EVER WONDERED WHY WE HAVE AN ARAKAN BARRACKS AND BURMA BARRACKS IN LUSAKA? THE ANSWER MAY LIE IN OUR ALMOST FORGOTTEN HISTORY.
Growing up, my late uncle, Lt Gen Hananiah Lungu, who was later crowned Chief Nyamphande III, lived along Independence Avenue, just a few gates down from Arakan Barracks. Or just ‘Arakan’ as we often called it.
I remember often wondering where the name Arakan came from. What did it mean? Why would a military installation in Lusaka carry such an unusual name?
Many years later, I discovered a fascinating piece of our history.
Did you know that Zambians, or more accurately, men from what was then Northern Rhodesia, fought in the Second World War, including in the Far East?
Did you know that some of our soldiers fought in Burma, present-day Myanmar, against the Japanese Imperial Army?
The Arakan region, in western Burma, was one of the theatres of this campaign. African soldiers, including men of the Northern Rhodesia Regiment, served alongside other Allied forces in some extremely challenging jungle warfare.
These were men who travelled thousands of kilometres from home to fight in a war whose consequences would shape the world.
And the connection to Lusaka is even more remarkable.
At Burma Barracks, there is a memorial plaque in the Memorial Hall commemorating African soldiers who lost their lives during the 1939–1945 war. Their names are recorded there, a permanent reminder of their service and sacrifice.
So, the next time you drive past Arakan Barracks or Burma Barracks, remember that these are not simply military names. They are reminders of a generation of African men, including our own countrymen, whose contribution to world history deserves recognition.
And this brings me to the poppy we wear.
The red poppy became a symbol of remembrance after the First World War. It was inspired by the poppies that grew across the battlefields of Flanders and by the poem In Flanders Fields, written by Canadian military doctor John McCrae.
Today, we wear it to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their countries, to honour veterans and serving personnel, and to remind ourselves of the human cost of war.
For me, wearing the poppy is also about remembering our own history and the Zambians whose names and stories might otherwise disappear with time.
Lest we forget.
– Gerry Lintini