The Dogras are the inhabitants of the hilly regions of Jammu and Kangra. The British called all those people Dogras who got enlisted in the Army from the Rajput Hill states. Thus, the Hindu fighting classes of Jammu, Kangra, Chamba and portions of Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur and Sialkot came to be called ‘Dogras’. The Dogras acquired fame in the two World Wars while providing a record of operational service.

During the pre-second World War period, the Dogra Regiment won 20 battle honours in the North West Frontier,France and Flanders, Egypt, Palestine, Aden and Mesopotamia. Capt J Sinton of 37th Dogra and
L/Nk Lala of 41st Dogra won the highest gallantry award— the Victoria Cross— in the battle of Shaikh Sad and Hanna respectively during the first World War. Sep Bhandari Ram (now retired Honorary Captain) won a Victoria Cross in West Magu, Arakan during the second World War. The regiment bagged another five battle honours during the second World War for battles fought in Malaya, Arakan, Manipur and Burma. During the pre-Independence era, the Dogras earned 3 Vir Chakra, 3 CBE, 19 DSO, 12 OBE, 7 MBE, 78 IDSM, one Bar to IDSM, 44 Mahavir Chakra and 192 Mentioned in-Despatches.

In the post-Independence era, the regiment won 12 battle honours. The battalions of the regiment acquitted themselves creditably during the 1962 and 1965 operations. In the Indo-Pak war of 1971, the battalions were again actively involved capturing the Dera Baba Nanak Bridge. The Dogras had the proud privilege of hoisting the first Indian flag in the captured territory of West Pakistan. A unique distinction of the Dogra Regiment has been that it has served in the maximum number of United Nations Peace Keeping Missions in Korea, Gaza and Congo and brought laurels for the country. In the post-Independence era, the regiment earned 1 Ashok Chakra, 1 Padma Bhushan, 1 Padma Shree, 12 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 9 Maha Vir Chakra, 12 Kirti Chakra, 36 Vir Chakra, 1 Bar to Vir Chakra, 25 Vishisht Seva Medals, 1 President’s Life Saving Award and a large number of Mentioned-in Despatches and COAS Commendation Cards.

In February 1943, the Regimental Centre at Jalandhar became the ‘home’ of the regiment. The first post-war Reunion was held at Jalandhar in March 1947. In February 1952, the Centre received orders to move to Meerut and between April and June 1976, the Centre moved from Meerut to Faizabad.