Massacre at Ramree Island

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This is a shocking story, the story of a living nightmare, it is - I think - very much the story for a horrific film.

In January 1945 British forces were pushing the Japanese back in Burma. After initially landing against no opposition on Ramree Island they came up against stiff Japanese opposition in land. Rather than a frontal attack, they outflanked the Japanese and effectively cut them off. Only one road of escape remained open to the Japanese - a 16km night hike through the mangrove swamp, that turned into a two week path through hell.

British troops outflanked the Japanese with their unopposed landing on Cheduba island. It lies about 50 km west of Taungup on the Arakan Coast and is separated from Ramree Island to the north by the Cheduba Strait. It is 32 km long and 27 km wide and has an area of 523 square km. Cheduba was a stopping place on the historic coastal trade route from Bengal (India) by which Indian civilization came to Myanmar. Later came Buddhism and the earliest contacts with the British East India Company. In the 1780s, after the Burman conquest of the area, Cheduba became a province of Arakan. Small craft from Chittagong and Sittwe call at the island on their way to Yangon (Rangoon). Cheduba village on the northeast coast is linked to Kyaukpyu (Ramree Island) by steamer. Farming and cattle raising are the main economic activities. Mud cones emitting steam and sulfurous fumes indicate slight volcanic activity on the island; there are also gas and oil seepages. Pop. (1983) 63,761.

Bibliography:
See also
First of all I need to mention that another person but up a film the same day as me on the same subject so first thing to do is to see his film:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jsejxolo5j0

Dragon of the Mangroves by Yasukuki Kasai
Sunset on Ramree by Robert Appleton.

For further information please consult the following:

Private testimony:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/Dragon-Mangroves-Inspired-Events-World/dp/0595390269
http://www.burmastar.org.uk/arblaster.htm
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1940s/Ratnagar01.html

Imperial War Museum, London
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ACjsAVc1xhQ
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OLwvJTi70Nw

Florida Museum of Natural History
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/

Crocodilian.com
http://crocodilian.com

http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk

Japanese geological survey
http://unit.aist.go.jp/actfault/katsudo/news/

BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk

An extra photo credit which was not given in the titles is to Molly Ebersold of the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.

I have a wide range of interests and I think that this is reflected in the films which can be seen here.

I am th epublisher of Central and Eastern European Packaging -- http://www.ceepackaging.com - the international platform for the packaging industry in this region focussing on the latest innovations, trends, design, branding, legislation and environmental issues with in-depth profiles of major industry achievers.

In 1997 I founded Polish Business News http://www.pbn.com.pl .

My blog can be found via http://www.ceepackaging.com and http://www.pbn.com.pl and contains background information and more details of many of my films.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• crocodile attacks
• crocodile attack
• maneating crocodile
• maneater
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• Island
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• Akyab
• British
• Japanese
• imperial
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• WW2
• February
• 1945
• saltwater crocodile
• campaign
• swamp
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• soldiers
• ramree
• australia
• animals
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• japs

[drystyx]

I don't know if the rules of surviving a croc attack are the same, but 30 years ago, I was told that crocodiles would usually drown their victim, then take it to their lair. And a person's best chance was to play dead, if one could do that while one's neck is in a vise, and then get away on land, where one would have an excellent chance, once dragged there.

[alanheath]

@drystyx It would be rather hard to play dead in the circumstances though I imagine!

[DR1ZERO]

Thats not true the salt water croc is a friendly caring animal, i recomend them for pets, so sweet they are.

[alanheath]

@DR1ZERO I used to have a labrador but I have now got a couple of crocodiles. They make much better pets.  Always happy to see me when I come back from work, they jump up and lick my face before running around the garden with happiness. The other day, they ate my eldest son but he had got bad marks in maths at school so he probably deserved it!

[theoneandonlygrod]

@alanheath I like how you say you "used to have a labrador"

[alanheath]

@theoneandonlygrod You know how it is with jealous pets ... once I got the crocodiles they used to fight with each other.....!!

[alanheath]

@PHILLYDEMOCRAT That must have taken some doing - there are no alligators in Africa!

[alanheath]

@Str8FromDaPsychoWard I suspect you may have some kind of an anger problem which may need attention judging by your use of language. There are two species of alligator - the Chinese and American alligators. Therefore I assume:

1. You know of a species I do not

2. You discovered a species yourself.

3. You made it up.

[Hollywood7068]

@DR1ZERO I'd keep one as a pet just like Russell Simmons, on the other hand no their some very agressive predators.

[DR1ZERO]

@meronmotors I wanted to sound Irish/Scottish, but im really Portuguese : )

Regards

[meronmotors]

@DR1ZERO its amazing how we can tell if someone is a native speaker or from our country by reading one sentence. You are definatly not american nor english. You could be a scott. based on the "so sweet they are" or a western european. I cant tell where from though.

[1starshot]

no good running, crocs can run as fast as race horses over short distance, you can't outrun a croc, but you can outrun your mate.

[TemplarX2]

@drystyx Play dead? Are you an idiot or what? Croc eats carrion as well. Staying quiet might help to keep you undetected but once the croc has smell or spotted you. Run as fast as you can.

[outlawtheanimal]

u go for the eyes if your attacked by croc or any animal

[SnakeEyesAndSevens]

@alanheath

You have a habit of dying on the last one or two words per sentence.

It is those last word(s) that are the most important, if your listeners are going to understand your point.