7. From the Desert Sands to the Burmese Jungle: The Indian Army and the Lessons of North Africa, September 1939–November 1942

Abstract

This chapter explains that the war in North Africa taught the Indian Army in other parts of Middle East Command and the Indian subcontinent much of lasting value, including invaluable command, staff and combat experience that in some respects positively impacted on its overall combat effectiveness. In particular, it looks how the doctrinal and training lessons learnt from the war in the Western Desert - two keys to battlefield success - were passed on, before briefly considering in the conclusion how they impacted on the war waged by 14th Army in the jungles of Burma. The chapter shows the lessons learnt by the British Commonwealth armies in the Western Desert were passed on back to GHQ India by various means, eagerly studied and disseminated to the rest of the Indian Army where they formed the basis of instruction for those slated for the Middle East. Keywords:Burma; Indian Army; North Africa; Western Desert