BALL OF FIRE MUSEUM - A JOURNEY DOWN MEMORY LANE

by- Major Jaideep Ghose

On a bright, cool morning, we left Tezpur for Tenga on an assignment, to cover a VIP visit to the "Ball of Fire" division. The plains were soon over, and our Tata Sumo raced up the serpentine mountainous road. The scenic beauty was awesome, with lovely mountains, lush green valleys and cascading rivers, and with clouds so close that you can almost reach out and touch them; it was as if we were floating into a dream. We had some delicious Dosa's and Coffee at Sessa, a small little hamlet on the highway, and then began the last leg of our journey.

After travelling for almost two hours, we came to a township bustling with life, with a majestic gate, welcoming us to the "Ball of Fire" Division. A beautifully laid out garrison, you cross the Military Hospital, Workshop, a very prominent convoy ground, and many other army units. Then we reach the fortified gates of "Ball of Fire" division, our destination for the assignment. Unfortunately, by then, the weather had packed up, implying that the VIP will arrive by road, giving us almost four hours of valuable spare time, a rarity in such occasions.

We called on Maj Gen C B Vijan, GOC of Ball of Fire division and were pleasantly surprised to know some unique facts about the division. He told us that the division was raised on 23 September 1939 at Secunderabad, with Maj Gen L M Heath, CB, CIE, DSO, MC being the first GOC of the formation.

The GOC said that this was perhaps the only formation during the second World War to fight all the three adversaries - Italians, Germans and Japanese in Sudan, Eritrea and Abyssinia, deserts of North Africa and in the jungles of Burma, Kohima and Imphal. Finally, it was tasked to oversee the surrender of the Japanese in the Singapore and Indonesia. In 1962, when the Chinese threatened Assam after advancing upto the foothills, the nation put its trust once again in "Ball of Fire", Division. This division was at Ferozpur (in Punjab), and was flown into Assam to thwart the Chinese design. Thus, its insignia of a plain red circle standing on a black background gradually came to symbolize the "Ball of Fire".

The GOC said that the entire history of the division has been documented, and is displayed at the "Ball of Fire" museum . He said the museum was an effort by the division to give the younger generation a glimpse of its rich history, its saga of courage, camaraderie and sacrifice. We decided to visit the museum, and take a journey down memory lane.

The division, after its raising, was moved to Sudan in September 1940. It was here that the division was baptised by fire, and fought the Battle of Gallabat, seeing action in Sudan and Abyssinia. They pursued the enemy and fought major battles in Eritrea, Wahni and Kassala, forcing the Italians to surrender along with General Fongoli. It was here that 2/Lt P S Bhagat was awarded "Victoria Cross" for leading a relentless pursuit through extensive mine fields. He was the first Indian to win the coveted VC.

The division then moved to Eritrea, where the allied forces were held up by the formidable defences of Keren. The division was tasked to reinforce Fourth Division and smash a way through the defences. A bloody battle followed, and the enemy launched eight counter attacks to dislodge the attackers. Keren was ultimately captured after 53 days of seige on 27 March 1941. The Italians had employed a total of 39 battalions and 36 batteries in the operations. The division then attacked Asmara, which surrendered on 01 April 1941.

After the defeat, the Italians withdrew their remnants from Eritrea to Amba Alagi and Gondar in Abyssinia. Amba Alagi was captured on 16 May 1941, when the Italians capitulated and surrendered unexpectedly. The division was moved to Cyprus, where it enjoyed a relatively peaceful break for five months. Maj Gen H R Briggs took over the command of the division on 08 May 1942.

In May 1942, the division was tasked to stabilize Gazala front against Rommel's offensive, and took up defences based on extensive minefields and strong points at Gazala -Bir Hakein-El Adem and Tobruk. Though Tobruk fell after stiff resistance on 20 June 1942, they successfully blunted the German offensive by stubbornly holding on to their defences.

In June 1943, the division moved to Chas in Bihar, where it underwent training for operations in jungle terrain. The division was then placed under Command 15 Corps, commanded by Lt Gen W J Slim. The division took part in the Battle of Arakans (Burma), capturing Maungdaw and establishing bridgehead across Magyi Chaung. When 7 Inf Division was trapped and cut-off by the Japanese, this division, after fierce fighting successfully broke through the Japanese siege and linked up with them. It was also significant because this was the first time that a Japanese offensive was beaten back in the second World War.

In March 1944, the Division was relieved in Arakans and was air dashed to Kohima. The Japanese had cut-off the road Imphal-Kohima, and from 02 April 1944 onwards, launched 25 attacks in 14 days. But in spite of that, the division linked up with the troops under siege, and finally managed to relieve them on 20 April 1944, when in the battle 250 Japanese were killed. The battle broke the myth of Japanese invincibility as jungle fighter and converted allied defeat into victory, paving a way for the ultimate rout of Japanese in Burma.

The division pursued the Japanese to Manipur, and further to Burma, fighting major battles and racing towards Rangoon. After Rangoon, they set sails for Singapore, where they were tasked to disarm and interrogate 83000 Japanese troops. In April 1946, the division moved back to Ranchi, under Maj Gen G R Bourne, for some much needed rest.

The division was again called upon in November 1962 to move to the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh, in the wake of Chinese aggression. The placing of this division along with elements of armour effectively checked the advance, though there was no serious engagement. But the division remained in this sector since then, and was redesignated as a Mountain Division. The division has been looking after the sensitive border areas as well as participating in counter-insurgency operations in Operation Rhino.

The museum proved to be a treasury of rare photographs and repertoire of weapons, equipment and other items that give an insight to the Indo-Sino conflict. The museum speaks volumes for the gallantry of those brave soldiers, who, though outnumbered and outgunned, fought till the last breath for their motherland. Whatever may be the reasons of the debacle, these men died doing their duty with dignity and pride, hoping that their sacrifices will always be remembered by the future generation. "Ball of Fire" museum is an ode to these gallant men, and will alway remain a source of inspiration to others.