The aim was to harass the Japanese rear and supply lines as well as to relieve pressure on American General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell's joint Chinese and US forces moving south into Northern Burma who were intending to take the strategic town of Myitkyina.

[4] By that time, the 77th Brigade had been in action since early March, having held off superior Japanese forces for two months from their stronghold of White City.

[5] In late May, the Chindits were ordered north by Stilwell to the area of Mogaung to take the pressure off his Chinese forces, who were struggling in besieging Myitkyina.

At the end of May, Fourteenth Army intelligence, backed by hazardous patrols from the 77th Brigade, found that the Japanese had reinforced the defenders of Mogaung with four battalions from Lieutenant-General Hisashi Takeda's 53rd Division, to just under 4,000 troops.

Accompanying the brigade were RAF liaison officers who would need high ground for radio contact from which to bring in close air support.

On the following day, another series of bitter encounters forced the Japanese off the surrounding hills – the Gurkhas seized a hamlet, later dubbed 'Gurkha Village', after wiping out the forty strong garrison there.

They captured intact a large ammunition dump, fifteen lorries and a camouflaged hospital full of medical supplies, as well as many sick Japanese soldiers.

[10] Calvert had his headquarters operational just south of Lakum and a small airstrip was hastily laid from which supplies were arranged to be flown in and dropped by C-47's.

At the same time local Kachin groups led by former Burma Rifles officers who had established control of the area joined Calvert's men to provide vital intelligence on Japanese movements.

[12] The following day two platoons of the Lancashire Fusiliers captured a vital point on the Mogaung river known as the Tapaw Ferry that would prove useful if the Chindits needed an escape route.

[13] The villages of Mahaung, Natgyigon and the Pinhmi bridge on the outskirts of Mogaung were key positions in its defence; once these had fallen the Japanese hold on the town would become untenable.

As they advanced closer to Mogaung the Staffordshires found and destroyed a Japanese ammunition dump and the Lancashire Fusiliers later captured the village of Pinhmi.

An attempt on the bridge the following day however failed as the Lancashires were repelled from concealed Japanese positions which ranged along a fifteen foot high embankment incurring heavy casualties.

[16] Calvert learnt that two more Japanese battalions arrived to reinforce Mogaung essentially replacing casualties, and seeing the difficulty he then sent a messenger to Stilwell to alert him to the situation; but was not received with any sympathy.

[17] Calvert assessed the situation on June 12; many battalions were reduced to a company which meant the brigade total consisted of no more than 750 fit men.

[19] At the cost of some fifty casualties (some from friendly fire) they succeeded and drove around a hundred Japanese out of the village in addition to killing some seventy of them.

[21] One of the men involved was Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun; his single-handed gallantry as part of the Gurkhas attack on the 'Red House' earned him a nomination for the Victoria Cross.

[25] Once Mogaung had been captured the Gurkhas garrisoned the town preparing for further counterattacks from across the river but none was forthcoming; the Japanese had left the area completely.

[20] Whilst in Mogaung, the Gurkhas took the opportunity to hold a small ceremonial parade and hoisted the Union Jack on a large pagoda, the most prominent building left standing.

[1] The cost of taking Mogaung had been high – Calvert had lost 47 officers and 729 other ranks killed or wounded; which equated to around fifty percent casualties.

The British capture of Mogaung did relieve pressure on Stilwell's troops besieging the town; the Japanese quit Myitkyina on 3 August.

[2] In addition members of the Sixth Gurkhas also received two DSOs, three IOMs, six MCs, four IDSMs, twelve MMs and three US Silver Stars.