OBJECYIVE BURMA(Flynn Film) AH?

[edvader]

SDeveral years ago a non-historian praised THIS over SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Why , I don know. But the Flynn film DOES NOT show the Commonwealth contributions to Burma. The film I understand WAS pulled from the UK within four days of release. Please let me know what you think. Is it AH or B...well you can guess-nonsense.

[Amit]

It was on TCM the during the memorial day weekend marathon. I saw the movie, its....lets just say....not very realistic. A bunch of US paratroopers raid a Japanese radar station, blow it up, kill what seems like over 100 enemy soldiers and escape to their pick up point. The planes cant land due to enemy soldiers in the vicinity, so they leave without picking them up, however using the radio, the paratroopers keep in touch with their base and have supplies dropped to them in the middle of the burmese jungle

Realistic? I dont think so....

DID it happen? I dont really know...

the movie ended with the remaining paratroopers reaching their objective point and rendevous (sp?) with the allies main invading force headed to Burma....

I dont thnk its AH...the allies did fight in Burma, but it was mainly British/Indian troops, I was unaware of large amounts of American forces there.

[Rahul]

There were American forces there but not in nearly as large numbers as the Commonwealth (Indian and British) troops. I know several veterans in my own town who were there as well as knew of several more veterans in India who were there.

[Prunesquallor]

As history it's nonsense, but that goes for most films about WWII. It's enjoyable and well made, which makes up for a lot. Directed by Raoul Walsh, who is thought by some to be one of the great film-makers.

[Melvin Loh]

Heyguys the most famous US ground combat presence in Burma, as I alluded to in the Discussion section, were the 5307th Provisional Group,or Merrill's Marauders, who conducted LRRP-style missions behind Jap lines in Burma in a similar manner to the British Cth Chindits and to the Rangers in ETO and the South Pacific, and who fought hard and captured the key town of Myitkina (can't remember exact date). There werealso substantial contributions from engineering and construction units (many of whose personnel were black) who helped build the Burma and Ledo roads, and OSS Detachment 101 which trained and fought alongside Kachin tribesmen, together with the USAAF 1stAir Commando with such aces as Col Phil Cochran who provided vitallogistical support to the Chinese and Cth armies involved in CBI.