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{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 153rd Punjabis / 153rd Rifles
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| dates = 18 May 1918 – 24 June 1922
| country = {{flag|British India|23px}}
| allegiance = [[British Crown]]
| branch = {{army|British India|23px}}
| type = [[Infantry]]
| role =
| size = Three [[battalion]]s
| command_structure = [[53rd (Welsh) Division]]
| garrison =
| garrison_label =
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| march =
| mascot =
| anniversaries =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles = [[First World War]]
:[[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]]
::[[Battle of Nablus (1918)|Battle of Nablus]]
| battles_label =
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
| battle_honours_label =
| disbanded =
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}}
The '''153rd Punjabis'''{{snd}}also designated '''153rd Rifles''', see [[#Nomenclature|nomenclature (below)]]{{snd}}was an [[infantry]] [[regiment]] of the [[British Indian Army]]. It was formed in [[Mesopotamian campaign|Mesopotamia]] and [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] in May 1918, saw service in the [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]] in the [[Indian Army during World War I|First World War]], and was disbanded in June 1922.

==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_2b>{{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 153rd Punjabis was formed of three battalions in May 1918. The 1st Battalion was formed in Mesopotamia with companies posted from battalions serving in the [[14th Indian Division|14th]], [[15th Indian Division|15th]], and [[18th Indian Division]]s.<ref name=PerryVar2>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|pp=128,134,148}}</ref> It was transferred to Egypt during June and July 1918. In contrast, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were formed in Palestine with companies posted from battalions already serving in the [[Theater (warfare)|theatre]],<ref name=Becke121_2a>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|p=121}}</ref> particularly from the 3rd (Lahore)<ref name=Perry51>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=51}}</ref> and 7th (Meerut) Divisions.<ref name=Perry87>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=87}}</ref>

All three battalions were assigned to the [[53rd (Welsh) Division]]<ref name=Becke120>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|p=120}}</ref> in June and August and remained with the division for the rest of the [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]],<ref name=Becke121_2a/> taking part in the [[Battle of Nablus (1918)|Battle of Nablus]] (18–21 September 1918). At the end of the battle, the division was employed on salvage work and working on the [[Nablus]] road.<ref name=Becke123>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|p=123}}</ref>

On 27 October, the division started moving to [[Alexandria]] even before the [[Armistice of Mudros]] came into effect on 31 October, thereby ending the war against the [[Ottoman Empire]]. It completed its concentration at Alexandria on 15 November. The division received demobilization instructions on 20 December 1918. The Indian infantry battalions returned to India as transports became available and [[159th (Cheshire) Brigade|159th Brigade]] was reduced to cadre by 7 March 1919.<ref name=Becke123/> The battalions were disbanded in India in 1921 and 1922.<ref name=Gaylor346>{{harvnb|Gaylor|1996|p=346}}</ref>

===Nomenclature===
Oddly, the designation of the regiment varied between the battalions. The 1st and 2nd Battalions were '''153rd Punjabis''' whereas the 3rd Battalion was '''153rd Rifles''', hence 1st Battalion, 153rd Punjabis, 2nd Battalion, 153rd Punjabis and 3rd Battalion, 153rd Rifles.<ref name=Gaylor346/><ref name=Perry177>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=177}}</ref> Other sources designate all three battalions as '''153rd Infantry'''.<ref name=Becke120/><ref name=LLT_53Div>{{cite web | url=http://www.1914-1918.net/53div.htm | title=The 53rd (Welsh) Division in 1914–1918 | publisher=The Long, Long Trail | first=Chris | last=Baker | access-date=1 August 2015}}</ref>

==={{anchor|1}}1st Battalion===
The 1st Battalion was formed at [[Diyala Governorate|Diyala]] on 18 May 1918<ref name=Becke121_2a/> by the transfer of complete companies from:<ref name=Perry177/>
*[[82nd Punjabis]]
*[[87th Punjabis]]
*[[89th Punjabis]]
*[[90th Punjabis]]

The battalion moved to [[Amarah|Amara]] on 23 May and left for Egypt on 20 June. It disembarked at [[Suez]] on 5 July and reached [[Lydda]] on 17 July. The battalion joined the 159th Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division on 2 August 1918 near [[Jerusalem]].<ref name=Becke121_2a/> 1st Battalion, 153rd Punjabis was disbanded on 15 June 1921.<ref name=Gaylor346/>

==={{anchor|2}}2nd Battalion===
The 2nd Battalion was formed at [[Sarafand al-Amar|Sarafand]] (now [[Tzrifin]]) on 27 May 1918<ref name=Becke121_2a/> by the transfer of complete companies from:<ref name=Perry177/>
*[[74th Punjabis]]
*[[91st Punjabis (Light Infantry)]]
*[[92nd Punjabis]]
*[[93rd Burma Infantry]]

The battalion joined the 159th Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division on 5 June 1918 near [[Ram Allah]].<ref name=Becke121_2a/> 2nd Battalion, 153rd Punjabis was disbanded on 15 June 1921.<ref name=Gaylor346/>

==={{anchor|3}}3rd Battalion===
The 3rd Battalion was also formed at Sarafand on 24 May 1918<ref name=Becke121_2a/> by the transfer of complete companies from:<ref name=Perry177/>
*[[105th Mahratta Light Infantry]]
*[[123rd Outram's Rifles]]
*2nd Battalion, [[124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry]]
*[[125th Napier's Rifles]]

The battalion joined the [[158th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|158th Brigade]], 53rd (Welsh) Division on 10 June 1918 at [[Tayibe|Et Taiyibe]].<ref name=Becke121_2a/> 3rd Battalion, 153rd Rifles was disbanded on 24 June 1922.<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://www.1914-1918.net/53div.htm | title=The 53rd (Welsh) Division in 1914–1918 | publisher=The Long, Long Trail | first=Chris | last=Baker | access-date=1 August 2015}}
* {{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 1922
|description=
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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 1922]]

153rd Punjabis - Revision history

MetaBOT at 12:56, 8 July 2023