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{{short description|Recipient of the Victoria Cross}} | {{short description|Recipient of the Victoria Cross}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=August | {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} | ||
{{Use British English|date=August | {{Use British English|date=August 2015}} | ||
{{Infobox military person | {{Infobox military person | ||
| honorific_prefix = | | honorific_prefix = | ||
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==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
Michael Allmand was born in [[Golders Green]], [[London]], to Professor [[Arthur John Allmand|Arthur John]] [[Military Cross|MC]] and Marguerite Marie Allmand on 22 August 1923.<ref name=CWGC>{{cite web|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2083981|title=Casualty Details: Michael Allmand|publisher=Commonwealth War Graves|access-date=7 August | Michael Allmand was born in [[Golders Green]], [[London]], to Professor [[Arthur John Allmand|Arthur John]] [[Military Cross|MC]] and Marguerite Marie Allmand on 22 August 1923.<ref name=CWGC>{{cite web|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2083981|title=Casualty Details: Michael Allmand|publisher=Commonwealth War Graves|access-date=7 August 2009}}</ref> Allmand's brother is the medieval historian [[Christopher Allmand]]. He was educated at [[Ampleforth College]], a Catholic boarding school in [[North Yorkshire]], [[England]], before attending [[Oxford University]] in 1941 where he studied history.<ref name=STED>{{cite web|url=http://www.stedwardgg.com/memorial%20window.htm|title=St Edward: A Look Around the Church – The Memorial Window|publisher=The Catholic Parish of St Edward the Confessor|access-date=28 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307002417/http://www.stedwardgg.com/memorial%20window.htm|archive-date=7 March 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> While at Oxford, Allmand served as the founding editor of a literary review journal called ''The Wind and the Rain'',<ref>{{harvnb|Bunting|2010|loc=Chapter 8}}</ref> and began writing a biography of [[Edmund Burke]].<ref>{{harvnb|''The Wind and the Rain''|1969|p=48}}.</ref> | ||
==Military career== | ==Military career== | ||
At the end of 1942, amidst the backdrop of the [[Second World War]], Allmand left university and joined the [[Indian Army during World War II|British Indian Army]]. He was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] into the [[Indian Armoured Corps]], and assigned to the [[6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse)|6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers]].<ref name=STED/> Allmand was sent to [[India]] where, following a call from [[GHQ India]], he volunteered for service with the [[Chindits]] during the [[Operation Thursday]] and was subsequently attached to the 3rd Battalion, [[6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles|6th Gurkha Rifles]] (3/6 GR).<ref name=Parker195>{{harvnb|Parker |2005 |p=195}}.</ref> | At the end of 1942, amidst the backdrop of the [[Second World War]], Allmand left university and joined the [[Indian Army during World War II|British Indian Army]]. He was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] into the [[Indian Armoured Corps]], and assigned to the [[6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse)|6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers]].<ref name=STED/> Allmand was sent to [[India]] where, following a call from [[GHQ India]], he volunteered for service with the [[Chindits]] during the [[Operation Thursday]] and was subsequently attached to the 3rd Battalion, [[6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles|6th Gurkha Rifles]] (3/6 GR).<ref name=Parker195>{{harvnb|Parker |2005 |p=195}}.</ref> | ||
For the operation, 3/6 GR were assigned to the [[77th Indian Infantry Brigade|77th Brigade]], under the command of Brigadier [[Mike Calvert]], and divided into two columns.<ref>{{harvnb|Rooney |1992 |p=115}}.</ref> They were flown in by glider to a landing zone code named "Broadway" in the northern Kaukwe valley on 5 March 1944.<ref>{{harvnb |Brayley |2002 |p= 21}}.</ref> Despite heavy casualties and the destruction of a large number of gliders, a stronghold was established and from there columns were sent out to the north and south. The 3/6 GR were sent north towards Mawlu and [[Hopin, Kachin State|Hopin]] where they probed Japanese defences.<ref name=Rooney126>{{harvnb|Rooney|1992 |p=126}}.</ref> They were later sent north to another stronghold dubbed "Blackpool" where they were tasked with supporting Chinese forces around [[Mogaung]] and [[Myitkyina]] under US General [[Joseph Stilwell]], who re-roled them as conventional infantry.<ref>{{harvnb|Brayley|2002|p=22}}.</ref> Beginning on 6 June, the 77th Brigade advanced the final {{convert|10|mi|km}} to Mogaung with the intent of capturing it.<ref>{{harvnb|Rooney|1992|p=138}}.</ref> Amid monsoonal rains and suffering heavy casualties from the fighting as well as tropical diseases, the advance took a heavy toll on the Chindits; they were facing over 4,000 Japanese<ref name=chinditart>{{cite web |url=http://chindits.wordpress.com/page/4/ |title=The Chindits – In Art |author=Kadidal, Akhil |access-date=28 April | For the operation, 3/6 GR were assigned to the [[77th Indian Infantry Brigade|77th Brigade]], under the command of Brigadier [[Mike Calvert]], and divided into two columns.<ref>{{harvnb|Rooney |1992 |p=115}}.</ref> They were flown in by glider to a landing zone code named "Broadway" in the northern Kaukwe valley on 5 March 1944.<ref>{{harvnb |Brayley |2002 |p= 21}}.</ref> Despite heavy casualties and the destruction of a large number of gliders, a stronghold was established and from there columns were sent out to the north and south. The 3/6 GR were sent north towards Mawlu and [[Hopin, Kachin State|Hopin]] where they probed Japanese defences.<ref name=Rooney126>{{harvnb|Rooney|1992 |p=126}}.</ref> They were later sent north to another stronghold dubbed "Blackpool" where they were tasked with supporting Chinese forces around [[Mogaung]] and [[Myitkyina]] under US General [[Joseph Stilwell]], who re-roled them as conventional infantry.<ref>{{harvnb|Brayley|2002|p=22}}.</ref> Beginning on 6 June, the 77th Brigade advanced the final {{convert|10|mi|km}} to Mogaung with the intent of capturing it.<ref>{{harvnb|Rooney|1992|p=138}}.</ref> Amid monsoonal rains and suffering heavy casualties from the fighting as well as tropical diseases, the advance took a heavy toll on the Chindits; they were facing over 4,000 Japanese<ref name=chinditart>{{cite web |url=http://chindits.wordpress.com/page/4/ |title=The Chindits – In Art |author=Kadidal, Akhil |access-date=28 April 2012}}</ref> and by the end of the first week the brigade, having started with over 2,000 men,<ref name=Parker195/> was down to just 550 and each [[battalion]] was at [[Company (military unit)|company]] strength.<ref>{{harvnb|Rooney|1992|p=139}}.</ref> | ||
Initially, Allmand was given command of a [[platoon]]; however, later he was promoted to acting captain and took over command of a company.<ref name=LG/> On 11 June, two days after 3/6 GR had reached the outskirts of the town, Allmand's platoon was tasked with capturing a road bridge about {{convert|0.25|mi|km}} away from the central railway station, close to where the Japanese had established their headquarters in a building dubbed the "Red House".<ref name=chinditart/> During the assault, his platoon took heavy fire and the attack stalled; leading from the front, Allmand went ahead, rallying his troops as he attacked the defenders with grenades and his [[kukri]].<ref name=chinditart/> He was again in the thick of the fighting on 13 June when, having taken over a company following the loss of its commander, he led an assault to secure some high ground by singlehandedly destroying several machine-gun positions.<ref name=chinditart/> | Initially, Allmand was given command of a [[platoon]]; however, later he was promoted to acting captain and took over command of a company.<ref name=LG/> On 11 June, two days after 3/6 GR had reached the outskirts of the town, Allmand's platoon was tasked with capturing a road bridge about {{convert|0.25|mi|km}} away from the central railway station, close to where the Japanese had established their headquarters in a building dubbed the "Red House".<ref name=chinditart/> During the assault, his platoon took heavy fire and the attack stalled; leading from the front, Allmand went ahead, rallying his troops as he attacked the defenders with grenades and his [[kukri]].<ref name=chinditart/> He was again in the thick of the fighting on 13 June when, having taken over a company following the loss of its commander, he led an assault to secure some high ground by singlehandedly destroying several machine-gun positions.<ref name=chinditart/> | ||
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*[http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ggburma.htm Burial location of Michael Allmand] | *[http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ggburma.htm Burial location of Michael Allmand] | ||
*[http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ccgurkha.htm Location of Michael Allmand's Victoria Cross] | *[http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ccgurkha.htm Location of Michael Allmand's Victoria Cross] | ||
*{{Find a Grave |8185202|Michael Allmand |work= |author=John "J-Cat" Griffith |date= |accessdate=15 April | *{{Find a Grave |8185202|Michael Allmand |work= |author=John "J-Cat" Griffith |date= |accessdate=15 April 2013}} | ||
{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||