I'm flying out to India tomorrow on a Pilgrimage to the Kohima and Imphal battlefields and cemeteries. Will post a report and photo's upon return.Lionboxer
Enjoy your trip, looking forward to hearing about it upon your return. Having read about the fighting near Kohima and Imphal in "No ordinary men"? Its somewhere I've added to my dream list of places to visit at an undefined time in the future. Ali
Have a great trip, that is somewhere I have long wanted to go to. Look forward to hearing more on your return.
What an amazing twelve days in India that was. The Indian Army really did us proud with thier hospitality and security. We had an armed guard the whole time we were in Nagaland and Manipur because of the insurgents. Prior to our arrival two of the Assam Rifles were killed in a shootout, and while we were at the Imphal cemetery we heard two long bursts of MG fire in the distance. The cemetery at Kohima is a most impressive and immaculate place, worthy of all those men who died there stopping the Jap march on Delhi. The tennis court is still marked out there. It was the scene of one of the bitterest and most crucial battles of the second world war. We had a most amazing ceremony there with full honours being given to the veterans in our group. From Kohima we motored down to Imphal along the mountain road the British 2 Div took on their way to lift the Siege of Imphal. On the way there the most incredible moment of my life occured. The convoy stopped at Kanglatongbi the scene of a battle that I extensively researched and wrote a book about. There at memorial beside the road was a full guard of honour and red carpet laid out for me for a wreath laying ceremony. I was speechless and just went into auto pilot to lay the wreath!! The General we had with us took second place to me as I was the guest of honour. Truly amazing, I keep looking at the photo's to make sure it really did happen. Then it was on to Imphal and another large wreath laying ceremony. It was strange looking at the graves of the men I had written about and in some cases knew in graphic detail how they died. There is so much more to tell (I can dine out on this for years!) but I will finish now so that I can post a few pictures. Lionboxer
