24th Hazara Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)
Encyclopedia
The 24th Hazara Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) was an artillery battery of the British Indian Army
. The battery was raised in 1851, at Haripur in order to help defend the Hazara District
of the North West Frontier
. The 4th soon saw action in numerous small campaigns on the North West Frontier. In 1878, the 4th took part in the Second Afghan War at the Battle of Ali Masjid
, and later took part in the Siege of the Sherpur Cantonment
, where it remained as part of the garrison when the rest of the force marched on Kandahar
. In 1885, the Battery took part in the Second Burmese War. In 1895, the Battery was back fighting on the Frontier as part of the Chitral Expedition
.To honour the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Indian they took part in the Rawalpindi Parade 1905
. During World War I
, the 4th left India in 1917, for East Africa
where it would remain until the Armistice. Between the wars, the Battery saw service in the Third Afghan War of 1919, the Afridi and Red Shirt Rebellion (1930–1), the Mohmand and Bajaur Operations (1933), and operations against the Fakir of Ipi in the Waziristan campaign 1936–1939. It was deployed to Singapore at the opening of World War II
, and entered Japanese captivity with the rest of the garrison.
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...
. The battery was raised in 1851, at Haripur in order to help defend the Hazara District
Hazara District
Hazara District was a district of Peshawar Division in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan until 1976.The Imperial Gazetteer of India described the district as follows..-Khatris and Khokhran:...
of the North West Frontier
North-West Frontier (military history)
The North-West Frontier was the most difficult area, from a military point of view, of the former British India in the Indian sub-continent. It remains the frontier of present-day Pakistan, extending from the Pamir Knot in the north to the Koh-i-Malik Siah in the west, and separating the...
. The 4th soon saw action in numerous small campaigns on the North West Frontier. In 1878, the 4th took part in the Second Afghan War at the Battle of Ali Masjid
Battle of Ali Masjid
The Battle of Ali Masjid, which took place on 21 November 1878, was the opening battle in the Second Anglo-Afghan War between the British forces, under Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel James Browne, and the Afghan tribesmen, under Ghulam Haider Khan...
, and later took part in the Siege of the Sherpur Cantonment
Siege of the Sherpur Cantonment
The Siege of the Sherpur Cantonment was a battle fought in December 1879, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.On 3 September 1879 Sir Pierre Cavagnari, the British Resident in Kabul, and his escort were massacred by mutinous Afghan troops, initiating the second phase of the Second Anglo-Afghan War.A...
, where it remained as part of the garrison when the rest of the force marched on Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
. In 1885, the Battery took part in the Second Burmese War. In 1895, the Battery was back fighting on the Frontier as part of the Chitral Expedition
Chitral Expedition
The Chitral Expedition was a military expedition in 1895 sent by the British authorities to relieve the fort at Chitral which was under siege after a local coup.-Background to the conflict:Chitral was at the extreme north west of British India...
.To honour the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Indian they took part in the Rawalpindi Parade 1905
Rawalpindi Parade 1905
The Rawalpindi Parade 1905 was a parade by the British Indian Army held in Rawalpindi, India on 8 December 1905 to honour the Prince and Princess of Wales. The troops were under the Command of Horatio Herbert, Viscount Kitchener of Khartoum, G.C.B., O.M., G.C.M.G., Commander-in-Chief India...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the 4th left India in 1917, for East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
where it would remain until the Armistice. Between the wars, the Battery saw service in the Third Afghan War of 1919, the Afridi and Red Shirt Rebellion (1930–1), the Mohmand and Bajaur Operations (1933), and operations against the Fakir of Ipi in the Waziristan campaign 1936–1939. It was deployed to Singapore at the opening of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and entered Japanese captivity with the rest of the garrison.