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STILLWELL ROAD
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The
Stillwell road: During World war II in early part
of 1942, the Japanese occupied Burma and the Allied
Army was driven to India (Arunachal, Nagaland
and Manipur). Chiang kai Sak’s Nationalist
Kuomintang (KMT) Army was major force fighting
against the Japanese following latter’s
invasion of mainland China. Thus KMT Army became
a natural ally of the Allied forces. South East
Asiatic Command headed by Admiral Lord Mountbatten
was formed to drive the Japanese out of region.
The Allies consisting of Chinese Nationalist forces
to the North, the American and British forces
to the south had their tasks clearly cut out.
Field Marshall Slim of British Army the commander
of the famed 14th Army was responsible for Southern
then Burmese sector while American General Stillwell
was responsible for northern Burmese sector . |
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responsibility also included supplying of war
like materials to KMT forces whose weapons and
equipments were comparatively obsolete. General
Stillwell was busy in constructing landing grounds
in upper Assam viz., Ledo, Dinjan, Doom Dooma
and Misamari etc. The objective was to maintain
a continous chain of supply to KMT army across
Patkai ranges to Northern Burma and Chinese Yunan
province. Due to extremely difficult nature of
terrain across which the air operation was maintained,
it was called, “Hump Route”. Maintaining
a major force by air can only be short term and
in Long run it is not militarily and economically
sustainable. With this perception in view, Gen
Stillwell commenced constructionof a road from
Ledo through Jairampur, Nampong across Paangsu
Pass. Ultimate objective was to link Chinese Yunan
province. He made considerable progress in the
road construction. However Field Marshall Slim
drove the Japanese out of Burma through combination
of land, air borne and sea borne operations. Thus
Stillwell road construction came to a halt. |
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roadwork, which started in April 1942 with a length
of 1079 miles, was completed by Oct. 1944. The
road connected many important placesbetween Ledo
in Assam and Kunming in China. While 36 miles
fall in India, 646 miles in Burma and 397 miles
in China respectively. Kunming was linked with
railway to Chinese Nationalist Capital of Chunking.
After the war India and Burma became independent
of British rule. Mao’s Communists China
drove out Chiang Kai Sak’s Nationalist China
to Formosa (Taiwan). Due to new political equations
in the region this famous road was consigned to
history rather than progressing it fot the benefit
of the area and commerce in the region. History
now is being reversed. |
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| Zero mile point |
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The old railway track |
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| Steam train at Tipong Coalery |
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Lake of No Return |
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| Digboi WWII cemetry |
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Tomb stone at Digboi cemetry |
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| Ledo railway station |
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Pangsow Pass |
THE LEDO TOUR
| Day
1 - |
Delhi-
Dibrugarh: Arrive at Dibrugarh airport. Transfer
to Hotel. |
| Day
2 - |
Dibrugarh-Jairampur:
145kms/ 4-5hrs drive. After breakfast, drive to
Jairampur on NH-153 pretty much on the Ledi road.
Enroute stop at Ledo, visit the Allied landing strip.
The visit to Tipong colliery where machines and
facilities of the British era are still used a place
frozen in time, then unto Digboi, the birth place
of oil in India. Visit the oil museum and commomwealth
war cemetery. Reach Jairampur late evening.Stay
at Government guest house. |
| Day
3 - |
Jairampur-
Nampong 26 kms : Visit the recently discovered cemetery
of Chinese engineers who died constructing the Ledo
road. During the construction of Stillwell road
many laborers from China, Burma and India were engaged..
Apart from ground and air action, a heavy toll of
human lives was taken by various jungle and water
borne diseases like malaria, dysentery, snake bites
and other calamities such as flood, landslides and
forest fire. The mortal remains of aforeside casualties
were buried in the cemetery. |
| Day
4 - |
Nampong-Pangsaw
pass 15 kms : Morning drive to the famous Pangsaw
pass,from where you have a splendid view of the
Lake of no return. The legend says that during World
War-II, The Allied forces used this lake for soft
emergency landing and in the course of this many
aircrafts and their crews perished into the lake.
Hence the name, “Lake of No Return”.
Picnic lunch at the pass. Afternoon drive back Nampong.
O/n Govt. guest house. |
| Day
5 - |
Nampong
- Dibrugarh: 171 kms/ 5-6 hrs: Early breakfast,
drive to Dibrugarh, on arrival check-in hotel, evening
at leisure. O/n Hotel. |
| Day
6 - |
Fly
out to Delhi/Kolkotta
KOHIMA-IMPHAL EXTENSION
Drive to Kohima. Overnite at hotel Japfu. |
| Day
7 - |
After
breakfast visit the Kohima war Cemetry, state meuseum,local
market and other important sites of IInd WW. |
| Day
8 - |
Drive
to Imphal. After lunch visit to the War cemetery
and state museum. |
| Day
9 - |
Drive to Moirang and
visit the INC museum then Loktak lake. Drive back
to Imphal. |
| Day
10 - |
Early
morning visit to the colorful Ima market. This market
is completely manned by women |
TOUR
ENDS
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