Rani of Jhansi Regiment

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Rani of Jhansi Regiment


caption= A Rani of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment in training, c 1940s
dates= October 1943- May 1945
country=India
allegiance= Azad Hind
branch= Infantry
role= Guerrilla Infantry, Nursing Corps.
size= 1,000 (approx)
commanders=
ceremonial_chief= Subhash Chandra Bose
commander=Lt Col Lakshmi Sahgal
motto=
march=
patron=
colors=
identification_symbol=
battles=
notable_commanders= Lakshmi Swaminadhan
Janaki Devar
decorations=

The Rani of Jhansi Regiment was the Women's Regiment of the Indian National Army. Led by Capt Lakshmi Swaminathan, the unit was raised in July 1943 with volunteers from expatriate Indian population in South East Asia.

Establishment

The initial nucleus of the force was established with its training camp in Singapore with approximately a hundred and seventy cadets. The cadets were given ranks of Non commissioned officers or Privates according to their education. Later, camps were established in Rangoon and Bangkok and by November 1943, the unit had more than 300 cadets.

Training

The recruits were divided into sections and platoons and were accorded ranks of Non-Commissioned Officers and Sepoys according to their educational qualifications. These cadets underwent military and combat training with drills, route marches as well as weapons training in rifles, hand grenades, bayonet charge. Later, a number of the cadets were chosen for more advanced training in Jungle Warfare in Burma. The first qualified troops, numbering nearly five hundred, passed out of the Singapore training camp in March 1944. Some 200 of the cadets were also chosen for Nursing training, forming the Chand Bibi Nursing Corps.

ervice

During the INA's Imphal campaign, an initial contingent of nearly a hundred of the Rani of Jhansi troops moved to Maymyo, part of which was intended to form a Vangaurd unit to enter the Gangetic plains of Bengal after the expected fall of Imphal. A part of the unit also formed the Nursing corps at the INA hospital at Maymyo.Following the failure of the siege of Imphal and the INA's disastrous retreat, the Rani troops were tasked with coordinating the relief and care of the INA troops who arrived at Monywa and to MaymyoThe Rani regiment was not ultimately used in combat.A former INA veteran of Jhansi Rani Regiment is still alive (as of 2006) in Chennai and was honoured by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (Source AANANDHA VIKADAN).She was trained for regular as well as counter intelligence warfare.

End of the regiment

After the fall of Rangoon and the withdrawal of the Azad Hind government and Subhas Chandra Bose from the city and through Burma, the troops originally from Burma were allowed to disband, while the remainder of the regiment retreated along with the retreating Japanese forces on foot and, when available, on mechanised transport. During the retreat it suffered some attacks both from Allied air attacks, as well the Burmese resistance forces. The total casualty suffered is not available. The unit later disbanded.

ee also

*Lakshmi Sahgal
*Rani of Jhansi
*Indian National Army
*Janaki Davar

References

* [http://www.s1942.org.sg/s1942/indian_national_army/women.htm The Women's Regiment. National Archives of Singapore] .