Disbanded or Transferred Regiments of the British Indian Army

[aditya g]

Thanks for this thread. A lot of the regiments seem to be Auxillary units, i.e. TA in today's army.

TA could have associated its battatlions with these regiments. Maybe they did a lot of distasteful stuff during independence movement?

 

[F-14B]

71st Coorg Rifles

The 71st Coorg Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. Established in 1767, it had a long history as a Madrasi unit but in 1902 enlistment was changed in an attempt to trial the employment of Coorg tribesmen in the Indian Army. This was not a success and the regiment was disbanded two years later

 

[F-14B]

63rd Palamcottah Light Infantry

Active 1759-1922
Country British Raj
Branch Army
Type Infantry
Part of Madras Army (to 1895)
Madras Command
Engagements Carnatic Wars
Third Anglo-Mysore War
Boxer Rebellion
Second Anglo-Maratha War
World War I


The 63rd Palamcottah Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment could trace its origins to 1759, when it was raised as the 4th Battalion Coast Sepoys.

One of the oldest regiments in the British Indian Army, the Palamcottah Light Infantry took part in the Carnatic Wars, the Battle of Sholinghur in the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the Battle of Mahidpur in the Third Anglo-Mysore War, and the Battle of Ava in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. They were then sent to China as part of the British Empire forces that took part in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion, although without seeing active service.

After 1902 the basis of recruitment for most of the Madras regiments of the Indian Army shifted to the "martial races" of the Punjab and other northern regions. The Palamcottah Light Infantry however continued to be recruited in southern India. In 1914 four of its eight companies were Madrasi Muslims, two were Tamils and the remainder Parayans and Christian Madrasis. The regiment had about 13 British officers and 17 Indian officers. The India Army List dated October 1914 records the 63rd Light Infantry as sharing a regimental centre at Trichinopoly with the 61st Pioneers, the 64th Pioneers and the 83rd Light Infantry. Under the system of "linked battalions" in force at the time the 63rd shared recruits with any of the other regiments listed, according to individual unit needs.


World War IEdit
During World War I the regiment initially remained in India on internal security duties as part of the 5th (Mhow) Division. In October 1914 the Palamcottah Light Infantry moved to British East Africa as part of the Indian Expeditionary Force B. It was part of the British landing force defeated by German colonial troops at the Battle of Tanga.[2] At an early stage in the landing the regiment disintegrated when it came under heavy fire from the 6th Field Company of German askaris.[3] Of 762 officers and men present at Tanga, the 63rd Light Infantry lost 85 killed, wounded and missing. It spent the remainder of the War on lines of communication service in East Africa before returning to India.

 

[F-14B]

The Indian Long Range Squadron

or ILRS was a unit of the British Indian Army during the Second World War. It was formed by asking for volunteers from the 2nd Lancers, 11th Cavalry and the 18th Cavalry all part of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade.[1] It was originally formed to patrol the borders between the Soviet Union and Persia and Afghanistan. The ILRS was trained by and performed some missions with the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) but was not a part of the LRDG

The ILRS was formed on 25 December 1941, and comprised four patrols: 'J' (Jat), 'P' (Punjabi), 'M' (Muslim) and 'S' (Sikh) (S). In December 1941, 'J' and 'R' (Rajput) patrols were attached to the LRDG, their designations were changed to 'I1' and 'I2' to avoid confusion with the New Zealand 'R' Patrol. In October 1942 the other two Indian patrols 'M' and 'S' were also attached to the LRDG and which became the 'I3' and 'I4' patrols.[1]

The commander of the ILRS was MajorSamuel Vallis Mcoy MBE,[2] the patrol commanders were:

• 'J' Patrol Lieutenant James Edward Cantlay[3]
• 'P' Patrol Captain Travers John Durrant Birdwood[4]
• 'M' Patrol Captain Alan Browning Rand[5]
• 'S' Patrol Lieutenant Gilbert William Nangle[6]

 

[F-14B]

5 Probyn's Horse

The 5th Horse is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. It was previously known as the 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse, which was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of the 11th King Edward's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse) and the 12th Cavalry.


The regiment known as 11th King Edward's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse) was originally raised on 1 August 1857 by Captain Frederick Wale as Wale's Horse during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and served at Lucknow. Captain Wale was killed in action on 1 March 1858, while leading the regiment in the pursuit of rebels, and was replaced by Major Dighton Probyn, VC. In 1860 the regiment was dispatched to China to take part in the Second Opium War. It participated in the advance on Peking and returned to India in 1861 with a good reputation. The regiment saw service in the Second Afghan War of 1878-80 and then took part in the Black Mountains Expedition; it went to Chitral and formed part of the Malakand Field Force. During the First World War, the regiment served in Mesopotamia.[1][2]

• 1857 Wale's Horse
• 1857 1st Sikh Irregular Cavalry
• 1858 1st Sikh Irregular Cavalry (Probyn's Horse)
• 1861 11th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
• 1864 11th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry (Lancers)
• 1874 11th Regiment of Bengal Lancers
• 1876 11th (Prince of Wales’s Own) Regiment of Bengal Lancers
• 1901 11th (Prince of Wales’s Own) Bengal Lancers
• 1903 11th Prince of Wales’s Own Lancers
• 1904 11th Prince of Wales’s Own Lancers (Probyn’s Horse)
• 1906 11th King Edward’s Own Lancers (Probyn’s Horse)

The 12th Cavalry was also raised during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, by Captain PR Hockin in October 1857. The cavalry committed a war crime by massacring "hundreds" people at Mahua Dabar in 1857.[3]It formed part of the 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and served in the Second Afghan War of 1878-80. During the First World War, the regiment fought in the Mesopotamian Campaign.[1][2]

• 1857 2nd Sikh Irregular Cavalry
• 1861 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
• 1901 12th Bengal Cavalry
• 1903 12th Cavalry

After the First World War, the number of Indian cavalry regiments was reduced from thirty-nine to twenty-one. However, instead of disbanding the surplus units, it was decided to amalgamate them in pairs. This resulted in renumbering and renaming the entire cavalry line. The 11th King Edward’s Own Lancers (Probyn’s Horse) and the 12th Cavalry were amalgamated at Meerut on 28 August 1921 to form 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse. The uniform of Probyn's Horse was blue with scarlet facings. The new regiment's badge consisted of the Prince of Wales's plumes. Its class composition was one squadron each of Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs and Dogras. The regiment was mechanised in 1940. During the Second World War, the regiment served with great distinction in Burma. On the Partition of India in 1947, Probyn's Horse was allotted to Pakistan.[1] In 1956, Pakistan became a republic and all titles pertaining to British royalty were dropped. The regiment's new designation was 5 Horse, although informally, it continues to be known as the Probyn's Horse. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, 5 Horse fought in the Battle of Khem Karan.[4]

• 1921 11th/12th Probyn's Horse (amalgamation)
• 1922 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse
• 1927 Probyn's Horse (5th King Edward's Own Lancers)
• 1937 Probyn's Horse (5th King Edward VII's Own Lancers)
• 1956 5 Horse

Battle honours

Lucknow, Taku Forts, Pekin 1860, Abyssinia, Ali Masjid, Peiwar Kotal, Charasiah, Kabul 1879, Afghanistan 1878–80, Chitral, Malakand, Punjab Frontier, Mesopotamia 1915-18, Meiktila, Capture of Meiktila, Defence of Meiktila, Taungtha, Rangoon Road, Pyawbwe, Pyinmana, Toungoo, Pegu 1945, Burma 1942–45,

 

[F-14B]

Central Bengal Light Horse

The Central Bengal Light Horse was a cavalry regiment which was a part of the Bengal Army of Bengal Presidency under the British Indian Army. The unit operated under the administrative authority of the British Auxiliary Forces and the Bengal command. The Central Bengal Light Horse was established on 27th June 1884. The troops of the army unit provided valuable military services in several British battles and conquests.

Later on 1st November 1901 the Central Bengal Light Horse was merged with the Calcutta Light Horse. The regiment of the Calcutta Light Horse was as a part of the British Indian Cavalry Reserve,

 

[F-14B]

Madras Guards

Originally raised as the Madras Volunteer Guards on the 2nd July 1857 and became the 1st Madras Guards on the 1st April 1917. Became the Madras Guards on the 1st October 1920.

• Uniform - Blue
• Facings - Scarlet
• Badge - Royal arms within a garter with a crown over it and motto underneath
• Motto - "Ready aye Ready"

 

[F-14B]

Nagpur Rifles

• 1860 formed as the Nagpur Volunteer Rifles on 29th December[1]
• 1904 absorbed the Berar Volunteer Rifle Corps on 1st October[1]
• 1917 became 2nd Nagpur Rifles on 1st April[1]
• 1926 redesignated on 1st October as the Nagpur Rifles[1]
• 1927 on 24th December became the Nagpur Regiment[1]
• 1937 reverted to the designation Nagpur Rifles on 12th June[1]

Details
In 1901:[2]

• Headquarters - Nagpore
• Uniform - Khaki drill
• Companies and detachments:

• Warora
• Jubbulpore
• Khandwa
• Bhandara
• Chindwara
• Hoshangabaa
• Balaghat
• Seoni
• Betul
• Narsingpur
• Mandla
• Chandla
• Wardha
• Hardha
• Kamptee
• Mohpani

By 1940:[1]

• Uniform - Khaki
• Badge - Light Infantry Bugle and Cord

 

[F-14B]

The Burma Rifles

The Burma Rifles were a British colonial regiment raised in Burma. Founded in 1917 as a regiment of the British Indian Army, the regiment re-used the name of an unrelated earlier unit, the 10th Regiment (1st Burma Rifles) Madras Infantry, which evolved into the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles. After Burma was formally separated from India, the regiment was allocated to Burma. Following Burma's independence from Britain in 1948, the regiment was absorbed into the new Burmese army.
The expansion of the British Indian Army during World War I led to the raising of two companies of Burma Pioneers in Mandalay in November 1916. Burmese of all groups were recruited for these units. After expanding to four companies, the Pioneers became the 70th Burma Rifles in September 1917. The 85th Burman Rifles were raised from the Burma Military Police in July 1917. A second battalion of 70th Burma Rifles was raised in January 1918 and both battalions served in the Middle East in 1918-20.[1] Two more battalions were raised during 1918.[2]According to John Gaylor in his history: Sons of John Company - The Indian & Pakistan Armies 1903-1991, the 3/70th Burma Rifles, raised in April 1918, went to Southern India to suppress the Moplah Rising whilst the 4/70th, raised in May 1918, remained in Burma.

the 1922 reorganisation of the British Indian Army the 70th Burma Rifles and the 85th Burman Rifles were merged to form the 20th Burma Rifles. The new regiment numbered four regular battalions. A new battalion, the 11th (territorial) battalion was also formed in 1922.

The Burman element in the regiment was mustered out after 1927,[1] although Burmans continued to serve in the Burma Military Police. Personnel drawn from the hill-tribes of Burma and other groups (Karens, Kachins and Chin) continued to serve and in 1940 Burmans were again recruited, although the Anglo-Burmese tended to be overly represented in the Burma Rifles and the Burma Military Police.

Separation from India

After the British formally separated Burma from India in 1937 the 20th Burma Rifles was allocated to Burma and renamed the Burma Rifles. The intention was for officers to be drawn from the British Army. However the majority of the British officers already serving with the regiment chose to remain with their units on secondment from the British Indian Army.


The regiment was expanded during the Second World War to a total of 14 battalions and served through the Japanese invasion of Burma during the Burma Campaign.[1] Eight Battalions of Infantry were raised along with a holding battalion, a training battalion and four territorial battalions. The men of the territorial battalions were under no obligation to serve outside the borders of Burma.

After the British Burma Army's retreat from Burma, a reconstituted 2nd Battalion continued to take part in the Burma Campaign.[2] The remaining highly weakened battalions were disbanded although many of the non-Burmese nationals (Indians and Gurkhas) from them went to form battalions of the Burma Regiment created in September 1942.[3]

The 2nd battalion participated in the 1st and 2nd Chindit expeditions into Burma. In his official report following the first expedition Orde Wingate the Chindit commander wrote:[2]

“ I would like to record here that I have never had under my command in the field as good a body of men as the 2nd Burma Rifles. ”
As a result, for the 1943 Chindit operation, the battalion was expanded and broken down into reconnaissance platoons for the Chindit columns.[2] In 1944, the battalion was broken down into three detachments for attachment to Special Forces units among the Chindit force.

In 1945, the 2nd Burma Rifles was reconstituted as an infantry battalion.[2] In July 1945, the 1st battalion was re-raised in Burma. Over the following three years leading up to Burmese independence, the 3rd through 6th battalions were re-raised.

Reorganised as a conventional infantry battalion of four companies, the 2nd Burma Rifles was based at Hshiarpur in India, where it remained until August 1945. It was listed in September 1945 as being as part of an internal security and administration static command in the South Burma District. In January 1946 the battalion was transferred to Syriam and in May 1947 formed part of a force involved in operations against dacoits.[4]On 4 January 1948 Burma became independent and the Burma Rifles was absorbed into the new Burma Army, which unlike its Indian and Pakistani counterparts did not retain the regimental structure and traditions of the former Indian Army.

 

[F-14B]

The PIFFER group


12th Frontier Force Regiment

Active 1922–1956
Country British India
Branch Army
Type Infantry
Regimental Centre Mardan 1923
Sialkot 1946
Uniform Drab; faced scarlet
Engagements North West Frontier of India
Second Sikh War 1848–49
Second Burmese War 1852–53
Indian Mutiny 1857–58
Sikkim 1861
Second Afghan War 1878–80
Boxer Rebellion 1900
Expedition to Somaliland 1902–03
First World War 1914–18
Third Afghan War 1919
Second World War 1939–45
Commanders
Notable
commanders Lt General Sir Harry Lumsden
Field Marshal Sir Charles Egerton
General Sir William Lockhart
General Sir Rob Lockhart

The 12th Frontier Force Regiment was part of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922. It consisted of five regular battalions; numbered 1 to 5 and the 10th (Training) Battalion. During the Second World War a further ten battalions were raised. In 1945 the prenominal "12th" was dropped when the British Indian Army dispensed with prenominal numbering of its regiments. After the independence in 1947 it was formed into the Frontier Force Regiment, part of the army of Pakistan.

The 12th Frontier Force Regiment's origins lie in the four infantry regiments of the Frontier Brigade authorised in 1846 and raised by Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Lawrence, the agent (and brother) of the Governor-General of the Punjab frontier region (John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence), from veterans of disbanded opposition forces after the First Anglo-Sikh War. The 1st Sikhs were raised by Captain J. S. Hodgson at Hoshiarpur, the 2nd Sikhs by Captain J.W.V. Stephen at Kangra, the 3rd Sikhs by Captain F. Winter at Ferozpur and the 4th Sikhs by Captain C. MacKenzie at Ludhiana. Even at the start the Sikhs, although in the majority, were not in the preponderance, the unit names referring to their origins in the disbanded Sikh Army rather than their racial mix.[1] The nuclei of the regiments consisted of a few men from the regular Native Infantry regiments of the line and police officers.[2]The Governor-General issued a regulation in September 1847 which included the discontinuation of the term "Frontier Brigade" and renamed the four regiments the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Regiments of Sikh Local Infantry.[3]

At the same time Lawrence also ordered irregular force of mixed cavalry and infantry: the Corps of Guides to be raised at Mardan by Lieutenant Harry D. Lumsden.[1] In 1851 the four Sikh regiments and the Corps of Guides became part of the Punjab Irregular Force. Men of these regiments (or their successors) are to this day known as Piffers. The four Sikh regiments also went through a number of minor name changes over the next 45 or so years: in 1857 they became "Regiment of Sikh Infantry, Punjab Irregular Force" and in 1865 "Regiment of Sikh Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force" (reflecting the change in name of the PIF to Punjab Frontier Force). In 1901, they became "Sikh Infantry". In 1876, the Corps of Guides became one of the first regiments in the Indian Army to be conferred royal status as Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides.

In 1903, the reorganisation of the British Indian Army caused the four Sikh regiments to be re-designated the 51st, 52nd, 53rd and 54th Sikhs (Frontier Force) while the Corps of Guides infantry became Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides (Frontier Force) Infantry, and was renamed again in 1911 as Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides (Frontier Force) Lumsden's Infantry.

Formation of 12th Frontier Force RegimentEdit
In the 1922 reorganisation of the British Indian Army, the four Sikh regiments became the first four battalions of the newly constituted 12th Frontier Force Regiment. The two infantry battalions of the Corps of Guides became its 5th and 10th (training) battalions. At the same time the first battalion became the 1st battalion (Prince of Wales' Own Sikhs) whilst the 3rd battalion was made the 3rd Royal Battalion (Sikhs) in 1935. The Corps of Guides, being the senior unit, were entitled to have become the 1st battalion but agreed to allow the four Sikh battalions to retain their historical 1 to 4 numbering[4] although in a later incarnation the precedence was restored in the 1957 reorganisation of the Pakistan Army when the Guides battalion became the 2nd battalion of the new regiment, following the Scinde Rifles battalion from the Frontier Force Rifles regiment. The location of the training battalion, later to grow into the Regimental Centre, was first at Mardan but moved to Sialkot in 1929.[5]

During the Second World War the regiment's battalions (expanded in number by seven war-formed units) saw service in East Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, Italy, India, Malaya and Burma. The Regiment's casualties in the war totalled 1,444 dead and 3,503 wounded

Regular battalions

• 1/12th (Prince of Wales's Own Sikhs) Frontier Force Regiment

In 1939 the 1/12th Frontier Force Rifles were part of the Bannu Brigade based in Bannu India and took part in operations in the Ahmedzai Salient in February and March 1940 while under command of the Jhelum Brigade.[7] In the autumn of 1940 the battalion transferred to the Delhi Cantonment[7] and on 15 May 1941 the battalion was transferred to the 17th Indian Infantry Brigade, part of the 8th Indian Infantry Division which was being raised in Bombay, and with which it remained for the rest of the war. The 1/12th served in Iraq and Syria before it was sent to fight in the Italian Campaign on 24 September 1943.[8]

• 2/12th (2nd Sikhs) Frontier Force Regiment

The 2/12th FFR, also part of the Bannu Brigade, before being sent to Malaya in April 1941 where it became part of the 22nd Indian Infantry Brigade. This battalion fought a successful, but doomed, defence of the eastern coast of Malaya, during the Battle of Malaya, before it was forced to surrender with the rest of the Allied forces in Singapore on 15 February 1942. The commanding officer of the 2/12th FFR, Lt.Col.Arthur Edward Cumming, received the Victoria Cross during this campaign.[8]

• 3/12th (Royal) Frontier Force Regiment

The 3/12th FFR was part of the 5th Indian Infantry Division during the East African and Western Desert Campaigns. The 3/12th FFR was all but destroyed at El Adem on 15 June 1942. It was reformed in Egypt before transferring to the 4th Indian Infantry Division.[8]

• 4/12th (Sikhs) Frontier Force Regiment

The 4/12th FFR served throughout the war in the Burma Campaign.[8]

• 5/12th (Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides) Frontier Force Regiment

The 5/12th FFR served throughout the Second World War as part of the 6th Indian Infantry Division on garrison duties in Iraq
In 1945, the regiment was renamed the Frontier Force Regiment, dropping the numerical designation "12", and on the independence in 1947 it was allocated to Pakistan. In 1957, the Frontier Force Rifles and The Pathan Regiment (which had been formed after independence from the 4th battalion Frontier Force Regiment and the 4th and 15th battalions Frontier Force Rifles) were amalgamated with it to form a new Frontier Force Regiment.


Battle honours

• Mooltan, Goojerat, Punjaub, Pegu, Delhi 1857,
• Ali Masjid, Kabul 1879,
• Ahmed Khel, Kandahar 1880,
• Afghanistan 1878–80,
• Chitral, Malakand, Punjab Frontier, Tirah, Pekin 1900,
• Somaliland 1901–04,
• Suez Canal, Egypt 1915,
• Megiddo, Sharon, Nablus, Palestine 1918,
• Aden, Tigris 1916,
• Kut-al-Amara 1917,
• Baghdad, Sharqat, Mesopotamia 1915–18,
• NW Frontier, India 1914, 1915, 1916–17,
• Afghanistan 1919,
• Gallabat, Tehamiyam Wells, Agordat, Barentu, Keren, Amba Alagi, Abyssinia 1940–41,
• Gazala, Bir Hacheim, El Adem, North Africa 1940–43,
• Landing in Sicily, Sicily 1943,
• Landing at Reggio, The Sangro, Mozzagrogna, Romagnoli, The Moro, Impossible Bridge, Cassino II, Pignataro, Advance to Florence, Campriano, Gothic Line, Coriano, Montebello-Scorticata, The Senio, Santerno Crossing, Italy 1943–45,
• Athens, Greece 1944–45,
• North Malaya, Kota Bharu, Central Malaya, Kuantan, Machang, Singapore Island, Malaya 1941–42,
• Moulmein, Sittang 1942, 1945,
• Pegu 1942, 1945,
• Taukkyan, Shwegyin, North Arakan, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Ngakyedauk Pass, Imphal, Tamu Road, Shenam Pass, Bishenpur, Kyaukmyaung Bridgehead, Arakan Beaches, Ramree, Taungup, Mandalay, Myinmu, Fort Dufferin, Kyaukse 1945,
• Meiktila, Nyaungu Bridgehead, Capture of Meiktila, Defence of Meiktila, The Irrawaddy, Rangoon Road, Pyawbwe, Toungoo, Burma 1942–45

 

[F-14B]

21st Kohat Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)

Active 1851 - Present
Country British India (1851 - 1947)
Pakistan (1947 - Present)
Branch British Indian Army

Pakistan Army
Type Artillery
Size Battery
Colors Blue; faced scarlet
Engagements Second Afghan War 1878-80
Tirah Campaign 1897-98
First World War (Egypt, Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, Persia) 1914-18
Second World War (Burma) 1939-45
Kashmir War 1948
Indo-Pakistan War 1965
Indo-Pakistan War 1971

The 21st Kohat Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) was an artillery unit of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1851 as the No. 2 Horse or Punjab Light Field Battery, Punjab Irregular Force. It became the 21st Kohat Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) in 1903. In 1947, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army, where it exists as the 2nd Royal Kohat Battery (Frontier Force) of The First (SP) Medium Regiment Artillery (Frontier Force).

 

[F-14B]

Brief History
After the Mutiny there were several 42nd regiments, the first being the Agra which lasted from May to October 1861, and the second, the 1st Assam Light Infantry who became the 42nd in October 1861, and continued as such until they became the 1/6th Gurkha Rifles. But in 1903 there was a third 42nd based on the old Deoli Irregular Force which had been raised in 1857 as the Meena Battalion under Capt. J D McDonald. This battalion was the nucleus for the infantry of the Deoli Irregular Force which in May 1861, numbered 8 companies. Cavalry was also added by 1865.
They raised a second battalion in1917 but as a whole failed to reach the amalgamations of 1922, all being disbanded on 10th December 1921.

Badge

Uniforms
Post Mutiny
Principal Campaigns and Battles
Central India
1878 - 80 Afghanistan
Predecessor Units
Meena Battalion
(1857 - 1860)
Deoli Irregular Force
(1860 - 1903)
Successor Units
Disbanded
(1922)

 

[F-14B]

The Governor's Bodyguard, Madras

The Governor`s Body Guard of Madras Presidency, also known as Governor`s Bodyguard Madras, was a former military regiment of the British Indian Army. Founded in the year 1778, it was dissolved in 1947. The British Indian army raised 3 bodyguard units for the three major Presidencies in British India, namely Madras Presidency, Bengal Presidency and Bombay Presidency. The body guard regiments were designated as Governor`s Body Guard. The Governor`s Body Guard of Madras Presidency was a part of the Madras Army, before the Great Revolt of 1857. The army forces of Madras Presidency were amongst the 3 largest Presidency Armies in British India. The Army of the Madras (now Chennai) was raised with the aim of defending the commercial involvements of the East India Company. These units were under the administrative rule of the British East India Company until climax of the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857.

The authority of the British Presidency Armies was later transferred after the Government of India Act 1858 was authorized. The control was reassigned to the British Empire in India from the British East India Company. The Presidency Armies, namely the Bombay Army, the Bengal Army and the Madras Army, were eventually merged to form the united British Indian Army in 1903.

History of Governor`s Body Guard of Madras Presidency
The Governor`s Body Guard of Madras Presidency the one of the most senior units amongst the 3 Governor`s Body Guard regiments. Initially it included one Corporal, one Sergeant and 12 European troopers and Lieutenant P. Sullivan acted as the Commanding Officer. The Governor`s Body Guard of Madras held its designation from its inception throughout the various re-organizations, unlike the other regiments of Madras Army, even though the military strength and constitution of the regiment changed a number of times.

The unit contained 1 European troop in the year 1778 and later in 1781, it was increased to 1 European and 1 Native troops. Later the European troop was dissolved in the year 1784 and company of the light infantry was also raised. By the year 1799, military capability of the Governor`s Body Guard of Madras was modified to 100 army personnel. The Body Guard unit also received a standard from Lord Willingdon in the year 1924. Initially the regiment comprised only European troops; but after the year 1781, South Indian classes mainly commanded the unit, including the Deccani and Madrasi Muslims. In the year 1947, it consisted of Jats from Punjab and Rajputs from Rajasthan.

Military Operations of Governor`s Body Guard of Madras Presidency
The regiment provided service in the Anglo Mysore war and the Persia. Later battalions from various Madras cavalry regiments were merged with the body guard units on rotation from 1808 to 1820. The military unit participated in the Third Anglo Maratha War (1817- 1819). The regiment was awarded with the Battle Honour Seetabuldee for the relief of Nagpur Residency during the war. The Governor`s Body Guard of Madras Presidency also fought in the First Burma War (1824- 1826) and rescued the advance guard at Pagan from the rival force.

The body guard unit later served in the First World War under the British Indian Army and served as a remount training center. A united force was raised from the detachment from Madras Body Guards and Bombay Body Guards, which was sent to France. The Governor`s Body Guard of Madras Presidency was dissolved in the year 1947.

 

[F-14B]

The Governor's Bodyguard, Bombay

(Image credits to BRF)

The Governor`s Body Guard of Bombay Presidency, also known as Governor`s Bodyguard Bombay, was a British Indian Army Regiment. It was founded in 1865 and was disbanded in the year 1947. The British army in India established three separate body guard regiments for the 3 main Presidencies in British India, namely, the Bengal Presidency, the Bombay Presidency and the Madras Presidency. The body guard units were named as Governor`s Body Guard. The Governor`s Body Guard of Bombay Presidency was a part of the Bombay Army, before the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857. The military of Bombay Presidency was one of the 3 most prominent Presidency Armies in British India. The Army of the province of Bombay was greatly involved in the defeat of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the Sultanate of Mysore. Later the Bombay Army participated in many other campaigns, including the First Anglo Afghan War.

These units were under the administrative rule of the British East India Company until end of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. The control of the British Presidency Armies was reassigned to the British Empire in India from the British East India Company after the Government of India Act 1858 was authorized. The Presidency Armies, namely the Bengal Army, the Madras Army and the Bombay Army, were later united to raise the combined British Indian Army in the year 1903.

History of Governor`s Body Guard of Bombay Presidency
The Governor`s Body Guard of Bombay Presidency was founded in Poona (now Pune) on 22 March 1865. It initially consisted of a selected structure of cavalrymen of the dissolved unit The Southern Mahratta Horse (SMH) that was formed in 1850. Although the body guard unit underwent restructuring and regrouping during the re-oganisation of the entire British Indian Army, in the years 1895 and 1938, but the designation of the unit remained the same over the years. The Governor`s Bodyguard Bombay held it original title till its dissolution in the year 1947.

The former military unit included Mahratta cavalrymen from the Southern Mahratta Horse (SMH) in 1865 and was later re-constituted with Punjabi Muslims, Deccani Muslims and Sikhs. Finally the Governor`s Body Guard of Bombay Presidency was disbanded in 1947.

 

[F-14B]

Governor’s Body Guard of Bengal

The Governor`s Body Guard of Bengal Presidency was primarily a body guard battalion of the British East India Company, which existed from the year 1912 to 1947. The British army in India established three separate body guard regiments for the 3 main Presidencies in British India, namely the Bengal Presidency, the Bombay Presidency and the Madras Presidency. The body guard units were named as Governor`s Body Guard. It was a part of the Army of the Bengal province, before the beginning of the Sepoy Mutiny, also known as the Great Revolt of 1857. The Bengal Army was the armed forces of Bengal Presidency and was amongst the 3 main Presidency Armies in British India. The Government of India Act 1858, which was authorized after the Sepoy Mutiny in the year 1857, transferred the authority of the 3 Presidency Armies from the British East India Company to the British Empire in India.

During the 19th century, most of the regiments in the Bengal Army were disbanded due to their participation in the Great Revolt of 1857. Subsequently the British Empire in India took charge over the British East India Company and the 3 Presidency Armies, namely the Bengal Army, the Madras Army and the Bombay Army. The Governor`s Body Guard of Bengal Presidency was also known as the Governor`s Bodyguard Bengal.

History of Governor`s Body Guard of Bengal Presidency
In the year 1912, the capitol of India was shifted to Delhi from Calcutta (now Kolkata) and the Viceroy went to Delhi. The Governor General`s Body Guard was also moved to Delhi. Consequently, Bengal was given the position of a British Indian Presidency, like Madras Presidency and Bombay Presidency. During that period, Captain Rivers Berney Worgan of 20th Deccan Horse established the Governor`s Body Guard of Bengal Presidency unit. The regiment originally comprised of volunteers from a number of cavalry regiments from Bengal Army. This battalion was the youngest unit amongst the three Governor`s Body Guard regiments.

The army unit consisted of only Rajputs and Punjabi Muslims who were enlisted for the company. Like the Governor`s Body Guard of Bombay Presidency and the Governor`s Body Guard of Madras Presidency, the Bengal unit also held its original designation through out the various reorganizations in the British Indian Army. After it came to uniform, the 3 units of the Governor`s Body Guard pursued the form and rule of the Governor General`s Body Guards. Further more, the regiment added some articles, such as, plastrons and cummerbunds.

The title of the Governor`s Bodyguard Bengal remained the same over the years until its dissolution in the year 1947.

 

[F-14B]

51st Sikhs

Pouchbelt Badge
Soldiers
Post-Mutiny
Uniforms
Post Mutiny
Principal Campaigns and Battles
Punjab
1878 - 80 Afghanistan
1878 Ali Masjid
1900 Pekin
Predecessor Units
1st Regiment of the Frontier Force
(1846 - 1847)
1st Sikh Local Infantry
(1847 - 1857)
1st Sikh Infantry, Punjab Irregular Force
(1857 - 1865)
1st Sikh Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force
(1865 - 1901)
1st Sikh Infantry
(1901 - 1903)

Successor Units

1st/12th Frontier Force Regiment
(1922 - 1947)

Post-Independence Fate

To Pakistan


The Punjab Frontier Force was established on 18th May 1849 as the Transfrontier Brigade. It became the Punjab Irregular Force in 1851 and finally the Punjab Frontier Force in 1865. There were originally six Punjab Infantry regiments and five of cavalry as well as artillery. The four Sikh regiments sprung from the disbanded regiments of Sikhs following Gough's victory at Sobraon (10th Feb 1846) at the end of the First Sikh War. Together with some artillery they formed the Frontier Brigade. This name was dropped the following year and they became the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Regiments of Sikh Local Infantry. In 1851 these four and the famous Corps of Guides were added to the Punjab Irregular Force. The P I F as it was known, became famous throughout the Empire and the men who served in it were proud to call themselves 'Piffers' long after the name changed.

Despite its title, the 51st Sikhs was compoed of Punjabi Musalmans, Dogras and Pathans as well as Sikhs. As the 1st Sikhs they saw much action in the 2nd Afghan War and helped quell the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900. In WW1 they served in India, Aden, Egypt, and Mesoptamia. For their services in the Middle East, they were given the title 51st The Prince of Wales's Own Sikhs (Frontier Force) but in 1922 they became the 1st battalion 12th Frontier Force Regiment. A territorial battalion was raised in March 1922 attached to the 1st but soon became the 11th battalion recruiting only Pathans. In WW2 the 1st served in India, Iraq, Syria and Italy. After the war they were nominated for parachute training to join 2nd Indian Airborne Division. On Partition, the regiment logically went to Pakistan; the Sikhs and Dogras were routed to India.

 

[F-14B]

• The Cawnpore Rifles

The Cawnpore Volunteer Rifle Corps was a former infantry unit of the British Indian Army. It was a part of the British Colonial Auxiliary Forces. The regiment of the British volunteer corps was formed on 16th August 1877 by the British Empire in India. The erstwhile unit served under the administrative authority of the Bengal command.

The headquarters of the regiment was established in Cawnpore (now Kanpur). The uniform included khaki drill for the troops. In the year 1901, the detachments of the Cawnpore Volunteer Rifle Corps were stationed at various army camps in Saugor, Nowgong, Damoh, Hamirpur, Lalitpur, Orai, Fatehpur, Jhansi and Banda.

On 5th February 1886 the troops of the Cawnpore Volunteer Rifle Corps formed the Cawnpore Light Horse.

 

[F-14B]

The Kolar Gold Fields Volunteers which was earlier part of the Bangalore Rifle Volunteers was formed as the Kolar Gold Fields Rifle Volunteers on 23rd January 1903. (In 1905 it came under the Commander-in-Chief in India: formed by G.G.O. 639 of 1903). On 1st April 1917, the Kolar Gold Fields Rifle Volunteers became the 43rd Kolar Gold Fields Battalion. It was redesignated on 1st October 1920 as the Kolar Gold Fields Battalion.
Here is a small History about The Auxiliary Force (India) (AFI) from where the Kolar Gold Fields Volunteers came into existence.
The Auxiliary Force (India) (AFI) was a part-time, paid volunteer organisation within the Indian Army in British India. Its units were entirely made up of European and Anglo-Indian personnel. The AFI was created by the Auxiliary Force Act 1920[1] to replace the unpopular British section of the Indian Defence Force, which had recruited by conscription. By contrast, the AFI was an all-volunteer force modelled after the British Territorial Army. The Indian parallel to the AFI was the Indian Territorial Force.
Bangalore Rifle Volunteers unit was an army regiment of the Auxiliary Forces under the British Indian Army. It was a volunteer corps unit that was raised on 31st November 1868 by the British administration in India. The regiment served under the administrative control of the Madras Army of Madras Presidency. On 21st November 1884, a number of detached companies of the unit were used to raise the Coorg and Mysore Rifle Corps.
The headquarters of the Bangalore Rifle Volunteers was established in Bangalore (now Bengaluru) in 1901. The troops wore khaki drill formal dress and the detachments were stationed in Kolar Gold Fields, Mysore and Whitefield. The minor unit of the Bangalore Rifle Volunteers stationed in Kolar Gold Fields was later separated in order to form the Kolar Gold Fields Rifle Volunteers on 23rd January 1903.
The Bangalore Rifle Volunteers battalion was eventually merged with the Coorg and Mysore Rifles on 1st April 1917 and was designated as the 6th Bangalore, Coorg and Mysore Battalion. It was again renamed as the Bangalore Battalion on 1st October 1920.
The Kolar Gold Fields Volunteers which was earlier part of the Bangalore Rifle Volunteers was formed as the Kolar Gold Fields Rifle Volunteers on 23rd January 1903. (In 1905 it came under the Commander-in-Chief in India: formed by G.G.O. 639 of 1903). On 1st April 1917, the Kolar Gold Fields Rifle Volunteers became the 43rd Kolar Gold Fields Battalion. It was redesignated on 1st October 1920 as the Kolar Gold Fields Battalion.
Motto of the Unit: "Defence not Defiance".
Uniform: Full Khaki. (The uniform of the troops was modified in 1940 to include rifle green formal dress with scarlet facings).
Badge: Crossed pickaxe and hammer in circle superscribed "The Kolar Gold Fields Battn" all surmounted by crown.
The following were the Non-commissioned Officers of the Unit.
1. Honorary Colonel - Richard Hancock ,
2. Lieutenant-Colonel - Thomas Edward Piercey,
3. Commandant Majors - G.A. Paterson , C.H. Richards Captains - E. Jeffery , R.H.P. Bullen , F.J. Tregay , Percy Key , H.M. Leslie , H.T. Hincks , D. Gill Jenkins , J. Johns 4. Lieutenants - G.W. Walker W.R.C. Beudon, T.A. Clarke, N.F.K. Richards, W. Ward, H.M.A. Cooke, G.E. Payne, A.W. Jolly, C.H. Stonor
5. 2nd Lieutenants - J.J. Clarke, R.F. Vaughan, H.H. Osborn, J.S. Anderson, W.C. Vine, R.T.J. Weeks
6. Staff - Adjutant - Capt. F.G. Pierce , 69th Punjabies;
7. Medical Officer - Surgeon,-Maj. T.J. O'Donnell;
8. Hon. Chaplains - Rev. L.G. Pollard, Rev. J.H. Fraysse
9. Hon. Major - Edgar Taylor
10. Quarter Master - Hon. Lt. G.W. Bickley
11. Surgeon - Lt. J.D. O'Donnell Sergeant-Major -- H.W. Goble
12. Sergt.-Instructors - A. Goldfinch, L. Taylor, R. Motley
13. 1st Essex, Officiating, Gold Fields Quarter Master Sergeant - D.A. Spence

 

[F-14B]

The Bikaner Camel Corps was a unit of Imperial Service Troops from India that fought for the Allies in World War I and World War II.

The Corps was founded by Maharaja Ganga Singh of the Indian state of Bikaner, as the Ganga Risala after the British government of India accepted his offer to raise a force of 500 soldiers. The state of Bikaner had a long tradition of using soldiers mounted on camels. For instance, in 1465 Rao Bika led a force of 300 sowar (or camel riders) to conquer neighbouring territories.[1] Ganga Singh subsequently led the Ganga Risala when it fought in the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900, in Somaliland in 1902-1904 to quell the Somali Uprising and in Egypt in World War I.[2] At the Suez Canal in 1915 the corps routed the opposing Turkish forces in a camel cavalry charge.[2] The Corps fought in the Middle East in World War II, when it was supported by the camel-mounted Bijay Battery, which became a mule team battery.


Bikaner camel corps

An Indian Officer of the Camel Corps
After India's Independence the Bikaner Camel Corps was merged with camel troops from Jaisalmer in 1951 to become the Ganga Jaisalmer Risala and joined the Grenadiers as the 13th battalion.[3] It took part in the actions to foil Pakistani raiders in the Bikaner and Jaisalmer regions during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

After 1975 all of the Indian Military Camel Corps, including the Ganga Jaisalmer Risala, were disbanded. A brief attempt was made to resurrect them but the plan never came to fruition. The Ganga Risala still survives though as a part of the Border Security Force, retaining the name Bikaner Camel Corps.[4]

The Ganga Jaisalmer Risala was dismounted in 1974 and underwent conversion into standard infantry. It continues to serve as a regular infantry battalion under the name 13 Grenadiers (Ganga Jaisalmer).

 

[F-14B]

44th Merwara Infantry

The 44th Merwara Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1824, when the Sylhet Light Infantry was raised. This first 44th eventually became the 44th Gurkhas and later 8th Gurkha Rifles.[1]

The Mhairwara Local Battalion became a civil unit in 1861, but returned to a military role as the Mhairwara Battalion in 1871. It became the 44th Merwara Infantry in 1903, after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army. During World War I the regiment was part of the 12th Indian Division and took part in the Battle of Shaiba, the Battle of Khafajiya and the Battle of Nasiriya in the Mesopotamia Campaign.

Further reforms of the army were undertaken after World War I and nine single battalion regiments were disbanded. The 44th Merwara Infantry being one of the nine and were disbanded on 20 June 1921

• The Mhairwara Local Battalion - 1822
• 14th (Mhairwara) Local Battalion - 1823
• 9th (Mhairwara) Local Battalion - 1826
• The Mhairwara Battalion - 1843
• The Ajmer and Mhairwara Police Corps - 1861
• The Mhairwara Battalion - 1871
• 44th Merwara Infantry - 1903[