The Interrogation of Harkaman Tamang
Jemadar Harkaman Tamang was a Gurkha Rifle officer who served with No. 5 Column on Operation Longcloth in 1943. He was unfortunate enough to be captured on the expedition and spent the best part of a year as a prisoner of war in various POW camps, including Bhamo Jail, the Maymyo concentration camp and other temporary camps at Myitkhina and finally Mogaung, from whence he made his escape.
Sadly for Harkaman, this was not the end of his ordeal. During the years 1942-45, the Japanese had made great efforts in attempting to gain favour with Gurkha troops in the hope of turning them to their way of thinking and ultimately to undermine the pro-British sentiment felt by most Gurkha Riflemen and the Nepalese people more generally. For this reason, when Indian and Gurkha soldiers regained their liberty and returned to Allied lines, they were subjected to lengthy interrogations by specialist intelligence officers, whose job it was to ascertain whether or not these former POWs had been persuaded by their captors or not and whether they could be released to re-join their regimental units.
Shown below is a transcription of Jemadar Harkaman Tamang's interrogation report and although it does not generally come through in the text, this Gurkha officer was put through the wringer by his investigators and came under quite strong suspicion of collaboration with the Japanese. Thankfully, and like the vast majority of Gurkha soldiers, in the end he was found not to have collaborated in anyway with the enemy and sent back to his unit.
The front cover page of Harkaman Tamang's three-page report.
Report No. WDC 355 - dated 23rd May 1944
Interrogation of Indian Prisoners of War taken by the Japanese in Burma
Interrogator – 1st Lt Tha Htin, United States Office of War Information
Psychological Warfare Team, New Delhi
Secret
Name – Jemadar Harkhaman (Harkaman) Tamang
Service No. 596
Unit – 1/10 Gurkha Rifles (Training Battalion) attached 3/2 King Edward VII Own Gurkha Rifles
Age – 37 years
Father – Bhairap Sing Tamang
Birthplace – Darjeeling
The prisoner stated:
Sometime in January 1943, I went into Burma with the Wingate expedition from Assam. My column number was No. 5, commanded by Major Fergusson, 13th King’s Regiment and second I/C was Captain MacDonald.
Nature of capture – after our column had crossed the Irrawaddy we marched for seven days towards the Shweli River, but as the enemy was too strong in this area, we retreated towards the Irrawaddy again and managed to cross the river in two country boats with the help of two Burmans, but only about four-fifths of the column made it across. The rest, including myself, were stranded on an island in the middle of the river as the two Burmans ran away. There were altogether – 13 Gurkhas, myself, two British Sergeants and two British Other Ranks. We had to surrender, as we had used up all our ammunition. Then all of us were sent to Bhamo by truck along a newly made motor-road through the jungle.
I was kept at Bhamo for one and a half months, before marching to Lashio, alongside a full battery of Japanese Mountain Artillery, which took 14 days and then from Lashio to Maymyo by rail. I was at Maymyo for nine months. There would have been one Division of Japanese troops at Maymyo, but I cannot show the exact positions on a map as I was always kept inside the jail.
From Maymyo I was sent to Myitkhina by train along a perfectly good train line. I was kept in one of the houses for Japanese officers who could speak foreign languages. I also saw a radio in the room, but none of the officers stayed in the house during the day, only at night. Other houses along the river (Irrawaddy) were occupied by officers, with 3 or 4 men in each. Troops were kept in the old Frontier Force Barracks and other civilian houses near the bazaar. I think there would have been a little over a Division in the Myitkhina area. The troops stayed in the jungle during the day and some went towards the aerodrome, but I cannot say whether they went there to work or just to hide in the jungle.
Allied bombers came and bombed and strafed almost every day. I think the bombing was effective, but with few casualties, as the military and civilians were always out of the town during the day. When we (prisoners) came back in the evening, we were given just half-an-hour to cook and eat our food. I once saw leaflets dropped. Civilians were allowed to pick these up and read them but not us prisoners. I did not see any supply trains coming up to Myitkhina as the rail line and bridges were being bombed. I cannot say if any supplies were brought up by river steamers of trucks.
After two months I was brought down to Mogaung. The main bridge was not repaired at the time I arrived and I had to cross the stream in a boat. I was kept near a ration dump. The two rations’ huts were built under big trees. While I was waiting in the street, these two huts were hit and people ran in all directions. This when I escaped. The town was bombed every day. I saw many fires but could not estimate the extent of the damage.
Harkhaman Tamang’s description of his escape then followed, but was not transcribed or attached to the report.
Treatment by the Japanese:
I was never afraid at any time. I had two meals a day. I was however, beaten three times a day with a cane in the palm of my hands for having held a British rifle and again on my legs for having come into Burma with the British troops. I saw one British Major, a medical officer and POW (possibly Major Raymond Ramsay, the senior medical officer on Operation Longcloth captured on the 11th May 1943), who was made a servant to a Japanese officer for a time. He was given a beating every time he forgot to salute a Japanese officer or soldier.
When I reached a village, I was told that leaflets warning civilians to stay away from the enemy had been dropped. Also needles and thread had been dropped and people were very happy to hear that the Allies were coming back. Both at Myitkhina and Mogaung, I never saw any Japanese Anti-Aircraft fire, or even small arms fire. Morale was good amongst the local villagers.
I remember one Japanese soldier telling me that they would not get back to Tokyo, but would never allow themselves to be captured alive. Only enemy troops at the front had enough rifles, those towards the rear had only about 30% arms and ammunition and were extremely short of both around Mogaung. I saw about 100 Burmese soldiers at Maymyo, wearing yellow uniforms with long-sleeved shirts and leather belts. These were armed with rifles, but I did not see them at either Myitkhina or Mogaung.
End.