WHEN I was six years old, my father took me to watch a movie named ‘Aces High’. I was far too young then to know who the actors were, but the action in the blue skies mesmerized me. It was a movie set in World War I and depicted the heroics and tragedies of the fighter pilots who fought for supremacy in the skies.
I saw the movie years later and the scenes where the aircraft, like S.E.5s, Avro 504K, and Eindeker engage in deadly dogfights kept me wide-eyed again.
Those were the days where the pilots flew without any parachutes and there were scenes where the pilots slipped out of a shattered and burning aircraft and plummeted to a horrible death. Those few scenes were rather vivid to my young eyes and I had a newfound respect for the airmen.
Commando and war comics fed my appetite for war stories. Closer to home, I learned that my uncle was dropped behind enemy lines in Singapore but was captured by the Japanese Army and was POW until the war ended.
The Northeast was the only WWII theatre in India. Some of the bloodiest battles were fought in Kohima and Imphal—battles that changed the course of the Great War. It is in this area that the Allied forces lost over 500 planes, mostly American, between 1942 and 1945. The mountains and dense jungles of Northeast India conceal a huge number of these fallen aircraft and Arunachal Pradesh accounts for the maximum number of these crashes.
The jungles have held on to their secrets for over 70 years and are not about to reveal them so easily. If you want to get to these crash sites and wreckages badly, you will have to be prepared to spend days in the jungles in the company of leeches and wild animals, walk for days, eat some basic food and sleep in tents.
And I wanted to get to the planes badly, very badly.
Denne historien er fra September -December 2019-utgaven av Discover India's Northeast.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra September -December 2019-utgaven av Discover India's Northeast.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Meghalaya Of Beauty And Mysticism
Besides the breathtaking landscape, it’s the fascinating tales, taboos, and traditional practices of the indigenous people that are memorable takeaways.
THE RICE BOWL OF MIZORAM
A MEMORABLE TOUR OF CHAMPHAI AND THE ROMANTIC RIH DIL LAKE.
The Uncommon SALT
THE HUMBLE SALT TAKES ON A SACRED AVATAR TO GRACE THE RITES AND RITUALS OF THE MEITEIS.
NAGALAND The Last of the Headhunters
A VISIT TO LONGWA VILLAGE CAPTURES VIGNETTES OF POSSIBLY THE LAST GENERATION OF TATTOOED HEADHUNTERS.
TREKKING WITH THE TUSKERS
A UNIQUE AND AMAZING TREK THROUGH THE NAMDAPHA RAINFOREST OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH.
The Ties that Bind the Tai Phakes
A GLIMPSE OF ASSAM’S TAI PHAKE BUDDHIST COMMUNITY.
Divine SERENITY
A JOURNEY INTO THE REALM OF BUDDHIST TEMPLES IN CHIANG MAI.
STARK BEAUTY
THE RUGGED TERRAIN IN THE UPPER REACHES OF NORTH SIKKIM NEVER FAILS TO AMAZE VISITORS.
Assam - The Islanders Of Majuli
Their zeal to stay connected to their roots and preserve their unique traditions, even in adverse circumstances, is remarkable
Manipur Wuyawon - Caressed By The Clouds
VISITING THE EXQUISITELY BEAUTIFUL WUYAWON OF THE MISTY WUYA KACHUI PEAK