Captured Behind Japanese Lines: A Chindit’s Story

Daniel Berke recounts the story of his grandfather, a member of the Chindits who was captured by Japanese forces in Burma.

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In February 1943 and March 1944, British and Indian soldiers of the Long Range Penetration Force, nicknamed ‘the Chindits’, undertook two missions far behind enemy lines in Burma.

Vastly outnumbered, the Chindits operated as guerrillas, causing havoc to the enemy and gathering vital intelligence.

In this moving talk, Daniel Berke tells the story of his grandfather, Frank Berkovitch, who served in the Chindits but was captured as he tried to cross the mighty Irrawaddy River. As a prisoner of the Japanese Imperial Army, he faced torture, starvation, slave labour and disease.

This is the story of his journey and struggle to hold onto his humanity.

About Daniel Berke

Daniel Berke is a solicitor specialising in criminal and regulatory law. He has acted in numerous high-profile and complex legal matters and has been interviewed in major news and current affairs broadcasts about his work and cases.

He volunteers as a director of Azadi, a charity which, since August 2021, has evacuated and rescued over 2,500 Afghans who supported the Coalition and so were targeted by the Taliban and were at very high risk of being killed.

He holds a board position in a not-for-profit legal organisation and is a member of the Jewish Diplomatic Corps of the World Jewish Congress.