My Dad, Peter Seddon, was involved in the battle of Kohima (India) in 1944 and later he was involved in the battle of Meiktila (Burma) in 1945. He survived World War II and came out with a Military Medal. Well done, Dad!

The Battle of Kohima ended 22nd June 1944. It was a turning point for the 14th Army as it was the first victory it had against the enemy. Note: there were many Indians serving in the 14th Army, as they knew that this army was there to defend India and Burma against the Japanese invasion. Japan merely wanted the resources from these countries for its war efforts. In addition, the Japanese forces certainly did not treat the Chinese nice when they invaded China, so there was no reason to think that they would treat the Indians and Burmese any better once they took over their countries. For example, Unit 731 was where the Japanese tortured and carried out human experiments on the Chinese. Oh, and there are also horrific accounts of Chinese prisoners being buried alive by the Japanese troops. In fact, the UK "Independent" newspaper did an article, dated 2/8/1992, about how certain Japanese WW2 soldiers had been involved in cannibalism. In the book by Sir Captain Thomas Moore - the elderly gentleman who kept the British spirits up during the Covid-19 Pandemic, he spoke of soldiers being issued with a cyanide pill. Thanks to the cruelty and barbaric behaviour of the enemy, suicide was preferred to capture. Soldiers captured by the enemy might be used as bayonet practice. Those taken as POWs would be starved, beaten and worked to death. At the end of WW2, the ones liberated from these POW camps were just as starved as anybody from the likes of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. However, more people have heard about the German camps than they have of the Japanese POW camps. A lot of the people living in and around India understood the danger of letting the Japanese troops takeover their countries, so they fought hard against the Japanese Army. They were happy to fight alongside the British because they understood that THE BRITISH WERE THERE TO HELP THEM. The Japanese troops were not attacking Britain, they were attacking countries in South East Asia. Therefore, the British troops were doing the Indians and Burmese a favour, not the other way around. The people from these countries need to look at how the Japanese troops treated the Chinese, after invading China, to see how they would have been treated if Japan had conquered all of South East Asia in WW2. What those poor Chinese people went through in WW2 was horrific. Therefore, the victories of Kohima and Imphal in 1944 saved India. The several victories in 1945 leading to the recapture of Rangoon rescued and saved Burma. The soldiers of the 14th Army had proudly recaptured Rangoon, the Capital of Burma, by May 1945. Sadly, there are many British soldiers who died fighting to protect the people of South East Asia. Their bodies lay buried in such places as in the war graves of Kohima - hundreds of miles away from their families in Britain. Unfortunately, many of these people cannot afford to travel to India to place flowers on their loved one's grave. In 7 days time it will be the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Battle of Kohima. A battle that sadly claimed many men's lives. My Dad, Peter Seddon, was in the 23rd Chindit Brigade, Column 33, in 1944. At that time he was in the 2nd Duke of Wellington Regiment. While not at the heart of that battle, this brigade helped stop the enemy gaining food and medical supplies thus helping to shorten the battle. Note: with living history, comes uncertainty. If all brigades had entered the "tennis court" and the Japanese backup had arrived then it would have been a defeat for the 14th Army, as its soldiers would have been the ones surrounded and starved out instead of the enemy being starved out. The 23rd Brigade not only stopped the enemy gaining essential supplies but also acted as an early warning, and defence, against any possible additional enemy troops arriving. These soldiers were certainly not having a picnic during that battle, as the relatives of Lance Sergeant Thomas Moakes know all too well. Sadly, this brave soldier of Column 33 was killed in 1944 at Kohima. Note: during war, bad things happen. However, many people involved in these battles are not bad people. They're just placed in extreme survival circumstances and have to try their very best to survive. They are fighting for their right to live. Who wants to die? ALL SIDES SUFFER IN WAR, SO A REAL VICTORY IS WHEN WAR CAN BE AVOIDED........ WHENEVER POSSIBLE. In 1945, my Dad was transferred to the 1st West Yorkshire Regiment, 48th Indian Brigade, 17th Indian Division. While NCOd, he earned the Military Medal at the Battle of Meiktila for rescuing his fellow soldiers who were wounded on the battlefield. As a civilian, a few years after the end of WW2, my Dad earned the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct award, and a parchment from the Royal Humane Society, for putting himself in harm's way to rescue children. Note: although, my Dad served in two excellent Yorkshire Regiments, he was from Leigh in the Wigan Borough of Lancashire, 🇬🇬, 🇬🇧. London Gazette recorded awards: M.M., 17/1/46 QCBC, 22/6/54 On the evening of the 22nd June, I'll be lighting a candle and remembering my Dad and the Battle of Kohima he was involved in. May they Rest In Peace all those who fought in the 14th Army of S.E.A. in WW2. God bless you all. ❤🌹 Note: it's not those who fought against the 14th Army that should be proud, it's the ones who fought in it that should be proud. This army was the DEFENDER, not the invader, of India and Burma. I'm very proud of my Dad!

Indian National Army🇮🇳 fought against the British