Kohima Museum’s Chindit Exhibition opened on Sunday June 28 with a lecture by Lt Col (Retd) Paul Corden, former Executive Officer, Headquarters 77th Brigade, Chindit Society Committee Member & Burma Star Memorial Fund Trustee. A show of hands revealed that nearly all the audience were relatives of Chindits.
After Paul’s lecture, Jo Cowley spoke movingly about her Chindit father Walter ‘Scotty’ Scott, who won a Military Cross in Operation Longcloth & a DSO in Operation Thursday. When he eventually retired from the Army, Scotty became President of The Chindits Old Comrades Association.
People had travelled from all over the country to attend & the talks were delayed by an hour to ensure that everybody queuing was inside when the lectures eventually began.
Most of the exhibits have been donated or loaned from private collections belonging to the families of Chindits. There has been a tremendous response, with seven cabinets of the Kohima Museum packed with historic objects. This is a unique opportunity to see treasures never previously displayed in public.
The Chindit Exhibition is open to the public every Thursday from 10.00 until 13.15. Groups can visit outside these times by prior arrangement through kohimamuseum@yahoo.co.uk