Operations in Waziristan

Operations in Waziristan
Part of North West Frontier Campaigns
Date:	November 1936 - December 1937
Location:	Waziristan, NWF
Presidency:	Bengal
Co-ordinates:	33.542357°N 70.326721°E
Result:	Submission of tribesmen
Combatants
British & Indians	Waziri tribesmen
Commanders
Gen Sir John Coleridge	Fakir of Ipi
Strength
Up to 60,000 regular and irregular troops	4,000 tribesmen
Casualties

Summary

Tori Khel tribesmen of North Waziristan led by the Fakir of Ipi were enraged at the outcome of the case of Islam Bibi, a Hindu girl who converted to Islam but was handed back to the Hindu community, and rose in revolt. The British decided to sent an expedition into the Khaisora Valley to reassert control. Columns from Razmak and Mir Ali met fierce opposition and were compelled to withdraw to Mir Ali. The insurrection spread through Waziristan and the British had to reinforce their garrisons. It proved impossible to engage the tribesmen in pitched battles and guerilla actions cost considerable casualties. Support for the Fakir began to wane and most of the additional forces were withdrawn towards the end of 1937. Trouble flared again in 1938 when a lashkar attacked Bannu. The Fakir was never caught but caused trouble to the Pakistan government until his commander, Mehar Dil, surrendered in 1954. The Fakir died in 1960.

Related articles

• Waziristan
• Reginald Malpas Gore

FIBIS resources

• FIBIS Gallery, Collection of Lt Col Ron O'Brien, Indian Army
  • Photograph: Waziristan Camp Nov 1937
  • Another view: Waziristan Camp Nov 1937

External links

• Waziristan campaign (1936–1939) Wikipedia
  
• Waziristan 1937-1939 (9 page pdf) by Lieut Colonel H E M Newman The Royal Engineer Journal Volume 95, number 2, 1984
• Details of Film: India, North-West Frontier, 1937. colonialfilm.org.uk. Film shows various military scenes, including numerous scenes of the RAF in action, bombing, shooting and dropping leaflets in Waziristan. Note, the film is not available online.
• Obituary: John Prendergast 1910-2008 The Telegraph 03 March 2008. He was awarded the Military Cross when serving with the Tochi Scouts (North Waziristan Transborder Armed Police) in May 1937. He was later awarded a DSO for the Burma Campaign. His books include an autobiography Prender’s Progress: a soldier in India, 1931-47, available at the British Library

Historical books online

• Official History of Operations on the N.W. Frontier of India, 1936-37 by General Staff Army Headquarters, India 1943. Pdf download, Digital Library of India.
• Waziristan 1936-1937 : The problems of the North-West Frontiers of India and their Solutions by Lieut.-Colonel C. E. Bruce 1938 Archive.org
• "Report on Operations in Waziristan, 25th November 1936 to 16th January 1937 (1st Phase)" London Gazette Supplement 2 November 1937
• "Report on Operations In Waziristan, 16th January 1937 to 15th September 1937 (Second Phase)" London Gazette Supplement 18 February 1938
• "Report on Operations in Waziristan, 16th September 1937 to 15th December 1937 (Final Phase)" London Gazette Supplement 14 June 1938
• "Report on Operations in Waziristan, 16th December, 1937 to the 31st December, 1938" London Gazette Supplement 18 August 1939
• Imperial Policing by Major-General Sir Charles W Gwynn 1939 Pdf download, Digital Library of India. Archive.org version. Includes Chapter 14, "Waziristan 1937" page 394. Archive.org.