The OCSI is delighted to invite you for a special presentation and lecture by Ms. Charlotte Carty, as she takes us through the history of the Assam Regiment on the occasion of its 85th Anniversary in 2026.
Date: 27th March, 2026 (Friday)
Time: 6:00 PM onwards
(presentation followed by Tea & Snacks)
Venue: Conference Hall – I, India Islamic Cultural Centre, Lodhi Road
Charlotte Carty is the granddaughter of the Commanding Officer of the Assam Regiment during the battles of Jessami, Kharasom and Kohima. She, accompanied by her three children and 16 others, many of them descendants of those involved at Kohima, recently retraced the Assam regiment’s footsteps, trekking 80 miles across jungle terrain from the village of Jessami to the city of Kohima in a non-stop, 39-hour journey replicating to the hour the Assam regiment’s march to Kohima almost 82 years ago. Charlotte will talk about the raising of the Regiment, their early adventures in the lead up to the fighting to the east of Kohima, as well as the battles of Jessami, Kharasom and Kohima. She will also share her experiences of the recreation of the vital withdrawal over the Naga Hills to face the Japanese once more at Kohima and to halt the Japanese advance into India.
Charlotte is an alumna of Christ’s College, Cambridge, where she studied Law. After qualifying as a solicitor and pursuing a career in the the City and internationally, she retrained to work in the education sector. She has spent her spare time over the past few years researching the story of her grandfather and the Assam Regiment. She will shortly be travelling out to the Naga Hills once more to complete another 39 Hour march, remembering the men of the Assam Regiment.
This is a Free Event – Open to Members and Non-Members
Register Now to reserve your space: https://www.oxbridgeindia.com/apply-for-event-registration/
Walk-Ins Welcome (Subject to Availability)
A Brief about the Topic
The Assam Regiment celebrates its 85th anniversary this year. It was raised on 15th June 1941 to counter the growing threat from Japan in the east. The soldiers were recruited from the hill tribes of the then undivided Assam and they took their place in the line of battle when World War 2 advanced towards Indian soil.
At the epic Battle of Kohima, where the Japanese “March on Delhi” was halted in the Naga Hills, the Assam Regiment played a vital role. Yet even before then, in the lead up to the fighting at Kohima itself, the Assam Regiment were holding back the lightning Japanese advance across the River Chindwin at the small Naga villages of Jessami and Kharasom. There, the Regiment stood, defending India against the might of the Japanese 31st Division as it made its way through the Somra tracks, aiming for Kohima, Dimapur and then on to Delhi. The approximately 400 men held up the Japanese for 5 days and nights, before being ordered to withdraw to Kohima.
During this withdrawal, they trekked 80 miles across hills and jungle. Despite never having been in battle before; despite their exhaustion from the desperate fighting at Jessami and Kharasom; and despite having to fight their way through Japanese ambushes along their route, they made it into the perimeter and played a vital part in that historic battle over the next 3 months. The Battle of Kohima was the turning point of the Japanese ‘U-Go’ offensive into India in 1944. Without the contribution of the 1st Assam Regiment, the outcome would have been very different.
The Assam Regiment was composed of Indian soldiers. Their bravery, courage and dedication saved India from falling to the Japanese. It is not a story many have heard before but it is a story of which all Indians should be proud.
