The Dirtiest Most Ruthless Commander of WW2
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 มิ.ย. 2024
- Mad Mike Calvert and his elite Chindits, who specialized in deep penetration operations behind Japanese lines in Burma, were attacking a heavily dug enemy position in March of 1944.
Calvert, already a rising legend in the UK due to his fierce bravery and unconventional tactics, was deeply adored and admired by his men. That day, rain and mud were everywhere, but he had orders to accomplish.
Noticing the enemy was focused on engaging another unit, Mad Mike, honoring his nickname, opted to try something different. Fixing a bayonet on his weapon, he ordered a full-on bayonet charge. The Chindits commander then sprinted toward the enemy by himself while bullets flew around him.
He then stopped and shouted: (QUOTE) “Charge, what the hell do you think you're doing! Charge!”
From machine gunners, mortar teams, and auxiliary units, all the troopers charged, bayonets fixed, behind their fearless, mad commander…
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My dad's best mate, who lived two houses away from us, served as one of Orde Wingate's Chindits. He hardly ever spoke about his exploits, but still had nightmares years later. He once told me about Japanese snipers up in the trees and how they were dealt with. He never forgave the Japanese for what they did to civilians and POWs.
I dont think nazified US zombie marines were involved, stacking up under the trees until the samurai ran out of bullets? So what was it?
@@AremStefaniaK Charlie, patriotism and beer will take over the world, who wants to live in the dark ages or who's coming with!!!!!!!! Ex believers sound about good now, atheist???????? Does that mean ODIN OR woden should set the tone. ?????. Let's see if we can find, valhalla??????no fudge, simping soy will get you there, thats for sure..... Lets see what happens... Il take Nordic Christianity over any other!!!! What is a celtic cross again???? Can they let slip and forget love thy neighbour and love all, it don't work.....i will strike down with great vengeance and furious anger on he or try to poison and contempt...
It seems to me to be bad idea to install yourself in a tree. Once your position is given away, you're a sitting duck.
Top notch Aussie Commandos always in the thick of it, God bless Australia!
Force Z!
Chindits actually...
Training of men and women from all walks of life, backgrounds, cultures, religions, and ethnicities by the British. Has led to some of the very best fighting and espionage personal ever. For example. Allied Commando units, the US Rangers, SAS regiments from France and Belgium. Persons from all over occupied Europe in the SOE. Current day Delta force. Formed by Green Beret and SAS trained Col Charlie Beckworth. The Australian coast watchers. Force Z. It would be of even more benefit to the world. If this dedication and success of inclusion to achieve a common aim. Could be transposed into everyday civilian life. A victory of harmony and personal success over division and failure?
@@keithdurose7057 try telling freeloading migrants and radical religions that then, oh and those of colour who feels entitled through victimhood..its not the natives who need to behave, be respectful and assimilate is it..
Bluey!!!
Wellington actually said "Next to a battle lost, the saddest thing is a battle won."
BRIGADIER Calvert did not do "inappropriate behaviour" with younger soldiers. When in Germany he was accused by three German civilians of something he did not do when they tried to rob him. He was falsely accused and court martialled, dismissed based on a lie, for something he had not done, which they later admitted they had done to cover their crime.
It also fails to mention here that his Malayan Scouts SAS, including men of the 21 SAS, ,
ww2 veterans, who had re-formed SAS after ww2, in the Territorial Army,were strengthened and enlarged and became superb in the Malayan and Borneo jungles, becoming 22 SAS, the Regular SAS Regiment . Thus a Reserve Regiment became a Corps which incorporated firstly 21 SAS (Artists Rifles)TA and then 22 SAS. Later incorporating a unit which had been MI9 (escape and evasion, survival experts) which became the Reserve Reconnaissance Unit and finally as 23 SAS (TA) in 1959.
This superb officer, supremely brave Commando and Chindit fighter and supremely courageous leader, not only commanded SAS in ww2 but helped to rebuild it into the unit we have today. Betrayed by his nation and the Army he served with great distinction who today posthumously has still not been given the justice he deserved. I suggest you read the biography Mad Mike. Another great book actually authored by Calvert is Prisoners of Hope.
Today his 77 Brigade is basically a propaganda unit and an insult to those superb 77 Brigade Chindits of ww2.
To Brigadier MJ Calvert i say "God speed and a salute Sir for your service" and pray he receives justice and exoneration with restoration of reputation.
In the very early 80's as I was starting my career, I worked with a proper soft spoken gentleman. The business went out of its way to help him when he was ill which was often, due to the diseases he'd picked up during "the war". I learnt later that he was a Chindit, he never spoke about it, and a kinder calmer person you'll never meet.
Thank you for bringing the story of Mike Calvert to life. Clearly a fearless soldier who committed fully to his mission. Despite his struggles post war, I'm glad he made it to the late 1990s and I hope some or most of the post war years gave him some measure of happiness.
With name you sound like you from Jock stock from the east lowlands?!, if you like war history?, Give "Mad Mitch's tribal law" a ganders, battle of the crater!!, a proper warrior Scotsman in the Argyll & sutherland... Enjoy 👍..
Sadly the way it ends for a lot of history’s best war fighters.
Sosabowski...❤
Not sad, typical
Only the compromised, like Hitler Churchill Kerry or McCain get elevated
@@ducomaritiem7160 A fine example, a superb Polish paratrooper reduced to working as a janitor.
My great uncle was in the Chindits , was left for dead as he had contracted malaria . Was picked up by natives who nursed him back to health , he then walked nearly 500 miles to the nearest British /commonwealth garrison . True story
I would probably be an alcoholic after seeing what he saw and what he did. He fought an enemy that was vicious and without morals. My Dad was an alcoholic after being wounded at Sidi Rezegh in Egypt 1941 and seeing the destruction caused by the Germans. His best mate was hit by a an 88mm Flak gun and disappeared before his eyes. He was on Valium and Librium, this was before we knew what PTSD was.
Alot of ww2 vets had PTSD they called it shell shock , my pa ,and all 4 uncles served ,as did I ,but my service was in peacetime . We were all geared up after Beruit embassy but never left for there or Grenada . Pa and uncle Sal had a Finnish friend Named Simo . That man really didnt play well with the russians .
Librium is HEAVY duty medication
@@AnthonyOMulligan-yv9cgthey giv ya libby's for the DT's aswell.... 👋..
My brother, we're about the same age, my father also WW2 vet. They struggled, some overcame it, and it overcame some.
Mhhh Valium they dont make creative pastimes like they used to
People (mostly Americans thanks to McArthur) often over look the New Guinea part of the pacific war. But the total campaign included not only the first land defeat of the Japanese by anyone, Milne bay by Australia. But also the totals are
USA Kia 7000
Australia Kia 9000
Japan Kia 200,000
It started rough but became one of the most decisive victories of the war and happened in tandem with guadal canal and if you count them as 2 parts of the same battle which the Japanese do, it gets even more comprehensive with what the marines did at guadal canal
Not to forget the "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels" of those regions who carried wounded and supplies over the Kokoda and other trails, who were loved by the Aussies and their allies.
If you have ever read Kipling's poem "Tommy"...you might understand a bit about how the Brits treat their soldiers. Only in times of war do they get respect...when the war is over...they kick him out the door.
And what happened to Vietnam vets?
@@nickjung7394 In a lot of ways, the USA does the same thing...oh, right...the Brits were our colonizers...so wonder where we got that habit from.
And by the way, I am a Nam combat vet.
Some men were born to be soldiers and couldn’t live without it
@arthurspearman7914 TBH Arthur, the Americans were the British colonisers up until the War of Independence/ American Revolution.
They then became American colonisers.
The presence of militia units in the American colonies was the result of the traditional English ruling classes dislike of standing armies.
Standing armies were seen as expensive and the tools of the European and generally Catholic absolutist monarchies who wished to retain an absolute control of their realms and their subjects.
This was not the kind of thing English gentlemen would suffer lightly, whichever side of the pond he called home.
It was only the advent of gunpowder weaponry that led to the formation of a standing army in Great Britain, and the army certainly didn't grow to match the size of the European conscript armies.
The experience of 19th-century British soldiers on leave was due to the working classes dislike of the soldiers, and not the result of demonstrations by highly politicised student activists opposed to the Vietnam War.
And thank you for your service.
“Oh it’s Tommy this and Tommy that and “Chuck him out the brute” but it’s “Savior of the country, when the guns begin to shoot”…
Glad to see this video. While he may have been forgotten by the military this video is one more form of remembrance of someone that truly deserves to be remembered. His end is not surprising given what he saw and did and that end does not diminish the heroic man in anyway.
British soldiers..
Err... India was NOT "an integral part of the UK", it's never been part of the UK at all, you probably mean British Empire.
Kinda splitting hairs there aren’t you?
@@thehawk7064 Err...No. Since you don't seem to know much, the UK is a country comprising of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The British Empire was much bigger and included countries like India, Australia, New Zealand, America, Burma, Egypt, South Africa, etc. Confusing UK with British Empire is like saying New York is America.
Yep hair splitting @@asanulsterman1025
I spent many months trying to help a USMC Force Recon officer who had service in Vietnam. He was also a hero but his drinking and his inability to stop took the best of him. I got him into a VA Program for Special Operators but he left 3 days later.
It was sad we could not help him.
Finally, I moved on.
We appreciated our Aussie brother's in Nam, they had more flexibility to make decisions in combat. In other words, weren't restricted to checking ID before engaging the enemy. They were there when needed.
Unfortunately the CIA undermined all the Allied efforts there.
Sad finale for such a wonderful soldier. Sadder is that no one ever bothered to take care of him. After everything he went through, drinking was just an escape.
These guys were superhuman......
By todays standards anyway...
He reminds me of Paddy Mayne the SAS fighter
The 13th Battalion The Kings Liverpool Regiment fought with both Chindit columns with great distinction.
0:12 Gentlemen in the top right of this photo is Major James Rutherford Lumley- the actressJoanna Lumley’s dad 🌹
Fair Dinkum mate?
@@stevehall734 truth
@@revert6417 Crikey!
@@stevehall734 details like that should always be remembered, its not to spread other peoples business around, its more just to be grateful really
@@sufianansari4923 I'm certainly grateful. Always, having family in both wars and ex military myself. Just very surprised as I am a fan of Joanna Lumley. A fine lady with a fine father. Kind regards.
Didn't the Japanese start a rumor saying they was scared to fight up close and that's why he started charging with the bayonet. After the 1st one there was nobody left to tell anyone different so he done it again ...
And he done it so much the higher up told him they need to stop cause they couldn't afford to lose him
Love your work.
A suggestion, since almost all your stories involves Comandoes, tell people about the origin, the Boer Koemandoes, 1890s. The first, Churchill knew and them after his experience in South Africa.
F. Spencer Chapman's "The Jungle is Neutral" is a classic book. An account of his war in Burma, mostly behind Japanese lines.
Yes and a pre ww2 explorer with Gino Watkins, and expert in survival. who along with Peter Fleming, Anthony Quayle, Mike Calvert, helped form the Auxiliaries who would have acted as guerrillas within the UK had the Germans invaded. All of whom had special forces roles in ww2. Peter Fleming was Ian's brother.
I read "The Jungle is Neutral" which started my interest in survival, and medicine, which led to my career choices.
Got to admit, pure luck he wasn't filled with holes during his solo bayonet charge
That flamethrower tank is insane!
I don’t know if it’s a ‘crocodile’ (an adaptation of the Churchill) it was a fearsome weapon that only a fool didn’t run from
@@lynby6231That's a Universal Carrier (aka Bren gun Carrier) fitted with a "Ronson" flamethrower. Most probably it's a variant called a Wasp. I don't think they were used in the Far East.
Unfortunately… an all too familiar story and end of a great warrior. Rest in peace.
My grandfather was 2/6 independent company in New Guinea. I'm proud to be from his line
Im 🇨🇦 50ish years old. Seen a few things.
If i had to choose someone to go into a fight with and everything being equal my only deciding factor being nationality?
Gimmie the Aussie
I served 20yrs army airborne ranger 84-04 and these guys seem likè rangers
Thank you for your service!
The reference to British of course actually means Australians.
Morals:
You'll go through hell and they won't take care of your PTSD.
Not worth it...let them do their own dirty work...
Pencil pushing peace time officers will never know what it does to a man to see young men that entrusted him with their lives dead on a battlefield. I can only imagine the demons that man fought the rest of his life. Piss on pencil pushers and shame on any of his battlefield superiors that allowed the military to throw him away like that after the war. Men like him needed to be protected from themselves not admonished and hidden away in a glass box to be broken only in times of war. I truly hate what the military becomes in peace times. Great men like him become disposable and thrown away.
blame the government and the ruling elite for that those pen pushers generals were only doing what the political elite told them to do
I know that they were the toughest and bravest, because they absolutely had to be just to survive in that theater. Their situation was worse than Macv-Sog in Viet Nam because they did not have good logistical support !
Typical treatment from politicians. "Oh yes, you've done great things for this country.., but what have you done for -- ME -- lately?"
"Well, I did let you live."
mad mike for a quick minute looked like old orde wingate and although a bit eccentric he to was a ruthless and intense combat leader
and now that you're on it why not do a history video on old orde wingate , before the war ( WW-2' ) he did outstanding work on the unconventional warfare innovations his work in ethiopia as a military advisor on the ground working directly with the local indigenous people and with minimal support efforts from the UK , his ground breaking work in Palestine against the arabs and helping the jews form and training them for their special night squads , all before WW-2'
It was in September 1942 Milne Bay, that the 'Spell' of Japanese Bushido invincibility, was actually broken. Morale was altered on both sides of the conflict following this feat.
Commando units in Australia had been 'Officially' formed in 1941. Not by Calvert, although he would have shared some techniques with them. They had previously been natural Commando's who had matched the Boer Commando's of that same War of 1899-1902. It was a part of their History.
If you read about it the Chindits under Wingate spent most of their time partiularrly in the early days hacking their way thruogh jungles losing a huge percentage of their men to disease for no good purpose .Wingate himself was an eccentric character to say the least with a dark past in Palistine and was unpopular with his offecers and men .
But, Orders are Orders. 🔥
This is a sad ending story 😢😢😢
The founder and commander of the Chindits was in fact Orde Wingate.
Orders to accomplish understand ...UNDERSTAND... all your base are belong to us
Every war hero is forgotten and cast aside by their gov'ts once the war is over.
What was Stilwells problem?
He was more of a politician than a general. He cared about the optics far more than his men.
@robertschumann7737 Id have to agree.. but his hatred of the British was homicidal
Americans called him Vinegar Joe.
He was Commander of ALL US Forces in India, Burma and China.
At his level he had bigger problems. First and foremost was to keep millions of Chinese in the fight.
Yup, a proper Anglo-phobe who wasn't ashamed to admit or show it!, the same thing that did sometimes hamper progression on the western front in Europe with the top brass, leading to the loss of allied tribune unnecessarily....Ike said something along the lines of, you can call each other a yankee or a Limey, but i will not hear either being called a limey or a yankee 'bastard' or you'll be sent stateside or something along those lines..
@@wor53lg50pm ......
I was expecting Wingate when I saw the thumbnail and title.
RIP Mad Mike
So very sad.
Always thought the second Chindit campaign would make a good film.
Heroes, one and all...
India was not an ‘integral part of the United Kingdom’
@ 2:05 is an actual scene of an Australian soldier just before his beheading by the Japanese
Absolutely disgusting
2:30 fredrick spencer-chapman The jungle is my enemy
The jungle is neutral
"The Jungle can be your friend"..
Rotten Poms always turn their back on any one who has helped them
It is better to be loved than to br feared but if fear us what it takes,,l to gain control, use it .
The Devil lies at the bottom of every rotgut bottle.......and even the bravest men can be struck down if they underestimate the power of that enemy.
Jewel of British Empire - which was rudely ....
Lt Col. Churchill, meet Brigadier Mike Calvert. Brigadier Calvert, Lt. Col Jack Churchill.
The British military is the very best but the officer class is still very elitist. When dirty work has to be done they love men like Mike but when peace comes they abandon them, I know it happened to me, I hold no grudges, I did my duty and my men know the truth, Mike was a soldiers soldier
The empire forces inflicted the biggest strategic defeats of WW2 on the Imperial Japanese Army, whilst the US Navy swept across the Pacific dealing with the formidable IJN.
My grandad was chindit
3:15 - Stinker
Was Churchill behind this
👍👍👍
Really? Not madman Churchill?
Best to play at .75 speed.
Look like ozys to me
Bit of a daft comment considering the Aussies were just displaced Brits back then.
A bit like Blair Mayne
The Aussies had a lot of vengeance towards the Japanese. The Japanese did horrendous things to allies and the civilians of the countries they took over. They were in some cases worse than the SS allies they collaborated with in Europe.
Mad murdering officers who where actually hated by all there men
That's it?! Just crawled into a bottle and died?! That ending could have had a little make-up put on it.
My mum nursed him when he was periodically admitted to hospital in the early 1960s, she said he was the most perfect gentleman and she liked him a lot, despite his constant battle with the bottle.
PTSD is a motherfucker. And for many veterans, alcohol, drugs and criminality were the only ways to address the pain.
Being apparently queer, too, in an era where That Was Not Done, probably didn't help matters at all.
Wonderful historical coverage video about that heroism case during WW2... Both Germany and Britain learned Japanese military efforts, modern fighting, modern organizations of military, and navel forces to destroy the Russian empire in the Far East before WW1.... ...during WW1 Japanese switched side against Germany 😂...during WW2 Japan turned on against Britain, France, USA, 😂😂😂😂...politicians never learned from history
The Chindits weren't an 'elite' force, they were mostly just ordinary troops with a bit of jungle training.
Stillwell was a bad general.
Perhaps the Ukrainians might learn something from this example??
🇺🇸
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Damn "music" is too loud. I'll quit watching these if it continues. Good content overall, though.
Attack force Z 🇬🇧 🇦🇺🇳🇿
The chindits action during the campaign was highly inflated.
Why?
@@user-og1ux8nr3itake no notice he's a woke self loathing haters of his own, not to worry these idiot traitors will be made to leave soon or find themselves on crutches with a forever limp after...
@@user-og1ux8nr3i just name a single place in which the chindits acctually tributed to a japanese defeat. Just one : for a entire account for this rag tag militia and their hapless guerilla campaign read "Nemesis" by Max Hastings. But it was not only the chindits that where a disappointment for Churchill. While the british army was still fighting in Burma in august 1945 the US troops were already preparing for an invasion of Japan.
@reinreine knows jack, he's clearly a simpleton with bias, plenty of goid books and Documentaries out there on Chindits, this fool wouldn't even deserve the honour of licking these lads boots clean...
@@reinereine1896 -- any time you can tie up enemy troops behind the lines is a win. Have you served or are you an arm chair general?
You yap too fasr for me bye
First
India was never an integral part of the UK, get your facts straight
Exactly India was made, or rather encouraged!! (Bribed)?? to fight for their own existence too... They seem to forget that bit, and the INA under Chandra bose allied with the japs bit out aswell, .. And the crazy thing is, the Brits still stood shoulder to shoulder with them and fought tooth & nail knowing that independence from the Brits would be granted either way on the outcome of the Battle...yet not one bit of gratitude has ever been shown for it!!....
Seriously? Britain spent fortunes securing Indian wealth. Totally integrated into every area of British life.
@@andrewhodgson8753 not anymore and when they're asked to leave then they should like ALL white British left India and Pakistan after independence.. Its only fair..
He was part of the British forces which kept India firmly under opressed, with no respect for the Indian people whatsoever. Ironic that he then fought another, arguably more vicious regime.
He served his country. IDGAF what Iraqis think about the occupation I served under in Iraq back in 03. Its easy for those without a DD214 to stand in judgement, truth is most today would not make the cut.
@@van3158Amen! "
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it.
I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand the post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think you're entitled to!
harridan,
Britain guided a 4th world country up to a third world country. Now that they are independent and can see the light, they have worked their way into a second world country. So proud of them... ☆
@@fjb4932and now Britain is the third world country and sinking lower!😂 It's called karma limey!!😂
@@van3158I'm sure your rulers are grateful of obedient sheeple heroes like you
My grandfather captured twice came back & started on the drink.
I see a lot of Aussies in that footage
Great story needs a better narrator sounds like talking in a barrel