Britain’s Greatest Battle; Tour of Imphal & Kohima
19 – 31 March 2023

It was on Kohima Ridge in 1944, that the invasion of India by the Japanese Imperial Army was halted by the bravery of a small garrison of just 1500 British and Indian soldiers, who, although outnumbered by about 10:1, held out for 14 days, until relieved by the British 2nd Division. We are delighted to offer this tour working with Bob Cook of Kohima Musuem. With access to original maps, operational and personal accounts, the Battlefield tour will give you a view of the battle from the perspective of the soldier in the trench, to the battalion commander up to the Divisional and Corps commanders. We hope you will be able to join us on this tour.

Talk by Robert (Bob) Cook - Available to view here

Robert (Bob) Cook

Retired as a Warrant Officer from the British Army after 34 years. His family has a long almost unbroken line of military service dating back alhmost 170 years.

Since retirement from the army Bob has operated a busy Bed & Breakfast in York, U.K. together with his wife. Amongst other interests, Bob is the volunteer curator of the 2nd Infantry Division Kohima Museum Trust also located in York. It was in this role that Bob first visited the battlefields of Kohima in 2008 and has since been back another 8 times leading military and civilian groups to explain and explore the many different aspects of what is probably the most important unknown battle of WW2. During his visits to Kohima, Bob’s knowledge and understanding of the Battle has steadily increased as has his liking for the friendly Naga Hill people of Nagaland in North East India.

In addition to being the curator, Bob is also a Trustee of the Kohima Educational Trust which aims to repay the debt of gratitude owed by the British veterans to the Naga Hill people for their unstinting aid and assistance against the Japanese Imperial Army. One of the ways of repaying this debt of gratitude is by sponsoring the education of the Naga children aged 14 – 16.

As a previous deputy chairman of the Burma Campaign Society which aims to improve and enhance the reconciliation between Japan and the U.K, he has also visited Japan in company with a British army veteran of the battle to visit and pay respects to Japanese veterans of the Burma campaign and visit the grave of Lieutenant General Kotoku Sato who commanded the 31st Japanese Division at Kohima.

Kohima Educational Trust gave out Scholarship to 241 Students   - Watch the Video 

Narrow Escapes of WW2 - The Siege of Kohima - Watch the Video