Garhwal rifles

The Garhwal rifles were companies of riflemen from Garhwal who served in World War I.

The Garhwal Himalayas form a stark and rugged terrain. The people inhabiting the area are equally rugged and frugal and provide fine military and infantry material to the army. Serving in the Army has been a long tradition in the Garhwal hills. Families have sent their sons to the army for generations. In the remote areas of the hills, earnings of the soldiers have sustained the local economy for years. Garhwalis were taken in military service by the British as early as 1815. They had, however, been enlisted in the five regiments of the Gorkhas belonging to the Bengal Infantry and Punjab Frontier Force.

In April 1887, the raising of the 2/3 Gorkha Rifles was ordered with a class composition of six Garhwali and two Gorkha companies. In 1891, the two Gorkha Companies were separated and the remaining six Garhwali companies were re-designated as the 39th Garhwal Regiment of the Bengal Infantry. Another battalion was added to the Regiment and both took part in the Great War, winning two Victoria Crosses during that conflict. The Garhwalis were the 'find' of the period and proved themselves in Flanders and other battles in Europe, despite the heavy casualties suffered. Later these battalions also served in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) and Salonika. After Independence, the Regiment gained in strength and proved itself in many campaigns.

Theatre Honours: Jammu & Kashmir - 1947-48, Ladakh - 1962, Punjab - 1965, Rajasthan - 1965 and East Pakistan - 1971,Kargil - 1999.