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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#booksky #SOE #force136 The creation of multicultural #Canada came in part from #WWII in Asia. Alan Bartley profiles one of the protagonists and his plan that became a catalyst for change. See my book review at www.reddit.com/u/force136ca...

Book cover of:

Beyond Operation Oblivion: A Canadian Spy Before, During, and After the Fall of Hong Kong, 1941
by Allan Bartley
Heritage House Publishing
September 1, 2026
Paperback
288 pages
Price: $29.95
ISBN: 978-1772035841

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Cold War Conversations Podcast @coldwarpod.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#OTD in the #coldwar 16 Sep 1963: Malaysia is created. Indonesia's President Sukarno sees the new country as a British neo-colonial project and vows to crush it. Soon, British, Gurkha, Australian and New Zealand troops are fighting Indonesian forces in the Borneo jungle.

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#histbookchat #booksky #SOE #force136 "Beyond Operation Oblivion" by Allan Bartley is the best narrative about Mike Kendall and Operation Oblivion. See my book review at www.reddit.com/u/force136ca...

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

#histbookchat #booksky Just finished reading "Beyond Operation Oblivion". Bartley has done important research on Mike Kendall, the clandestine war in southern China, and his role in recruiting Canadian Chinese to #SOE #Force136 that impacts Canadian politics. heritagehouse.ca/products/bey...

heritagehouse.ca

Beyond Operation Oblivion

Beyond Operation Oblivion tells the life story of Francis “Mike” Kendall, a prickly Canadian adventurer who found himself in Hong Kong in the turbulent years leading up to the Second World War and end...

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Konrad Lawson @kml.muninn.net · 27/08/2026

A few new features on the interactive map of Japanese empire. 1) Optional topography layer. 2) Added 1930 admin boundaries for Taiwan (thanks to Academia Sinica GIS datasets and some tweaking) 3) Added two alternative options to the default Mercator projection. froginawell.net/reference/ja...

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

An interesting timeline from the perspective of the Japanese with 20,266 entries spanning February 1904 - January 1945.

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

14 nations, one extraordinary force. In this episode, we look at how General Slim’s 14th Army united British, Indian, West & East African, & many more troops into one of the most effective multicultural forces in history—& why their victory deserved far more recognition. Listen now #14thArmy #VJDay

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

How did VJ Day shift from raucous reunions to quiet commemoration? In our latest episode, we explore how veterans celebrated survival in London, why commemoration evolved over time, and what VJ Day meant to those who actually served. #WW2History #BurmaCampaign #MilitaryHistory

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Media coverage often reduces VJ Day to simplistic political soundbites, missing the real human reality. Tune into our new episode to hear why focusing on personal eyewitness stories is essential to understanding the Burma Campaign. #WW2History #BurmaCampaign #VJDay

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

#WWII #VJDay Eight decades ago the war in Asia ended, or did it? Find out at www.reddit.com/user/force13....

The Japanese surrender on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945. General Umezu Yoshijiro, Chief of the Army General Staff, signing the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters. (courtesy National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution)

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

🍁 #LestWeForget Live in Metro #Vancouver? Please support this effort to remember our #veterans, if you can help by June 30. www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cxu...

facebook.com

Facebook

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

In February 1942, before Rangoon fell, the British made a monumental promise to Chiang Kai-shek to build a road from India to China. Was it just an empty political gesture? Listen in as we unpack the surprising backstory of the Ledo Road project #WWIIHistory #LedoRoad #MilitaryHistory

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Did you know Japan's 1942 invasion of Burma was primarily launched to cut off American supply lines to China, not for oil or rubber? We explore the deep strategic wartime manoeuvres that prompted the colossal project of the Ledo Road. #BurmaCampaign #WWIIHistory #LedoRoad

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Out today! Our next Forgotten War Podcast episode is officially live. Jack and Lyman explore the incredible story behind the Ledo Road, a monumental WWII engineering feat carved through unforgiving terrain. Listen to the episode now! #LedoRoad #PodcastRelease #WWIIHistory

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Casemate Publishers @casematepublishers.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

"Exploding Rats and Other Devious Devices of SOE" contains thirty years of previously classified records detailing the SOE’s Camouflage Section! 💻️: tinyurl.com/bdhzrrny #SOE #WWIIhistory #WWII

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Normally on this day I would watch 'The Longest Day' or 'Saving Private Ryan'. This year it is 'Storming Juno', which I recommend all Canadians should watch: www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/sto....

justwatch.com

Storming Juno - movie: watch streaming online

Find out how and where to watch "Storming Juno" on Netflix and Prime Video today - including free options.

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Canadian History Ehx @cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

On D-Day, 14,000 Canadians landed at Juno Beach, supported by the Royal Canadian Navy and the RCAF. The day saw 1,074 Canadian casualties, including 359 killed. It was a watershed moment in human history. Here are some of the Canadian stories from that day. 📸 LAC 🧵1/12

Black-and-white photo of Canadian soldiers packed into a landing craft on D-Day. Several soldiers wear helmets and heavy gear, with some facing forward toward rough water and a distant naval vessel. The backs of soldiers near the bow show markings on their jackets. Waves rise along the side of the craft as it moves through the water.

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The Tattooed Historian @tattooedhistorian.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Support our libraries!

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

#OTD in 1973, Francis Woodley "Mike" Kendall passed away in Hong Kong at the age of 65. The Vancouver-born mining engineer was the architect of #OperationOblivion, a #WW2 secret mission to insert Chinese-Canadian special forces behind enemy lines in the #HongKong region... (1/3)

Portrait of Francis Woodley "Mike" Kendall, a Vancouverite who during the Second World War conceived the plan for Operation Oblivion to recruit Chinese Canadians for covert operations behind Japanese lines in Southern China and Southeast Asia.

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

#OTD in 1939, Japan's defeat at Khalkhin Gol fatally discredited the Imperial Japanese Army's Hokushin-ron (Strike North) doctrine, sidelining advocates of northward expansion against the USSR in favour of the navy-backed Nanshin-ron (Strike South)... (1/2)

Soviet BT-7 tanks in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. (courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Strategic map of "Hokushin-ron", the Japanese plans for a potential attack on the Soviet Union. (courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

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Combined Military Services Museum @cmsmuseum.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Join us for a day of talks about #SOE. Paul Smiddy will be signing and selling his new book and Nikki Bennett relating her own father's fascinating story as an SOE agent in France during #WW2. Author @garyweight.bsky.social will be giving an introductory talk. Ctc the museum for tix in advance.

SOE Event Saturday 13 June 2026 at the Combined Military Services Museum

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

#AsianHeritageMonth 1/2 In May 1944, having received approval for #SOE Operation Oblivion, Mike Kendall & Hugh Legg recruited the first 13 #Force136 Chinese Canadians. Along with 2 Special Training School 103 instructors & Kendall's wife, a temporary training camp was set up on Lake Okanagan. ->

Mike Kendall and instructor Andy McClure (seated) pose with 12 of the Chinese-Canadian Operation Oblivion volunteers on the dock at the Commando Bay training camp on Lake Okanagan in 1944. (courtesy Chinese Canadian Military Museum)

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Canadian History Ehx @cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

During the Second World War, a plan was put in place to relocate British money and gold to Canada. It involved the movement of 907,000 kg of gold, along with securities to Montreal and Ottawa. Not a single gold bar was lost. This is the story of Operation Fish. 📸 IWM 🧵 1/8

Black-and-white photo of HMS Bonaventure on calm water. The warship is seen from the front-left side, with guns, masts, funnels, and deck structures visible. Several crew members stand near the bow. The sky and water are hazy, and part of a dark object appears at the lower right edge.

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

#histbookchat Sūnzǐ / Sun Tzu's (孙子) concept of knowing the enemy is not only relevant in preparing for war but also in studying it after. This Peter Mauch biography of #Tojo would seem a necessary addition for Asia-Pacific #WW2 historians. - bsky.app/profile/enge...

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Catherine Little 🇨🇦 @catherinelittle.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Please join us if you can and share with your network.

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

From eating raw onions to unconventional hygiene habits, Orde Wingate was far from your average soldier. But behind the eccentricities was a man who gained the ear of Churchill & Roosevelt. We examine the personality that drove a military revolution in the jungle #History #WW2 #Wingate

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Catherine Little 🇨🇦 @catherinelittle.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Join us for an Asian Heritage Month Celebration at Mabel’s Fables. Thursday, May 7 6:30pm - 7:30pm 540 Mount Pleasant Road

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

#histbookchat #force136 EVENT: Talking History April 30, 6:30 - 8:30 PM WongAvery Asia Pacific Peace Museum 1775 Lawrence Ave E, Scarborough, ON Catherine Little shares her fascinating story on writing "Endgame: The Secret Force 136". More details at www.asiapacificpeacemuseum.com/event-detail...

Advertisement for an Asian Heritage Month Event, Talking History, featuring Catherine Little, the author of the acclaimed children's book, "Endgame: The Secret Force 136".

Children's book cover for "Endgame: The Secret Force 136" by Catherine Little and illustrated by Sean Huang.

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Out now! Join Jack and Rob on S3 E13 on The Forgotten War Podcast as we explore Operation Longcloth, the first Chindit expedition of 1943. Discover how Wingate’s bold vision revitalized Allied morale in the brutal Burma campaign. Listen now on all podcast platforms today #Chindits #WW2 #History

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

Tomorrow Jack and Rob are going for one of the biggies of the Burma Campaign: Operation Longcloth - the first Chindit expedition. We’ve got Wingate, Calvert, Bernard Fergusson and the incredible endurance of the men themselves.

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Osprey Publishing @ospreypublishing.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

'Jungle Commandos: The Battle for Arakan, Burma 1945' by Lucy Betteridge-Dyson is included in Amazon's Kindle Monthly deals and you can get the ebook for only £3.99! This is a gripping history of the experiences of the Commandos and their unsung allies. amzn.to/4c1wgwO

Jungle commandos the battle for araken Burma 1945. Shows the book cover for jungle comamndos in kindle, audio and ahrdback

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Casemate Publishers @casematepublishers.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

"Exploding Rats and Other Devious Devices of SOE" contains thirty years of previously classified records detailing the SOE’s Camouflage Section! 💻️: tinyurl.com/bdhzrrny #SOE #WWIIhistory #WWII

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Modern war also came to #Dayak headhunters in #Sarawak, Borneo, when the Australian Services Reconnaissance Department launched Operation #Semut, which 5 #Force136 Chinese #Canadians joined in August 1945. #SRD trained, supplied, and supported the Dayak in guerrilla warfare against the Japanese.

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

#OTD in 1940, Wang Jingwei formally announced formation of his Reorganized National Government of the Republic of #China (中華民國國民政府) in Nanjing. Backed by #Japan, the collaborationist regime deepened China's fragmentation, creating a rival nationalist centre that further weakened resistance.

Wang Jingwei and supporters at the 30 March 1940 National Assembly Hall inauguration ceremony of the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China in Nanjing. (courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Tomorrow, join historians Rob Lyman and Jack Bowsher as they explore the remote Naga Hills. Discover the story of Pangsha village, where British authority met fierce headhunting tribes. Join us for this unique part of the Second World War #Burma #History #WW2

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

By 1944, the IAF had transformed into a professional spearhead with over 200 airfields built across India. Using Hurricanes and Vengeance dive bombers, they provided the close air support essential for the 14th Army’s success. Hear the full story. #Military #History #IAF

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Why was India’s role in WWII suppressed after 1947? Historian KS Nair discusses the complex reasons why the service of 2.5 million Indians was underplayed and how we are finally rediscovering this vital chapter of global history. Listen to the full episode. #India #WWII

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

#OTD in 1933, Japan announced its withdrawal from the League of Nations in reaction to the Lytton Commission report on Japan's seizure of #Manchuria. This symbolized increasing Japanese militarism, expansionist ambitions, and the dismantling of democratic governance in Japan—precursors to #WWII.

Members of the Lytton Commission inspect track on the South China Railway at the site of the Mukden Incident, an explosion which the Japanese used as justification for occupying Manchuria. (courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

#OTD in 1945, a second group of 16 #Force136 Chinese Canadians arrived by ship in Brisbane, Australia, from San Francisco. Since the #SOE Hong Kong #Oblivion mission had been canceled, they trained for deployment to Sarawak on the island of Borneo instead, including learning to speak Malay.

USNS Fred C. Ainsworth (T-AP-181) off San Francisco, CA, 11 August 1955. (courtesy the collections of the US Naval Historical Center via Wikimedia Commons)

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

#OTD in 1934, Franklin Roosevelt signed the Tydings-McDuffie Act into law, which established a ten-year transition period for the Philippines to achieve independence set for July 4, 1946. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, this mitigated the conditions for a war of independence after #WWII.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signs the Tydings-McDuffie Act on March 24, 1934. Standing behind him (from left to right) are Wyoming Democratic Sen. Joseph O'Mahoney, Secretary of War George H. Dern, Filipino Senator Elpidio Quirino, Filipino leader and future president Manuel Quezon, Maryland Democratic Senator Millard E. Tydings, and Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs C.F. Cox. (courtesy Encyclopædia Britannica)

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

#OTD in 1944, British Security Co-ordination opened a temporary Special Operations Executive training camp at Dunrobin’s Bay on Lake Okanagan. Here, the first 13 #Force136 volunteers for Operation #Oblivion undertook paramilitary training. Today, the site is known as Commando Bay.

Dunrobin’s Bay on Lake Okanagan in 1944, location of the temporary #SOE training camp for the 13 Chinese Canadians recruited for Operation Oblivion. Today, it is an historic site known as Commando Bay. (courtesy Rick Wong)

Wing Wong, John Ko Bong, Norman Mon Low, and Tom Lock pose with pistols drawn at the #SOE Commando Bay paramilitary training camp on Lake Okanagan in British Columbia. (courtesy Keith Lock)

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

#OTD in 1944, SOE's India Mission, also known as GSI(K) or General Service Intelligence, was renamed Force 136.

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

#WWII Mike Kendall's Z Force was conceived as a stay-behind party for Hong Kong. Almost exclusively comprised of Whites, it failed because they could not blend in with locals in a limited area, as demonstrated by the British Army Aid Group's success. This led to the recruiting of Chinese Canadians.

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The Forgotten War Pod: Burma Campaign WW2 @forgottenwarpod.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

History is often written by the elite, but Gautam Hazarika used 20,000 interrogation reports to hear the actual voices of the sepoys and sergeants. Discover their personal accounts of the Burma campaign in our new episode. These stories are there to be told. #History #WWII

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From Oblivion to Triumph @force136ca.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

#WWII Some anti-colonial movements in Asia sided with the #Japanese, while some local guerrilla groups co-operated with #Force136 against them; only many were pro-independence and would turn against their colonizers at the end of the war.

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History Rage Podcast @historyrage.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

🚨 NEXT WEEK🚨 Explore the forgotten SOE war in Burma in this History Rage episode with Richard Duckett and Duncan Gilmour. From Peacock’s jungle brilliance to vast guerrilla forces, this hidden campaign shaped victory in the Far East. 🌿🔥 #HistoryRage #WW2 #SOE #Podcast @chiselbury.bsky.social

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Laurence Westwood @lwestwoodauthor.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

New from Danny Orbach, due out Sept 2026 #histbookchat for the Japan specialists!!

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