poppy field

Colchester

Roy Welland lays a wreath in memory of the fallen

Roy was sent to Burma as part of the invasion after the Japanese had conquered it in 1942.

In 1943, at the battle for Arakan, he first encountered what it was like to fight Japanese troops in the sweltering heat.

His battalion also fought at the infamous battle of Kohima.

Their heavily outnumbered comrades had been locked in a deadly siege for ten days and were in desperate need of help.

For about 17 days they stuck it out before they finally pushed the Japanese back.

Along with the follow-up battle at Imphal, it has been named as Britain’s greatest battle.

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