A patrol from B Company of the 1st Cameronians had been captured by the Japanese, stripped naked, tied to trees and used for bayonet practice. Captain Northey of B Company and some of his men discovered the remains of their comrades still tied to the trees. A local Burmese man informed Captain Northey that the Japanese responsible for this atrocity were in a nearby village of Payagle along with a group of traitorous Burmese collaborating with the Japanese. Captain Northey gathered his men and headed out for the village of Payagle to extract some revenge.
