69th Punjabis
Encyclopedia
The 69th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army
. They could trace their origins to 1759, when they were raised as the 10th Battalion Coast Sepoys.
The regiments first was during the Carnatic Wars
, this was followed by service during the Battle of Sholinghur
in the Second Anglo-Mysore War
and the Third Anglo-Mysore War
. They also took part in the annexation of Pegu during the Second Anglo-Burmese War
.
The Battalion was awarded the Galley Badge in 1839 for 'readiness always envinced' for proceeding on foreign service which was then considered a taboo in India. The Galley is now the crest of the Indian Punjab Regiment. The Battalion was also given the Battle Cry - Khushki Wuh Tarri which is Persian for 'By Land and Sea'. The Indianised version of this motto 'Sthal Wuh Jal' is now the Battle Cry of the Indian Punjab Regiment.
During World War I
they served in the Middle East on the Suez Canal
the in the Gallipoli Campaign after which they were sent to the Western Front
in 1915.
After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. In 1922, the 69th Punjabis became the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment
. After independence they were one of the regiments allocated to the Indian Army
.
Gen KM Cariappa, OBE, the first Indian Commander in Chief decided that the four senior most Infantry Battalions of the Army should form the Brigade of the Guards and thus 2/2 Punjab was converted to the First Battalion Brigade of the Guards (2 PUNJAB) in 1951. The Battalion has the distinction of being the seniormost Infantry Battalion of the 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...
. They could trace their origins to 1759, when they were raised as the 10th Battalion Coast Sepoys.
The regiments first was during the Carnatic Wars
Carnatic Wars
The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century on the Indian subcontinent...
, this was followed by service during the Battle of Sholinghur
Battle of Sholinghur
The Battle of Sholinghur was fought on 27 September 1781 between forces of the Kingdom of Mysore led by Hyder Ali and British East India Company forces led by General Eyre Coote. The company forces were victorious.-References:*Vibart, H. M ....
in the Second Anglo-Mysore War
Second Anglo-Mysore War
The Second Anglo-Mysore War was a conflict in Mughal India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company. At the time, Mysore was a key French ally in India, and the Franco-British conflict raging on account of the American Revolutionary War helped spark Anglo-Mysorean...
and the Third Anglo-Mysore War
Third Anglo-Mysore War
The Third Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company and its allies, including the Mahratta Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad...
. They also took part in the annexation of Pegu during the Second Anglo-Burmese War
Second Anglo-Burmese War
The Second Anglo-Burmese War was the second of the three wars fought between the Burmese and the British Empire during the 19th century, with the outcome of the gradual extinction of Burmese sovereignty and independence....
.
The Battalion was awarded the Galley Badge in 1839 for 'readiness always envinced' for proceeding on foreign service which was then considered a taboo in India. The Galley is now the crest of the Indian Punjab Regiment. The Battalion was also given the Battle Cry - Khushki Wuh Tarri which is Persian for 'By Land and Sea'. The Indianised version of this motto 'Sthal Wuh Jal' is now the Battle Cry of the Indian Punjab Regiment.
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...
they served in the Middle East on the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
the in the Gallipoli Campaign after which they were sent to 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 1915.
After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. In 1922, the 69th Punjabis became the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment
2nd Punjab Regiment
The 2nd Punjab Regiment was a British Indian Army regiment from 1922 to the partition of India in 1947.The regiment was formed by the amalgamation of other regiments:*1st Battalion, from the 67th Punjabis, formerly the 7th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry...
. After independence they were one of the regiments allocated to the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
.
Gen KM Cariappa, OBE, the first Indian Commander in Chief decided that the four senior most Infantry Battalions of the Army should form the Brigade of the Guards and thus 2/2 Punjab was converted to the First Battalion Brigade of the Guards (2 PUNJAB) in 1951. The Battalion has the distinction of being the seniormost Infantry Battalion of the Indian Army.
Predecessor names
- 10th Battalion Coast Sepoys - 1759
- 10th Carnatic Battalion - 1769
- 9th Carnatic Battalion - 1770
- 9th Madras Battalion - 1784
- 1st Battalion, 9th Madras Native Infantry - 1796
- 9th Madras Native Infantry - 1824
- 9th Madras Infantry - 1885
- 69th Punjabis - 1903