Kohima War Cemetery

Where the battle was fought

In April 1944, Japanese forces attacked Kohima to cut the road to Imphal. For about two weeks, a small British and Indian force held the ridge in the middle of town until help arrived. Some of the worst fighting was around the Deputy Commissioner's bungalow and its tennis court, where the two sides dug in so close that they threw grenades across the court. The battle went on until June and is often called a turning point of the war in Burma. The cemetery now covers that ground on Garrison Hill.

What you will see

The cemetery climbs the hill in broad terraces. Each grave is marked by a low stone with a bronze plaque. There are 1,420 Commonwealth burials from the Second World War. At the lower end, near the entrance, a tall stone stands as the memorial to the British 2nd Division. It is shaped like the stones Nagas raise for their dead and was brought from Maram, south of Kohima, with help from local Naga people. At the top, the Kohima Cremation Memorial names 917 Hindu and Sikh soldiers who were cremated according to their faith. White lines on the grass mark the old tennis court, and a cherry tree nearby carries a small plaque.

The Kohima Epitaph

The words on the 2nd Division memorial are known around the world: "When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today." The lines are credited to the poet John Maxwell Edmonds.

Visiting

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission looks after the cemetery, and entry is free. It is close to the centre of town, beside the main road. Reported hours are roughly morning to 4 pm, and some sources say it is closed on Sundays and holidays, so check before a special trip. The terraces are steep, with steps between levels, and there is no wheelchair access.