Kohima Exhibition opens in Fort George

In this 80th anniversary year, a new exhibition about the battle of Kohima opened on 23rd September at the Highlanders' Museum in Fort George, near Inverness. 

KET trustee and treasurer Andrew Hunter (above) was invited as guest of honour to open the exhibition and cut the ribbon.  Andrew is the son of Lochaber soldier Major Colin Douglas Hunter (pictured below), who served with the victorious 5th brigade in the battle that halted the Japanese invasion of India.

Andrew recently discovered a map of Kohima showing his father's plan of where 5 Brigade’s night march, outflanking to the north, was aimed at, including ‘Hunter’s Hill’, named, in the years after the battle, in tribute to Major Hunter. 

Andrew tells us: "I never knew of the map’s existence until someone gave it to me at York in 2023 and I instantly recognised the hand writing!"

KET supporter Keith McIntosh (pictured below) visited the exhbition to pay tribute to his father CSM Peter Norrie McIntosh of the 1st Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders, who fought at Kohima.

Keith has kindly shared these photos with us, for which we thank him very much.

The exhibition includes photographs and key sites of the battle, including an early photograph of the memorial to the Cameron Highlanders which is situated in Kohima Village. Also on show is a film which KET made in 2013 which features KET founder and Cameron veteran, Major Gordon Graham (pictured below):

Museum Curator Robert Kill told the Inverness Courier: "As the Battle of Kohima shares its anniversary with D-Day, then as now the achievements of the men who fought in Asia are sadly overshadowed by the happenings in Europe. But we are proud to do our part in keeping their memory alive."

The exhibition will run until March 2025.

Photographs © Keith McIntosh