Retracing history: Descendants commemorate Battle of Kohima with tribute trek

KOHIMA — As a tribute to the heroes of the Battle of Kohima, descendants of soldiers who fought in one of the WW-II’s crucial conflicts have embarked on a commemorative trek, retracing the footsteps of their forebears.

Led by Charlotte Carty, grand-daughter of Lt. Col William Felix “Bruno” Brown, CO 1st Assam Regiment during the Battle of Kohima in 1944, the trek, under the banner ‘A walk to remember,’ commenced from the village of Jessami in Manipur at midnight on April 1 and it will culminate in Kohima on April 3.

Carty, along with her three children and 20 fellow descendants of those who fought in the battle and others, will walk 77 miles in 39 hours to honour the valiant soldiers.

The Battle of Kohima, often referred to as the ‘Stalingrad of the East,’ was a critical engagement that played a decisive role in the Allied victory in WW-II.

Under the leadership of Lt. Col Bruno Brown and Field Marshal Bill Slim, the 4th Battalion of the Royal West Kents, along with the Indian Army’s Assam regiment, were said to have valiantly defended Kohima against the advancing Japanese forces.

In a handout, Carty stated, “They were all extraordinary men, but sadly, as part of the forgotten army too, few people know of them.”

Despite being surrounded, the soldiers reportedly managed to hold out in Kohima for two weeks until relief forces arrived.

The walk has been undertaken to honour the brave soldiers and highlight the help rendered by local Naga tribes, showing how everyone worked together during the Battle of Kohima.

As part of the commemoration, Carty and her fellow walkers, including the grandson of Field Marshal Slim, are retracing the arduous trek undertaken by their ancestors.

Their journey will conclude at 3 pm on April 3 at the Kohima War Cemetery, where they will pay homage to the fallen heroes.

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