Last surviving Chindits special forces hero laid to rest after dying aged 104

THE last surviving member of the legendary Chindits special forces unit has been laid to rest with full military honours after he died aged 104.

Arthur Rollins served in the famous jungle fighting squadron who were regularly dropped behind enemy lines in World War Two.

SWNSArthur took part in the 1944 Operation Thursday mission when 10,000 men, 1,000 mules, equipment and supplies were dropped behind enemy lines[/caption]

The Chindits — officially known as Long Range Penetration Groups — were a mix of British and Indian special forces.

Between 1943 and 1944, the heroes carried out daring raids against the Japanese in Burma.

Despite the sweltering heat, the recruits marched through the jungle and were plagued by dysentery and malaria.

Arthur took part in the 1944 Operation Thursday mission when 10,000 men, 1,000 mules, equipment and supplies were dropped behind enemy lines.

On one occasion, he narrowly cheated death when his team were ambushed at night by the Japanese but killed the enemy soldiers with grenades.

He served under Brigadier Orde Wingate, who created the Chindits, with the group going deep into Japanese territory to blow up roads, bridges and ammo dumps.

In an interview in 2013, Arthur described fighting the Japanese in brutal hand-to-hand combat using bayonets while wading through swamps.

He said: “As soldiers, our job was to sabotage the railways and communication lines. If the Royal Engineers with us couldn’t dismantle the rail tracks, we would blow them up and do anything else we could to disrupt the enemy.

“All the time, they were shelling us with 25-pounders or mortars.”

He was captured twice during the war, first by Italian forces and then the Vichy French, but escaped on both occasions.

Arthur left the military in 1946 and returned to his native Worcestershire, where he became foreman of Worcester Porcelain.

He was given full military honours at his funeral at Worcester Crematorium.

SWNSArthur Rollins and the Chindits were regularly dropped behind enemy lines[/caption]