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{{Short description|Infantry regiment of the British Indian Army}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis
| image = Badge of 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis 1903-22.jpg
| image_size = 190
| caption =
| dates = 1903 - 1922
| country = {{flag|British India|23px}}
| branch = {{army|British India|23px}}
| type = Infantry
| size = 2 Battalions
| command_structure =
| garrison =
| ceremonial_chief = [[Duke of Connaught|The Duke of Connaught]]
| ceremonial_chief_label = [[Colonel-in-Chief]]
| colonel_of_the_regiment = [[O'Moore Creagh|General Sir Garrett O'Moore Creagh]], [[Victoria Cross|VC]], [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath|GCB]], [[GCSI]]
| nickname =
| motto =
| colors = Green; faced red; red trousers
| colors_label = Uniform
| march =
| mascot =
| battles = [[Anglo-Persian War]] 1856-57 [[Taiping Rebellion]] 1862-64 [[Second Afghan War]] 1878-80 [[Anglo-Egyptian War]] 1882 [[First World War]] 1914-18 ([[Western Front (World War I)|France & Flanders]], [[East African Campaign (World War I)|German East Africa]]) [[Third Afghan War]] 1919 [[Iraqi revolt against the British|Iraqi Revolt 1920]]
| notable_commanders =
| anniversaries =
}}
The '''129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis''' was an [[infantry regiment]] of the [[British Indian Army]] raised in 1846 as the 2nd Bellochee Battalion. It was designated as the 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis in 1903, and became 4th Battalion (Duke of Connaught's Own) [[10th Baluch Regiment]] in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to [[Pakistan Army]], where it continues to exist as '''11th 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 on 6 May 1846 at [[Karachi]] on the orders of [[Charles James Napier|General Sir Charles Napier]], the British Governor of [[Sindh]]. Its manpower was mostly drawn from [[Baloch people|Balochis]], [[Sindhi people|Sindhis]] and [[Pashtun people|Pathan]]s of Sindh. Later, it also recruited [[Brahui people|Brahuis]] and Punjabi Muslims, while the recruitment area was extended to include [[Baluchistan]], [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)|North-West Frontier Province]] and the [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]]. In 1856, the battalion was dispatched to [[Persia]] and fought in the [[Anglo-Persian War]]. In the post-[[Indian Mutiny|Mutiny]] realignment, it was brought into line in 1861 and became the 29th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry or the 2nd Belooch Regiment. In 1862, the regiment went to [[China]] to suppress the [[Taiping Rebellion]]. Two years later, they became the first foreign troops to be stationed in [[Japan]], when two companies were sent to [[Yokohama]] to guard the British legation. In 1878–80, the 2nd Belooch Regiment fought in the [[Second Afghan War]], followed by the [[Anglo-Egyptian War]] of 1882. In 1883, the [[Duke of Connaught]] was appointed their [[Colonel-in-Chief]].<ref name="Qureshi 1966">Qureshi, Lt Col IA. (1966). ''History of 11th Battalion, the Baluch Regiment''. Lahore: The Allied Press.</ref><ref name="Cadell, Sir Patrick 1938">Cadell, Sir Patrick. (1938). ''History of the Bombay Army''. London: Longmans & Green.</ref><ref name="Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin 1998">Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin. (1998). ''History of the Baloch Regiment 1820-1939''. Abbottabad: Baloch Regimental Centre.</ref><ref name="Gaylor 1992">{{cite book|last=Gaylor|first=J|title=Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–1991|publisher=Spellmount|year=1992}}</ref>

Subsequent to the [[Kitchener Reforms|reforms]] brought about in the British 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 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis.<ref name="Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin 1998"/> In 1912, [[O'Moore Creagh|General Sir Garrett O'Moore Creagh]], [[Victoria Cross|VC]], [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath|GCB]], [[GCSI]], [[Commander-in-Chief]], British Indian Army was appointed Colonel of the 129th DCO Baluchis. He was a former Commanding Officer of the regiment.<ref name="Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin 1998"/> The regimental full dress uniform in 1914 included a rifle green turban and ''kurta'' (knee length tunic) piped in red, worn with red trousers and white gaiters. The red trousers were a distinctive feature of all five Baluch infantry regiments then serving in the British Indian Army.<ref>Barthorp, Michael; Jeffrey Burn (1979). ''Indian Infantry Regiments 1860–1914''. p. 32. London: Osprey.</ref>[[File:29TH BOMBAY NATIVE INFANTRY on Firing Exercise 1885 Simkin.jpg|thumb|right|The 29th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Bombay Native Infantry on firing exercise. Coloured lithograph by Richard Simkin, ''c.'' 1885.|370px]]
During the [[First World War]], the 129th DCO Baluchis served on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] in [[France]] and [[Belgium]], where they became the first Indian regiment to attack the Germans. At [[Hollebeke]], during the First Ypres, Sepoy [[Khudadad Khan]] became the first Pakistani to win the [[Victoria Cross]]; Britain's highest decoration for valour. The regiment also fought in the Battles of [[Battle of Messines (1914)|Messines 1914]], [[Battle of Armentières|Armentières 1914]], Festubert 1914, [[Givenchy 1914]] and [[Battle of Neuve Chapelle|Neuve Chapelle 1915]]. From France, the regiment proceeded to [[East African Campaign (World War I)|German East Africa]] and again distinguished itself in the long and difficult campaign.<ref name="Ahmad 2010"/><ref name="Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin 1998"/> The German commander, General [[Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck|von Lettow-Vorbeck]], said of them: ''"... the 129th Baluchis ... were without a doubt very good"''.<ref>Von Lettow, Gen Paul. (1957). ''East African Campaigns''. New York: Robert Speller & Sons. p. 154.</ref> The regiment suffered a staggering 3585 casualties out of the 4447 officers and men, who served with it in the First World War.<ref>Thatcher, WS. (1932). ''The Fourth Battalion, Duke of Connaught's Own, Tenth Baluch Regiment in the Great War.'' Cambridge: The University Press.</ref> Out of these casualties 348 died, including 45 attached men from the 127th Baluchi Light Infantry and 6 men from the 124th Baluchis.
In 1918, the regiment raised a second battalion. Both 1st & 2nd Battalions 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis fought in the [[Third Afghan War]] of 1919, while the 2nd Battalion also served in Iraq during the [[Iraqi revolt against the British]] in 1920. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in 1922.<ref name="Ahmad 2010"/>

==Subsequent history==
In 1922, the regiment was grouped with five other Baluch battalions: 1st & 2nd Battalions of [[124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry]], [[126th Baluchistan Infantry]], [[127th Baluch Light Infantry|127th Queen Mary's Own Baluch Light Infantry]] and the [[130th Baluchis|130th King George's Own Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles)]], to form the 10th Baluch Regiment. The 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis were designated as the 4th Battalion (Duke of Connaught's Own) 10th Baluch Regiment.<ref name="Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin 1998"/> [[File:129th Baluchis near Holobeke.jpg|thumb|right|The 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis near Hollebeke, Belgium, First Battle of Ypres, October 1914.|390px]]
During the [[Second World War]], 4/10th Baluch served in [[East African Campaign (World War II)|Italian East Africa]], [[North African Campaign|North Africa]] and [[Italian campaign (World War II)|Italy]]. The battalion's performance in the war was once again highly commendable. It suffered a total of 1677 casualties and received numerous gallantry awards. On the [[Partition of India]] in 1947, the battalion, along with the Baluch Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army. In the 1948 Indo-Pakistan War, the battalion captured the strategic heights of Pandu in [[Kashmir]].<ref>Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin. (2000). ''History of the Baloch Regiment 1939-1956''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.</ref><ref>Thatcher, WS. (1980). ''The Tenth Baluch Regiment in the Second World War''. Abbottabad: The Baluch Regimental Centre.</ref> In 1956, on the merger of [[8th Punjab Regiment|8th Punjab]] and [[Bahawalpur Regiment]]s with the [[10th Baluch Regiment|Baluch Regiment]], 4 Baluch was redesignated as 11 Baluch (now 11 Baloch). During the [[Indo-Pakistani Wars]] of 1965 and 1971, the battalion fought with distinction in the [[Lahore]] and Zafarwal Sectors.<ref name="Ahmad 2010"/>

==Genealogy==
*1846 2nd Bellochee Battalion
*1858 2nd Belooch Extra Battalion Bombay Native Infantry
*1859 2nd Belooch Regiment Bombay Native Infantry
*1861 29th Regiment Bombay Native Infantry or 2nd Belooch Regiment
*1883 29th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Regiment Bombay Native Infantry or 2nd Belooch Regiment
*1885 29th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Regiment Bombay Infantry or 2nd Belooch Regiment
*1888 29th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Regiment (2nd Belooch Battalion) Bombay Infantry
*1892 29th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Regiment (2nd Baluch Battalion) Bombay Infantry or 29th Baluchis[[File:129th Baluchis 1911.JPG|thumb|right|Lance Naik Ghulam Haider, 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis, 1911.|215px]]
*1901 29th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Baluch Infantry
*1903 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis
*1917 1st Battalion 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis
*1922 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis
*1922 4th Battalion (Duke of Connaught's Own) 10th Baluch Regiment or 4/10th Baluch
*1945 4th Battalion (Duke of Connaught's Own) The Baluch Regiment or 4 Baluch
*1956 11th Battalion The Baluch Regiment or 11 Baluch
*1991 11th Battalion The Baloch Regiment or 11 Baloch<ref name="Ahmad 2010"/>

==Uniforms==
Throughout its existence as a separate regiment the 129th Baluchis wore a full dress comprising dark green turban and tunic, the latter with red facings. Trousers were red and cut wide in "knickerbocker" style. Gaiters were white and equipment of brown leather. British officers wore green tunics of rifle regiment pattern with silver ornamented pouch-belts and red trousers.<ref>{{cite book|first=Boris|last=Mollo|page=137|title=The Indian Army|ISBN=0-7137-1074-8}}</ref> Khaki drill field service uniforms were introduced about 1880 and replaced the green and red for most occasions after 1914.

==See also==
*[[10th Baluch Regiment]]
*The [[Baloch Regiment]]
*[[Khudadad Khan|Sepoy Khudadad Khan]], [[Victoria Cross|VC]]

==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
*Gaylor, John (1992). ''Sons of John Company: Indian and Pakistan Armies, 1903-1991'', Spellmount Publishers Ltd. {{ISBN|978-0-946771-98-1}}.
*Qureshi, Lt Col IA. (1966). ''History of 11th Battalion, the Baluch Regiment''. Lahore: The Allied Press.
* Thatcher, WS. (1932). ''The Fourth Battalion, Duke of Connaught's Own, Tenth Baluch Regiment in the Great War''. Cambridge: The University Press. {{ISBN|1-84734-752-5}}
* Thatcher, WS. (1980). ''The Tenth Baluch Regiment in the Second World War''. Abbottabad: The Baluch Regimental Centre.

==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

{{#seo:
|keywords=Baloch Regiment, British Indian Army infantry regiments, Military units and formations established in 1903, Military units and formations disestablished in 1922
|description=
}}

[[Category:Baloch Regiment]]
[[Category:British Indian Army infantry regiments]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1903]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1922]]

129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis - Revision history

MetaBOT at 13:07, 13 July 2023