Seeking information on Ground Combat Operations in the China-Burma-India Theater

Dear Ms. Pointon,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

We searched the National Archives Catalog and located series, file units, and items from the Records of U.S. Army Forces in the China-Burma-India Theaters of Operations (Record Group 493). For access to these records in RG 493, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov.

The most celebrated U.S. units that were part of CBI were the Flying Tigers, also known as the American Volunteer Group (AVG) and Merrill's Marauders, also known as the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional). Please contact the NARA units that are listed in the descriptions.

In addition, we located an Army monograph titled “The U.S. Strategic Logistics Plan in the CBI Theater and its Contemporary Significance” and the “Time Runs Out in CBI” written by the U.S. Army Center of Military History that may be useful.

We hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with your research!

One specific secondary source I would personally suggest would be Barbara Tuchman's Stilwell and the American Experience in China: 1911-1945. It does rather effectively cover various aspects of the Burma ground campaign as well, although it tends to take a broad look at the subject and you will probably need additional sources more focused on ground combat operations specifically with some of the ones above presumably being helpful.

Ms. Pointon,

There's also information regarding actions in the CBI from the perspective of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services). Officers regularly documented their operations with local resistance in conjunction with US ground forces, although depending on your presentation's timeline, this might take some additional research.

I recommend this article from the National Park Service as an introduction to the OSS in southeast Asia. Good luck with your presentation!

https://www.nps.gov/articles/oss-in-action-the-pacific-and-the-far-east.htm 

I would also check out the following secondary source: World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to US Army Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939-1946 by Shelby Stanton.

Although they may not be so easy to find in your area, try locating the CBI editions of YANK! The Army Newspaper. They contain a lot of information that doesn't always make it into official records.