129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis
Encyclopedia
The 129th Baluchis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army
raised in 1846 as the 2nd Bellochee Battalion. It was designated as the 129th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Baluchis in 1903 and became 4th Battalion (Duke of Connaught's Own) 10th Baluch Regiment
in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to Pakistan Army
, where it continues to exist as 11th Battalion of The Baloch Regiment
.
on the orders of General Sir Charles Napier
, the British Governor of Sindh
. Its manpower was mostly drawn from Balochis
, Sindhis
and Pathan
s of Sindh. Later, it also recruited Brahuis
and Punjabi Muslims, while the recruitment area was extended to include Baluchistan, North-West Frontier Province
and the Punjab. In 1856, the battalion was dispatched to Persia and fought in the Anglo-Persian War
. In the post-Mutiny realignment, it was brought into line in 1861 and became the 29th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry or the 2nd Belooch Regiment. In 1862, the regiment went to China
to suppress the Taiping Rebellion
. Two years later, they became the first foreign troops to be stationed in Japan
, when two companies were sent to Yokohama
to guard the British legation. In 1878-80, the 2nd Belooch Regiment fought in the Second Afghan War, followed by the Anglo-Egyptian War
of 1882. In 1883, the Duke of Connaught was appointed their Colonel-in-Chief
.
brought about in the Indian Army by Lord Kitchener
in 1903, all former Bombay Army
units had 100 added to their numbers. Consequently, the regiment's designation was changed to 129th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Baluchis. In 1912, General Sir Garrett O'Moore Creagh
, VC
, GCB, GCSI, Commander-in-Chief
, Indian Army was appointed Colonel of the 129th DCO Baluchis. He was a former Commanding Officer of the regiment. The regimental full dress uniform in 1914 included a rifle green turban and kurta (knee length tunic) piped in red, worn with red trousers and white gaiters. The red trousers were a distinctive feature of all five Baluch infantry regiments then serving in the Indian Army.
During the First World War, the 129th DCO Baluchis served on the Western Front
in France
and Belgium
, where they became the first Indian regiment to attack the Germans and the only Indian regiment to fight in both the First
& Second Battles of Ypres
. At Hollebeke
, during the First Ypres, Sepoy Khudadad Khan
became the first Indian to win the Victoria Cross
; Britain's highest decoration for valour. The regiment also fought in the Battles of Messines 1914
, Armentières 1914
, Festubert 1914, Givenchy 1914 and Neuve Chapelle
. From France, the regiment proceeded to German East Africa
and again distinguished itself in the long and difficult campaign. The German commander, General von Lettow-Vorbeck
, said of them: "... the 129th Baluchis ... were without a doubt very good". The regiment suffered a staggering 3585 casualties out of the 4447 officers and men, who served with it in the First World War.
In 1918, the regiment raised a second battalion. Both 1st & 2nd Battalions 129th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Baluchis fought in the Third Afghan War of 1919, while the 2nd Battalion also served in Iraq during the Iraqi revolt against the British
in 1920. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in 1922.
, 126th Baluchistan Infantry
, 127th (Queen Mary's Own) Baluch Light Infantry
and the 130th (King George's Own) Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles)
, to form the 10th Baluch Regiment. The 129th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Baluchis were designated as the 4th Battalion (Duke of Connaught's Own) 10th Baluch Regiment.
During the Second World War, 4/10th Baluch served in Italian East Africa
, North Africa
and Italy
. The battalion's performance in the war was once again highly commendable. It suffered a total of 1677 casualties and received numerous gallantry awards. On the Partition of India
in 1947, the battalion, along with the Baluch Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In the 1948 Indo-Pakistan War, the battalion captured the strategic heights of Pandu in Kashmir
. In 1956, on the merger of 8th Punjab
and Bahawalpur Regiment
s with the Baluch Regiment
, 4 Baluch was redesignated as 11 Baluch (now 11 Baloch). During the Indo-Pakistani Wars
of 1965 and 1971, the battalion fought with distinction in the Lahore
and Zafarwal Sectors.
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
raised in 1846 as the 2nd Bellochee Battalion. It was designated as the 129th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Baluchis in 1903 and became 4th Battalion (Duke of Connaught's Own) 10th Baluch Regiment
10th Baluch Regiment
The 10th Baluch or Baluch Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. After the Partition of India, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was amalgamated with the 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments...
in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
, where it continues to exist as 11th Battalion of The Baloch Regiment
Baloch Regiment
The Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments with the Baluch Regiment. Since then, further raisings have brought the strength of the Regiment to more than fifty battalions...
.
Early History
The regiment was raised on 6 May 1846 at KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
on the orders of General Sir Charles Napier
Charles James Napier
General Sir Charles James Napier, GCB , was a general of the British Empire and the British Army's Commander-in-Chief in India, notable for conquering the Sindh Province in what is now Pakistan.- His genealogy :...
, the British Governor of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
. Its manpower was mostly drawn from Balochis
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
, Sindhis
Sindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
and Pathan
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s of Sindh. Later, it also recruited Brahuis
Brahui people
The Brahui or Brohi are ethnic Baloch group of about 2.2 million people with the majority found in Kalat, Baluchistan, Pakistan, but they are also found in smaller numbers in neighboring Afghanistan and Iran. The Brahuis are almost entirely Sunni Muslims.-Origins:The ethnonym "Brahui" is a very...
and Punjabi Muslims, while the recruitment area was extended to include Baluchistan, North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
and the Punjab. In 1856, the battalion was dispatched to Persia and fought in the Anglo-Persian War
Anglo-Persian War
The Anglo-Persian War lasted between November 1, 1856 and April 4, 1857, and was fought between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Persia . In the war, the British opposed an attempt by Persia to reacquire the city of Herat...
. In the post-Mutiny realignment, it was brought into line in 1861 and became the 29th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry or the 2nd Belooch Regiment. In 1862, the regiment went to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to suppress the Taiping Rebellion
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty...
. Two years later, they became the first foreign troops to be stationed in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, when two companies were sent to Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
to guard the British legation. In 1878-80, the 2nd Belooch Regiment fought in the Second Afghan War, followed by the Anglo-Egyptian War
Anglo-Egyptian War
The Anglo-Egyptian War occurred in 1882 between Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed Orabi, and the United Kingdom.-Background:In 1881, an Egyptian army officer, Colonel Ahmed Orabi, initiated a coup against Tewfik Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan, because of grievances over disparities in...
of 1882. In 1883, the Duke of Connaught was appointed their Colonel-in-Chief
Colonel-in-Chief
In the various Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel of the Regiment. They do not have an operational role. They are however kept informed of all important activities of the regiment, and pay occasional visits to its...
.
129th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Baluchis
Subsequent to the reformsKitchener Reforms
The Kitchener Reforms of the Indian Army began in 1903 when Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, India, completed the unification of the three armies of the former Presidencies , and also the Punjab Frontier Force, the Hyderabad Contingent and other local forces, into one...
brought about in the Indian Army by Lord Kitchener
Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
in 1903, all former Bombay Army
Bombay Army
The Bombay Army was the army of the Bombay Presidency, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia.The Presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three presidencies to the direct...
units had 100 added to their numbers. Consequently, the regiment's designation was changed to 129th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Baluchis. In 1912, General Sir Garrett O'Moore Creagh
O'Moore Creagh
General Sir Garrett O'Moore Creagh VC GCB GCSI , known as Sir O'Moore Creagh, was born in Cahirbane, County Clare and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth...
, VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, GCB, GCSI, Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, Indian Army was appointed Colonel of the 129th DCO Baluchis. He was a former Commanding Officer of the regiment. The regimental full dress uniform in 1914 included a rifle green turban and kurta (knee length tunic) piped in red, worn with red trousers and white gaiters. The red trousers were a distinctive feature of all five Baluch infantry regiments then serving in the Indian Army.
During the First World War, the 129th DCO Baluchis served on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, where they became the first Indian regiment to attack the Germans and the only Indian regiment to fight in both the First
First Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...
& Second Battles of Ypres
Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War and the first time a former colonial force pushed back a major European power on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St...
. At Hollebeke
Hollebeke
Hollebeke is a Flemish village in the Belgian province of West Vlaanderen, now part of Ypres city.-History:In World War I, it was the site of allied heroism that won Khudadad Khan the first Victoria Cross ever awarded to a native Indian.In 1970 it was incorporated in Zillebeke, which in turn...
, during the First Ypres, Sepoy Khudadad Khan
Khudadad Khan
Khudadad Khan, VC , was the first South Asian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for gallantry in the face of the enemy given to British and Commonwealth forces...
became the first Indian to win the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
; Britain's highest decoration for valour. The regiment also fought in the Battles of Messines 1914
Battle of Messines (1914)
The battle of Messines was a battle fought in October 1914 between the German Empire and the British Empire, as part of the Race to the Sea. It took place between the river Douve and the Comines-Ypres canal.-External links:* at historyofwar.org...
, Armentières 1914
Battle of Armentières
This battle was part of Race to Sea campaign. During this battle the British successfully held the line in their sector, against repeated German assaults.To the south it merged into the battle of La Bassée, to the north into the battle of Messines....
, Festubert 1914, Givenchy 1914 and Neuve Chapelle
Battle of Neuve Chapelle
The Battles of Neuve Chapelle and Artois was a battle in the First World War. It was a British offensive in the Artois region and broke through at Neuve-Chapelle but they were unable to exploit the advantage.The battle began on 10 March 1915...
. From France, the regiment proceeded to German East Africa
East African Campaign (World War I)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles and guerrilla actions which started in German East Africa and ultimately affected portions of Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo. The campaign was effectively ended in November 1917...
and again distinguished itself in the long and difficult campaign. The German commander, General von Lettow-Vorbeck
Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck
Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck was a general in the Imperial German Army and the commander of the German East Africa campaign. For four years, with a force that never exceeded about 14,000 , he held in check a much larger force of 300,000 British, Belgian, and Portuguese troops...
, said of them: "... the 129th Baluchis ... were without a doubt very good". The regiment suffered a staggering 3585 casualties out of the 4447 officers and men, who served with it in the First World War.
In 1918, the regiment raised a second battalion. Both 1st & 2nd Battalions 129th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Baluchis fought in the Third Afghan War of 1919, while the 2nd Battalion also served in Iraq during the Iraqi revolt against the British
Iraqi revolt against the British
The Iraqi Revolt against the British , or the Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920, started in Baghdad in the summer of 1920 with mass demonstrations of both Sunni and Shia, including protests by embittered officers from the old Ottoman army, against the policies of British Acting Civil Commissioner Sir...
in 1920. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in 1922.
Subsequent History
In 1922, the regiment was grouped with five other Baluch battalions: 1st & 2nd Battalions of 124th (Duchess of Connaught's Own) Baluchistan Infantry124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry
The 124th Baluchistan Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1820 as the 2nd Battalion 12th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry. It was designated as the 124th Baluchistan Infantry in 1903 and became 1st Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment in 1922...
, 126th Baluchistan Infantry
126th Baluchistan Infantry
The 126th Baluchistan Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1825 as the 2nd Extra Battalion of Bombay Native Infantry. It was designated as the 126th Baluchistan Infantry in 1903 and became 2nd Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment in 1922...
, 127th (Queen Mary's Own) Baluch Light Infantry
127th Baluch Light Infantry
The 127th Baluch Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1844 as The Scinde Bellochee Corps. It was designated as the 127th Baluch Light Infantry in 1903 and became 3rd Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment in 1922...
and the 130th (King George's Own) Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles)
130th Baluchis
The 130th Baluchis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1858 as the 1st Regiment of Jacob’s Rifles or 1st Belooch Rifles. It was designated as the 130th Baluchis in 1903 and became 5th Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment in 1922...
, to form the 10th Baluch Regiment. The 129th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Baluchis were designated as the 4th Battalion (Duke of Connaught's Own) 10th Baluch Regiment.
During the Second World War, 4/10th Baluch served in Italian East Africa
East African Campaign (World War II)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
, North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
and Italy
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
. The battalion's performance in the war was once again highly commendable. It suffered a total of 1677 casualties and received numerous gallantry awards. On the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947, the battalion, along with the Baluch Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In the 1948 Indo-Pakistan War, the battalion captured the strategic heights of Pandu in Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
. In 1956, on the merger of 8th Punjab
8th Punjab Regiment
The 8th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947 and merged with the Baluch Regiment in 1956.-Madras Infantry:...
and Bahawalpur Regiment
Bahawalpur Regiment
The Bahawalpur Regiment was an infantry regiment of Pakistan Army. The regiment was formed in 1952 from the infantry battalions of the erstwhile Princely State of Bahawalpur, which had acceded to Pakistan in 1947...
s with the Baluch Regiment
10th Baluch Regiment
The 10th Baluch or Baluch Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. After the Partition of India, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was amalgamated with the 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments...
, 4 Baluch was redesignated as 11 Baluch (now 11 Baloch). During the Indo-Pakistani Wars
Indo-Pakistani Wars
Since the partition of British India in 1947 and creation of India and Pakistan, the two South Asian countries have been involved in four wars, including one undeclared war, as well as many border skirmishes and military stand-offs...
of 1965 and 1971, the battalion fought with distinction in the Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
and Zafarwal Sectors.
Genealogy
- 1846 2nd Bellochee Battalion
- 1858 2nd Belooch Extra Battalion Bombay Native Infantry
- 1859 2nd Belooch Regiment Bombay Native Infantry
- 1861 29th Regiment Bombay Native Infantry or 2nd Belooch Regiment
- 1883 29th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Regiment Bombay Native Infantry or 2nd Belooch Regiment
- 1885 29th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Regiment Bombay Infantry or 2nd Belooch Regiment
- 1888 29th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Regiment (2nd Belooch Battalion) Bombay Infantry
- 1892 29th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Regiment (2nd Baluch Battalion) Bombay Infantry or 29th Baluchis
- 1901 29th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Baluch Infantry
- 1903 129th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Baluchis
- 1917 1st Battalion 129th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Baluchis
- 1922 129th (Duke of Connaught’s Own) Baluchis
- 1922 4th Battalion (Duke of Connaught’s Own) 10th Baluch Regiment or 4/10th Baluch
- 1945 4th Battalion (Duke of Connaught’s Own) The Baluch Regiment or 4 Baluch
- 1956 11th Battalion The Baluch Regiment or 11 Baluch
- 1991 11th Battalion The Baloch Regiment or 11 Baloch
Further reading
- Ahmad, Lt Col Rifat Nadeem. (2010). Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.
- Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin. (1998). History of the Baloch Regiment 1820-1939. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre. ISBN 1-84734-130-6
- Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin. (2000). History of the Baloch Regiment 1939-1956. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre. ISBN 1-84574-094-7
- Barthorp, Michael, & Jeffrey Burn. (1979). Indian Infantry Regiments 1860–1914. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-307-2
- Cadell, Sir Patrick. (1938). History of the Bombay Army. London: Longmans & Green
- Gaylor, John (1992). Sons of John Company: Indian and Pakistan Armies, 1903-1991, Spellmount Publishers Ltd. ISBN 978-0-946771-98-1.
- Qureshi, Lt Col IA. (1966). History of 11th Battalion, the Baluch Regiment. Lahore: The Allied Press.
- Thatcher, WS. (1932). The Fourth Battalion, Duke of Connaught's Own, Tenth Baluch Regiment in the Great War. Cambridge: The University Press. ISBN 1-84734-752-5
- Thatcher, WS. (1980). The Tenth Baluch Regiment in the Second World War. Abbottabad: The Baluch Regimental Centre.
External links
- 10th Baluch Regiment by John Gaylor at Pakistan Military Consortium
- History of the Baloch Regiment 1820–1939 the Colonial Period, text of pages 1 to 15 available online as download preview
See also
- 10th Baluch Regiment10th Baluch RegimentThe 10th Baluch or Baluch Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. After the Partition of India, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was amalgamated with the 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments...
- The Baloch RegimentBaloch RegimentThe Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments with the Baluch Regiment. Since then, further raisings have brought the strength of the Regiment to more than fifty battalions...
- Sepoy Khudadad KhanKhudadad KhanKhudadad Khan, VC , was the first South Asian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for gallantry in the face of the enemy given to British and Commonwealth forces...
, VCVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....