List of regiments of the Indian Army (1903)

Last updated

British Indian Army
AllegianceFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  British Empire
Type Army
Size2.5 million men (1945)
Engagements Second Afghan War
Third Afghan War
Second Burmese War
Third Burmese War
Second Opium War
1882 Anglo-Egyptian War
1868 Expedition to Abyssinia
First Mohmand Campaign
Boxer Rebellion
Tirah Campaign
British expedition to Tibet
Sudan Campaign
World War I
Waziristan campaign 1919–1920
Waziristan campaign 1936–1939
World War II
North West Frontier
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
Claude Auchinleck

The Commander-in-Chief of India, Lord Kitchener carried out a reform of the British Indian Army in 1903. These reforms were intended to improve the Army, which had been formed from the separate Bengal, Bombay and Madras presidency armies in 1895 to be replaced by the Bengal, Bombay, Madras and Punjab commands. The localisation of regiments was abolished, and in future every regiment was to have the opportunity of experiencing service on the Frontier.

Contents

To signify the unification of the three presidency armies, regiments in all Corps were assigned new designations with distinct numerals. The Bengal, Madras, and Bombay Sappers and Miners were numbered consecutively, with presidency names removed. Cavalry regiments were numbered as follows:

Infantry regiments were numbered as follows:

By 1903, the total strength of the Indian Army was 240,000 men. [2] They served in 39 cavalry regiments, 135 infantry battalions (including 17 Gurkha), [2] a joint cavalry-infantry unit the Corps of Guides, three sapper regiments and 12 mountain artillery batteries. [3] In addition to the regular Indian Army, the armies of the Princely states, and regiments of the Auxiliary force (European volunteers) could also be called on to assist in an emergency. [3] The Princely states had 22,613 men in 20 cavalry regiments and 14 infantry battalions. [4] The Auxiliary force could field another 40,000 men in 11 regiments of horse and 42 volunteer infantry battalions. [2] Also available were the Frontier Militia and the Military Police, which could field 34,000 men between them. [2]

Cavalry

Bodyguard troops

Former Bengal Regiments [7]

Former Punjab Regiments [8]

Former Madras regiments [9]

Former Hyderabad regiments [10]

Former Bombay regiments [11]

Former Local Corps [12]

Cavalry and Infantry

Infantry

Former Bengal Regiments [14]

Former Punjab Regiments [21]

Former Madras Regiments [23]

Former Hyderabad Regiments [24]

Former Bombay Regiments [25]

Former Local Corps [29]

Gurkha Line [30]

Support Arms

Indian Mountain Artillery

Engineers

Services

Imperial Service Troops

Volunteer Corps

Cavalry

Artillery

Engineers

Infantry

Frontier Corps and Para-Military Units

North-West Frontier and Baluchistan

North-East Frontier and Burma

Units formed in World War I

Cavalry

Artillery

Infantry

Paramilitary

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Barthorp, pp.15-42
  2. 1 2 3 4 Perry, p.85
  3. 1 2 Sumner p.3
  4. ↑ Perry, p.86
  5. ↑ Quarterly Indian Army List January 1919, p. 262
  6. ↑ "The Cavalry". britishempire.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  7. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 260–278.
  8. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 280–283.
  9. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 284–286.
  10. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 279, 287, 288.
  11. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 289–295.
  12. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 296–297.
  13. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922. p. 964.
  14. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 311–318, 320–352, 356–359.
  15. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Government Of India (January 1939). Supplement Indian Army List For January I - 1939. p. 570.
  17. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922. p. 1038.
  18. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922. p. 1074.
  19. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922. p. 1156.
  20. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922. p. 1178.
  21. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 360–368.
  22. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922. p. 1259.
  23. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 369–398.
  24. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 399–404.
  25. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 405–430.
  26. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922. p. 1467.
  27. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922. p. 1475.
  28. ↑ Authority Of The Council (January 1922). Indian Army List For Jan -1922. p. 1517.
  29. ↑ Authority Of The Council (July 1907). Indian Army List For July I -1907. pp. 319, 353–355.
  30. ↑ Government Of India (January 1939). Supplement Indian Army List For January I - 1939. pp. 551–570.
  31. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 972
  32. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 973
  33. 1 2 QIAL January 1919, p. 974
  34. 1 2 QIAL January 1919, p. 975
  35. 1 2 3 QIAL January 1919, p. 976
  36. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 977
  37. 1 2 QIAL January 1919, p. 978
  38. 1 2 QIAL January 1919, p. 979
  39. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 986
  40. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 991
  41. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 996
  42. ↑ "Military Engineers in India" . Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  43. ↑ "Indian Engineers". Archived from the original on 25 July 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  44. 1 2 Jackson, p. 465
  45. ↑ Jackson, p. 475
  46. ↑ Jackson, p. 477
  47. ↑ Jackson, p. 463
  48. ↑ Jackson, p. 481
  49. ↑ Jackson, p. 457
  50. ↑ Jackson, p. 498
  51. 1 2 Gaylor, pp. 50 & 52
  52. 1 2 3 4 5 Gaylor, pp. 50 & 53
  53. ↑ Gaylor, p.50
  54. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jackson, p. 509. Amalgamated as United Provinces Light Horse 1904.
  55. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 606
  56. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 601
  57. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 604
  58. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 603
  59. 1 2 3 4 5 Gaylor, p. 37
  60. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 605
  61. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 602
  62. 1 2 3 4 Gaylor, p. 33
  63. 1 2 3 4 Gaylor, p. 34
  64. 1 2 3 4 Gaylor, p. 35
  65. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gaylor, p. 43
  66. 1 2 3 4 5 Gaylor, p. 38
  67. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Gaylor, p. 40
  68. ↑ India List, 1902.
  69. 1 2 3 Gaylor, p. 39
  70. 1 2 3 4 Gaylor, p. 41
  71. 1 2 3 Gaylor, p. 42
  72. 1 2 Gaylor, p. 36
  73. 1 2 3 4 5 6 IAL October 1903, p. 58
  74. ↑ IAL October 1904, p. 52
  75. 1 2 QIAL January 1919, p. 980
  76. ↑ QIAL January 1919, p. 981
  77. ↑ Quarterly Indian Army List January 1919, p. 1447-50
  78. ↑ The Third Afghan War 1919 Official Account, p. 20

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