Lecture at the Army and Navy Club - 3 October 2025
The Chindits were special operations units formed by Brigadier Orde Wingate as long range penetration forces against the Japanese in Burma. In 1943 some 3000 men entered Burma in Operation Longcloth, cutting the north–south railway and disrupting communications. A third were killed, taken prisoner or succumbed to disease but their exploits provided a tremendous boost to Allied morale. Operation Thursday, in 1944, involved over 20,000 men, assigned to support General Stillwell’s advance in northern Burma by harassing the rear of the Japanese 18th Division and cutting communications. In ferocious fighting the Chindits repulsed attacks on their strongholds and launched attacks on Japanese positions, taking heavy casualties. By August fewer than 5 per cent were judged medically fit to continue and they were withdrawn.
The Chindits won a name for fighting at the outer limits of human endurance. What did they achieve strategically? Distinguished military historian Robert Lyman will evaluate their contribution to the defeat of the Japanese in Burma.
The lecture will be preceded by drinks from 5.00pm in the Pall Mall Room, where drinks can be purchased from the pay bar. The lecture will take place in the Pall Mall Room at 6.00pm. For those who would like to stay, an optional two-course meal (main course, dessert and coffee) will follow at 7.30pm in the Drawing Room.
Drinks can be purchased separately. Dress code: jacket and collared shirt, tie optional (men); dress or smart separates (women). Dietary requirements accommodated where notified. All welcome. Tickets for the lecture cost £20 and for the lecture and meal £65.
