Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
The Battle of Kohima began in early April 1944 with the siege of the village of Kohima. The British and Indian troops who were defending the village were pushed back to the line of the tennis court which was in the garden of what had been the Deputy Commissioner’s bungalow. By mid-April, the 2nd Dorset Regiment had arrived to reinforce the troops. They were part of the British Army’s 2nd Division and were given the DC’s bungalow and his tennis court as objectives. The bitter fighting that ensued was close hand-to-hand combat in the most unforgiving jungle terrain. Perhaps one of the most iconic moments of this battle was when the Dorsets succeeded, on 13th May 1944, in taking back control of the tennis court.
The Japanese Imperial Army was overpowered: this victory at Kohima was the first time the Japanese had been defeated on land and it marked a turning point in the Far East campaign. The heroic efforts of the Allies to halt the Japanese advance into India have seen the battle of Kohima compared to the battle of Stalingrad, such was the strategic importance of the victory.
With an introduction by KET Trustee, Dr Robert Lyman, the Kohima Educational Trust is delighted to welcome guest speakers, Christopher Jary, author and Trustee of The Keep Military Museum in Dorchester, and Elliot Metcalfe, Director of The Keep Military Museum, who will tell us more about the 2nd Dorsets and their place in history.
The Battle of Kohima began in early April 1944 with the siege of the village of Kohima. The British and Indian troops who were defending the village were pushed back to the line of the tennis court which was in the garden of what had been the Deputy Commissioner’s bungalow. By mid-April, the 2nd Dorset Regiment had arrived to reinforce the troops. They were part of the British Army’s 2nd Division and were given the DC’s bungalow and his tennis court as objectives. The bitter fighting that ensued was close hand-to-hand combat in the most unforgiving jungle terrain. Perhaps one of the most iconic moments of this battle was when the Dorsets succeeded, on 13th May 1944, in taking back control of the tennis court.
The Japanese Imperial Army was overpowered: this victory at Kohima was the first time the Japanese had been defeated on land and it marked a turning point in the Far East campaign. The heroic efforts of the Allies to halt the Japanese advance into India have seen the battle of Kohima compared to the battle of Stalingrad, such was the strategic importance of the victory.
With an introduction by KET Trustee, Dr Robert Lyman, the Kohima Educational Trust is delighted to welcome guest speakers, Christopher Jary, author and Trustee of The Keep Military Museum in Dorchester, and Elliot Metcalfe, Director of The Keep Military Museum, who will tell us more about the 2nd Dorsets and their place in history.
