The Thunder Run: Indian speed and combined arms across the dusty plains of Burma in 1945

A theatre carved teak emblem of the 255th Indian Tank Brigade, Burma 1945. Note the words in romanised Hindi: 'Laro aur larte raho'– 'Fight and fight on.'

Long before the famous 2003 Thunder Run by allied forces into Iraq, the 17th Indian Infantry Division and 255th Indian Tank Brigade made theirs in Burma. In 10 days they made a high-speed dash south across Burma, to capture Meiktila and leave the Imperial Japanese Army, fighting in the north, stranded. Infantry, armour, close air support and air drops came together spectacularly to take the Japanese by surprise. By choking off supplies it made the liberation of Burma inevitable. And the fate of the Imperial Japanese Army inescapable.