Punjab Rifles

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Originally raised as the 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifle Corps on the 1st April 1861 and on the 15th July 1871 absorbed the Punjab Light Horse (Volunteers) which was raised on the 27th March 1867.

In 1898, the Punjab Light Horse and the Punjab Rifles together formed the Administrative Battalion, 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifle Corps[1]

In 1908 it was known as the 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifles.[2], with headquarters at Lahore. On the 1st April 1917 became the 3rd Punjab Rifles before becoming the Punjab Rifles on the 1st October 1920.

In 1898, wih headquarters at Lahore, there were detachments at

D Company, 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifles had its headquarters at Rawalpindi. It was recruited from the various Civil Departments with strength, exclusive of officers, 98 in 1907.

G Company, 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifles, had its headquarters at Murree, and was composed of cadets belonging to the Lawrence Military Asylum at Ghora Gali, near Murree.

H Company, 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifles contained civilian residents from Rawalpindi and Murree, and had its headquarter at Murree. In 1907 G and H Companies were "in strength 121 men, exclusive of officers".[4]

A small detachment of the Punjab Light Horse Volunteers and F Company of the 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifles (strength about 75 in 1912) was recruited from and stationed in Delhi[5]

Punjab disturbances, April 1919; compiled from the Civil and military gazette, 1919 Archive.org, page 20 indicates that the 3rd Punjab Rifles were on the strength of the Command set up at Lahore to deal with the emergency created by the outbreak of disorder.

The Punjab Rifles had an Armoured Train Section.[6]

By 1936, they comprised Headquarters and two Companies of infantry, and two light mortar platoons and were administered as a part of the Punjab Contingent. [7]

  • Uniform - Khaki
  • Facings - Scarlet
  • Badge - Punjab Coat of Arms
  • Motto - "Crescate Fluviis"

Other Punjab Rifles regiments

Individuals

External links

Historical books online

  • "1st Punjab Volunteer Rifle Corps" page 256 Quarterly Civil List for the Punjab: Corrected up to 1st October 1898
  • "Army" page 185 : Punjab District Gazetteers Gurdaspur District Vol.XXI A 1914. Archive.org. Contains a brief mention of the 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifles whose members included some in Gurdaspur District (in which Dalhousie was located) who were mostly European employees at the Dhariwal Mills. New Egerton Woollen Mills, Dhariwal (dronahfoundation.org) was established in 1880.

References

  1. Quarterly Civil List for the Punjab 1898
  2. Imperial Gazetteer of India : Provincial Series Punjab Volume II The Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan Divisions and Native States, page 40 1908 Archive.org
  3. Quarterly Civil List for the Punjab 1898
  4. Page 228, Punjab District Gazetteers, Volume XXVIIIA, Rawalpindi District 1907, published 1909, Archive.org, mirror from Digital Library of India
  5. Delhi District Gazetteer 1912, page 194 from Gazetteers Of Haryana, Haryana Government website
  6. “Waters from Ireland - to Bengal - to New Zealand “ by Neville Thomas FIBIS Journal No 23 (Spring 2010), page 4 indicates that Henry Vincent Osmond Waters was a member.
  7. The Henry (Hal) V.O. Waters Photo Collection
  8. Bruce and Dorothy Brown Collection, University of Victoria Library, British Columbia, Canada. Scroll to the Medals section. Drawer 4, #37e
  9. Medals awarded to W. P. Appleford, 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifles dnw.co.uk