Description

John Morrison Smith, Steel & Co., Burma 1942. Diary describing flight from Burma ahead of the Japanese invasion, April-June 1942.

Donated by Mrs Elizabeth Judd.

Small Collections Box 21

1. Diary of flight from Burma, 16 April 1942 – 3 June 1942, orginally written retrospectively as three letters to his mother from Calcutta, written by John M. Smith, who had been based in Myinmu working for Steel & Co. Diary gives a detailed accont of the evacuation, initially in lorries and motor transport, but eventually on boat, elephant, bullock-cart and foot. The latter stage of the journey are through thick jungle, with Smith and his party eventually reaching India via the camp of Gyles Mackrell (see his papers elswhere in the collection). 37pp.