WWII bunker turned into museum

KOCHI: Fearing the Japanese troops camping in Burma making inroads to the port of Cochin during World War II, the British built two sturdy bunkers to store arms and ammunition, which is now known as the

Indian Naval Maritime Museum

at Fort Kochi.

Finding the structure too tough to be demolished, the Southern Naval Command decided to turn the bunker into a shelter to store antiquities of the Indian Navy in 2001.

“One bunker has been used to narrate the history of Kerala, and the other for that of the Indian Navy’s history. The ground in between the bunkers is used for the display of various artillery and machineries used by the navy,” said Gerard George Joseph, curator of the museum.

While the first bunker has a 3D display of the pivotal events of the state’s history such as Dutch and Portuguese invasions and lifesize structures of fabled heroes like

Kunjali Marakkar

, the second bunker houses numerous collections relevant to the naval history, among which are arms used by naval officers during World War II and evolution of naval uniforms and badges over the years.

“One of the unique collections of the museum is the silver trophy presented to the Indian Navy by their Pakistani counterparts. When India became a republic, the royal Indian naval assets had to be partitioned between Indians and Pakistanis. Pakistani officers and sailors gifted this silver trophy to us wishing us goodbye and luck. A similar trophy was gifted back to them by us, wishing them the same,” Joseph said.

Just across the trophy is a faded lifebuoy, another relic precious to the history of Indian Navy.

“The lifebuoy was presented by VADM RKS

Gandhi

, who was the commanding officer on INS Betwa during the Goa Liberation War in 1961. During the operation, Portuguese ship Afonso de

Albuquerque

was firing at the Indian air force planes at Murma Goa harbour. This fire was neutralized by Indian naval ships Betwa and Beas, forcing the Portuguese ship to run aground. Once a ship is destroyed, something is taken from the ship for remembrance, and this lifebuoy was collected thus,” Joseph said.

Treasurable collection of the museum includes a survey vessel used by Robert Bristow during his inspection of Kochi into convert it into a world-class port, Seaking twin engine anti-submarine warfare helicopter of British origin, and other warfare artilleries distinctive of the Southern Naval Command.

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