Armoured Warfare in the Burma Campaign

Robert Palmer examines the role of armoured cars and tanks during the Burma campaign.

'Using tanks in Burma? No, not possible,’ was the general belief early in the Second World War. However, armoured cars and tanks went on to play an important role in the Burma campaign from early 1944 onwards.

They had also been an important factor in the British Indian Army’s ability to escape from Burma following the Japanese invasion in early 1942.

Robert Palmer examines the development of the use of tanks in north-east India and Burma during the Second World War, with a particular emphasis on the role they played in the Battle of Kohima under the command of Major Ezra Rhodes.

This event has been developed by the Kohima Educational Trust as part of the Kohima 80th Anniversary Weekend.

About the speaker

Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer spent his career serving in the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, retiring at the rank of Chief Inspector. He received an MA in British Second World War Studies from the University of Birmingham and runs www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk.