1st Assam Regiment played a crucial part in defeating the Japanese invasion of India. At the twin Battles of Jessami & Kharasom, they inflicted heavy casualties on the invaders & held up their advance by four critical days, allowing time for reinforcements to join the Garrison at Kohima. The surviving Assams then marched 78 miles in 39 hours to beat the invaders to Kohima & reinforce the defenders. They fought heroically throughout the Siege, holding the tennis court during the latter stages.

It was therefore a great pleasure to welcome to Kohima Museum on October 3 current members of the ASSAM REGIMENT of the Indian Army, from 6 BHAIRAV BN.

These Assams were in the UK to represent India in EXERCISE CAMBRIAN PATROL, an extremely challenging endurance event that attracts teams from across the world.

The teams patrol over 40 miles of mountainous terrain & undergo continuous assessment across 16 military skills, including combat readiness, reconnaissance, casualty care, leadership, tactical conduct, navigation & fieldcraft.

This year 104 teams from many countries competed from 10-12 October. Only 9 teams won gold & we are delighted to report that they included our friends from 6 BHAIRAV BN, The RHINO RAIDERS of ASSAM REGT, representing INDIA.

The team lived up to their Regiment’s proud tradition & its motto TAGRA RAHO – Stay Strong! Well done guys!

1st Assam Regiment played a crucial part in defeating the Japanese invasion of India. At the twin Battles of Jessami & Kharasom, they inflicted heavy casualties on the invaders & held up their advance by four critical days, allowing time for the Royal West Kents to join the Garrison at Kohima. The surviving Assams then marched 78 miles in 39 hours to beat the Japanese to Kohima & reinforce the defenders. They fought heroically throughout the Siege, holding the tennis court during the latter stages.

It was therefore a great pleasure to welcome to Kohima Museum current members of the Assam Regiment of the Indian Army.

They were introduced to Alasdair & Bertie Large, a grandson & great grandson of Colonel ‘Bruno’ Brown, who commanded 1st Assam in 1944.

These Assams are in the UK to represent the Indian Army in EXERCISE CAMBRIAN PATROL, an extremely challenging endurance event that attracts teams from across the world.

The teams patrol over 40 miles of mountainous terrain & undergo continuous assessment across 16 military skills, including combat readiness, reconnaissance, casualty care, leadership, tactical conduct, navigation & fieldcraft.

We wish the Assam team the best of luck & are confident that they will be successful, in the proud tradition of their magnificent regiment.

Kohima Museum was pleased to participate in the Army Officer Insight Day programme at Imphal Barracks.

These events are organised by the British Army Officer Recruitment Team & were held this year at Imphal Barracks, York, & at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. They are aimed at individuals who are considering leadership roles & provide information about the commissioning process.

Kohima Museum is grateful to the Recruitment Team for its inclusion in the programme to illustrate the importance of military heritage. Most young people know little about the Burma Campaign, so we embrace opportunities to raise its profile.

Seventy participants visited the Museum & showed great interest in what they saw & heard about the Burma Campaign.

Kohima Museum Trustee Mike Tickner will give a free webinar at 8pm on September 24 describing how the Indian Army of WW2 was trained to overcome the Imperial Japanese Army.

Mike’s webinar will be introduced by Rob Lyman.

The webinar can be watched live or retrospectively by clicking here to register.

Kohima Museum’s Chindit Exhibition has been a resounding success, attracting large numbers of visitors.

A great many of the visitors have been relatives of Chindits, who had never previously visited the Museum.

The Exhibition opened on June 28 & visitor numbers for July & August were more than double the count for the same months in 2025, despite the publicity of VJ80 last year. We are delighted with this enthusiastic response.

Most of the exhibits are on loan from the Chindit Society or from descendents of Chindits, with the loan originally planned to end on August 29, when the Exhibition would close. However, it has been so popular that the loans have been extended at least until the end of 2026 & new exhibits have been received.

An exciting variety of items have been donated to the Museum & others have been loaned indefinitely. As a consequence, the Kohima Museum will henceforth have a permanent Chindit display.

We are very proud to represent this important part of the Burma Campaign & to help preserve the memory of these heroes.

As part of Kohima Museum’s Chindit Exhibition, there will be two free illustrated lectures about Chindits who were captured by the Japanese. The talks will be on Saturday August 29, beginning at 14.00.

Kohima Museum is located inside Imphal Barracks & photo ID is required to gain entry. To reduce queuing on August 29, register your intention to attend by emailing kohimamuseum@yahoo.co.uk

Both speakers are grandsons of Chindit POWs. Daniel Berke will talk about his grandfather, who was Orde Wingate’s batman. He was captured in 1943 during Operation Longcloth & endured over two years of brutality, starvation, disease & slavery as a prisoner of war. Steve Fogden will talk about the experiences of other Chindit POWs, including his grandfather, who lost his life in Rangoon Jail.

Steve Fogden is the Historian & Archivist of the Chindit Society. Daniel has written a moving book about his father’s experiences & has lectured at the National Army Museum.

After the lecture, Kohima Museum’s free Chindit Exhibition will be open until 18.00. Most exhibits are on loan from private collections belonging to the families of Chindits. This is a unique opportunity to see artefacts never previously displayed in public.

Images of the exhibition can be seen here.

The museum & exhibition are 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

There will be a free talk at the Kohima Museum on Thursday August 13 by Bill Smith, son of Chindit Reg Smith of the York & Lancaster Regiment. The title is “To Be a Chindit…” & Bill will bring many items of kit that were used by the Chindits. His talk will start at 11.00.

As part of Kohima Museum’s Chindit Exhibition, there will be two free illustrated lectures about Chindits who were captured by the Japanese. The talks will be on Saturday August 29, beginning at 14.00.

Kohima Museum is located inside Imphal Barracks & photo ID is required to gain entry. To reduce queuing on August 29, register your intention to attend by emailing kohimamuseum@yahoo.co.uk

Both speakers are grandsons of Chindit POWs. Daniel Berke will talk about his grandfather, who was Orde Wingate’s batman. He was captured in 1943 during Operation Longcloth & endured over two years of brutality, starvation, disease & slavery as a prisoner of war. Steve Fogden will talk about the experiences of other Chindit POWs, including his grandfather, who lost his life in Rangoon Jail.

Steve Fogden is the Historian & Archivist of the Chindit Society. Daniel has written a moving book about his father’s experiences & has lectured at the National Army Museum.

After the lecture, Kohima Museum’s free Chindit Exhibition will be open until 18.00. Most exhibits are on loan from private collections belonging to the families of Chindits. This is a unique opportunity to see artefacts never previously displayed in public.

Images of the exhibition can be seen here.

Kohima Museum is located inside Imphal Barracks & photo ID is required to gain entry. To reduce queuing on August 29, register your intention to attend by emailing kohimamuseum@yahoo.co.uk

The museum & exhibition are 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

On Saturday August 29 at 14.00, there will be a free illustrated lecture by Daniel Berke about his Chindit grandfather Frank Berkovitch, who was Orde Wingate’s batman. Captured in 1943 during Operation Longcloth, Frank Berkovitch endured over two years of brutality, starvation, disease & slavery as a prisoner of war.

Daniel has written a moving book about his father’s experiences & has lectured at the National Army Museum.

After the lecture, Kohima Museum’s free Chindit Exhibition will be open until 18.00. The Chindit Society Historian & Archivist Steve Fogden will be available at this event to answer questions about The Chindits.

Kohima Museum is located inside Imphal Barracks & photo ID is required to gain entry. To reduce queuing on August 29, register your intention to attend by contacting kohimamuseum@yahoo.co.uk

Kohima Museum is currently holding a summer exhibition about the Chindits. The 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

Most exhibits are on loan from private collections belonging to the families of Chindits. This is a unique opportunity to see artefacts never previously displayed in public.

Images of the exhibition can be seen here.

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