The Road to Kohima: The Naga experience in the Second World War

The battle of Kohima, often referred to as the 'Stalingrad of the East', was the turning point of the Japanese offensive into India in 1944 during what the West calls the Second World War. A recent survey by the National Army Museum voted it Britain's greatest battle. The Road to Kohima is a unique collaboration between a senior Naga journalist and an eminent British historian, who between them have developed the thread of the Naga involvement in the Second World War. For these Nagas, living high up in the hills, war came to them. The battle, though devastating, lasted only a few months but in that time the Nagas played a key part.

The battle was fought in three stages from 4 April to 22 June 1944 around the town of Kohima, the capital of Nagaland in northeast India. From 3 to 16 April, the Japanese attempted to capture Kohima ridge. By mid-April, the small British and Indian force at Kohima was relieved. 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.

Through personal stories the first part of the book illustrates the ordinary civilian experience of those caught up in the fighting and tells both how their lives were affected by it and how village life was pieced together after the battle was over. Context to these poignant tales is provided in the second part of the book, which details the military events in Kohima and the Naga participation as soldiers. Together the two halves of the book form a marvellous historical document for all who are interested in the Second World War and military history generally.

Author: Charles Chasie, Harry Fecitt
Publisher: Infinite Ideas
Published: 08/10/2020
Pages: 290
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.74lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.61d
ISBN: 9781913022211

About the Author
Chasie, Charles: - Charles Chasie is a Kohima-based author and independent researcher. A former editor and journalist in Nagaland, he is a past winner of the prestigious Assam Media Trust award. He has contributed to various journals and publications, both in India and overseas, for over three decades. He is also the author or co-author of books on media and the Naga situation, including The Naga Imbroglio: A personal perspective and The State Strikes Back: India and the Naga insurgency.Fecitt, Harry: - Harry Fecitt is a former British Army infantry officer who has also served in the armies of Zambia, the Sultanate of Oman and Dubai. In retirement he takes a keen interest in the less well-known incidents in British colonial military history, researching and writing for several military journals. His aim is to emphasise the forgotten contributions and sacrifices made by the soldiers of former British Imperial territories who volunteered to serve the British Crown.