South Yorkshire Times, October 16th 1943
Miners Told of Jungle Fighting
By Soldier Back From Burma
Miners having their mid-day meal in Manvers Main canteen on Friday heard an interesting account of his experiences in Burma by Sergeant Major A. Poole of West Street, Worsboro’ Dale, who is in the K.O.Y.L.I.
An ex-miner at Rockingham Colliery, Sergeant Major Poole went into the Army during the 1926 coal strike and was in Burma from 1935 until 1942. He told the miners that there was every kind of pest in the jungle, from mosquitoes to elephants, and that a soldier only needed one serious bite from a mosquito to be out of action. Other trials of the jungle included malaria and once he got this, he was no use as a fighting man. To combat malaria, they carried quinine.
Sergeant Major said at one time they were fighting in Burma when the temperature was between 120 and 125 degrees. Miners might find it hot in the pit, but they were not in it all the time like they were in the jungle. Ninety per cent. of the Burmese were enemies of the Allies and to help the Japs gave out secret positions to the enemy or went about the country poisoning wells. When they found them poisoning wells they shot them.
He described the battle of Brittany where they were outnumbered fifteen to one. Many men lost their lives through being cut down by knives the Japs carried. In fighting a rearguard action they reached the Sittang River where the Japs had dug themselves in round a bridge and were camouflaged. The Japs let a number of men get on the bridge and then mowed them down. The only time they could get Forces across was during the hours of darkness. When they got across, they marched 21 miles next day in bare feet. The Chinese and reinforcements came to their aid. They had been given the task of holding the Japanese out of India and not one of them reached that country. Sergt-Major Poole thanked the miners for all they were doing in getting coal to help make weapons, and said it took five miners to look after one Service man.
Mr. J. Bell (Agent) presided and Mr. A. Platt asked Mr. Fred Hall to propose a vote thanks to Sergeant Major Poole, Mr. S. Large seconding.