14th Punjab Regiment

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 14th Punjab Regiment
abbreviation=


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dates= 1922 - 1947
country= British India
allegiance= British Crown
branch= British Indian Army
type= Infantry
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battle_honours=Agordat
Keren
Abyssinia 1940-41
Alam El Halfa
Defence of Alamein Line
North Africa 1940-43
Kampar
Singapore Island
Malaya 1941-42
Hong Kong
South East Asia 1941-42
The Yu
North Arakan
Buthidaung
Razabil
Maungdaw
Ngakyedauk Pass
Imphal
Shenam Pass
Nungshigum
Bishenpur
Kanglatongbi
Jessami
Naga Village
Mao Songsang
Monywa 1945
Kyaukse 1945
Nyaungu Bridgehead
Letse
Magwe
Rangoon Road
Pegu 1945
Sittang 1945
Burma 1942-45

The 14th Punjab Regiment was a regular infantry regiment of the British Indian Army, it was formed in 1922 by the amalgamations of the the 19th, 20th, 22nd and 24th Punjabis, the 40th Pathans and the 21st Punjabis. [cite web|title=defencejournal|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/aug99/14th-punjab.htm] When the new regiment was formed their new badge was a crown on a five pointed star (which was representative of the five rivers of the Punjab),with the number 14 in the center and a scroll below which read "Punjab Regiment". [cite web|title=defencejournal|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/aug99/14th-punjab.htm] In 1923 the new 1st Battalion was among the first Indian Army units selected for Indianisation. [Nationalisation of the Indian Army, 1885-1947 By Gautam Sharma.p235] Which attempted to ensure that all the junior officers would be Indians trained at Sandhurst. [cite web|title=defencejournal|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/aug99/14th-punjab.htm]

New Battalion Designations

The battalions formed by the amalgamation were listed as the:
*1st Battalion ex 19th Punjabis.
*2nd Battalion ex 20th Punjabis.
*3rd Battalion ex 22nd Punjabis.
*4th Battalion ex 24th Punjabis.
*5th Battalion ex 40th Pathans.
*10th Battalion ex 21st Punjabis.
*11th Battalion which was a territorial Battalion ex 26th Punjabis.

World War II

During World War II, the Regiment formed 16 Battalions 4 were captured by the Japanese in Singapore and Hong Kong. [cite web|title=burmastar|url=http://www.burmastar.org.uk/14punjab.htm]

*1st Battalion; Served in the Battle of Malaya and was captured in Singapore in February 1942 by the Japanese.
*2nd Battalion; Served in Hong Kong, where it was captured by the Japanese in December 1941.
*3rd Battalion; Served in India, Egypt, Aden, Italian East Africa, Burma.
*4th Battalion; Served in India, Burma and Siam.
*5th Battalion (Pathans); Served in India and Malaya, was captured in Singapore in February 1942 by the Japanese.
*6th Battalion; Served in Singapore and was captured in Singapore in February 1942 by the Japanese.
*7th Battalion; Served in India and Burma.
*8th Battalion; Served in India, Ceylon, Burma and French Indo-China.
*11th Battalion; pre-war Territorial battalion was mobilised in September 1939 and then transferred to the 9th Jats, becoming the 9/9th Jat Regiment in September 1941.
*12th Battalion; raised in November 1939 as a second Territorial battalion and transferred in September 1941 to become the 14/9th Jat Regiment.
*14th Battalion; Served in India.
*15th Battalion; Was designated as a Machine Gun Battalion and then converted to a normal infantry role in August 1942 and served as a jungle-training unit in India.
*16th Battalion; Was raised as the 25th Garrison Battalion in July 1942 on conversion to active status served in India.
*25th Garrison Battalion; see above.
*26th Garrison Battalion; raised in March 1942. Converted to active status in January 1945 but not renumbered. Served in India and the Cocos Islands.
*Machine-Gun Battalion; Raised in January 1942. Redesignated the 15/14th in July 1942. [cite web|title=defencejournal|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/aug99/14th-punjab.htm]

Partition

The Regiment was allocated to Pakistan on Partition and renamed the Punjab Regiment (Pakistan). On transfer of power, the regular battalions were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. [cite web|title=defencejournal|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/aug99/14th-punjab.htm]

References

Further reading

*'History of the 20th (DCO) Infantry, Brownlow's Punjabis 1857 to 1907' (Swiss and Co. Davenport 1910)
*'Historical Records of the 20th (DCO) Infantry, Brownlow's Punjabis Vol II 1909-1922) (Butler and Tanner, Frome and London 1923)
*'Records of the 1/XXI Punjabis' by Major P Murray (Gale and Polden Ltd, Aldershot 1919)
*'The 40th Pathans in the Great War' (The Civil and Military Gazette Press, Lahore 1921)
*'Fourteenth Punjab Regiment 1939-1945' (Lund Humphries, London n.d.)