| 25th Punjabis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1857 - 1922 |
| Country | British India |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 2 Battalions |
| Uniform | Red; faced white |
| Engagements | Indian Mutiny 1857-58 Second Afghan War 1878-80 Chinese Revolution of 1911 First World War 1914-18 Third Afghan War 1919 |
The25th Punjabis was aninfantryregiment of theBritish Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 17th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 25th Punjabis in 1903 and became 1st Battalion15th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to thePakistan Army, where it continues to exist as9th Battalion ThePunjab Regiment.[1][2]
The regiment was raised by Captain R Larkins at Mian Mir,Lahore on 8 June 1857, during the upheaval of theIndian Mutiny, as the Lahore Punjab Battalion. The recruits were mostly Punjabi Muslims,Sikhs andDogras from other infantry battalions in thePunjab. For the next two years, it remained engaged in suppressing the rebellion in numerous actions in North India. The regiment's next opportunity for active service came in 1878, when it took part in theSecond Afghan War, where it fought in the Battles of Ahmad Khel andKandahar. In 1895, it took part in theRelief of Chitral, while in 1897, it operated with the Tochi Field Force during the great tribal uprising on theNorth West Frontier of India.[2]
Subsequent to thereforms brought about in the Indian Army byLord Kitchener in 1903, the regiment's designation was changed to 25th Punjabis.[3]
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In 1911, the 25th Punjabis moved toHong Kong to protect British interests following the1911 Revolution. On the outbreak of theFirst World War, the regiment returned from Hong Kong to India. In December 1917, it moved toMesopotamia as part of the54th Indian Brigade,18th Indian Division. In September 1918, the 25th Punjabis moved toSalonika inGreece and then toTurkey as part of the Allied occupation forces. It returned to India in 1921. The regiment raised a second battalion on 1 November 1917. The 2/25th Punjabis served in theThird Afghan War of 1919. The battalion was disbanded in 1922.[2]
In 1921-22, a major reorganization was undertaken in the British Indian Army leading to the formation of large infantry groups of four to six battalions. Among these was the 15th Punjab Regiment, formed by grouping the 25th Punjabis with the26th,27th,28th and29th Punjabis. The battalion's new designation was 1st Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment.[3] During theSecond World War, the battalion fought in theBurma Campaign. In 1947, the 15th Punjab Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was merged with the1st,14th and16th Punjab Regiments to form one largePunjab Regiment, and 1/15th Punjab was redesignated as 9 Punjab. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, it fought in Chhamb-Jaurian Sector, while in 1971, it fought in the Hussainiwala Sector.[1]
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