62nd Punjabis
| 62nd Punjabis | |
|---|---|
First World War 1914–18[1] | |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE |
The 62nd Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1759 as the 3rd Battalion of Coast Sepoys, and formed part of the Madras Army. It was designated as the 62nd Punjabis in 1903 and became 1st Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army, where it continues to exist as 1st battalion, Punjab Regiment. It is the senior-most surviving infantry battalion of the British Indian Army.[1]
History
Early history
The regiment had its antecedents in the old
62nd Punjabis
In 1902, the regiment, now designated as the 2nd Madras Infantry, was reconstituted with Punjabi Muslims,
Subsequent history
After the First World War, the 62nd Punjabis were grouped with the 66th, 76th, 82nd and 84th Punjabis, and the 1st Brahmans to form the 1st Punjab Regiment in 1922. The battalion was redesignated as 1st Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment.
During the
In 1947, 1/1st Punjab was allocated to Pakistan Army. During the 1948 Kashmir War with India, it served at Chakothi. In 1956, the 1st Punjab Regiment was merged with the 14th, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments to form one large Punjab Regiment, and 1/1st Punjab was redesignated as 1 Punjab. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, the battalion fought in the Battle of Chawinda, while in the 1971 war, it served in the Rajasthan Sector.[3]
Lineage
- 1759: 3rd Battalion of Coast Sepoys
- 1769: 2nd Carnatic Battalion
- 1784: 2nd Madras Battalion
- 1796: 1st Battalion 2nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
- 1824: 2nd Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
- 1885: 2nd Regiment of Madras Infantry
- 1901: 2nd Madras Infantry
- 1903: 62nd Punjabis
- 1922: 1st Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment
- 1956: 1st Battalion The Punjab Regiment [1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f Qureshi, Maj MI. (1958). The First Punjabis: History of the First Punjab Regiment 1759–1956. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
- ^ Gaylor, John (1991). Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–91. Stroud: Spellmount.
- ^ Rizvi, Brig SHA. (1984). Veteran Campaigners – A History of the Punjab Regiment 1759–1981. Lahore: Wajidalis.
Further reading
- Qureshi, Maj MI. (1958). The First Punjabis: History of the First Punjab Regiment 1759–1956. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
- Rainey-Robinson, RM. (1904–09). History of the 2nd Madras Infantry (two volumes). Calcutta: Thacker & Spinks.
- Sanders, CW. (1937). History of the 1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment. Lahore: Civil and Military Press.
- Wilson, Lt Col WJ. (1882–88). History of the Madras Army. Madras: The Government Press.
- Phythian-Adams, Lt Col EG. (1943). Madras Infantry 1748–1943. Madras: The Government Press.
- Rizvi, Brig SHA. (1984). Veteran Campaigners – A History of the Punjab Regiment 1759–1981. Lahore: Wajidalis.
- Barthorp, Michael; Burn, Jeffrey (1979). Indian infantry regiments 1860–1914. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-307-0.
- Sumner, Ian (2001). The Indian Army 1914-1947. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-196-6.
- Gaylor, John (1991). Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–91. Spellmount. ISBN 978-0-946771-98-1.