⚔"Operation Red Tidings" by J.P. Cross

⚔"Operation Red Tidings" by J.P. Cross

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RMO: Regimental Medical Officer

RV: rendezvous, the appointed place for assembly

sitrep: situation report

SEP: Surrendered Enemy Personnel

Glossary

Chinese

I sincerely thank Mr Bernard C C Chan, MBE, AMN, for his unstinting help in matters Chinese.

feng shui: ‘wind and water’: a system of good and bad influences in the environment and correct alignment with nature

gwai lo: foreigner, literally ‘devil chap’, ‘old devil

Sinsaang: Mr, sir

t’o yan: ‘soil man’, aborigine

wei: hello (telephone calls)

yanshu: mole

Malay

ladang: aboriginal settlement

lalang: Imperate arundinacea, a coarse, weedy grass

ringgit: Malay dollar

Nepali (Gurkhali)

Ayo: Gurkhali (loosely) Here come the Gurkhas

ba: ‘father,’ a suffix often used when talking to a CSM, ‘Major Ba’

bahaduri: bravery award

chhatiwan: Alstonia neriifolia, ‘Devil Tree’ in Nepal

daku: ‘dacoit’, used by the Gurkhas for the Communist guerillas

gora: fair-skinned, Gurkhas’ word for British troops

hajur: term of respect, inert conversational response (literally ‘presence’)

hunchha: is, okay

sarkar: government, officialdom

syañ: dead man’s spirit

ustad: ‘teacher’, word used in some Gurkha units to an NCO

Note: the ‘-bahadur’ at the end of names is often shorted to ‘-é’ when talking, so, instead of Kulbahadur, it is Kulé etc

Signals jargon

96 Foxtrot: Auster aircraft pilot

Acorn: Intelligence Officer

Big Sunray: Brigade Commander (unofficial)

blower: radio

Roger: ‘understood’

Sunray: commander of unit or sub-unit concerned

Sunray Minor: deputy commander of unit or sub-unit concerned

Wilco: ‘will comply with your message’

About the author

Lt. Col. JP Cross is a retired British officer who served with Gurkha units for nearly forty years. He has been an Indian frontier soldier, jungle fighter, policeman, military attaché, Gurkha recruitment officer and a linguist researcher, and he is the author of twenty books. He has fought in Burma, Indo-China, Malaya and Borneo and served in India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Laos and Nepal where he now lives. Well into his nineties, he still walks four hours daily.

Operation Red Tidings is the sixth in a series of historical military novels set in Southeast Asia comprising Operation Black Rose, Operation Janus, Operation Red Tidings, Operation Blind Spot, Operation Stealth and Operation Four Rings. The first four books may be read in any order; the final two are sequential. The series features Gurkha military units, and the author draws on real events he witnessed and real people he fought alongside in various theatres of war in Southeast Asia and India.

‘Nobody in the world is better qualified to tell the story of the Gurkhas’ deadly jungle battles against Communist insurgency in Malaya in the 1950s. Cross spins his tale with the eye of incomparable experience.’ John le Carré

‘… a gripping adventure story … learn the ins and outs of jungle warfare from a true expert’ The Oldie (on Operation Janus)

Other books by JP Cross

Fiction

The Throne of Stone

The Restless Quest

The Crown of Renown

The Fame of the Name

⚔"Operation Red Tidings" by J.P. Cross

Overview:

Plot: The book probably revolves around a covert military mission named "Operation Red Tidings," possibly set during a conflict involving guerrilla warfare, such as the Malayan Emergency or the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. The mission likely involves British or allied forces conducting operations against insurgents in a remote jungle setting, where the protagonist and his unit must outmaneuver a determined enemy.

Setting: As with many of J.P. Cross's works, the setting is most likely the dense, unforgiving jungles of Southeast Asia. The jungle terrain plays a significant role in the narrative, influencing tactics, movement, and survival.

Themes:

Jungle warfare and survival: The book would delve into the difficulties of operating in the jungle, including dealing with harsh weather, dangerous wildlife, and the need for exceptional survival skills.
Counter-insurgency tactics: It would explore the strategic and psychological elements of fighting a guerrilla force that blends into the environment and local populations, making the enemy elusive and dangerous.
Leadership and decision-making under pressure: The protagonist, likely modeled after J.P. Cross, would be a military leader who has to make tough decisions, balancing the lives of his men with the demands of the mission.

Characters:

Protagonist: A seasoned military officer, possibly based on Cross himself, leading his team through perilous operations. The protagonist would be knowledgeable in jungle warfare, resilient, and skilled in counter-insurgency techniques.

Supporting soldiers: The story would feature a variety of characters within the military unit, showcasing their camaraderie, personal struggles, and individual contributions to the mission.

Insurgents and local populations: The enemy forces are likely portrayed as elusive and strategic, using their knowledge of the terrain to their advantage. Local populations might also be a part of the narrative, either as informants or as part of the conflict’s complexities.

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