A Visit to India 23 Oct to 13 Nov 2006 by Julian & Sally Pilcher. (Edited for Visits to Burma Campaign sites) Trip organised by Andrew (“Bee”) Boyden. Tigerfish Travel. bee@tigerfish.co.uk. Website www.tigerfish.co.uk. Tel (India) 0091 986851 0279. UK 0044 (0)20 7385 2890.

Wed 25th Oct 2006Joined for dinner in Shillong by Lt Col Martin Khongmen, Regimental Secretary, Assam Regt bringing a copy of Gen Sushil Pillai’s book “Asom Vikram” – History of the Assam Regt 1947-2002.

Mon 30 Oct. Digboi/Phaneng Village/Ledo Airstrip

Drove via Ledo airstrip (base for American pilots flying over “the hump” to supply the Allied troops).

American comment on father’s road (extracted from his book)

Joined the Stillwell/Ledo Road built for Gen Stillwell from India through the top end of Burma and to Kunming in China (1736 kms) over 2 years with fighting all the way. On 11th Feb 1945 Allied Forces driving down the Stillwell Rd entered Kunming ending 3 years of Japanese blockade of China.

Cross into Arunachal State at Jairampur checkpoint gate. (Ledo Road)

Visit virtually abandoned Chinese War Cemetery. (Chinese wont do anything towards maintaining it because they were mostly soldiers fighting in Gen Chiang Kai-sheks army)

Down the Stillwell/Ledo Road plus “Big Bee”

Had hoped to go to the Pangsau pass right on the border but there was some problem and this was cancelled at the last minute. I think it was impassable. Bee tried it a week later and had to be pulled out by the Army.

We stayed the night in Lampong via a muddy track.

A family kindly moved along in their hut and let us use their “room” where we pitched our bedrolls plus mosquito nets. The roosters started to crow under the hut at 2.30am but someone shut them up pretty quickly. Our bedrolls gave us a relatively comfortable night

The setting was very beautiful and it was a privilege to be there. We were the first Europeans they had seen. They put on a dance for us by a fire in the evening and sang a song (apparently) about the white man having chased out the Japs and now the white man has returned!.

Our host family came to bid us good bye next day as we set off for Namdapha.

Mon 6th Nov. Thengal Manor to Kohima (Nagaland)

Long Drive via Dimapur where the Burma road starts (built by my father with an 82000 labour force which he raised off the tea plantations)

into Nagaland and up the Manipur Road. This route is well described in his book “Navvies to the Fourteenth Army” and the scenery appears unchanged. Nichuguard (at milestone 9) is the entry gate to Nagaland (see photo) where “…the road entered the gorge which was about four miles long and can best be described as a fisherman’s paradise and a motorists nightmare………..on the left the rock rose straight up to anything up to 500 feet, on the right it fell sheer away to the river 200 feet below which flowed through the gorge in a series of rapids and tempting pools.”

Much the same today although the road is now about 24 feet wide (no doubt due to his efforts over 60 years ago) rather than the 12 ft to which he refers.

The road rises steadily from about 1700 ft at Nichuguard to 4700 ft at Kohima. (Milestone 47) twisting thro lovely country and hills. Mixed surface quality and hillside still slipping in one or two places despite this being the dry season.

Booked into Hotel Japhu at Kohima. Clean, hot water and TV! View across to the new RC Cathedral.Tues 7th Nov. Kohima.

Visited Kohima Cemetery (war Graves Commission). (Site of the Deputy Commissioner’s bungalow). Well kept. Many Regts took enormous losses. You don’t really register the Indian ones because so many were Hindus and cremated and so don’t have headstones (see their names on the large memorial and the Assam Regt in particular). Royal West Kent of course, Dorsets, Berkshire, RWF, DLI. Lancashire Fusiliers, Royal Artillery, Scottish Regts, etc etc etc.

One Carabinier war grave – 2/Lt R H Harris. 11 June 1944.

Visited the new RC Cathedral and the Japanese Memorial outside it.

Wed 8th Nov 2006Kohima to Imphal (State of Manipur). 90 miles. Took 6½ hrs (due to its poor condition) along my father’s road. Bully, our Guide (native of Arunachal), drove the whole way.

This is National Highway No 39 (part of the road built by my father for the evacuation of Burma and for the 14th Army in 1942).

The road condition is poor, varying from tarmac, to potholed tarmac, to unsurfaced, to slipping hillside. Much as described in 1942 in my father’s book “Navvies to the Fourteenth Army”. Much of it along beautiful and mountainous terrain. Valleys & Rivers. Rising from 4700 ft at Kohima

MAO

to 5700 ft at Mao

and dropping down to the Imphal Plain via Maram, Karong, Kangpoki and Kanglatombi.

Some gorgeous views. Military (Manipur & Assam Rifles) and Police much in evidence due to banditry/civil unrest. Lorries travelling in convoy for safety. No driving at night. We had no problems.

We were booked into Hotel Nirmala in Imphal but didn’t like it much. The ITDC Imphal looked better and in a quiet location but was full and was reputed to be not as “good” as its exterior implied.

Ended up at the Anand Continental “The best hotel in town”. Extra for an air conditioned room – but it doesn’t work A few cockroaches but relatively clean and we didn’t need our own bedrolls. Frequent power cuts. Hot water only in the early morning, Access direct from a busy “street”. Surprisingly good restaurant.

Th. Dorendra Singh “Doren” (local business man, friend of Bee’s and expert mahseer fisherman) came to see us. We discussed Numshigum and he said he would make enquiries.

Met Bully’s young friend, Basanta, (on leave, visiting his family in Imphal. Hopes soon to join Indian 61st Cavalry, keen polo player, currently at Mancotta) said he too would enquire about Numshigum, and in particular of his uncle, Professor Konsam Ibo Singh of Dept of Political Science, Manipur University.

Thurs 9th Nov. Imphal. Bully + his friend Bosanta drove us south to the Loktak Lake. Large body of water dotted with islands and home to fishermen who live on large rafts made of reeds. Water often encircled by banks for fish retention therein. Main vantage point is currently HQ of contingent of Assam Rifles on counter insurgency. They gave us a “guide”. Took some photos (but not of them).

Went to the Indian National Army Museum at Moirang and learnt a bit about their collaboration with the Japanese. Would the Japs have given them their freedom any sooner (or at all) than the British did exactly 2 years to the day after the Japs surrendered on 15th Aug 1945? I wonder.

Visited Kangla Fort/Compound (237 acres approx)

and Slim’s HQ and House. What a sorry state it all is in now. Took photos for Bee’s friend Mark, grandson of Slim.

Friday 10th Nov. Imphal/ Numshigum (refer to Regimental History of the 3rd

Carabiniers by Lt Col L B Oatts DSO, pages 251 to 267)Bully + Basanta drove us to collect Bosanta’s uncle Prof Singh. He could find no knowledge of a place called Numshigum. There is however a mountain called Makou, which fits the description and has a history of a fierce battle. Security around there is a bit difficult.

NB Archie Weir = Sarah Winnington-Ingrams father.

After much local enquiry we came to a track in the plain through the rice fields and were told that Makou was the third mountain. On approaching this we came upon an elderly man walking along the track. He confirmed that he lived nearby and that they all knew there had been a big battle on the mountain. There were still bits of guns and tanks and things up there. The village story is that the Japanese were on the mountain. Aeroplanes attacked them with machine guns and bombs. Artillery fired on them. Indian soldiers and British cavalry “on horses” went up the mountain and killed the Japanese. No doubt legend handed down by word of mouth could not grasp the conversion to tanks of a Cavalry Regt. Some of our troopers may have had the same problem!

Prof Singh (who spoke the local dialect) asked him if the name “Numshigum” meant anything to him. He replied “Oh yes, it is the name of a ravine up the mountain”At this point two soldiers from the Manipur Rifles appeared and (friendly and polite) enquired as to our doings but said we could go no further due to security problems.

We then drove to Sawombung the RHQ and 123 Brigade HQ as described in the History at page 264 et seq. where we took another photo of the view of the battle as it would have been seen by the CO, Col Ralph Younger.

Our good friend Lt Gen Sushil Pillai, PVSM (CO 1st Bn Assam Regt 1970/72 and Colonel of the Assam Regt – about 14 Bns - 1987/1991) tells me however, that Nungshigum is the name for the area and that much detail is given in the Ball of Fire (Google-Battle of Nungshigum Manipur-Burma Star Association web page). The Assam Regt served with great distinction and bravery in the Burma campaign and particularly in its breakout from its encirclement at Jessami and reform in Kohima for that epic holdout with the Royal West Kents.

We then drove to the Imphal War Cemetery. Maintained by the War Graves Commission.

The Cemetery itself is well kept but many of the headstone plates have become oxidised and need refurbishment. (See photographs). It might be worth the Regiment considering writing to the War Graves Commission and pointing this out. I understood that there is to be an inspection of the Cemetery on 2 Dec 2006.I signed the Visitors Book and took the liberty of doing this also as representing the Colonel of the Regiment, Brigadier M S Jameson CBE.Sally and I photographed all the 39 Carabinier headstones (see list attached) together with the appropriate entries in the Register (which give more detail as to next of kin etc). If anyone would like copies of these do please let me know. They are in digital/emailable form.There is no formal Regimental Memorial. Sadly there was no Ceremony taking place to commemorate Remembrance Day (11th November) the next day.

(See separate disc of Carabinier Graves and photos.)

Imphal War Cemetery. Burma Campaign 1944List of Headstones. 3rd Carabiniers. (photograhed 10th November 2006)

Bacon.PEJ. Tpr.Bayes. E. Tpr.Boot. CA. TprBranston. RF. "Peter". SQMS.Brown. A. Tpr.Burgess. GW. Tpr.Burrell. DF. SQMS.Chaplin. GF. Capt.

Cole. JA. LtCourage. Tpr, RADoe. DS. Sgt.FitzHerbert. CTV. Capt.Gallagher.J. TprGeary. TO. Tpr.Green. ST.TprHenderson. Tpr. WJBHopkins. EW. TprHubbard. AE. Cpl.Johnston. W. L/Cpl.Litchfield. AC. CplLubbock. CA. Tpr.Ludas. M. Sgt.Mann. HCW. Tpr.Martin. JM. Tpr.Mason. H. TprMountney. HAJ. TprMulvey. J. TprNeale. HN. Lt.Pollard. GJ. Cpl.Rimmer. FW. Tpr. Sanford. EA. Major.Sterlini. L. TprThwaites. DR. TprTovey. EJ. Tpr.Treves.HF. Sgt.Vasey. J. Tpr.Vaughan. A. Tpr.Wass.EW. TprWaud. LH. Tpr.

Kohima War Cemetery. Burma Campaign 1944Carabinier Headstone (photographed 7th November 2006)

Harris 2/Lt. RH

In the evening we were nobly fed and entertained by Doren Singh at his house in Imphal, where we met his wife, mother, two sons, daughter in law, grandson and granddaughter.

He showed us (and gave us a copy of) his marvellous DVD

on Mahseer fishing and also on the Primates of India, both of which had been shown on India TV.Julian Pilcher