World War II in Assam and the North-Eastern Frontier
Japan was able to capture almost all of Burma by May 1942, after the Allied forces departed the capital, Rangoon, on 7th March in a ‘scorched earth’ retreat causing the first of several refugee crises into Assam. This chapter on Assam is split into several sections. The first covers the strategic importance of the Indian sub-continent to the Allied war effort, and, more specifically, Assam’s importance to the Empire. The chapter focuses on civilian activities and the civilian decision-making that occurred around these issues from the ICS and other organizations as well as discusses relations between the ICS and the military during the period. As such Clow’s contribution and actions as Governor of the province from May 1942 is understood within the perspective of the greater political and military aims of the time.