Deep in the mist-shrouded mountains of northeast India, where jungle trails weave through remote tribal lands, the 23rd British Infantry Brigade fought one of World War Two’s least-known campaigns. Part of Wingate’s legendary Chindit Force, these men waged a shadow war in the Naga Hills in 1944 earning the name “The Forgotten Chindits.”
Diverted from Operation Thursday to defend the flank of Kohima during Japan’s great offensive, the brigade adapted brilliantly to the mountains’ brutal terrain. Cut off by weather and jungle, they fought with endurance and ingenuity, supplied only by air. Working with the fierce and resourceful Naga tribes whose knowledge of the hills proved decisive—they disrupted Japanese supply lines and communications, striking swiftly before vanishing into the mist.
From April to August 1944, their operations helped blunt Japan’s advance on Kohima and Imphal, shaping the outcome of the Burma campaign. Yet their courage and adaptability remain overshadowed by better-known battles—earning them the title “The Forgotten Brigade of the Forgotten Army.”
In November 2026, SOE Expeditions will retrace the 23rd Brigade’s extraordinary route through the Naga Hills. Led by historian Dr Robert Lyman MBE FRHistS, participants will follow authentic wartime trails, visit key operational sites, and engage with the descendants of the Naga allies who once guided the Chindits through these mountains.
This is more than an expedition it’s a journey into history, courage, and endurance. Walk where heroes once trod, and discover the spirit of the Forgotten Chindits.
In 1944, the 23rd British Infantry Brigade part of Brigadier Orde Wingate’s Chindits fought a little-known campaign in the Naga Hills of northeast India.
Diverted from Operation Thursday during Japan’s U Go offensive, the brigade defended Kohima’s eastern flank, conducting raids that crippled Japanese supply lines.
Operating in some of the world’s toughest terrain, they survived on air-dropped supplies and forged a vital alliance with the Naga tribes, whose local knowledge and courage proved decisive.
Their endurance and innovation in mountain warfare earned them the name “The Forgotten Chindits,” yet their actions were crucial to Britain’s victory at Kohima and Imphal turning the tide of the Burma campaign.
Come and learn their story as we walk in the footsteps of teh forgotten Chindits!
Dr Robert Lyman MBE FRHistS is a writer and historian. Since finishing a twenty year career in the British Army in 2001 he has published widely on the Second World War in Europe, North Africa and Asia.
He is Field Marshal Bill Slim’s military biographer. His presentation of the case for Slim won a National Army Museum debate in 2011 for Britain’s Greatest General and his case for Kohima/Imphal won a National Army Museum debate in 2013 for Britain’s Greatest Battle.
He was the BBC’s historical adviser for the VJ commemorations in 2015 and 2020 and is a regular contributor to documentary films on aspects of the war. He has collaborated with General Lord Dannatt to write two books. Victory to Defeat, The British Army 1918-1940, published in 2023 and Korea, War Without End, published in May 2025.
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