22nd Punjabis
Encyclopedia
The 22nd Punjabis was an infantry
regiment
of the British Indian Army
. It was raised in 1857, as the 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 22nd Punjabis in 1903 and became 3rd Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment
in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army
, where it continues to exist as 7th Battalion The Punjab Regiment
.
on 1 August 1857, during the upheaval of the Indian Mutiny, as the 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry from the men of the 1st Sikh Infantry and the 3rd Punjab Police Battalion. The regiment took part in the Second Opium War
in 1860, the Lushai Expedition of 1871 and the Second Afghan War of 1878-80.
brought about in the Indian Army by Lord Kitchener
in 1903, the regiment's designation was changed to 22nd Punjabis. During the First World War, the regiment served in Mesopotamia Campaign. It fought in a number of actions including the Battle of Ctesiphon
in 1915, where it suffered 396 casualties out of a strength of 814. In 1917, the 22nd Punjabis raised a 2nd battalion, which was disbanded after the war. In 1919, the regiment fought in the Third Afghan War.
, 20th, 21st
and 24th Punjabis
, and the 40th Pathans
. The battalion's new designation was 3rd Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment. During the Second World War, the battalion fought in Eritrea
, North Africa
and Burma
. In 1947, the 14th Punjab Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was merged with the 1st
, 15th
and 16th Punjab Regiment
s to form one large Punjab Regiment
, and 3/14th Punjab was redesignated as 7 Punjab. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, the battalion fought in Kasur
Sector, while in 1971, it fought at Suleimanki.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the British Indian Army
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...
. It was raised in 1857, as the 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 22nd Punjabis in 1903 and became 3rd Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment
14th Punjab Regiment
The 14th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956, to form the Punjab Regiment....
in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the 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 7th Battalion The Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)
The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in 1956 from an amalgamation of the 1st Punjab Regiment, 14th Punjab Regiment, 15th Punjab Regiment and 16th Punjab Regiment...
.
Early History
The regiment was raised at MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
on 1 August 1857, during the upheaval of the Indian Mutiny, as the 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry from the men of the 1st Sikh Infantry and the 3rd Punjab Police Battalion. The regiment took part in the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
in 1860, the Lushai Expedition of 1871 and the Second Afghan War of 1878-80.
22nd Punjabis
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, the regiment's designation was changed to 22nd Punjabis. During the First World War, the regiment served in Mesopotamia Campaign. It fought in a number of actions including the Battle of Ctesiphon
Battle of Ctesiphon (1915)
The Battle of Ctesiphon was fought in November 1915 by the British Empire and British India, against the Ottoman Empire, within the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I....
in 1915, where it suffered 396 casualties out of a strength of 814. In 1917, the 22nd Punjabis raised a 2nd battalion, which was disbanded after the war. In 1919, the regiment fought in the Third Afghan War.
Subsequent History
In 1921-22, a major reorganization was undertaken in the British Indian Army leading to the formation of large infantry groups of four to six battalions. Among these was the 14th Punjab Regiment, formed by grouping the 22nd Punjabis with the 19th19th Punjabis
The 19th Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 7th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 19th Punjabis in 1903 and became 1st Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922...
, 20th, 21st
21st Punjabis
The 21st Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 21st Punjabis in 1903 and became 10th Battalion of 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1943, it was converted into the 14th Punjab...
and 24th Punjabis
24th Punjabis
The 24th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 22nd Punjabis in 1903 and became 3rd Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922...
, and the 40th Pathans
40th Pathans
The 40th Pathans were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1858, as the Shahjehanpur Levy. It was designated as the 40th Pathans in 1903 and became 5th Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922...
. The battalion's new designation was 3rd Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment. During the Second World War, the battalion fought in Eritrea
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 Burma
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
. In 1947, the 14th Punjab Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was merged with the 1st
1st Punjab Regiment
The 1st Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 14th, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956, to form the Punjab Regiment....
, 15th
15th Punjab Regiment
The 15th 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 amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956 to form the Punjab Regiment....
and 16th Punjab Regiment
16th Punjab Regiment
The 16th 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 amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 15th Punjab Regiments in 1956 to form the Punjab Regiment....
s to form one large Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)
The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in 1956 from an amalgamation of the 1st Punjab Regiment, 14th Punjab Regiment, 15th Punjab Regiment and 16th Punjab Regiment...
, and 3/14th Punjab was redesignated as 7 Punjab. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, the battalion fought in Kasur
Kasur
Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
Sector, while in 1971, it fought at Suleimanki.
Genealogy
- 1857 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry
- 1861 26th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
- 1861 22nd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
- 1864 22nd (Punjab) Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry
- 1885 22nd (Punjab) Regiment of Bengal Infantry
- 1901 22nd Punjab Infantry
- 1903 22nd Punjabis
- 1917 1st Battalion 22nd Punjabis
- 1922 3rd Battalion 14th Punjab Regiment
- 1956 7th Battalion The Punjab Regiment
Further reading
- Haig, Brodie. Fourteenth Punjab Regiment 1939-1945. London: Lund Humphries, n.d.
- Rizvi, Brig SHA. (1984). Veteran Campaigners – A History of the Punjab Regiment 1759-1981. Lahore: Wajidalis.
- Cardew, Lt FG. (1903). A Sketch of the Services of the Bengal Native Army to the Year 1895. Calcutta: Military Department.