Pakistan: The Baloch Regiment
The Baloch regiment is second in seniority after the Punjab Regiment in the Pakistan Army. Its oldest battalion was raised more than two hundred years ago, in 1798 AD at Masulipattam, as the McLeod Ki Paltan [McLeod’s force], now the 1st Baloch. After raising, it later became the 89th Punjabis and was followed by 90th, 91st and 93rd Punjab Battalions. Combined these arms were given the title of the Madras Native Infantry.
Storming through the jungles of Burma in the same century, uttering their blood-chilling battle cries, the Baluchis also led the fight to conquer that country and their name became immortalized as the ‘Burma’ battalions. In honor of their courage and valor the battalions were presented with an image of the mythical Burmese god, Chinthe, Which they adopted as their cap badge.
Many awards for courage were won the Baluchis in the First World War and subsequently in campaigns across the sub-continent and in the Second World War.
These including the first Victoria Cross ever awarded to an Indian soldier, not only a Muslim but also a Balochi: Lance Naik Khudad Dad Khan of the old
4th Baloch, now 11th Baloch. For their fighting distinction and sheer courage in WWI, the British Government in India bestowed a noble monument in the gardens of Frere Hall, Karachi commemorating the officers, JCOs and men of the 10th Baloch Regiment who fell in battle which still stands.
Another unique distinction in the regimental honor is that of the George Cross, Britain’s peacetime equivalent of the Victoria Cross, which was awarded to Captain Durrani of the 1st Bahawalpur Regiment, now the 8th Baloch.
Altogether in its first 150 years, the regiment gathered one of the most distinguished records for bravery in military history, including fourteen Victoria Crosses, one George Cross, one CMC, 36 DSOs, 158 MCs, Service medals and civil honors and more than 350 mentions in dispatches.
The Baloch Regiment like the Punjab Regiment and the Frontier Force Regiment are three British origin infantry regiments in Pakistan Army. The British ruled this area nearly 200 years and an Army Commander-in-Chief was always number two in rank after the Viceroy/Governor General in the sub-Continent. “Sub-Continent” means present day Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Burma. The British originally had three different armies to control this region, Bengal Army, Bombay Army and Madras Army. These three armies were united in 1895 as British Indian Army. More than 500 states were also working under British India, most of them, especially big states, had their own state forces.
Present Baloch Regiment have its origin in Bombay Army, Madras Army and in State Forces of Bahawalpur in southern Punjab.
Part of the Baluch Regiment’s origin is from the old Bombay Army raised in early nineteenth century , the senior battalion originated in the 2nd (Marine) Bn of the 12th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry raised in 1820. In 1838, as the 24th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry, they stormed Aden (Yemen), bringing that hotbed of pirates under the British flag. The 26th Bombay Native Infantry was raised in 1825 as the 2nd Extra Bn of Bombay Native Infantry, changing its name a year later. Sir Charles Napier raised two regiments in Karachi - the 1st and 2nd Baloch Regiments - for local service within Sind in 1844 and 1846 respectively.
The term ‘local’ was interpreted fairly loosely when it became necessary to send the 2nd Baloch to the Persian War in 1856-57, a campaign frequently overshadowed by the events of the Independence War of Indian People (Great Mutiny by British) in 1857. The 1st was in Karachi when the news of the insurrection reached the Commissioner. Sir Bartle Frere dispatched them with all haste, on foot across the Sindh desert in May to join the siege artillery train on its way to Delhi, the only Bombay unit to join the Delhi Field Force. The regiment was brought into the regular line for its services in Central India and it became the 27th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry in the post-Mutiny realignment.
The 2nd Baloch, in the meantime, had qualified for a similar change in status for their work on the NW Frontier and became the 29th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry. In 1858, Major John Jacob raised a local battalion, soon to be known as Jacob’s Rifles and they made such a reputation in and around Jacobabad that they, too, were accorded regular status, becoming the 30th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry or Jacob’s Rifles in 1861. In the years which followed, the subsidiary title lapsed and does not appear to have been officially revived until 1910, by which time, the 24th, the 26th, the 27th, the 29th, and the 30th had all had one hundred added to their numbers in 1903, emerging as the 124th, the 126th, the 127th, the 129th and the 130th.
A distinction shared by no other regiment was a spell in Japan by the 29th in 1864. They were summoned from Shanghai to Yokohama in September to protect Queen Victoria’s British and Indian subjects. The British force remained in Japan until September the following year.
The Baloch Regiment also owed its origins to the old Madras Army due to amalgamation of 8 Punjab in 1956 after re-organization of all Pakistan Infantry regiments. The 29th Madras Infantry was mustered out on 15 Oct 1893 and was reconstituted the next day at Meiktila in Central Burma as the 29th (7th Burma Bn) Madras Infantry, made up of Punjabis and Sikhs. Similarly, the 30th Madras Infantry became the 30th (5th Burma Bn) Madras Infantry, the 31st became the 31st (6th Burma Bn) Madras Infantry, the 32nd became the 32nd (4th Burma Bn) Madras Infantry and the 33rd the 33rd (3rd Burma Bn) Madras Infantry. In 1901, all these titles were simplified by removal of all mention of Madras and the five regiments were styled 29th Burma Infantry, 30th Burma Infantry, 31st Burma Light Infantry, 32nd Burma Infantry and 33rd Burma Infantry.
These Burma battalions were to police the troublesome new territories acquired in the Third Burma War. In 1903, when all Madras regiments had sixty added to their numbers, the 29th and 30th became 89th and 90th Punjabis, the 31st became the 91st Punjabis (Light Infantry), the 32nd became the 92nd Punjabis whilst the 33rd only performed a half-change, entering the new Line as the 93rd Burma Infantry. It may be said that it was the Afghan Campaign of 1878-80 which set the seal on the future of the Madras soldier. The 30th Madras Native Infantry served in the Khyber Pass but suffered so much from extremes of cold that it put into doubt the suitability of the Southern soldier for service in what was clearly to be a recurring trouble spot.