Auxiliary Regiments

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Auxiliary or volunteer regiments were originally local civilian volunteer corps tasked with local security. In 1917 compulsory service was introduced. When the corps became the Auxiliary Force, India in 1920 volunteer service was resumed, however there was a minimum term of service.

History

  • Post-1858 - volunteer corps formed over subsequent decades
  • 1917 - Formation of Indian Defence Force (IDF), disbanded at the end of the war
  • 1920 - Formation of Auxiliary Force (India) (AFI)

Indian volunteer force

The Bengal Yeomanry Cavalry was a volunteer force raised in July 1857 after the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny and disbanded in 1859.

After the Indian Mutiny local volunteer infantry forces began to be set up. Cavalry corps started in the 1860s and the first volunteer artillery brigade was constituted in 1879. Railway companies also formed infantry corps from their staff beginning in 1869, more on which can be found in the Railway Regiments article.

The volunteer corps were open to Europeans and 'Eurasians' and (with the exception of an adjutant and others such as sergeant instructors) consisted mainly of volunteers. However, in railway employment, it was virtually compulsory for all employees, both European and Eurasian, to enlist in the Railway Volunteer Regiments.

For men who were employed by the Army (non-volunteers), it may be possible to find them in the army records. This India List post advises that a Sergeant Instructor in the GIPR Volunteers was found in the Unattached List at the British Library.

Indian Defence Force

During the First World War compulsory service was deemed necessary and the Indian Defence Force Act was passed in 1917. The volunteer corps became units of the IDF and were redesignated. European British men between the ages of 18 and 41 were subject to compulsory service within India. Some corps allowed Indians to join as volunteers.

The IDF corps performed local security duties during the war and were not sent to the front. Some officers were transferred to regular Indian Army units.

However, a few units were formed comprising volunteers who wanted to fight the war. Indian Volunteers in the Great War East African Campaign gives details of The North-Western Railway Volunteers, the Calcutta Volunteer Battery and the Indian Volunteer Maxim Gun Company in East Africa, although the Commonwealth War Graves Commission classifies them as East African Protectorate units in its records. This India List post indicates that the North Western Railway Volunteers served in Mesopotamia.

After the War the IDF as an official organization was disbanded.

Auxiliary Force India

A further reorganization of the units occured in 1920 when the Auxiliary Force (India) replaced the IDF. Volunteers enrolled for an indefinite period but could be discharged after four years (or upon reaching the age of 45). The AFI was disbanded upon Partition.

The following publications may be read online at the Digital Library of India website. Refer Online books-Digital Library of India for more details about this site.

  • Regulations for the Auxiliary Force India 1921 (Contents computer page 10)
  • Report of the Auxiliary and Territorial Forces Committee, dated 23rd January 1925 Volumes I, and II (partial ,161 computer pages). Contents computer page 8 (each volume) (only partial for volume II)

Auxiliary Force Burma

Medals

In 1894 the grant of the Volunteer Officers’ Decoration was extended to India and the Colonies, followed in 1896 by the Volunteer Long Service Medal for Indian and Colonial Forces.[1] The qualifying period for the former was eighteen years[2] and recipients were entitled to use the initials V.D. after their name.[3]

For the latter medal, it is likely the conditions were the same as applied in Australia where "The medal will be granted to all volunteers (including volunteers who have retired, and officers who have served in the ranks but have not qualified for the Volunteer Officers' Decoration) on completion of 20 years' service in the volunteer forces provided that they are recommended by their present, or former, commanding officers".[4] The Volunteer Long Service Medal was replaced in 1930 by the Efficiency Medal “to reward the long and meritorious service of warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men”, and it applied after twelve years of service.[5]

It seems likely that the names of the medal recipients were gazetted in the Gazette of India, as they do not appear to be in the London Gazette. Some volumes of the Gazette of India are available online, refer Newspapers and journals online.

Books

Refer British Library holdings below

Individuals

  • This thread from Medalcollectors.com lists many individuals who were awarded the Volunteer Officers’ Decoration
  • Thread about Major Henry Francis Hallifax, Nagpur Volunteer Rifles from Medalcollectors.com

British Library holdings

India Office records:

  • Collection 108 Volunteer Corps in India IOR/L/MIL/7/4876-4945 1863-1919
    • Collection 108/15 Volunteer officers' decoration. IOR/L/MIL/7/4891 1892-1894
    • Collection 108/20 Volunteer officers' decoration: supply of and publication of rules. IOR/L/MIL/7/4896 1894-1908
    • Collection 108/27 Volunteers' Long Service Medal: rules. IOR/L/MIL/7/4903 1896-1913
  • Government Gazettes IOR/V/11 1831-1947

Books:

  • The Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers’ Decoration ; The Indian Volunteer Forces Officers’ Decoration by J.M.A. Tamplin. ( Spink medal booklets ; no.6) c 1981
  • Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal by J.M.A. Tamplin. (Spink medal booklets ; no.8) c 1984. It is very likely, but has not been confirmed, that this book includes information about India.
These volumes are part of a series of 12 by JMA Taplin, published between 1978 and 1992 by the medal company Spink & Son of London

Notes

  1. ↑ Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy - Vol. I, page 37 by John Horsley Mayo
  2. ↑ Volunteer Officer’s Decoration from The Guide to British War Medals from North East Medals.
  3. ↑ Volunteer Decoration Wikipedia
  4. ↑ The West Australian (Perth), Monday 19 November 1894, page 6 Australian Newspapers, National Library of Australia
  5. ↑ The Efficiency Medal from New Zealand Legislation, a New Zealand Government website

Cavalry

This list is currently being reorganized

1917 redesignations

Corps redesignated as numbered battalions on the 1st April 1917 on formation of the IDF:

1920 redesignations

Battalions and regiments redesignated on the 1st October 1920 on formation of the AFI:

Infantry

This list is currently being reorganized

1917 redesignations

Corps redesignated as numbered battalions on the 1st April 1917 on formation of the Indian Defence Force:

1918:

1920 redesignations

Battalions and regiments redesignated on the 1st October 1920 on formation of the AFI:

1926

Artillery

This list is currently being reorganized

Volunteer units of the Royal Artillery in India.

1917 redesignations

Batteries and brigades redesignated on the 1st April 1917 on formation of the IDF:

1920 redesignations

Batteries and brigades redesignated on the 1st October 1920 on formation of the AFI:

1925

1933 redesignations

Batteries and brigades redesignated in 1933:

Engineers

Corps Of Signals

Machine Gun Corps

External links

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