Kohima War Cemetery to observe 60th anniversary

“WHEN you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today”. The guns might have fallen silent and the battle decided, but the Garrison Hill in the heart of Kohima town bears an emotional testimony to the valiant British and Indian soldiers who made supreme sacrifice thwarting the Japanese army from marching to India. Come April, the Kohima War Cemetery will observe its 60th anniversary to pay respect to the brave soldiers. It also coincides with the 125th year of establishment of Kohima town. Historical records suggests, on April 04, 1944, the Japanese led by Gen. Sato marched into Kohima town when they were stopped by the British army under the command of Brigadier Gochar, Commandant of 4 Battalion, British Army. The fierce 13 day battle that followed was also unique in the sense that both the army fought bare handed for most of the time for depleted arm reinforcements.

”The British soldiers showed exemplary courage as they fought with only 800 soldiers against the 10,000 odd Japanese “, says Atuo Mezhur, Regional manager, Commonwealth War Graves Mission, which is entrusted to maintain the three war cemeteries of Northeast. “Only after the arrival of the 2nd Division of the British Army reached Kohima, the Japanese beat a hasty retreat with only 200 soldiers surviving”, he adds. Though the exact number of casualties could not be ascertained, but in the Garrison Hill, 1421 soldiers were cremated according to their rituals. It is not only the memories of the soldiers’ bravery, but also living legends that attract the visitors to the cemetery. The tennis court of the then Deputy Commissioner (DC) is still maintained where the battle was fought and dead soldiers were cremated.

A black cherry tree, which survived the battle despite heavy grenade shelling by the Japanese lived till recently and now replaced by another after its death beneath the tombstone of one of the soldier. Two British soldiers, who made supreme sacrifice and were buried in Garrison Hill, were awarded posthumously, ‘The Victoria Cross’, highest British military honour. (The VC is made from melting parts of a canon won by the British soldier from the Russians during the Crimean War). The London Gazette published in 1944 narrates the reason for which Lance Corporal J P Harman of Royal West Regiment and Captain John Randle of Royal Norfolk Regiment were awarded the Victoria Cross. War knows on bound save brutalities. And so, a lady paramedical staff Sister Ethel Carter and Reverend O’Callaghan also fell to the lethal bullets of the Japanese and rests in Garrison Hill. On an average, 250 visitors visits the cemetery daily only to ‘go home and tell us of them and say, for our tomorrow, they gave their today’.

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