7th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry

Known as 7th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry in the Madras Army
Known as 67th Punjabis in the Indian Army

Chronology

• 1759 raised as 8th Battalion Coast Sepoys in Trichinopoly
• 1769 became 8th Carnatic Battalion
• 1770 became 7th Carnatic Battalion
• 1784 became 7th Madras Battalion
• 1796 became 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
• 1824 became 7th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry
• 1885 became 7th Madras Infantry
• 1903 became 67th Punjabis
• 1922 became 1st & 10th/2nd Punjab Regiment
• 1947 allocated to India on Partition

Service in British India

• 1761 Trichinopoly
• 1868 Penang
• 1869 Singapore
• 1895 Belgaum
• 1900 Rangoon
• 1903 Quetta
• 1915 Mesopotamia
• 1921 Iraq
• 1921 Multan

British Library holdings

Regimental histories

• The Golden Galley : the story of the Second Punjab Regiment 1761-1947 by Geoffrey Betham and H.V.R. Geary.
• The 2nd Punjab Regiment : a brief outline history of its origin, composition and achievements, published by the Regiment c 1943

First World War

Regimental Great War Battle Honours are: Loos, France and Flanders 1915, Helles, Krithia, Gallipoli 1915, Suez Canal, Egypt 1915–17, Gaza, Megiddo, Sharon, Nablus, Palestine 1917–18, Defence of Kut al Amara, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1915–18, Aden, E Africa 1914–17, NW Frontier India 1915 '16–17 Afghanistan 1919.

Second World War

The movements of the 1st/2nd Punjab Regiment after leaving India through 1942:

War Office Control – 6 May 1940 to May 1940 The battalion embarked from India on May 6th, 1940 and arrived in Aden later in May 1940.

British Troops in Aden – May 1940 to 30 June 1940 On arrival in Aden, it reconnoitered the border of the colony and constructed the landward defences. It embarked for Berbera, British Somaliland on June 30th.

OC Somaliland Camel Corps – 1 July 1940 to 18 August 1940 The battalion landed at Berbera, British Somaliland on July 1st. When operations began on August 5th, the battalion was despatched to Tug Argan, where ‘D’ Company was engaged. It evacuated British Somaliland on August 18th and returned to Aden on the next day.

British Troops in Aden – 19 August 1940 to 14 March 1941 It then garrisoned Aden until March 14th, 1941, when it embarked again for service in the colony. It left ‘B’ Company behind and landed at Berbera on March 16th.

Aden Force – 15 March 1941 to 30 June 1941 It landed at Berbera, British Somaliland on March 16th. After recapture of the colony, it returned to Aden on June 30th.

British Troops in Aden – 30 June 1941 to July 1941 The battalion left Aden in July for Egypt.

British Troops in Egypt (BTE) – July 1941 to February 1942 The battalion was then sent to Alexandria, Egypt in July 1941. It spent the rest of the year on garrison duties and training in Egypt. In February 1942, it moved to Qatatba to become part of the 161st Indian Motor Brigade.

161st Indian Motor Brigade – February 1942 to 23 August 1942 The battalion joined the brigade at Qatatba in February 1942. In the summer of 1942 when Rommel was approaching Egypt, the brigade moved to the Tanta area of the Delta to dig defences. It returned to Qatatba after this but returned at once to the front to reinforce the 5th Indian Infantry Division. It arrived at the 5th Divisional HQ on Ruweisat Ridge on July 21st and put in an attack on Ruweisat Ridge on July 21st-22nd. The battalion was detached to the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade on July 24th for an attack at Dier-el-Shein. A brief rest followed this action and then the battalion relieved the 1/1st Punjab Regiment in forward positions. Then after a week to ten days, it returned to its original formation to rest and refit. It left the brigade on August 23rd, 1942 in Egypt.

British Troops in Egypt (BTE) – 23 August 1942 to July 1943 The battalion remained as a garrison unit in Egypt from August 23rd, 1942 until July 1943. One company was detached in Palestine on February 14th, 1943. It then moved to Palestine in July 1943.

External links

• 67th Punjabis regiments.org
  
• 2nd Punjab Regiment Wikipedia
  
• Page 24 Valour and Sacrifice: Famous Regiments of the Indian Army by Gautam Sharma Google Books
• 67th Punjabis British Empire website
• "On the frontline, 100 years ago" August 17, 2014 indianexpress.com. Scroll down to "Manna Singh, 2nd Punjab Regiment. Campaigns in Turkey, Russia, France & Iraq" by Pranav Kulkarni. Manna Singh, a sepoy in the First Battalion of the 2nd Punjab Regiment was discharged May 15, 1923, with service of nine years, five months.
• WW1 War Diaries references. collaborativecollections.org
  • 1st Battalion 67th Punjabis, Indian Theatres of War: Mesopotamia and North Persia; Salonika, Black Sea and South Russia.
  • 2nd Battalion 67th Punjabis, Indian Theatres of War: Mesopotamia and North Persia; India and East Persia.
• Imperial War Museums catalogue entry of a 1937 film "1st Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment In Malaya" shot by Captain Paddy O'Neill of the Indian Medical Service, Indian Army, while attached to the Federated Malay States from November 1934 to January 1938
• 1/2nd & 3/15th Punjabis in Somaliland, July 1940 – March 1941 from Harry’s Africa by Harry Fecitt kaiserscross.com
  • Somalia Fighting Colonialism somalinz.org

Historical books online

• History of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment late, 67th Punjabis, and originally, 7th Madras Infantry 1761-1928 by Colonel N. Ogle, D. S. O. and Lieut. Colonel H. W. Johnston. originally published c1928-1929 is available in a reprint edition,which in turn is available online on the Ancestry owned pay website fold3 (located in World War II/Military Books/India).