Some Indian Auxiliary Force Badges

Good day folks

Here are some odds and sods of Indian Auxiliary Forces (plus two from Ceylon)

A couple of really nice ones I think. I've got photos of all of them if you want more detail. I like the GIPR badges - 1st and 2nd Bn

I don't have room for these any more

All the best

James

[Wmr-RHB]

Yes please, if you can. Better pictures of these treasures.

Here we go - the first few

Some more

I like the two GIPR badges

[pinfrin]

Request a better pic of the badge between the Kolar and the Calcutta insignia please.

[Khyber]

Can't figure out the name of the Victorian crown Railway volunteer badge. What is it?

Originally Posted by pinfrin

Request a better pic of the badge between the Kolar and the Calcutta insignia please.

Bhopal Battalion

Originally Posted by Khyber

Can't figure out the name of the Victorian crown Railway volunteer badge. What is it?

EBS Railway Volunteers

1873 raised on 1st March as Eastern Bengal State Railway Volunteer Rifle Corps
1882 became Eastern Bengal Railway Volunteer Rifle Corps when the Northern Bengal State Railway Volunteer Rifle Corps were amalgamated

Hope that helps

James

[Wmr-RHB]

Originally Posted by jamesmilitaria

Bhopal Battalion

I doubt this was part of the AFI or any of it's forerunners.

The Bhopal Levy was raised during the mutiny. After the mutiny it became the Bhopal Battalion. I am not sure in what category, probably a Local Battalion. But it was recruited of Indian people and not of English people living in India as the Volunteer Rifles.

In the 1903 reorganisation and creation of one Indian list of regiments, it was taken into the line as the 9th Bhopal Infantry (filling a gap that was left by the 9th Gurkha Rifles being transferred to the Gurkha Rifles list).

In 1922 it became 4th Bn, 16th Punjab Regiment.

In 1947 the 16th Punjab Regiment went to Pakistan and I assume the link with Bhopal (in India) was already lost at that time.

In 1956 the Pakistan Infantry was reorganised and the battalion became 17th Bn, The Punjab Regiment.

A nice badge though. And I guess rather rare.

[Wmr-RHB]

I am still trying to add titles to the badges:

First group
. The Cawnpore Rifle Volunteers
. The L???? Volunteer Rifles Assam (can't find what L means)
. The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Rifles (the word "Railway" is not on the badge, but I assume this is the full title).
. The Baluchistan Volunteer Rifles (is that the 27th Baluchistan Company of the Indian Defence Force?
. The Eastern Bengal State Railway Volunteers (as you already explained).
. ????

And the second group
. The Punjab Light Horse
. The United Provinces Horse (Southern Regiment) (is this a collar? I thought that the cap is mirrored)
. Kolar Gold Fields Battalion. (strange is that the badge, not only this one, says "Field" where I always find that the designation is "Fields")
. Great India Peninsula Railway Volunteers (the exact designation is a bit bague to me)
. Great India Peninsula Railway Volunteers 2nd Bn

LVR is Lakhimpur Volunteer Rifle Corps

The last one I think is the Lucknow Volunteer Rifles

James

Originally Posted by Wmr-RHB

I am still trying to add titles to the badges:

First group
. The Cawnpore Rifle Volunteers
. The L???? Volunteer Rifles Assam (can't find what L means)
. The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Rifles (the word "Railway" is not on the badge, but I assume this is the full title). Correct
. The Baluchistan Volunteer Rifles (is that the 27th Baluchistan Company of the Indian Defence Force? Yes I think so
. The Eastern Bengal State Railway Volunteers (as you already explained).
. ????

And the second group
. The Punjab Light Horse
. The United Provinces Horse (Southern Regiment) (is this a collar? I thought that the cap is mirrored) I think you are correct
. Kolar Gold Fields Battalion. (strange is that the badge, not only this one, says "Field" where I always find that the designation is "Fields")
. Great India Peninsula Railway Volunteers (the exact designation is a bit bague to me)
. Great India Peninsula Railway Volunteers 2nd Bn

Originally Posted by Wmr-RHB

I doubt this was part of the AFI or any of it's forerunners.

The Bhopal Levy was raised during the mutiny. After the mutiny it became the Bhopal Battalion. I am not sure in what category, probably a Local Battalion. But it was recruited of Indian people and not of English people living in India as the Volunteer Rifles.

In the 1903 reorganisation and creation of one Indian list of regiments, it was taken into the line as the 9th Bhopal Infantry (filling a gap that was left by the 9th Gurkha Rifles being transferred to the Gurkha Rifles list).

In 1922 it became 4th Bn, 16th Punjab Regiment.

In 1947 the 16th Punjab Regiment went to Pakistan and I assume the link with Bhopal (in India) was already lost at that time.

In 1956 the Pakistan Infantry was reorganised and the battalion became 17th Bn, The Punjab Regiment.

A nice badge though. And I guess rather rare.

Yes you are quite correct. It snuck into this group by mistake. Thanks for the detail. I didn't know that Gurkha regiments were originally on the line list.

Thanks

James

[Wmr-RHB]

Originally Posted by jamesmilitaria

Yes you are quite correct. It snuck into this group by mistake. Thanks for the detail. I didn't know that Gurkha regiments were originally on the line list.

Thanks

James

The first five Goorkha Regiments where taken out of the line very short after the reconstruction of the new Bengal Army in 1861:
. 66th Bengal Native Infantry > 1861: 11th Bengal Native Infantry > 1861: 1st Goorkha Regiment
. The Sirmoor Rifle Regiment > 1861: 17th Bengal Native Infantry > 1861: 2nd Goorkha Regiment
. The Kumaon Battalion > 1861: 18th Bengal Native Infantry > 1861 3rd Goorkhs Regiment
. The Extra Goorkha Battalion > 1861: 19th Bengal Native Infantry > 1861: 4th Goorkha Regiment
(the BNI regiments after these were renumbered, so no gaps were left).
And from the Punjab Irrigular Force:
. 25th Infantry, PIF > 1861: 7th Goorkha Regiment, PIF > 1861: 5th Goorkha Regiment

Until 1901 many regiments changed the class they were recruited from and some more and more consisted of people from the Himalayan foot hills (from Nepal and from India). Also they more and more were converted to Light Infantry and then Rifles. This was often shown in their secondary titles. In 1901 The titles were further shortened and four of the Bengal Army regiments and one Madras Army regiment where now designated Gurkha Rifles. In 1903 these were transferred to the Gurkha list as mentioned in my earlier post.
. 9th Bengal Infantry > 1901: 9th Gurkha Rifles > 1903: 9th Gurkha Rifles
. 42nd Bengal Infantry > 1901: 42nd Gurkha Rifles > 1903: 6th Gurkha Rifles
. 43rd Bengal Infantry > 1901: 43rd Gurkha Rifles > 1903: 7th Gurkha Rifles
. 44th Bengal Infantry > 1901: 44th Gurkha Rifles > 1903: 8th Gurkha Rifles
. 10th Madras Infantry : > 1901 10th Gurkha Rifles > 1903: 10th Gurkha Rifles
Remark that seniority was not strictly observed in 1903 in order to spare the 9th and the 10th a renumbering.
Remark also that the gaps in the Bengal line were filled in the Indian line in 1903. The gap in the Madras line was filled in 1917 (as the 70th) in the Indian line.
Remark also that the was an 8th Gurkha Rifles in the Madras Army for a short time.

When you want trace this (and others) in more tables with more details, please go to http://hcvv.home.xs4all.nl/milweb/ and link down to "British India, ...."

[Wmr-RHB]

Originally Posted by jamesmilitaria

LVR is Lakhimpur Volunteer Rifle Corps

The last one I think is the Lucknow Volunteer Rifles

James

Thanks a lot.

Have to search for more information about the Lakhimpur VRC.

I found 11th Lucknow Rifles in the IDF. I doubt they were continued in the AFI, but they may have had a predecessor.

[peter monahan]

Some very fine and unusual pieces there. Thanks for sharing them.