Kohima - Cemetery

Kohima War Cemetery

Maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

We react to people. There are people we are at ease and love being with and there are those of the other kind. One reacts to places as well. Places that tend to make one comfortable and at peace - enough to be lost in thoughts that one wants to – are rare

This is one such place

After the first trip to Kohima - when a friend and I missed it - have tried to make it at least once during each trip

On one of these missed those I had lost in recent years

Not easy to recall another place - that one has been to - which has been maintained in such an immaculate fashion

Once as I sat on a wall I was stunned with the manner in which one staff-member moved over the walls – for me it would have been high intensity jumps (and a failed one had I been foolish to overrate myself and attempt one) but looking at him, as he moved from one wall to another, was like enjoying a ballet

The hill where the Cemetery stands today used to house the Deputy Commissioner’s bungalow. This area was the scene of some of the hardest, closest and grimmest fighting, with grenades being hurled across the tennis court at point-blank range. This is referred to as The Battle of the Tennis Court

The term The Battle of the Tennis Court is also used to refer to the larger Battle of Kohima

This is how The Battle of Kohima has been referred to by Earl Mountbatten “"probably one of the greatest battles in history... in effect the Battle of Burma... naked unparalleled heroism..."

Though there has been the proverbial ‘law of averages’ experience as well

Visitors (VIP?) to an event at a hotel very near had parked their vehicles on the road within the cemetery

Hope they leave it alone

Many thanks friends : those at Kohima and those who came along