Danny
Re the method of attack that was agreed with Brig. Wingate, Arthur had some difficulty in persuading him to be cooperative. Arthur argued for triangulating a target with smoke mortar bombs in order to identify it from the air. But Wingate didn't want his Chindits (10,000 of them, not 900 as I previously wrote) to have to carry smoke mortar bombs in addition to High Explosive, and he was concerned that the Japs would just put down a triangle on the Chindit's position once they realised they were being identified by smoke for aerial attack. Arthur pointed out that it was worth carrying the extra load of mortar bombs if it was going to result in close air support being available. The solution to the Japs putting down smoke themselves, was to have agreed colours for the day... maybe 1 red smoke and 2 white. This was practiced in the field with the Chindits in their training area at Gwalior. The 84 guys got to know the soldiers in the process, which gave added poignancy when they were later in battle... the soldiers seeing their Airforce colleagues fly in to attack, and the 84 aircrew, knowing their Chindit colleagues were down in the jungle below, relying on them to do a good job. Close air support at its best, maybe, given the technology of the time.