Lost Warriors
Philip Davies pairs the astonishing wartime stories of guerrilla leader Hugh Seagrim and escaper Roy Pagani in Burma.
- Author
- Philip Davies
- Publisher
- Atlantic Publishing
- Price
- £20
- ISBN
- 9781909242852
- Published
- 2018
Lost Warriors by Philip Davies
Philip Davies juxtaposes two remarkable lives in one forgotten theatre. Major Hugh Seagrim GC DSO MBE of the Burma Rifles volunteered to remain behind Japanese lines for almost three years, raising a Karen guerrilla force under Force 136. Towering over his fighters and armed with both a Thompson and a Bible, “Grandfather Longlegs” inspired loyalty even as he sacrificed himself to spare his Karen friends.
Roy Pagani’s story is equally dramatic. An East Surrey Regiment veteran of Dunkirk, he endured shipwreck, capture, forced labour on the Burma Railway and torture at the hands of the Kempeitai. Again and again he slipped the net, surviving in the jungle, fighting alongside Seagrim and finally striking out alone towards India despite illness and pursuit.
Davies’ research brings to life jungle warfare, escape tactics and the brutal choices imposed by occupation. It is a study in courage, loyalty and determination.
Atlantic Publishing. £20. ISBN 9781909242852.