HE won the Military Cross and witnessed acts of bravery in what was known as the "Forgotten War" in Burma that, he vowed, should not go unrecorded, writes Ed Perkins.

John Hill, who was born in Christchurch and retired, with his wife, Sylvia, to live in Lilliput in Poole, paid tribute to the heroism of his comrades in a book called Slim's Burma Boys that aimed to help to ensure that others would know what it was like to be there.

Sadly, John died in 2002 at the age of 83 but his daughters, Monica Butt and Jackie Cant, were determined that his account, based on his wartime diaries and day-to-day experiences, would not lie dormant.

With the help of the Royal Berkshire regiment with whom he served, Slim's Burma Boys has now been published.

Sixteen years ago, John Hill's first book, China Dragons, was published, recalling the almost unspeakable experiences suffered in the Far East theatre of war.

"The Duke of Edinburgh wrote the foreword," said daughter Monica "The book chronicled the period in 1944-45 when he led B Company of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Berkshire Regiment in the fight against the Japanese during the Burma campaign.

"He won the Military Cross and was one of the few men who originally crossed the Irawaddy River in Burma to survive the entire campaign."

"Under the command of Lt Gen Sir William Slim, the Burma campaign was the longest running one fought by the British during the Second World War.

"The new book, Slim's Burma Boys, is based on his original diaries and day-to-day wartime experiences.

"It contains personal stories demonstrating the bravery of his soldiers.

"They took part in swollen river crossings, patrols, ambushes, skirmishes and major actions against a ruthless and determined enemy who would never surrender."

Among those mentioned in the book are Sgt Bertie King, who lives in Christchurch, and Privates Reg and Bernard Tully, who live in Ferndown.

"My father felt that the acts of bravery he witnessed deserved a greater share of the medals.

"He was determined to write the book to ensure that these heroic events did not go unrecorded."

* Slim's Burma Boys by John Hill is published by Spellmount at £18.99