Jungle warfare that reshaped the war – and history forgot it

Step into the dense, unforgiving jungles of Burma in WWII as Dr Richard Duckett and Duncan Gilmour uncover the astonishing, largely untold story of Lt. Col. Edgar Peacock – the man they argue was Britain’s greatest SOE commander. In this gripping episode of History Rage, we expose the scale, the bravery, and the strategic brilliance of Operation Character, the SOE mission whose impact rivals anything achieved in Europe… yet is almost never discussed.

Episode Summary

Hear how Peacock’s unique upbringing in the jungles of India and Burma forged a commander with unmatched environmental mastery; how SOE recruited thousands from 19 different ethnic groups; how Operation Character halted entire Japanese divisions; and why internal politics and secrecy kept these achievements out of mainstream military history for decades.

This is military history at its rawest and most revealing.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The true scale of SOE activity in Burma—far larger than in Europe
• Why Lt. Col. Edgar Peacock may be the most effective SOE commander of the war
• The astonishing numbers: 12,000 Japanese casualties for just 22 Allied (Caucasian) losses
• The pivotal role of Operation Character in enabling 14th Army’s race to Rangoon
• The overlooked role of SOE’s 723 women working behind the lines
• How ethnic groups long thought incapable of cooperation fought side-by-side
• Why Peacock and his officers were deliberately denied recognition
• The brutal post-VJ Day fighting few histories ever mention
• How secrecy and missing archives buried Burma’s SOE achievements for 80 years

About the Guests

Dr. Richard Duckett - Historian, researcher, and leading authority on SOE operations in the Far East.

Website & SOE Burma Database: https://www.soeinburma.com

Follow Richard on X/Twitter: @RichardDuckett

Duncan Gilmour - Author, researcher, and grandson of Lt. Col. Edgar Peacock.

Follow Duncan on X/Twitter: @DuncanGilm4133

Discover the full story of Edgar Peacock and SOE’s epic Burma operations in

“Jungle Warrior: Britain’s Greatest SOE Commander”

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781916556843

This is the definitive account of the unseen heroes who helped turn the tide in the Far East.

Further Listening

• Episode 126 – Richard Duckett on why SOE is not just France
• Episode 150 – Claire Mulley on the Polish Home Army

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