James Howard Williams: “Elephant Bill” and Bandoola

The Forgotten Elephant Master of WW2

1942 in the harsh and impassable jungles of Burma, one man’s love of elephants paid off to help push the Japanese army out of modern day Myanmar. Building hundreds of bridges, ships, and carving roads out of rainforest, “Elephant Bill” and his personal elephant Bandoola did what was thought to be impossible. Having raised Bandoola the elephant from birth, Williams led countless expeditions during WW2 into the harsh environment. Working alongside teams of other elephants they performed rescue operations and built roads into the jungle to link up allied supply lines as well. These invaluable creatures could go where no machinery could venture including a steep climb up a 300 foot cliff on one mission. Near the end of the war, Bandoola was found dead with a single bullet to the head and one ivory tooth gone. The killer was never found and James Williams buried his friend in a marked grave.

Here is another true story of brave soldiers and animals working together. Valor is in you. Set it free.