Thursday 7th January 1943

During the past few days there has been a big increase in the number of troops arriving at the rest camp in Dimapur. Their stay is not long then they are off up the Imphal road to the Burma border. They are mainly well known British regiments there are also some Indian troops and Indian Horse artillery. I have heard it said that there would be know need for horses in this war, with all the mechanical vehicles, how wrong they were to say that. In the difficult terrain in this country, they are very useful. We have seen hundreds going up the road. Russell and I saw some pack-mules going up, with British troops, walking. There was an officer in front leading. Russ said look at the bloke leading them, his clothes looked all creased and dirty, he did not look very clean and his black beard did not help. There were no pips on his shoulder, and on his head was an old pith helmet, like those we were first issued with on our arrival in India. We threw ours away along time ago, apart from Harry Coe I think he has still got his. Later I met some of our infantry lads, I told them about the Pack mules and their leader. They said that would be Brigadier Orde Wingate with the Chindits. They also told us, the first line of defence is the Burma border the second line of defence is the Imphal plain.

Friday 8th January 1943

There was rumour's to-day that we are moving again nearer to the front. Know it all, said, "I have been told we are going through Burma into China". Dennis Quinn said "how are we going to get the vehicle into Burma. In 1941 there was no road or rail links between India and Burma. The border lay behind almost impassable mountains, and I doubt if the army have had time to build any." Patterson said he had been told the yanks are going to build one.

Saturday 30th January 1943

We are still in the same camp in the Naga District of Assam. There is still talk of a move, but nothing official to date. Large numbers of troops, with their equipment, are going up the Imphal Road daily, and we are still stuck in this place. During the past three days it's been raining non- stop. They must measure the rain in feet in this area, not inches. Normally the Roads round here are just dirt tracks, now they are deep rutted mud tracks. In parts there are deep pools of water, where drivers have dug their vehicles out, when they got stuck. Bill Lloyd, Russell Youngman, and I are fortunate, we have four-wheel drive vehicles, they are rather high off the ground, and there pulling power is good. We can drive through fairly deep water without getting into difficulties, more often, we are called on to pull others out, which can happen a dozen times a day in this weather.

Sunday 31st January 1943

I had a headache all day.

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