LONDON: Major-General Orde Charles Wingate, Leader of the Allied air-borne invasion behind the Japanese lines in Burma, has been killed in a plane crash on March 24. The crash occurred while Maj.-General Wingate was on a flight across the jungles on the India-Burma frontier. The plane in which he was travelling crashed in our territory and the cause of the accident is unknown.

It is believed that General Wingate was killed on March 24 while on a tour of inspection of his bases behind the Japanese lines. He was flying in a B-25 American Bomber and was homeward bound in British territory when the plane crashed. That night an American pilot reported having seen a big blaze on a mountain ridge and next day a number of planes were sent out to search for the General’s plane which had not returned to its base. However, it was not until today [April 1] that the wreckage was found. It is believed that a severe storm caused the plane to crash killing the General and four or five Americans in the crew and one or two passengers. This under 40 General who had grown his beard again because he could not spare time to shave initiated an entirely new method of making war. — Dawn Delhi

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2019