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Animated map of the Burma Campaign

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/animations/wwtwo_map_burma/index_embed.shtml

Brigadier B.J. Leech, DSO
Commanding 10th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers

Copied from the Wellingtons Auctions (http://www.wellingtonauctions.com) website 15/04/13
An outstanding 'Road to Mandalay' Burma D.S.O. group of seven awarded to Brigadier B.J. Leech, commanding 10th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, late Northumberland Fusiliers, who participated in the celebrated 'Push-Me-Pullu' escape from Singapore.
Distinguished Service Order, Geo VI, reverse of the lower suspension dated 1946. General Service Medal 1918-62, clasp Palestine (Capt., North'd Fus), 1939-45 Star, Burma Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 39-45, Coronation Medal 1953.
Distinguished Service Order, London Gazette 17th January 1946 'for gallant and distinguished services in Burma' the recommendation states 'Attached to the 1/8th Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers. During the period under review, the battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Leach's command was engaged in the following operations, a) Capture of Shwebo, b) Capture of Ondaw, Kyaukse and Pegado, c) Crossing the Irrawaddy and the subsequent capture of Ngalum and Satpyagyin, d) Crossing the Mytinge River and Capture of Sado. The battalion's part in all these operations was highly successful and this is considered to be due in great measure to the clear planning and excellent leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel Leech, whose handling of his battalion has always resulted in heavy enemy casualties at very small cost. His personal example has been an inspiration to all ranks under his command. Lieutenant-Colonel Leech assumed command of 1/8th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers in July 1944, at the time when the battalion was tired and depleted after the Kohima Operations. It was due in great part to his personal drive in training and administration that his battalion was raised to a high pitch of efficiency and morale before it was again operationally committed. A short record of the adventures of a party of the 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers who escaped from Singapore Island at the time of its surrender in February 1942. The party of the 9th Battalion ordered, together with 500 representatives of other units and formations, to attempt escape from Singapore was commanded by Major Leech. All were volunteers for the enterprise, though at first believing that it was to be a 'cutting out' expedition against the Japanese base on the island. At 7pm on 14th February, the date fixed for departure, Major Leech was informed that the only three craft available to the C.R.E. who had been made responsible for the embarkation had been filled to capacity and had left, and those who still remained un-provided for should be given the option of returning to their units or of making an individual effort to leave the Island. Major Leech explained to his party the danger and hardship, likely to be involved in the latter choice, but all elected to go through with the venture. In search for a boat the Regimental party, shortly after dark, left for the docks, which were intermittently shelled. There providentially they came in touch with Captain T.V.H. Beamish (of the Fifth and G.S. 18th Division), who had acquired an 18-foot rowing boat and had located a second dinghy. Captain Beamish and Mr. J.R. Miller of the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force, whose knowledge of the Malay people and their language was to prove invaluable, joined the party. Here space allows only the barest outline of the remarkable voyage that started the same night from the island of Rhio Archipelago, but of which all should read the full account which appeared in the St. George's Gazette of June 1942. The boat by rowing, was brought at 3.30am on the 15th to St. John's Island, where the party was joined by Bombardier Chamber, R.A., who had swum over from the neighbouring island. Later in the day, the second dinghy having been abandoned, the voyage was continued, with some brief help of a tow by a junk, to Palau Samboe. On the following day a bamboo mast and some 'homemade' sails were obtained from a village on a nearby island, and the 'Push-Me-Pullu' as the boat had been christened became a sailing ship. Leech as skipper, was assisted by Beamish as Navigation Officer. The craft, under the shadow of occasional Japanese airplanes and receiving constant reports of enemy occupation of neighbouring islands, without keel or centreboard, with a small broken oar as a rudder, and manned by soldiers, gained the east coast of Sumatra on the 21st February after a voyage of some 80 miles and countless adventures - an achievement surely in accord with the privilege so long enjoyed by The Fifth of playing 'Rule Britannia' in conjunction with their Regimental March. Though this was the end of the 'Push-Me-Pullu' it was not the last of the adventure. A journey of 200 miles to Padang on the west coast of Sumatra, where other escaping personnel were assembling, still lay before the party. This was made along the line of the River Indragin, partly by boat, partly on foot, also by lorry, and lastly by rail. Padang was reached on 28th February, but the prospect of a ship arriving to take off the 700 British civilians and soldiers there assembled seemed doubtful. At 4pm on 1st March a man-of war was reported lying of Padang which could take 400 troops to Colombo. Within a half-hour this number was aboard and had left, but it had not included Leech's party. For them the last hope of escape seemed to have gone. The Japanese were known to be approaching and they resigned themselves to fighting it out. The at 5pm, the astonishing news was received of the arrival of no fewer than five ships. In complete ignorance of the situation at Padang, these had only called in at the small port on account of having been unable to refuel at Batavia. An hour later the party was filling up the gangway of a British destroyer, and in two hours more, having been transferred to another man-of-war, they were heading northwest for Ceylon and safety. The view at the outset, that the escape was being embarked upon as something in the nature of a forlorn hope, was justified by the fate which overtook many of the others who attempted it. But though the fortune had favoured them. Leech's party could not have succeeded in the enterprise had they not been inspired by the same spirit which carried their less fortunate colleagues of the 9th Battalion through the horrors of the captivity which they had so providentially escaped. During subsequent operations in Burma, Leech was wounded leading an attack on a strategic hill post, 7th March 1943 appointed to command 1/8th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers at Kigwema, 1st July and fought with them from the Burma border to Mandalay, returned to England, August 1945, commanded the 2nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers 1948 and was advanced to Brigadier 1952, retired 1957 and was ordained as a priest the following year.