years ago
tintyper
(98 items)
My relative was an officer in the US army in WWII, stationed in India for some time, and while there these were some mementos of his. There are two silver cigarette cases which he got there and one has the map of
India on it. Plus more.
Oh, the shoulder patches are for army use in "China-India-Burma".
He may have been a member of Merrill's Marauders. In which case he had a harsh war.
There is an association online.
The Unit was officially designated as the "5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)" Code Name: "GALAHAD", later it became popularly known as "MERRILL'S MARAUDERS" named after its leader, Brigadier General Frank Merrill. Formed into six combat teams (400 per team),color-coded Red, White, Blue, Green, Orange and Khaki, two teams to a Battalion, the rest formed the H.Q. and Air Transport Commands.
After preliminary training operations were undertaken in great secrecy in the jungles of Central India, the Marauders began the long march up the Ledo Road and over the outlying ranges of the Himalayan Mountains into Burma. The Marauders with no tanks or heavy artillery to support them, walked over 1,000 miles through extremely dense and almost impenetrable jungles and came out with glory.
My relative was in a support group, but we met a former member of
the Marauders years ago at the WWII memorial in DC, where the monument
mentioned the China-Burma-India department. He was in the bloody
fighting in Burma, and it was an honor to meet him.
Thanks for the message.