Memoirs of the World War II – the Digboi War Cemetery, Digboi Oil Town, Assam, India! – Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve ~ Tour Packages & Safari Bookings Official

Assam Heritage Tourism, Second World War Stilwell Road, Assam Ecotourism, War Cemetery Digboi, Coal Museum Digboi, Oil Museum Digboi

The period of 1939 to 1945 was one of the darkest moments in the history of mankind. It was during this period the world witnessed the Second World War – a state of ‘total war’ where the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. This war brought down the major super powers of the period into ashes. Japan was rocked with the mighty nuclear explosion of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and it was after the Second World War that the world realized the might of the Americans!

The World War II might have brought down the will of the Germans and Japanese to be the might of the World but it to be mentioned that all wars lead to destruction of devastating proportion. The World War II too led to the same fate and millions of people were killed around the world that included the soldiers of the Army who laid down their lives to bring peace to the World. The bodies of these brave soldiers were laid to rest across various cemeteries through the World and one of such is the Digboi War Cemetery that was built and is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Located very near to the ‘Legendary Oil town of Assam’ – Digboi, this cemetery has about 200 burials mostly of British soldiers who laid their lives during World War II.

A little to elaborate, during the Second World War, Digboi, in the north-eastern corner of the state of Assam, near the Burmese border and on the road to Ledo, was on the lines of communication, and a military hospital was established there. Digboi War Cemetery was started for burials from the hospital and at the end of the war contained 70 burials. Later, the Army Graves Service brought in further graves from burial grounds in Panitola, Jorhat, Margherita, Tinsukia, Ledo, and as well as from the US Military Cemetery at Shingvuoiyang in Burma where permanent maintenance could not be assured. Originally the cemetery stood on a small spur rising sharply from the main road, but an earthquake in 1950 caused cracks here with one fissure extending the full length of the cemetery. Subsequent landslides occasioned by heavy rains, particularly in 1953, so endangered the cemetery that it became necessary to move the graves to the present site which was not likely to be affected by erosion. The cemetery now contains 200 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.

And truly mentioned in one of the quotes of the cemetery –

‘These graves bear silent testimony to those soldiers, unlisted workers and labourers who ventured into Virgin jungle amid blistering heat and laid down their lives in the line of duty during the Second World War. Whilst part of all forces against the Imperial Japanese Army. THEIR NAME LIVETH FOREVER MORE’

Jungleideas welcomes you to India’s North East to Witness History and Relive the Memoirs of the World War II – the Digboi Cemetery, Digboi Oil Town, the State of Assam, Incredible India!

Recommended Itinerary for your Visit: Memoirs of World War II