The 2nd Dorset Regiment at the Battle of Kohima

Christopher Jary discusses the role of the 2nd Dorset Regiment at the Battle of Kohima in 1944.

As soldiers of the Japanese Imperial Army besieged the British garrison at Kohima, fierce fighting took place on the site of a tennis court in the grounds of the Deputy Commissioner’s Bungalow. For over a month, this tennis court was the scene of fierce hand-to-hand combat.

Join Christopher Jary as he discusses one of the most iconic episodes of the Battle of Kohima - the successful recapture of the tennis court by men of 2nd Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment on 13 May 1944. He will examine their experience of the battle, after arriving with the British 2nd Division to reinforce the garrison, and what it was like to fight in such unforgiving jungle terrain.

This event has been developed by the Kohima Educational Trust as part of the Kohima 80th Anniversary Weekend.

About the speaker

Christopher Jary

Christopher Jary is an author of nine books and a trustee of the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum. Christopher spent 35 years in government and has a special interest in Dorset’s military history.