Forgotten War - The British Empire and Commonwealth’s Epic Struggle Against Imperial Japan 1941–1945

The majority of histories of WWII are Eurocentric and the British war efforts in the Far East – the role of the 14th Army (the Forgotten Army) and the massive naval Task Force 37, (the Forgotten Fleet) - often go relatively un-noticed. The author, in his introduction to the book subtitled “The British Empire and Commonwealth’s epic struggle against Imperial Japan 1941-45”, stresses the integral part played by Empire and Commonwealth forces in defeating the Japanese. Tracing the path from WW1 through the inter-war years of naval treaties and economic woes to re-armament, Japan, once seen as a British ally, now had clear expansionist ideas and with Hitler’s rise pacifist ideals were swept aside. With the outbreak of war, British and Commonwealth forces in the Far East were a mish mash of formations, outdated aircraft and lacking combat hardened personnel. The Japanese invasion of Malaya saw Indian and Australian troops valiantly trying to repel the Japanese advance, Force Z was sunk, Hong Kong fell and finally Singapore surrendered, described as the “worst defeat” ever to befall British forces. Burma was soon to fall; in 5 months the British Empire in SE Asia had fallen to the Japanese with heavy naval losses and the British and Commonwealth land forces had over 166,000 casualties of which over 90% were prisoners. Fast forward to 1944 and the unified SEAC command co-ordinated the efforts of over 1million men, modern aircraft carriers and aircraft in helping defeat the Japanese. The Battle of Midway in 1942 was a turning point in the Far East. Whilst the Pacific War was predominantly American, the RN contribution of 2 battleships and 4 carriers, supported by a fleet train of 125 ships and their readiness to be subsumed into the USN force structure, ensured their arrival was embraced by the Americans. The sea war saw British T-class submarines wreak havoc on the dwindling Japanese fleet and merchant ships, and the destroyer action resulting in the sinking of the Cruiser Haguro was a classic destroyer action. In the air, the FAA attacks on the Palembang refineries and the operational effectiveness of the RN armoured deck carriers in withstanding kamikaze attacks were good examples of the British contribution. At the end, the US dominance prevailed against Japan but they were ably supported in every aspect by a massive British and Commonwealth force. This book covers a massive canvas of wartime operations, 4 years of fighting in the Indian Ocean and Pacific theatres, set against the backdrop of the war in Europe. The author has pulled together a highly readable and enjoyable book that certainly succeeds in lifting the curtain on the “Forgotten” war. Highly recommended.