Mountain Artillery
See also main article Indian Army
Contents
Background
Mountain Artillery
Mountain Artillery was developed to allow field guns to accompany forces operating in mountainous regions. The guns were dismantled into three loads (piece, carriage and wheels) and carried on mules. The first mountain train in India was formed in 1840 for service in the 1st Afghan War and disbanded in 1843. Mountain Batteries formed part of the forces raised to defend the territory gained in the 2nd Sikh War in due course known as the North West Frontier Province. The Hazara Mountain Train was the first to be formed in 1850 from a nucleus raised by Capt J Abbott, Bengal Artillery, during the Hazara rebellion of 1848.
Punjab Irregular Force
When the Punjab Irregular Force was formed in 1851 it had four batteries of artillery mainly recruited from the defeated Sikh artillerymen. They were known as Punjab Light Field Batteries:
- No 1 Horse Light Field Battery
- No 2 Horse Light Field Battery
- No 3 Horse Light Field Battery
- No 4 Garrison Company
The force later gained two further units:
- Hazara Mountain Train
- Peshawar Mountain Train
The Indian Mutiny
As a consequence of the Indian Mutiny the European artillery regiments (21 horse batteries & 48 field batteries) of the Presidency Armies were taken into the Royal Artillery of the British Army. The Bengal, Madras and Bombay Native Foot Artillery were disbanded except for
Punjab Frontier Force
The Punjab Iregular Force became the Punjab Frontier Force in 1865 and the two mountain trains were redesignated mountain batteries. The No 1 Light Field Battery was disbanded in 1870. In 1876 the remaining batteries were renumbered as follows:
| No 2 Horse Light Field Battery | became | No 1 (Kohat) Punjab Mountain Battery |
| No 3 Horse Light Field Battery | became | No 2 (Derajat) Punjab Mountain Battery |
| Peshawar Mountain Battery | became | No 3 (Peshawar) Punjab Mountain Battery |
| Hazara Mountain Battery | became | No 4 (Hazara) Punjab Mountain Battery |
| No 4 Garrison Company | became | No. 5 Garrison Battery |
External links
Indian Army Mountain Artillery www.king-emperor.com
Mountain Gunners www.victorianmilitarysociety.org
