- SURNAME
Burnett
- FORENAME
John Stuart Frederick Andrew Forbes
- UNIT
V Force
- RANK
Lieutenant + T/Major
- NUMBER
162694
- AWARD
Distinguished Service Order,Military Cross
- PLACE
Burma 1943 (MC) Burma 1944-45 (DSO)
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders,attached Gurkha Rifles,Indian Army
from Newmachar,Aberdeenshire
commissioned Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders December 1940
V Force,Burma 1942-45
invalided to UK November 1945
No 17 War Crimes Investigation Unit February 1946
Major 29.6.1946
1 Bn Seaforth Highlanders (2IC) (Major) December 1946
relinquished commission 1.5.1957 (Major H/Lt Colonel)
New Zealand Military Forces
CITATION:
Distinguished Service Order : Major BURNETT undertook a recce patrol North of SWEBO from 3 Dec 44 to 18 Jan 45. Early in Mar he volunteered to lead a patrol and to be dropped by parachute. At dusk on 14 Mar 45 he was dropped near the village of MYOGI to the East of KUME. At this time there was a very strong concentration of the enemy in the area which was augmented by the enemy troops withdrawing from MANDALAY and MAYLO. Major BURNETT actually dropped within three miles of the Headquarters of the JAPANESE 15 Army. With total disregard for his own personal safety he displayed great courage and moved about the area and made many open contacts with the local inhabitants, any of whom might have given him away to the JAPANESE. He transmitted back an unusually large quantity of valuable operational intelligence. He provided many bombing targets, and a raid on MYOGYI, planned on his information, resulted in 200 enemy casualties. In order to divert suspicion he asked that he village in which he himself was hiding should be straffed. This was done. He gave the exact line of the enemy withdrawal and on many occasions put himself in very great danger to carry out his task. He returned from this mission on 14 Apr 45. On 26 Apr 45 this gallant OFFICER again dropped by parachute at dusk. He landed a few miles to the East of PAUNGDE, a town which was a rallying point for all the withdrawing enemy troops fromthe ARAKAN and IRRAWADDY fronts. He again displayed a high degree of courage and led his patrol on a most successful mission. A great deal of valuable intelligence was transmitted back to Army Headquarters.
WEB LINKS:
https://www.chinditslongcloth1943.com/lieutenant-john-stuart-frederick-andrew-forbes-burnett-dso-mc.htmlhttps://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7364178
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