Merrill’s Marauders (named after Gen. Frank Merrill) or Unit Galahad, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), was a United States Army long range penetration special operations jungle warfare unit, which fought in the Southeast Asian theater of World War II, or China-Burma-India Theater (CBI). The unit became famous for its deep penetration missions behind Japanese lines, often engaging Japanese forces superior in number.
The Marauders were an all-volunteer unit, initially consisting of 960 jungle-tested officers and men from Army ground forces and 674 battle-tested troops from the South Pacific command.
The volunteers were first sent to India, camping in Bombay on Oct. 13, 1943. In India, they went through strenuous training in jungle warfare and were reinforced with Air Corps and Signal Corps personnel along with mules and experienced muleteers.
In early 1944, Lt. Meredith Caldwell joined the Marauders. He was ideally suited for the assignment, having worked with mules at his father’s Union Stockyards in Nashville as a teenager. Also joining was Col. Campbell Brown, of Franklin, Tenn., a veteran of World War I. They participated in the organization of the marauders into a light infantry assault unit with mule transport, 60 mm mortars, bazookas, jungle gear and supplies. They also had 14 Japanese-American intelligence service translators.
On Feb. 24, the marauders began a 1,000-mile march over the Patkai range and through some of the harshest jungle terrain in the world to Burma, behind Japanese lines. A total of 2,700 Marauders entered Burma, the remaining 247 stayed in India as headquarters and supply support personnel.
While in Burma, the Marauders were usually outnumbered by Japanese troops from the Eighteenth Division, but always inflicted many more casualties than they suffered. Led by Kachin Scouts, and using mobility and surprise, the marauders harassed supply and communication lines, shot up patrols and assaulted Japanese rear areas. They also fought in five major battles.
Gen. Joseph Stilwell, deputy supreme Allied commander of the Southeast Asia Command, ordered the marauders to launch a final assault to capture the Japanese airfield at Myitkyina. On the march there, the Marauders killed 400 Japanese soldiers at Nhpum Ga, suffering losses of 57 killed in action, 302 wounded and 379 incapacitated due to illness and exhaustion. Of the unit’s 200 mules, 75 were killed.
On May 17, 1944, after a grueling 62 mile march over the 6,600 foot Kumon Mountain range, the 1,300 remaining Marauders , along with elements of the 42nd and 150th Chinese Infantry regiments, attacked the unsuspecting Japanese at Myitkyina airfield.
After being reinforced by an air-landed Chinese Army Division, the town of Myitkyina fell to the American-Chinese forces on Aug. 3. The Japanese commander escaped with about 600 men. One hundred eighty seven were captured and the rest, some 3,800, were killed in combat.
In this, their final mission, the Marauders suffered 272 killed, 955 wounded, and 980 evacuated for illness and disease. Of the 2,700 to enter Burma, only two were left alive who had never been hospitalized with wounds or major illness. None of the horses and only four mules survived.
The men of Merrill’s Marauders enjoyed the rare distinction of having each soldier being awarded the Bronze Star. In June 1944, the 5307th Composite Unit was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation.