View source for 156th Infantry

{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 156th Infantry
| image = 
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| caption = 
| dates = May 1918 – 1919
| country = {{flag|British India|23px}}
| allegiance = [[British Crown]]
| branch = {{army|British India|23px}}
| type = [[Infantry]]
| role =
| size = One [[battalion]]
| command_structure = [[Karachi Brigade]]
| garrison =
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| motto =
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| anniversaries =
| equipment =
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| battles = [[First World War]]
| battles_label = Service
| decorations =
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| disbanded =
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}}
The '''156th Infantry'''{{efn|Gaylor<ref name=Gaylor346>{{harvnb|Gaylor|1996|p=346}}</ref> states that the regiment was called the ''156th Indian Infantry'' whereas Perry<ref name=Perry177>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=177}}</ref> says ''156th Infantry''.  The latter seems more likely given the designation of, for examples, the pre-war [[18th Infantry]], [[98th Infantry]] and [[108th Infantry]].}} was an [[infantry]] [[regiment]] of the [[British Indian Army]].  It was formed in [[Mesopotamian campaign|Mesopotamia]] in May 1918 during the [[Indian Army during World War I|First World War]].  It moved to India in June where it remained until disbanded in 1919.

==Background==
Heavy losses suffered by the [[British Expeditionary Force (World War I)|British Expeditionary Force]] on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] following the [[German spring offensive]] in March 1918 resulted in a major reorganization of the [[Egyptian Expeditionary Force]]:
* two divisions{{snd}}[[52nd (Lowland) Division|52nd (Lowland)]]<ref name=Becke115>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|p=115}}</ref> and [[74th (Yeomanry) Division|74th (Yeomanry)]]<ref name=Becke121>{{harvnb|Becke|1937|p=121}}</ref>{{snd}} were transferred to France in April; they were replaced by the [[3rd (Lahore) Division|3rd (Lahore)]]<ref name=Perry54>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=54}}</ref> and [[7th (Meerut) Division]]s<ref name=Perry90>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=90}}</ref> from [[Mesopotamian campaign|Mesopotamia]];
* nine [[yeomanry]] [[regiment]]s were dismounted, converted to machine gunners and sent to France at the end of the same month; the [[4th Cavalry Division (British Indian Army)|4th]]<ref name=Perry2124>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|pp=21–24}}</ref> and [[5th Cavalry Division (British Indian Army)|5th Cavalry Divisions]]<ref name=Perry2528>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|pp=25–28}}</ref> were reformed with Indian cavalry regiments withdrawn from France and the [[15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade]] already in Egypt;
* the [[10th (Irish) Division|10th (Irish)]],<ref name=Becke1516>{{harvnb|Becke|1938|pp=15–16}}</ref> [[53rd (Welsh) Division|53rd (Welsh)]],<ref name=Becke120121>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|pp=120–121}}</ref> [[60th (2/2nd London) Division|60th (2/2nd London)]],<ref name=Becke2930>{{harvnb|Becke|1937|pp=29–30}}</ref> and [[75th Division (United Kingdom)|75th Divisions]]<ref name=Becke126128>{{harvnb|Becke|1937|pp=126–128}}</ref> were reduced to a single British [[battalion]] per [[brigade]].  They were reformed with nine Indian infantry battalions and an Indian [[Pioneer (military)|pioneer]] battalion each.{{efn|The remaining infantry division in the [[Egyptian Expeditionary Force]] in March 1918{{snd}}the [[54th (East Anglian) Division]]{{snd}}remained unaffected by these changes.<ref name=Becke128129>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|pp=128–129}}</ref>}}
In fact, the 75th Division already had four Indian battalions assigned,{{efn|In March 1917, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force started forming the [[75th Division (United Kingdom)|75th Division]], originally to be made up of [[Territorial Force]] battalions arriving from India.  In May 1917, to speed up the formation of the division, it was decided to incorporate Indian battalions.<ref name=Becke129>{{harvnb|Becke|1937|p=129}}</ref>  To this end, the independent [[29th Indian Brigade]] was broken up in June 1917 and its battalions posted to 75th Division.<ref name=Perry167>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=167}}</ref>}} so of the 36 battalions needed to reform the divisions, 22 were improvised<ref name=Perry174>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=174}}</ref> by taking whole [[Company (military unit)|companies]] from existing units already on active service in Mesopotamia and Palestine to form the [[150th Infantry]] (3 battalions), [[151st Sikh Infantry]] (3), [[152nd Punjabis]] (3), [[153rd Punjabis]] (3), [[154th Infantry]] (3), [[155th Pioneers]] (2), 156th Infantry (1) and the [[11th Gurkha Rifles]] (4).<ref name=Perry177178>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|pp=177–178}}</ref>  The donor units were then brought back up to strength by drafts.  In the event, just 13 of the battalions were assigned to the divisions<ref name=Hanafin>{{cite web |url=http://orbat.com/site/history/open4/uk_eygptianexpeditionaryforce1918.pdf |title=Order of Battle of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, September 1918 |last=Hanafin |first=James |publisher=orbat.com |access-date=11 November 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109153754/http://orbat.com/site/history/open4/uk_eygptianexpeditionaryforce1918.pdf | archive-date=9 January 2015}}</ref> and the remaining nine were transferred from Mesopotamia to India in June 1918.<ref name=PerryVar>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|pp=44,64,81,103,155}}</ref>

==History==
The regiment was formed with a single battalion (1st Battalion) in Mesopotamia in May 1918 by the transfer of complete companies from:<ref name=Perry177/>
*[[73rd Carnatic Infantry]]
*[[79th Carnatic Infantry]]
*[[80th Carnatic Infantry]]
*[[83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry]]
The battalion was transferred from Mesopotamia to India in June 1918 and joined the [[Karachi Brigade]] where it remained in until the end of the [[First World War]].<ref name=Perry64>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=64}}</ref>  The 156th Infantry was disbanded in 1919.<ref name=Gaylor346/>

==See also==
{{portal|World War I}}
* [[Indian Army during World War I]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book
  | last = Becke | first = Major A.F.
  | year = 1936
  | title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2A. The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)
  | publisher = [[His Majesty's Stationery Office]]
  | location = London
  | isbn = 1-871167-12-4
}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Becke | first = Major A.F.
  | year = 1937
  | title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2B. The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th) with The Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions
  | publisher = [[His Majesty's Stationery Office]]
  | location = London
  | isbn = 1-871167-00-0
}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Becke | first = Major A.F.
  | year = 1938
  | title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 3A. New Army Divisions (9–26)
  | publisher = [[His Majesty's Stationery Office]]
  | location = London
  | isbn = 1-871167-08-6
}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Gaylor | first = John
  | year = 1996
  | edition = 2nd
  | title = Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–1991
  | publisher = Parapress
  | location = Tunbridge Wells
  | isbn = 1-898594-41-4
}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Perry | first = F.W.
  | year = 1993
  | title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions
  | publisher = Ray Westlake Military Books
  | location = Newport
  | isbn = 1-871167-23-X
}}

==External links==
* {{cite web |url=http://orbat.com/site/history/open4/uk_eygptianexpeditionaryforce1918.pdf |title=Order of Battle of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, September 1918 |last=Hanafin |first=James |publisher=orbat.com |access-date=11 November 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109153754/http://orbat.com/site/history/open4/uk_eygptianexpeditionaryforce1918.pdf | archive-date=9 January 2015}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=British Indian Army infantry regiments, Military units and formations established in 1918, Military units and formations disestablished in 1919
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[[Category:British Indian Army infantry regiments]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1918]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1919]]