Staff Reporter
SECHÜ ZUBZA, APRIL 21
A ten-member team of the British Army led by Bob Cook, curator of The Kohima Museum, visited the Western Angami region today which was then under pre-occupation of the British army during the World War II and held series of interaction with the village elders. The team first visited Bunker’s Hill (Jüvakhrietsie), one kilometer away from Sechü Zubza. The said hill, also called “Black Hill,” was a location where one of the fiercest gun battles that took place between the British army and the Japanese.
The team proceeded to Sechü Zubza and inspected some areas where British army occupied during the Second World War days. Sechü Zubza, the present sub-divisional headquarters of the Western Angami region, was reportedly a base camp of the British force.
One elderly person remarked: “Here at Sechü Zubza, the British army fired their artilleries against the Japanese invaders stationed at Kohima, Meriema and as far as Kigwema.”
The visitors also interacted with village elders and were shown some of the remains of the World War II. Interestingly, after inspecting the old iron bridge at Kherü River, Sechü Zubza, one of the visitors told this Reporter that the raw materials were manufactured from Middlesbrough, United Kingdom.
The team also paid a visit to the grave of Lieutenant HH Forbes, 44th GR, who was buried at Sechüma village. Lt HH Forbes was mortally wounded at Khonoma and succumbed to his injuries at Sechüma. He died on November 22, 1879.
The British Army team was accorded a warm reception at both the villages. The team departed for Khonoma via Mezoma village later in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, the delegation is scheduled to leave for home country on April 22.
