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Author Topic: african troops in burma  (Read 827 times)

Offline summsi

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african troops in burma
« on: October 05, 2017, 02:22:19 PM »
did they receive Kukris like the Chindits?

Offline Poiter50

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Re: african troops in burma
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2017, 02:25:59 PM »
No, Kukri has a sacred, cultural significance to the Ghurkhas. West Africans would have been issued with Machetes for cutting jungle foliage. In desperate close combat, they would have been a last resort.
Cheers,
Poiter50

Offline summsi

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Re: african troops in burma
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2017, 02:55:36 PM »
but not only Gurkhas had Kukris, also other indian troops (like Jammu and Kashmir rifles) and british Chindits


Offline Plynkes

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Re: african troops in burma
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2017, 03:01:51 PM »
For what it's worth, many of the Jammu and Kashmir troops were Gurkhas.

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Offline summsi

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Re: african troops in burma
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2017, 03:14:04 PM »
hm...ok, but Chindits were not Gurkhas (I know that some were, but most were british)

Offline Plynkes

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Re: african troops in burma
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2017, 04:57:57 PM »
Can't speak for the West Africans, but in John Nunnelely's memoir of service in the KAR there is no mention of kukris. They carried the East African panga bush knife (essentially a machete) for clearing brush, and a bayonet for skewering Japanese. He does mention capturing Ghurkhas serving in the I.N.A., so in fact you can have kukris on the Japanese side, if you want.


An interesting titbit I picked up is that the white officers in the KAR blackened their faces and hands for combat, because otherwise they would attract an undue amount of fire from the Japanese, who naturally would try to shoot anyone who obviously stood out as an officer.


Offline summsi

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Re: african troops in burma
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2017, 05:05:54 PM »
thank you Plynkes, so it seems I can not use Gurkhas for african troops!

Offline summsi

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Re: african troops in burma
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2017, 05:10:28 PM »
and thank you Poiter50!!

Offline Plynkes

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Re: african troops in burma
« Reply #8 on: October 05, 2017, 05:11:46 PM »
Don't think it would take too much work to do a conversion, making the kukris look like pangas (don't forget to alter the sheaths, too). Gurkhas don't really look like black Africans, but a "paint-conversion" might have an acceptable outcome, depending upon how particular you are.




Offline carlos marighela

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Re: african troops in burma
« Reply #9 on: October 05, 2017, 07:21:00 PM »
Use the Artizan 'Commonwealth' infantry or the TAG 14th Army chaps if you want West Africans.
Em dezembro de '81
Botou os ingleses na roda
3 a 0 no Liverpool
Ficou marcado na história
E no Rio não tem outro igual
Só o Flamengo é campeão mundial
E agora seu povo
Pede o mundo de novo

 

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