ENEMY GARRISON

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 68, 21 March 1945, Page 5

ENEMY GARRISON

MOVED OUT AT NIGHT

Rec. 11 a.m

COLOMBO, March 20

When troops of the Nineteenth Division entered Fort Dufferin through the breach in the walls, empty foxholes showed where the defenders of the ramparts had taken cover during our bombing. Hundreds of cases left behind which seemed to be ammunition were found to contain horse-shoes.

News that the Japanese departed last night tallies with tlie report of a motor transport column upon which the Gurkhas fired. The Japanese, with some bravado, sent out parties to "jitter" our troops on the northern and eastern sides of the fort. No casualties resulted.

There was much movement in the railway station area and motor transport was heard moving south-east away from this spot. It is believed there are still Burmans and interned Anglo-Germans within the fort.

Before it was known that the Japanese had left the fort an air strike was carried out. One wave of bombers entirely missed the fort area and caused several casualties among our own troops.

The firing of Thibaw's Palace, a relic of the last Burmese monarch, yesterday will rob the capture of Fort Dufferin of some historical interest. Shortly after the experimental bombing of the walls huge columns of black smoke were seen rising into the air from the centre of the fort some distance from the bombing. The story told is that the palace was fired by the Japanese as an act of revenge.