The Forgotten Army in the Fight Against The Japanese

1941 was a decisive year in world history. The Japanese Imperial Army was advancing relentlessly having captured Singapore. In the west the British were guarding against a German invasion as the entire Europe was under the bots of Hitler.

In such a scenario Field Marshal Slim's British Indian army has not got its due for facing the Japanese Army. Though pushed back through Burma the British Indian army fought valiantly against a heartless enemy. Thus this army is often referred to as the forgotten army as it was poorly equipped and had much less resources than their counter parts in the west. Yet it fought valiantly.

There was also the factor of Subhas Chandra Bose who tried to rouse the Indian pow's by forming the Azad Hind fauj. It is a tribute to the loyalty of the Indian troops that by and large they remained loyal to the British. This is the hall mark of a soldier: Loyalty and it was displayed in ample measure by the British Indian Army.

The Japanese army had soon surrounded Kohima and was on the gates of India. The siege of Kohima lasted many weeks but the Indian army never gave up. It was then that the Japanese broke and the Imperial army failed to capture Kohima. This was the turning point of the war in the east. Yet this battle is not given its due, though it was every inch as important as Stalingrad or El Alamein. The battle for Kohima brought out untold bravery of the British Indian army. Bose also failed to engineer defections among the Indian troops and this was the limit of the Japanese imperial army as they were defeated and turned back.

The battles on the return when the Indian army forced the Japanese retreat through thick jungles are what stuff legends are made off. Both officers and men of the British Indian army under Field Marshal Slim fought gloriously and the sun began to set on the Japanese empire. In fact Kohima was the last hurrah of the Imperial army.

The Japanese were pushed back through Burma. It was bitter fighting but the 'Forgotten army' carried the day. Now when more that 60 years have elapsed it is incumbent on historians to give credit to Field Marshal Slim's forgotten army. The soldiers who fought along with this army certainly deserve it.