| 30th Punjabis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1857 - 1922 |
| Country |  British India |
| Branch |  British Indian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 4 Battalions |
| Uniform | Red; faced white |
| Engagements | Indian Mutiny 1857-58 Bhutan War 1864-66 Second Afghan War 1878-80 First World War 1914-18 |
The30th Punjabis were an infantry regiment of theBritish Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 22nd Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 30th Punjabis in 1903 and became 1st Battalion16th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to thePakistan Army, where it continues to exist as13th Battalion ThePunjab Regiment.[1][2]
The regiment was raised during the upheaval of theIndian Mutiny, by Captain ROT Nicholls atLudhiana on 10 June 1857, as the 22nd Regiment of Punjab Infantry. The men were mostly drawn from other infantry and police battalions in thePunjab and their class composition was Punjabi Muslims,Sikhs andDogras. For the next two years, the regiment remained engaged in suppressing the rebellion. The regiment took an active part in theBhutan War of 1864–66, theSecond Afghan War of 1878–80, theChitral Expedition of 1895, and theTirah Campaign of 1897.[2][3]
Subsequent to thereforms brought about in the Indian Army byLord Kitchener in 1903, the regiment's designation was changed to 30th Punjabis.[4]During theFirst World War, the 30th Punjabis served with distinction in theEast African Campaign, while their 2nd Battalion, raised in 1918, served in the Palestine Campaign and fought in theBattle of Megiddo. During the war, 30th Punjabis raised two more battalions, which stayed in India. All war-raised battalions were disbanded after the war.[2][3]
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 16th Punjab Regiment, formed by grouping the 30th Punjabis with the31st,33rd and46th Punjabis, and the9th Bhopal Infantry. The battalion's new designation was 1st Battalion 16th Punjab Regiment. During theSecond World War, the battalion fought in theBurma Campaign with great distinction.[2][4] In 1947, the 16th Punjab Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was merged with the1st,14th and15th Punjab Regiments to form one largePunjab Regiment, and 1/16th Punjab was redesignated as 13 Punjab. In 1948, the battalion fought in the war with India inKashmir, while during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, it fought in the Chhamb-Jaurian Sector. In 1971, it served inSialkot Sector.[1]
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