British Second World War Veteran Gerald Fitzpatrick, 89, came to the Chinese Embassy in London on 14 November with his wife to present his memoir entitled No Mandalay, No Maymyo to Minister Counselor Zhang Lirong.
Fitzpatrick recalled his service in Burma battlefields during the Second World War. His troops were cornered by the Japanese in Yenangyaung in April 1942. In times of desperation they were saved by New No. 38 Division of the Chinese Expedition Army. He saw how the Chinese soldiers fought bravely to save the British. He could not forget it even till this day and wrote it in his memoir.
Zhang Lirong thanked Fitzpatrick for coming all the way from Leeds to present the book and appreciated his recording of the fight in which Chinese and British soldiers side by side in the battlefield against fascism.
It is recorded that on 19 April 1942 the New No. 38 Division, headed by Sun Liren and Liu Fangwu, won the battle of Yenangyaung with fewer troops and save British soldiers. George VI sent medals to the Chinese relevant generals to commemorate this.
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