by Fergal Keane
Ranking, General R.P.L. 184, 185, 212, 213, 213n, 222, 223, 224n, 437
Rawlley, Major Naveen 344, 345, 348
Razabil 124–9, 134
Rees, Corporal 266, 269
Repulse, HMS 10
Reynolds, Dick 385
Richards, Colonel Hugh 442, 459
after Kohima 411
courage 303
Dimapur 367
early life and family 180, 181
First World War 181, 183
Jessami 211–12, 213, 213n, 217–18
Jessami and Kharasom, rescinds ‘last man’ order and sends 161 Brigade to aide evacuation of 211–12, 213, 213n
John Young, on 216
Kohima, command of garrison 180–5, 222, 223, 224–5, 224n, 225, 226, 230–1, 238–9, 241, 244–7, 245n, 248, 250, 251, 252, 255, 257, 264, 267, 278, 279, 283, 299, 311, 319, 328, 335, 336, 344, 346, 352–3, 433–7
Kohima, visits men in trenches 303–4, 350
Kohima command, questions over 182–5, 244–7, 252, 433–7
Kohima garrison, assumes command of 180–5
Kohima withdrawal orders (‘202 Area Operation Instruction No. 3’) 224–5
Laverty and 244–7, 329, 433–7
Pawsey and 181, 182, 383
personality 180
post-war life 437
tactics 245, 304
Rino, Rhizotta 294
Roberts, Brigadier M. R. 435
Rommel, Erwin 62, 63, 64
Roosevelt, President Theodore xix, xx, 63, 77, 77n, 78–9, 80, 157, 171, 280, 369, 427
Royal Indian Air Force 325
Russia 4, 18, 109, 107, 109, 143, 422, 423
Rylah, Corporal E. 22
Ryuichi, General Shibata 394
Saito, Viscount Makoto 109
Sangnyu 56
Sangshak, battle of, 1944 193–5, 196–210, 233, 235, 258, 339
battle delays Japanese advance by six days 209
British retreat from 206–8
British underestimate strength of Japanese force 194–5, 201
casualties 198, 202–4, 209, 209n, 278, 291
command of, British 193–4, 206–7, 209–10
defences 193–4, 211
Japanese attack on 197–8, 199–200, 202–7, 288
prisoners, Japanese treatment of 208
strength of garrison 193, 193n, 194, 199
supply problems 193, 198–9, 200–1, 204, 207
Sato, Fumiko 143, 422
Sato, Goro xvi, 143–4, 145, 421, 422, 423
Sato, Haruyo 141–2
Sato, Lieutenant General Kotuku xv–xvi, 146, 153–4, 163, 212, 236, 249, 291, 350, 364, 459
advance into India, prepares for 153–4
appearance 144–5
army career xvi, 142–3
birth, childhood and family xv, 141–4, 145
Burma 144
Chindwin to Kohima march 153–4
death 423
Dimapur, reaction to order to attack 291–2
drinker 143–4, 421–2
funeral xxi, 422–3
Imphal attack, outlook on possibility of 156, 291, 316, 319
Kohima, siege of xv, xvi, 235, 236, 249, 272, 279, 283, 287, 289–90, 291–2, 305, 316, 317, 319, 327, 338, 339, 350, 353, 364, 370, 371, 373, 378, 389
Kohima, withdrawal from 154, 389–95, 396
Mutaguchi and 141, 154, 289–92, 316, 319, 370–1, 389, 390, 392–4, 370, 371, 392–4, 404–5, 423
post-war life 421–3
premonitions of defeat 317, 319
relieved of command xvi, 404–5
retreat from Kohima to Chindwin 396–404, 414
sanity of xvi, 404–5
75th Regiment command 142–3
Shudo Akiyama and 144–5
soldiers, relationship with xv–xvii, 164, 421, 422, 423, 424
supply problems, outlines 31st Division’s 146, 148–9, 154, 166, 319, 324, 389, 390
Sato, Major Misao 21
Sato, Shigehiko 141–2
Sato, Tetsutaro 142
Sato, Yukiko 422
Satoru, Sergeant Yanagi 376
Saville, Lieutenant Colonel F. S. 68–9, 92, 95
Saya San 8
Scheie, Captain 170
Scoones, General Geoffrey 157, 175, 184, 210, 280, 368, 384, 387n
SEAC 362
Seagrave, Dr Gordon 16
Seaman, Lieutenant Harry 193, 201, 202, 204, 207, 209, 209n, 210
Seki, Lance Corporal Tukuo 374, 375, 376
Sendai Military Academy 154
Senior, George 373–4, 377
Shan 3
Shaw, Major 259, 261, 297, 300
Sheldon’s Corner 194
shell-shock 60, 309, 331, 429
Shipster, Major John xxi, 89–90, 132, 382, 429–30, 447
Shipster, Michael xxi
Short, Major Douglas 304
Siddiqi, Captain M.Y. 301
Siege (Campbell) 434, 435, 436
Singapore 1, 10, 12n, 17, 77, 78, 84, 85, 106, 111, 174, 183, 281, 282, 379, 428
Singh, Sepoy Gian 88–9, 132
Sinzweya 130, 130n
Sittang bridge 20–2
Sittang River 19–22, 412
Slim, Lieutenant General Sir William ‘Bill’ 71, 81, 85, 90, 93, 156, 280, 339, 365, 366, 369, 373, 381, 385, 408, 427, 458
Admin Box, on victory at 134
anticipation of Japanese plans 168–9, 184n, 201, 222, 223–4, 224n, 278, 279, 283, 290, 291, 386
appearance 24
Arakan, plans offensive in 76, 79, 83–4, 90, 91, 104, 111, 115–16
Assam Regiments/Rifles, visits and congratulates 362
Bower, meets and praises work of 364–5
Burma, advance into 411, 415
Burma Corps, takes command of 23
Burma defeat and retreat, learns from 23, 26–8
Calvert court martial, intervenes to prevent 25n
childhood 24
Comilla headquarters 175, 273, 278, 339, 364, 367
Defeat Into Victory 79n, 116–17, 168, 184n, 224n, 387n, 436
Dimapur, considers likelihood of attack on 222, 223–4, 224n, 278, 279, 283, 290, 291
Dimapur, visits 185, 187
Giffard and 416, 417
Grover sacking and 386, 387, 387n
Hope-Thomson, praise for 209, 209n
Imphal Plain, plan to withdraw from Imphal and lure Japanese onto 157, 175, 175n, 235, 387n
INA, on 87
Indian Army, advocates reform of 88
Indian Army, realises importance of 84
Japanese crossing of the Chindwin, reaction to 120
Japanese plan to defeat British power in India, on 116–17
Japanese solider, comments on 75
Japanese tactics, derides 292, 318
jungle warfare, philosophy of 83–4
Kohima, plans to make a stand at 185–6, 279
Kohima garrison, appoints command of 184
Kohima operation, confidence in 278–9
Laverty, on response to 435, 436
loved by men 23
monsoon, fights through 395
Mountbatten and 80
psychology of solider, realises importance of 28, 83, 309, 429–30, 431
resists urge to strike Japanese first 156–7
re-supplying forces from air, strategy of 133
retreat to India 24, 26–7
Richards, praise for 435, 436
Sato, criticism of 292, 423
underestimates size of Japanese force 168–9, 201, 211, 212
V Force, on importance of 49
waits for Mutaguchi attack 156–7
Smith, Captain (later Major) Harry 67–8, 73, 138, 241, 247, 329, 331–2, 353–4, 357, 410–11
Smith, Lance Corporal W. 22
Smith, Sir Reginald Dorman 4, 7, 16
Snelling, General Alf ‘The Grocer’ 81
snipers 126, 135, 201, 206, 216, 229, 230, 251, 254, 255, 256, 262, 263, 268, 269, 29
8, 303, 306, 309, 310, 312, 319, 329, 334, 338, 344, 354, 355, 358, 379
Society of Friends (Quakers) Ambulance Unit 26, 26n
Stalin, Joseph 63
Stanford, Graham 362, 363
Steele, Private 342
Steyn, Lieutenant Pieter 158, 183, 328–9, 332, 346, 442
Stilwell, General ‘Vinegar Joe’ xx, 78n, 111, 165n, 169, 368
Stopford, Lieutenant General Montagu George North 184
background 172
command of Dimapur area, assumes 172
Dimapur more likely target of Japanese attack, decides 222, 223–4, 224n, 279, 283, 290, 316, 386
drives on commanders 272, 278, 313, 339–40, 365–7, 377, 384–5, 386
fires Grover 384–5, 386, 387, 458
Grover and 173, 272, 278, 313, 339–40, 365–7, 377, 381, 384–7
Kohima, plan to drive Japanese from 338
Kohima, pulls troops from 223–4, 224n
Slim and 175, 222, 223–4, 224n, 377, 387
Strand Hotel, Rangoon 1–2, 9
Street, Private Ray: Arakan 121, 122, 123, 125, 127, 135, 176
background 99
battlefield messenger 98
Burma 411, 412–13, 417–18
homecoming 428–9
India, arrival in 72–3
Kohima, arrival at 241, 243
Kohima, relieved at 355, 356
Kohima, siege of 247, 248–9, 251, 260, 261, 271, 300, 331, 337, 343
Naga people, on appearance of 220
supply operations: Allied 23, 28, 45, 73, 80, 81, 82, 83–4, 94, 111, 113, 115–16, 122, 123, 128–30, 133, 134, 136, 157, 161, 193, 200, 201–2, 204–5, 224, 227, 236, 240, 245, 278, 283, 288, 290, 302, 303, 304, 317, 321, 322, 324, 339, 352, 357, 364, 368, 377, 407, 420
Japanese xvii, xviii, 112–13, 114, 115, 116, 117, 134, 140, 143, 146, 147–50, 151, 152, 154, 155, 157, 158, 162–3, 166–8, 198–9, 204, 209n, 215, 233–5, 238, 265, 288, 291, 292, 319–20, 326, 328, 337–8, 373, 376–7, 389, 390, 393, 394, 395, 396–8, 402, 404
Swinson, Captain Arthur 71–2, 186, 187–8, 213n, 222, 224n, 273, 274, 275, 284, 294–5, 350, 355–6, 370n, 380, 385
Symes, George 282
Tacon, Sergeant ‘Butch’ 260, 262–3, 269, 357, 432
Takahashi, Korekiyo 109
Takeda, Prince 115
Tanner, Ralph 27
Tazoe, Lieutenant General 149
Tenshu 109
Terauchi, Count 116, 117, 118, 119, 389, 395
Thailand 3, 4, 9–10, 12, 141, 147, 150, 152
Thailand-Burma railway 147
Thanan Nala 402
Thirlwell, Pilot Derek 321
Thomas, Ron 313–14
Thrussel, Ernie 240
Tillott, Major A. T. 434
Tobe, Ryoichi 391
Tochihira, Sergeant Major 399
Togawa, Lieutenant 288–9
Tojo, General Hideki 86, 110, 111, 116, 117, 118–19, 143, 391, 406
Tokita, Shiro 21
Tomaru, Lieutenant Chuzaburo 151–2, 214–15, 287, 319, 326, 372, 390, 396, 397, 402–3, 419–20
Trim, Lieutenant Colonel Jackie 198, 203, 206, 207
Turner, Henry 238
Ukhrul village 50, 166, 198, 335, 393, 396, 397–8, 399, 401
United States: air support xix, 23, 23n, 81–2, 129, 155, 171, 200, 304, 321, 322, 323, 339, 366, 368, 369
Britain, relations with xix–xx, 23, 23n, 76–9, 77n, 78n, 81–2, 117, 129, 155, 157, 171, 200, 224, 277–80, 304, 321, 322, 323, 339, 366, 368, 369
China, role in war within xx, 78, 112, 170, 171, 180, 280, 316, 323, 368, 427
Pacific war 110, 111, 147, 151, 290
USAAF 325, 368
Victoria Cross 359, 379, 432, 433
Wada, Senior Private Manabu 152, 377, 403–4
Walton, Lieutenant 165
Warren, Brigadier Frederick ‘Daddy’ 221, 385–6
Arakan 175
Dimapur, arrives at 185
encircled by Japanese 275
human cost of his decisions, awareness of 175, 185
Kohima garrison, seeks permission to withdraw 273
Kohima, attempts to relieve 275, 279, 284–5, 304, 311, 314, 338, 345, 350, 385–6
Kohima, on morale within 257
Kohima, ordered to return to 240, 241
Kohima, pulled out from 221, 222, 223, 224n
‘last, man, last round’ orders, Jessami and Kharasom, role in rescinding 212, 213, 213n, 257n
Laverty and 247, 252, 345
161 Commander 95
Watchtower Society 4
Watts, Captain Phillip ‘Dodo’ 259–60, 261, 267, 268
Wavell, General Sir Archibald 12, 12n, 49–50, 83, 88n, 407
Weedman, CQMS Fred 276, 277–8
Wellings, Roy 261
Whalen, Jimmy 321
White, Lieutenant Colonel O. G. W. 383
White, Theodore 2
Whyte, Pat 34–5
Williams, Brigadier A. Felix 47
Williams, Walter 308, 310–11
Williamson, Captain Michael 213
Willis, Dick 205
Willis, Margery 431
Wilson, Major David 174
Wilson, Sergeant William ‘Tug’ 285
Wingate, Brigadier Orde xx, 25n, 112–13, 112n, 149, 165n, 171, 180, 282, 368, 411, 459
Winstanley, Captain (later Major) John 98, 383
Alam Halfa 64, 65
Arakan 125, 129
background 60, 68, 358
bravery 137
Dunkirk 61
India, reaction to news of deployment to 68
Japanese solider, on behaviour of xviii
joins army 60
Kohima, relief of 358
Kohima, siege of 247, 309, 310, 311, 329, 334, 355
promoted to Major 125, 135, 136, 137
Ranchi training camp 92–3
Saville’s replacement, role in 95
wounded, falls ill and evacuated out of war 410, 430
Worth, Private Fred 243
Wright, Colonel Douglas Rawdon 52, 53, 54, 56, 347
Wright, Lieutenant John 244, 264
Wykes, Lance Corporal Dennis: Arakan 124–6, 127, 129, 135
background 99
Burma, role in pursuit of Japanese through 411–12
deserters, remembers British 360, 361
Dimapur 176
homecoming 425–7
India, arrival in 73
Japanese prisoners, attitude towards 418
Kohima, arrival at 240, 241, 243–4
Kohima, relief of 354, 356
Kohima, siege of 307–8, 330, 331, 338, 346
morale of battalion, remembers 220
Mountbatten, remembers visit of 123
post-war life 428
Rangoon barracks 415, 417
typhus 411–12
Yamagami, Lieutenant Hiroshi 164, 200, 207, 258, 259, 260–1, 286–7, 326, 389, 397, 424
Yamaguchi, Major 234
Yamamoto, Warrant Officer Isamu 205
Yamashita, General 106
Yamauchi, Lieutenant General
Masafumi 140, 141, 235, 289, 392
Yanagida, Lieutenant General 141, 235, 289, 304
Yandaboo, Treaty of, 1826 38, 38n
Yarnold, F. H. 18
Yeo, Major Richard 248, 285, 308
Yoshifuku, Captain 372–3
Young, Lance Corporal John McCulloch 160, 161, 213–14, 215, 216–17, 216n
Young, Gavin 440
Young, Lieutenant Colonel John 256–8, 266–7, 271, 298, 299, 301, 302, 304, 305, 311, 345, 350, 351, 352, 367, 396
Young, Major David 385
Zubza village 219–20, 275, 276, 286, 294, 316, 330
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
During the years it has taken to research and write this book I have been helped by a wide variety of people in several continents. I am grateful to Pfelie Kezieze of the Kohima Educational Trust. The Trust was founded by veterans of the British
2nd Division in 2004 – the 60th anniversary of the battle – as an act of gratitude to the Nagas. Also in Kohima, I wish to thank Aziebu Shaiza for his hospitality and insights into Naga traditions and culture. In Delhi Shubranshu Chaudhary made some all-important inquiries, and Toby Sinclair was skilled in making the seemingly impossible happen at the last moment.
In Britain my thanks are due to: Dr Simon Robbins and Margaret Brookes of the Imperial War Museum; Michael Ball, Head of the Department of Printed Books, at the National Army Museum; the National Archives in Kew; the School of Oriental and African Studies; the Centre of South Asian Studies, Cambridge; Dr A. R. Morton, Archivist, Sandhurst Collection, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; Bob Cook, Curator, Kohima Museum, York; the late Colonel H. B. H. ‘Blick’ Waring, Curator of the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment museum, Maidstone; Paul Loseby and Philip Crawley of the Burma Star Association; the late John Colvin for his generous advice over a memorable lunch at the very beginning; Gordon Graham MC, Kohima veteran, for his sage observations on the manuscript and for alerting me to pitfalls; to my friend Michael Shipster for introducing me to Kohima and for being the best of travelling companions in the Naga Hills.
Mrs Diana Keast of Marlborough gave unstintingly of her time and memories of her brother Lance Corporal John Harman; I am also indebted for their assistance to Patrick Laverty, son of the late Lieutenant Colonel John Laverty, and to Roger Richards, son of the late Brigadier Hugh Richards, who allowed me access to his father’s papers and correspondence. Roland Powell read the manuscript closely, highlighting errors of fact and arguing with my judgements whenever he felt I had been less than fair. His immense knowledge of Kohima and the Burma campaign, combined with a first class literary eye, helped me beyond words. Louise Byrne helped trace survivors of the battle and spoke to scores of individuals and their families, gaining their confidence with her unassuming and courteous nature. Laura Thornton, the granddaughter of a Burma veteran, researched part of the V Force story and the work of the Royal Air Force.
Seeking to chart the Japanese experience of the battle and retreat would have been impossible without the assistance of Yuki Sunada. As the granddaughter of a Burma veteran she approached the job with devotion and insight, and opened the way to a Japanese world that would otherwise have been closed to me. To her I owe an enormous debt of thanks. My thanks are also due to the late Mr Masao Hirakubo who gave me hours of his time and provided many useful contacts in Japan; Mr Shuichiro Yoshino, 31st Division Veterans Association, was most helpful in directing me to survivors of the battle; Mr Goro Sato, the son of the late Lieutenant General Kotuku Sato, gave generously of his time and memories, as well as giving me access to his family photograph album; Kyoko Murukami spent many hours translating documents for the book, including Lieutenant General Kotuku Sato’s handwritten account of Kohima; thanks are also due to the staff of the National Defence Archives in Tokyo and the Amarume Museum, Yamagata Prefecture.