Wrong War?: A British Officer writes home from Burma in WWII

by Marcus Ferrar

Hand-to-hand combat with Japanese forces. Man-eating tigers.
Venomous snakes. Treacherous hills. Impenetrable jungle.

"A rich evocation of the experiences of one British Army Officer serving in Burma, writing home to his wife. This is a fascinating and deeply rewarding examination of a man at war both with himself and with his country's enemies. A remarkable book, one of the best I have read.”
– Dr Robert Lyman MBE FRHistS

In the chaos of the Burma campaign, a British officer’s 238 letters – found decades later in a shoebox – paint a vivid and intimate portrait of war. Writing to his young wife in Britain, he captures the grit, camaraderie, and horrors faced by the troops, while offering a rare insight into the lives of his African comrades-in-arms.
His literary flair brings to life not only the exotic and brutal terrain, but also the emotional turmoil of a man torn between duty and disillusionment. “The British Empire stinks,” he confesses, even as he risks everything in its service. Promoted to Major in the British Army’s largest division, a significant milestone in his military career – his courage is undeniable – but so too is his critique of the imperial system he serves.
Above all, these letters reveal the enduring power of love. Amidst the gunfire and jungle mist, his unwavering devotion to his wife and two young children back home burns bright.

Compiled by his son on the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan, this edited selection is a moving tribute to love, sacrifice and the untold stories of war.

"This engaging juxtaposition of everyday minutiae with the weight of wartime experiences creates a compelling and revealing narrative. Here is a collection of letters, with its unique and personal perspective, that intricately weaves together seemingly mundane details with those of profound significance."
– Sylvia May, Managing Trustee, Kohima Educational Trust

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2025

About the author

Marcus Ferrar was a journalist with Reuters for 18 years. In 1971/72 during the Cold War he was the only western correspondent in East Berlin. He subsequently lived in Prague and over three years covered all of Eastern Europe. He then reported the Portuguese revolution and served in the management of Reuters.

Now a writer and an award-winning communication consultant living in Oxford, he specializes in writing about WWII, Communism, Germany, and Eastern Europe, with special emphasis on peoples who have difficult historical heritages. He has an English father and a German mother. He is a fluent in German, French and Italian.

Together with John Corsellis, he wrote Slovenia 1945, which was published in English, Slovene and Italian. It recounted the flight of Slovene Catholics after World War II, the British Army’s repatriation of 12,000 soldiers among them to ex-Yugoslavia, their slaughter by Communist Partisans, and the scattering of the civilian survivors around the world. In Slovenia, this book was a best-seller. In Britain it occasioned questions in Parliament and an expression of regret by a Foreign Office minister.

In Oxford, he is Chairman of the Friends of Summertown Library.