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nobody@flickr.com (rob of rochdale) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:24:00 -0800

The museum in Kohima was undergoing a powercut and I wasn't allowed in. So, whilst waiting for the power to be restored, I had a walk around Kohima and visited the war cemetery where I met this lady.

The Battle of Kohima was the turning point of the Japanese U Go offensive into India in 1944 in the Second World War.

The battle was fought from 4 April to 22 June 1944.The Battle of Kohima is often referred to as the "Stalingrad of the East".

The battle took place in three stages. From 3 April to 16 April, the Japanese attempted to capture Kohima ridge, a feature which dominated the road by which the besieged British and Indian troops of IV Corps at Imphal were supplied. By mid-April, the small British force at Kohima was relieved, and from 18 April to 13 May, British and Indian reinforcements counter-attacked to drive the Japanese from the positions they had captured. The Japanese abandoned the ridge at this point but continued to block the Kohima-Imphal road. From 16 May to 22 June, the British and Indian troops pursued the retreating Japanese and reopened the road. The battle ended on 22 June when British and Indian troops from Kohima and Imphal met at Milestone 109, ending the siege of Imphal.

The cost to the Allies was 17,857 British and Indian troops killed, wounded and missing.

The dead at Kohima have their own simple and moving monument which bears the epitah: 'When you go home, tell them of us, and say: "For your tomorrow, we gave our today".

I find it incredibly moving visiting war cemeteries and rather than dwell on the sorrow of the past , would rather show you this jolly lady instead who must have witnessed this particular piece of history.

Uploads from rob of rochdale, tagged battleofkohima, with geodata

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