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11. A Plane Crash
- ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
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194 CHAPTERELEVEN APlaneCrash I DEPARTUREFROMBURMAANDTHAILAND BOSEandhisINApartyarrivedatMoulmeinbycaron1May.Bose’s plan was to move the FIPG and INA headquarters to Bangkok. He wantedtoseeGeneralKimuraoftheBAA,whoseheadquarterswas temporarily at Moulmein, but was refused on grounds of security precautions. Bose then endeavoured through Isoda to arrange rail and steamship transport for everyone to Bangkok. When arrangements were completed Bose went on by car, arriving in Bangkok on12May.1 BosehadinthebackofhismindtheoldplantocontacttheSoviet Ambassador and arrange for transportation to the Soviet Union to get help for the liberation of India from the north. Field-Marshal Terauchi, who was also in Bangkok, hoped Bose would consent to follow headquarters of the SouthernArmy to Saigon. But Bose was hoping to move headquarters north to China with INA units, and ultimatelytotheSovietUnion.AtlengthBoseagreedtogowiththe Japanese Army, meanwhile ordering the strengthening of the INA- IILinShanghaipreparatorytogoingtoSovietRussia. ButfirstBosewantedtogotoSingapore,lastheadquartersofthe FIPGandINA.InSingaporeBosegotnewsoftheofferoftheBritish Government through Lord Wavell to reorganize his Viceroy’s Executive Council, adding Indians to it. Bose broadcast his opposition to the offer from Singapore on 18 June, saying, “It is crystal clear thatanyacceptanceofWavell’sofferwillbetantamounttoavoluntary shedding of precious Indian blood and draining our resources in fighting Britain’s imperialistic war. But what would India gain 11IndNatArmy.indd194 4/11/0810:50:00AM 195 in return? Nothing, except a few jobs on the Viceroy’s Executive Council.”2 HeappealedtoIndiansinsideandoutsideIndianottogive upthestruggle,nevertocompromise. By this time it was early August. Isoda cabled Bose urging him to hurry to Saigon. Chief of Staff Bhonsle also advised Bose of the urgency of completing preparations to move to Saigon. After Bose receivedafinaltelegramon16AugustwithnewsofJapan’sacceptance ofthePotsdamProclamation,hereturnedtoSaigon.3 Nottobedistractedfromhissingle-mindedpurpose,Boseimmediately visited Field-Marshal Terauchi and requested transport to Soviet Russia. Terauchi cabled IGHQ for instructions. The reply cameback—negative.ItwouldbeunfairofBosetowriteoffJapan and go over to Russia after receiving so much help from Japan. Terauchi added in talking with Bose that it would be unreasonable forhimtotakeastepwhichwasopposedbytheJapanese.Nevertheless Terauchi was determined, on his own responsibility and for motiveswhichcannotbefullyfathomed,tocomplywithBose’sdesires . Terauchi made arrangements for a plane to fly from Saigon to Dairen, Manchuria, and from there Bose would be able to reach Russia.4 The war was over, and perhaps Terauchi wanted simply tomakeafinalfriendlygesturetoBose,tohelphimescapeinterrogation byBritishorAmericans. Colonel Rahman, S.A.Ayer and Colonel Pritam Singh had flown with Netaji from Bangkok to Saigon on 16 August. Bose hoped to take these three men and Devnath Das, Colonel Gulzara Singh, and MajorAbid Hassan to Russia with him. Bose’s party was irate when they heard the plane could carry only Bose and one other Indian .Heaskedhispartytowaitforthenextplanewhentheycould allfollowhim.Hechoseashistravellingcompanionhistrustedsecretary and aide. Colonel Habibur Rahman. The others were flown toHanoitwodayslater;S.A.AyerwasflowntoTokyo. Theplanewasreadyforthesecretflighton17August.Therewas an hour’s delay at the Saigon airport. News of Netaji’s departure had leaked out of the cordon of secrecy, and a gift of treasure contributed by local Indians was presented to Bose as he was about to board the plane. The two heavy strong-boxes added overweight to the plane’s full load.At noon the twin-engine heavy bomber (Sally type) took off, winging eastward for Taihoku (Taipei), Taiwan, whereitwastorefuelenroutetoManchuria.Aboardtheplanewere Netaji, his secretary Rahman, a Japanese crew of three, and several 11IndNatArmy.indd195...