The Hundred Days of Lt. MacHorton

It seems that the Burma Campaign in World War II is always looked over. I myself focused on first the European Campaign and then the Pacific Campaign, and didn't even know that there was such a large scale conflict going on in Burma between the British and American against the Japanese! In fact I found this book in one of my boxes tucked away and had no clue I had it until I cleaned it out to make room. I was certainly surprised, and pleasantly at that, to read about the British Chindits forces that attempted to invade and attacked Japanese held Burma. Machorton is a green officer who went through officer candidate school and then was stationed in India in preparation for action in Burma. He had never experienced combat before, especially jungle combat with the Japanese in firm control. The Chindits job, in which Machorton was a lieutenant, was to make a two pronged invasion, with one being the bulk of the 7 columns and proceed in secret, and two of the columns were to proceed loudly and in plain sight to draw the Japanese attention and divert it away from the main force. Of course Machorton was a part of the diversionary force. He was sub sequentially attacked and his column practically destroyed until he led some ghurkas away and in to the jungle. He meets up with other members of his column and proceed to the rendezvous point, only to be attacked and wounded. British policy in Burma? If you are wounded you are left behind. Machorton not only survived but went on to have a fantastic run of events right under the nose of the Japanese, even being taken prisoner after joining the bulk of the remaining columns in Burma, only to escape and reach freedom in British held territory. This is in fact one of two reasons why this isn't a 5 stars memoir of World War II. Everything is so fantastical that it all seems made up. A doctor shooting from the hip, without ever having shot a gun before, the head of a snake ready to strike a sleeping soldier. Shooting, and missing, at two natives only to fall unconscious only to wake up in a village building basement clothed and cleaned, with the Japanese parading at the very window right outside his room. The other con is that the book is so detailed and rich in life that you can't help think that you are reading a novel, that a lot of it was made up to further the memoir. The two cons aside, I was thoroughly engaged and enjoyed reading about Machorton's exploits in Burma. If not for those two nagging doubts I would rate this WWII memoir right up there with other well known memoirs such as With The Old Breed and Helmet For My Pillow. A recommend. 4 stars.