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{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry
| image= 124th Baluchistan Infantry badge.jpg
| image_size = 200
|caption=
|dates=1903–1922
|country={{flag|British India|23px}}
|allegiance=
|branch={{army|British India|23px}}
|type=Infantry
|role=
|size=3 Battalions
|command_structure=
|garrison=
|garrison_label=
|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors=Red; faced deep green; emerald green in 1885 Drab; faced red in 1891; red trousers
|colors_label=Uniform
|march=
|mascot=
|equipment=
|equipment_label=
|battles=[[Aden#British administration 1839–1967|Expedition to Aden 1839]] [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]] [[Second Afghan War]] 1879-80 [[British East Africa 1896]] [[World War I]] ([[Mesopotamian Campaign|Mesopotamia]], [[Persian campaign (World War I)|Persia]], [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign#Palestine campaign|Palestine]]) [[Third Afghan War]] 1919 [[Iraqi revolt against the British|Iraqi Revolt 1920]]
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
|battle_honours=
|battle_honours_label=
|disbanded=
|flying_hours=
|website=

|commander1=The [[Duchess of Connaught]]
|commander1_label=[[Colonel-in-Chief]]
|commander2=Gen Sir [[Alfred Astley Pearson]], KCB
|commander2_label=Colonel of the Regiment
|commander3=
|commander3_label=
|commander4=
|commander4_label=
|notable_commanders=

|identification_symbol=
|identification_symbol_label=
|identification_symbol_2=
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}}
The '''124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry''' was an [[infantry regiment]] of the [[British Indian Army]] raised in 1820 as the 2nd (Marine) Battalion 12th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry. It was designated as the 124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry in 1903 and became 1st Battalion [[10th Baluch Regiment]] in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to [[Pakistan Army]], where it continues to exist as '''6th Battalion of The [[Baloch Regiment]]'''.<ref name="Ahmad 2010">Ahmad, Lt Col RN. (2010). ''Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.</ref>

==Early history==
The regiment was raised in June 1820 at [[Bombay]] as the 2nd (Marine) Battalion 12th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry by Captain Deschamps. In 1824, it was designated as the 24th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry. On 19 January 1839, it stormed and captured the city of [[Aden]] as part of a punitive expedition sent to rid the area of pirates. During the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion of 1857-58]], the regiment, under the command of Major WG Duncan, operated in [[Central India Campaign (1858)|Central India]] against the [[Marathas]] led by [[Tatya Tope]] and the [[Rani Lakshmibai|Rani of Jhansi]]. In December 1857, it joined the Central India Field Force and during the next six months, fought in several major engagements, including the storming of the fortress of Rahatgarh, the Relief of [[Saugor]], the capture of [[Jhansi]] and the Battle of [[Kalpi]], where the Mahratta Army was decisively defeated. It remained employed in mopping up operations till 15 December 1858. During the campaign, it suffered a total of 52 casualties. In 1879-80, it participated in the [[Second Afghan War]], where it was deployed on the line of communication.<ref name="Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin 1998">Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin. (1998). ''History of the Baloch Regiment 1820-1939''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.</ref><ref name="Chaldecott 1935">Chaldecott, Lt Col OA. (1935). ''The First Battalion (DCO) and the Tenth Battalion, the Tenth Baluch Regiment''. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.</ref><ref name="Cadell, Sir Patrick 1938">Cadell, Sir Patrick. (1938). ''History of the Bombay Army''. London: Longmans & Green.</ref>

In 1891, the regiment was localized to the Province of [[Baluchistan]] and reconstituted with [[Baloch people|Balochis]], [[Brahui people|Brahuis]], [[Pashtun people|Pathan]]s and Punjabi Muslims. It adopted uniform of drab colour with red trousers and its designation was changed to 24th (Baluchistan) Regiment of Bombay Infantry. In 1895, the [[Duchess of Connaught]] was appointed the [[Colonel-in-Chief]] of the regiment. In 1896, it was dispatched to [[British East Africa 1896|British East Africa]] under the command of Lieutenant Colonel [[Alfred Astley Pearson|AA Pearson]] to suppress a rebellion in areas now forming [[Kenya]]. In 1901, the regiment's designation was changed to 24th (Duchess of Connaught's Own) Baluchistan Infantry.<ref name="Chaldecott 1935"/>[[File:124th Baluchistan Infantry, watercolour by Maj AC lovett, 1910 2.jpg|thumb|right|Quarter Guard of 124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry. Watercolour by AC Lovett, ''c.'' 1910.|230px]]

==124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry==
Subsequent to the [[Kitchener Reforms|reforms]] brought about in the Indian Army by [[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener|Lord Kitchener]] in 1903, all former [[Bombay Army]] units had 100 added to their numbers. Consequently, the regiment's designation was changed to 124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry and it was delocalized from Baluchistan.

On the outbreak of the [[First World War]], the regiment was sent to [[Persian campaign (World War I)|Persia]] in 1916, where it raised a second battalion later that year. The 2nd Battalion served with great gallantry in the [[Mesopotamian Campaign]], where it fought in the Battles of Khudaira Bend, Jebel Hamrin and Tikrit. In 1918, it proceeded to [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] and took part in the [[Battle of Megiddo (1918)|Battle of Megiddo]], which led to the defeat of [[Turkish Army]] in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]]. In the meantime, a third battalion was raised in 1917, which served in South Persia and later, in the [[Third Afghan War]] of 1919 and during the Arab uprising in [[Iraqi revolt against the British|Iraq]] in 1920. The 1st Battalion also served in the Third Afghan War. During the First World War, the three battalions of 124th DCO Baluchistan Infantry suffered a total of 1179 casualties including 459 killed or died of disease.<ref name="Chaldecott 1935"/>

==Subsequent History==
In 1921, the 3/124th DCO Baluchistan Infantry was disbanded, while the remaining two battalions were grouped with four other Baluch battalions: [[126th Baluchistan Infantry]], [[127th Baluch Light Infantry|127th Queen Mary's Own Baluch Light Infantry]], [[129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis]] and the [[130th Baluchis|130th King George's Own Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles)]], to form the 10th Baluch Regiment in 1922. The 1/124th DCO Baluchistan Infantry became the 1st Battalion and 2/124th DCO Baluchistan Infantry the 10th (Training) Battalion of the new regiment. During the [[Second World War]], 1/10th Baluch (DCO) served in [[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran|Iran]], [[Anglo-Iraqi War|Iraq]], [[Syria-Lebanon Campaign|Syria]] and [[Syria-Lebanon Campaign|Lebanon]]. In 1943, the 10th Battalion became the 10th Baluch Regimental Centre. In 1945, the 10th Baluch Regiment lost its number and became '''The Baluch Regiment'''. On the [[Partition of India|independence]] of [[Pakistan]] in 1947, it was allocated to [[Pakistan Army]]. In 1956, on the merger of [[8th Punjab Regiment|8th Punjab]] and [[Bahawalpur Regiment]]s with the [[10th Baluch Regiment|Baluch Regiment]], 1 Baluch was redesignated as 6 Baluch (now 6 Baloch). During the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]], the battalion served in the [[Rann of Kutch]] and [[Kasur]] Sectors.<ref name="Ahmad 2010"/>[[File:24th Baluchistan Infantry, 1896 Colonel Alfred Pearson commanding.jpg|thumb|right|24th (Baluchistan) (Duchess of Connaught's Own) Regiment of Bombay Infantry. Lieutenant Colonel Alfred A Pearson (centre) commanding. Quetta, 1896.|300px]]

==Genealogy==
*1820 - 2nd (Marine) Battalion 12th Regiment Bombay Native Infantry
*1823 - 2nd Battalion 12th Regiment Bombay Native Infantry
*1824 - 24th Regiment Bombay Native Infantry
*1885 - 24th Regiment Bombay Infantry
*1891 - 24th (Baluchistan) Regiment Bombay Infantry
*1895 - 24th (Baluchistan) (Duchess of Connaught's Own) Regiment of Bombay Infantry
*1901 - 24th (Duchess of Connaught's Own) Baluchistan Infantry
*1903 - 124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry
*1917 - 1st Battalion 124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry
*1922 - 1st Battalion (Duchess of Connaught's Own) 10th Baluch Regiment or 1/10th Baluch
*1945 - 1st Battalion (Duchess of Connaught's Own) The Baluch Regiment or 1 Baluch
*1956 - 6th Battalion The Baluch Regiment or 6 Baluch
*1991 - 6th Battalion The Baloch Regiment or 6 Baloch<ref name="Ahmad 2010"/>

==See also==

*[[10th Baluch Regiment]]
*[[Baloch Regiment|The Baloch Regiment]]
*[[William Alexander Kerr|Lieutenant William Alexander Kerr]], [[Victoria Cross|VC]]
*[[Alfred Astley Pearson|General Sir Alfred Astley Pearson]], KCB
*[[British East Africa 1896]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Ahmad, Lt Col Rifat Nadeem. (2010). ''Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.
* Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin. (1998). ''History of the Baloch Regiment 1820-1939''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre. {{ISBN|1-84734-130-6}}
* Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin. (2000). ''History of the Baloch Regiment 1939-1956''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre. {{ISBN|1-84574-094-7}}
* Barthorp, Michael, & Jeffrey Burn. (1979). ''Indian Infantry Regiments 1860–1914''. Osprey Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-85045-307-2}}
* Cadell, Sir Patrick. (1938). ''History of the Bombay Army''. London: Longmans & Green
* Chaldecott, Lt Col OA. (1935). ''The First Battalion (DCO) and the Tenth Battalion, the Tenth Baluch Regiment''. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
*Gaylor, John (1992). ''Sons of John Company: Indian and Pakistan Armies, 1903-1991'', Spellmount Publishers Ltd. {{ISBN|978-0-946771-98-1}}.

==External links==
*''History of the Baloch Regiment 1820–1939 the Colonial Period'', text of [https://archive.today/20121208200149/http://www.naval-military-press.com/history-of-the-baloch-regiment-1820-1939-pr-18025.html pages 1 to 15] available online as download preview
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Baloch Regiment, British Indian Army infantry regiments, Military units and formations established in 1820, Military units and formations disestablished in 1922
|description=
}}

[[Category:Baloch Regiment]]
[[Category:British Indian Army infantry regiments]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1820]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1922]]

124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry - Revision history

Delinker at 14:12, 24 July 2023