“I went to see the wounded British soldier lying in the shade of a tree. He was young looking, about 18 years old, a handsome British soldier. He was treated by our doctor.

A bullet had gone through his abdomen, and the doctor told me there was no hope of survival. I asked him in my broken English, ‘Where are your father and mother?’ He said just a word, but clearly, ‘England’, and as I asked, ‘Painful?’ again he said a word, ‘No.’

I knew that he must be suffering great pain. It is torture to be shot through the abdomen, and more painful as his intestines were ruptured.

As I looked closely at him I saw a thin stream of tears coming from his eyes. I understood that he was enduring his pain with all his might, his young, pale face contorted. His attitude was really dignified. He was doing his best to maintain the pride of the Great British Empire while his life was ending.

I cried and held his hands. I would never forget the last minutes of that young British soldier! At that time I really discovered the origin of the strength of the British Empire.”
– Major Misao Sato, 2nd Battalion, 215 Infantry Regiment. Imperial Japanese Army. Burma, 1942.
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As we always say here at Battles and Beers (TM) Every soldier has a story, and every story deserves to be told.