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{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 150th Infantry
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| dates = May 1918 – 15 June 1921
| country = {{flag|British India|23px}}
| allegiance = [[British Crown]]
| branch = {{army|British India|23px}}
| type = [[Infantry]]
| role =
| size = Three [[battalion]]s
| command_structure = [[16th Indian Division]]
| garrison =
| garrison_label =
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| march =
| mascot =
| anniversaries =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles = [[First World War]]<br>[[Third Anglo-Afghan War]]
| battles_label =
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| battle_honours_label =
| disbanded =
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}}
The '''150th Infantry'''{{efn|Gaylor<ref name=Gaylor346>{{harvnb|Gaylor|1996|p=346}}</ref> states that the regiment was called the ''150th Indian Infantry'' whereas Perry<ref name=Perry177>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=177}}</ref> says ''150th 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, saw service in the [[Indian Army during World War I|First World War]] and the [[Third Anglo-Afghan War]], and was disbanded in June 1921.

==History==
===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>

===Formation===
The regiment formed three battalions in Mesopotamia in May 1918 with complete companies posted from regiments serving in the [[15th Indian Division|15th]], [[17th Indian Division|17th]], and [[18th Indian Division]]s.<ref name=PerryVar2>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|pp=134,144,148}}</ref> All three battalions were transferred to India in June 1918.<ref name=Perry44>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=44}}</ref><ref name=Perry81>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=81}}</ref> The 2nd Battalion later took part in the [[Third Anglo-Afghan War]] in 1919 as part of the [[16th Indian Division]].<ref name=Perry140>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=140}}</ref> They were disbanded in India in 1920 and 1921.<ref name=Gaylor346/>

===Battalions===
===={{anchor|1}}1st Battalion====
The 1st Battalion was formed in Mesopotamia in May 1918 by the transfer of complete companies from:<ref name=Perry177/>
*[[2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry]]
*[[4th Prince Albert Victor's Rajputs]]
*[[8th Rajputs]]
*[[13th Rajputs (The Shekhawati Regiment)]]
The battalion was transferred from Mesopotamia to India in June 1918 and joined the [[Ahmednagar Brigade]] in the [[6th Poona Divisional Area]] where it remained in until the end of the [[First World War]].<ref name=Perry81/> The battalion was disbanded on 15 April 1921.<ref name=Gaylor346/>

===={{anchor|2}}2nd Battalion====
The 2nd Battalion was formed in Mesopotamia in May 1918 by the transfer of complete companies from:<ref name=Perry177/>
*[[6th Jat Light Infantry]]
*[[9th Bhopal Infantry]]
*[[10th Jats]]
*[[104th Wellesley's Rifles]]
The battalion was transferred from Mesopotamia to India in June 1918 and joined the [[Rawalpindi Additional Brigade]] in the [[2nd (Rawalpindi) Division]] where it remained in until the end of the [[First World War]].<ref name=Perry44/> In May 1919, it mobilized with the [[45th Indian Brigade]], [[16th Indian Division]] and took part in the [[Third Anglo-Afghan War]].<ref name=Perry140/> The battalion was disbanded on 15 June 1921.<ref name=Gaylor346/>

===={{anchor|3}}3rd Battalion====
The 3rd Battalion was formed in Mesopotamia in May 1918 by the transfer of complete companies from:<ref name=Perry177/>
*[[42nd Deoli Regiment]]
*[[43rd Erinpura Regiment]]
*[[44th Merwara Infantry]]
*[[99th Deccan Infantry]]
The battalion was transferred from Mesopotamia to India in June 1918 and joined the [[Ahmednagar Brigade]] in the [[6th Poona Divisional Area]] where it remained in until the end of the [[First World War]].<ref name=Perry81/> The battalion was disbanded on 30 November 1920.<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 1921
|description=
}}

[[Category:British Indian Army infantry regiments]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1918]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1921]]

150th Infantry - Revision history

CleanupBot at 04:21, 8 July 2023