78 miles in 39-hours over the Naga Hills...

Next weekend

I’m off to India again tomorrow. I’m going to spend the first part of my time in the Naga Halls recreating, with about 20 other hardy souls, the withdrawal of the Assam Regiment from Jessami and Kharasom to Kohima between 1-3 April 1944. Its a total of 78 miles, which we aim to complete in the same 39-hours that the 260 survivors of the battalion took to get back to Kohima in 1944. We’re not doing it to raise money, but simply to remember the extraordinary exploits of this Indian Army battalion in the desperate struggle against the invading Japanese in early 1944. In some small way we hope to raise attention, in India and the UK, of the sacrifices and achievements of this remarkable body of men. The story includes that of Captain John Young (about whom I have written in this blog), who deliberately sacrificed his life at Kharasom so that his men could escape back to Kohima. He had been instructed to fight ‘to the last man and the last round.’ He did so.

If you’re on Instagram, do follow the 39-hours site run by Charlotte Carty, Brown’s granddaughter and the person responsible for organising the walk.

Captain Jock Young, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who was killed at Kharasom.

The 1st Battalion Assam Regiment (the ‘Rhinos’) was raised in Shillong in 1941 from local Assamese recruits - Khazis, Nagas, Kukis, domiciled Nepalese and others - to defend eastern India, long before the threat from Japan materialised. Two battalions were eventually raised. In February 1944 the 1st Battalion, commanded by Lt Col ‘Bruno’ Brown, marched over three days to take up positions in the villages of Jessami and Kharasom, about 25-miles as the crow flies from the Chindwin, and Burma. The Allies knew that the Japanese were intent on invading India. What they got wrong, however, was just how many troops the Japanese were going to send through the hills. Lt Gen Mutaguchi Renya’s plan was that the whole of Lt Gen Sato’s 31st Division - about 20,000 men at the off - would make its way over the 100 miles or so from the Chindwin to fall on the mountain town of Kohima, to close the only supply route between India into Manipur. Its too long to tell the story in this post, but you can read about it here. The short story is that when the Japanese arrived the brilliant Rhinos held them off for four days, causing considerable casualties and considerably delaying Sato’s timetable.

Lt Col ‘Bruno’ Brown, courtesy of Charlotte Carty

Eventually, Brown was ordered to bring what remained of his battalion back to Kohima. They disengaged from the fight at midnight on 1 April and marched proudly into Kohima at 3pm on 3 April, only half a day before the Japanese fell on Kohima during the morning of 4 April. It was an epic march, undertaken by a fantastically professional and well-trained body of men. About 500 men had first deployed to Jessami and Kharasom; just 260 returned. The garrison commander at Kohima - Brigadier Hugh Richards - recalled the sight of the Rhino’s marching into Kohima as one of the ‘finest sights of the battle.’ It gave him valuable additional men to defend Kohima from the onslaught about to begin. That battle, which people generally remember as that of the Tennis Court, was successful only because 446 British and about 800 Indian soldiers, including the 260 Rhinos, stood firm against the fierceness of the Japanese assault all the way through to their relief by the British 2nd Division, and troops of the 7th Indian Division, on 20th April. That great Thermopylae in the Naga Hills was the product of TA soldiers from Britain and stout-hearted and resolute troops from the Indian Army - the Assam Regiment, Assam Rifles, 4/7th Rajputs and 1/1st Punjab - among others. This was their battle, and we aim to recreate their fighting withdrawal to Kohima to remember their fortitude, endurance and sacrifice 80-years ago to the day.

Who is walking? The families of Colonel Howman, who raised the Assams in 1941, of Colonel Bruno Brown, and of Field Marshal Slim, who of course at the time commanded the entire 14th Army, and yours truly.

Anyone who has been in the Naga Hills will recognise the challenge we face. Its nothing like that faced by the boys in 1944, but do remember us in your prayers…

Our route: 1-3 April 2024. 78 miles in 39-hours!