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{{Short description|Former regiment of the armies of British India and Pakistan}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 15th Punjab Regiment
| image = Badge of 15th Punjab Regiment 1922-47.jpg
| image_size = 185
| caption =
| dates = 1922–1956
| country = {{flag|British India}} (1922–1947)<br/>{{flag|Pakistan}} (1947–1956)
| allegiance =
| branch = {{army|British India}}<br/>{{army|Pakistan}}
| type = [[Infantry]]
| role =
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| command_structure =
| garrison = [[Sialkot]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], Pakistan
| garrison_label = Regimental centre
| equipment =
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| colors = {{legend2|#FF2400|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}{{legend2|#DAA06D|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
| colors_label = Colours
| march =
| mascot =
| battles = {{plainlist|
* [[Second Opium War]] {{small|(1856–1860)}}
* [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]] {{small|(1857–1858)}}
* [[Jaintia Kingdom|Khasi and Jaintia Expedition]] {{small|(1862–1863)}}
* [[Duar War]] {{small|(1864–1865)}}
* [[Lushai Expedition]] {{small|(1871–1872)}}
* [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]] {{small|(1878–1880)}}
* [[Third Anglo-Burmese War]] {{small|(1885–1887)}}
* [[Somaliland campaign|Anglo-Somali War]] {{small|(1900–1920)}}
* [[1911 Revolution|Xinhai Revolution]] {{small|(1911–1912)}}
* [[World War I]] {{small|(1914–1918)}}
* [[Saya San#Saya San Rebellion|Burmese Rebellion]] {{small|(1930–1932)}}
* [[World War II]] {{small|(1939–1945)}}
* [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948|First Indo-Pakistani War]] {{small|(1947–1948)}}
}}
| anniversaries =
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| current_commander =
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}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=April 2022}}

The '''15th Punjab Regiment''' was a [[Regiment|infantry regiment]] of the [[British Indian Army]] from 1922 to 1947 and of the [[Pakistan Army]] from 1947 to 1956. Following its allotment to [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]] after the [[partition of India]] in 1947, it was amalgamated in 1956 with the [[1st Punjab Regiment]], the [[14th Punjab Regiment]], and the [[16th Punjab Regiment]] to form the present-day [[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|Punjab Regiment]].<ref name="Rizvi 1984">Rizvi, Brig SHA. (1984). ''Veteran Campaigners – A History of the Punjab Regiment 1759-1981''. Lahore: Wajidalis.</ref>

==Early history==
The regiment was formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the [[25th Punjabis|25th]], [[26th Punjabis|26th]], [[27th Punjabis|27th]], [[28th Punjabis|28th]], and [[29th Punjabis]] into the [[British Indian Army]]. All five battalions were raised during the upheaval of the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]] by [[John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence|John Lawrence]] in [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]]. The 27th Punjabis served in [[Qing dynasty|Qing China]] during the [[Second Opium War]] in 1860–1862, while the 26th and 29th Punjabis participated in the [[Duar War|Bhutan War]] of 1864–1866. All battalions saw service on the [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North-West Frontier]] of [[British Raj|British India]] (now [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]]) and took part in the [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]] of 1878–1880, while the 26th and 27th Punjabis also served in the [[Third Anglo-Burmese War]] of 1885–1887. In 1901, the 27th Punjabis were dispatched to [[British Somaliland]] to suppress the resistance movement led by [[Las_Anod#Diiriye_Guure|Diiriye Guure]]<ref name="scr">{{cite book |last1=Omar |first1=Mohamed |title=The Scramble in the Horn of Africa |date=2001 |page=402 |quote=This letter is sent by all the Dervishes, the Amir, and all the Dolbahanta to the Ruler of Berbera ... We are a Government, we have a Sultan, an Amir, and Chiefs, and subjects ... (reply) In his last letter the Mullah pretends to speak in the name of the Dervishes, their Amir (himself), and the Dolbahanta tribes. This letter shows his object is to establish himself as the Ruler of the Dolbahanta}}</ref> of the [[Dervish movement (Somali)|Dervish State]].<ref name="Rizvi 1984"/><ref name="Gaylor 1991">{{cite book|last=Gaylor|first=John|title=Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–91|publisher=Stroud: Spellmount|year=1991}}</ref>

== Formation ==
When the 15th Punjabis were formed in 1922, it was organized into 5 battalions (including additions until [[World War II]]):<ref>[http://regiments.org:80/regiments/southasia/inf/1922-15.htm 15th Punjab Regiment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609153513/http://regiments.org/regiments/southasia/inf/1922-15.htm |date=9 June 2007 }} at [http://regiments.org Land Forces of Britain, the Empire, and Commonwealth]. on 9 June 2007 at the [[Wayback Machine]].</ref>

* 1st Battalion, former [[25th Punjabis]]
* 2nd Battalion, former [[26th Punjabis]]
* 3rd Battalion, former [[27th Punjabis]]
* 4th Battalion, former [[28th Punjabis]]
* 10th (Training) Battalion, former [[29th Punjabis]]
* 11th (Territorial) Battalion
* 12th (Territorial) Battalion, formed 1939

==World War II==
[[File:The British Army in Burma 1945 SE3327.jpg|thumb|left|Men of the 1st Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment taking up positions on the perimeter of Fort Dufferin at Mandalay, 10-11 March 1945.]]

During the [[World War II|Second World War]], the 15th Punjab Regiment raised ten new battalions. Most of the active battalions were engaged in fighting the Japanese in the Far East except the 3rd Battalion, which fought in [[Somaliland]] and [[Italy]]. The performance of the 4th Battalion in [[Burma]] in particular was outstanding. The battalion suffered 921 casualties and was awarded numerous gallantry awards including two [[Victoria Cross]]es to Lieutenant [[Karamjeet Singh Judge]] and Naik [[Gian Singh (soldier)|Gian Singh]].<ref name="Rizvi 1984"/>
*1st Battalion - India, [[Burma]].
*2nd Battalion - India, [[Singapore]], [[Sarawak]], [[Borneo]]. The fighting withdrawal of the regiment is detailed, and they surrendered on 3 April 1942 to the Japanese <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kaiserscross.com/304501/521701.html|title = The Soldier's Burden}}</ref> and.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kaiserscross.com/304501/522801.html|title = The Soldier's Burden}}</ref>
*3rd Battalion - India, Somaliland, [[Aden]], [[Persia]], [[Iraq]], [[Syria]], [[Italy]]. Became a Machine-Gun Battalion in 1946.
*4th Battalion - India, Burma, [[Siam]], [[British Malaya|Malaya]].
*5th Battalion - Raised in 1940. India. Disbanded 1946.
*6th Battalion - Raised in 1941. India, Ceylon, Burma. Disbanded 1947.
*7th Battalion - Raised in 1941. India, Burma. Disbanded 1946.
*8th Battalion - Raised in 1941 by re-designation of the 11th (Territorial) Battalion. India. Disbanded 1946.
*9th Battalion - Raised in 1941 by re-designation of the 12th (Territorial) Battalion. India, Burma. Disbanded 1947.
*10th (Training) Battalion - Converted into the 15th Punjab Regimental Training Centre in 1943.
*11th (Territorial) Battalion - Mobilized in 1939. Re-designated as 8/15th Punjab on conversion to active status in 1941. Disbanded 1946.
*12th (Territorial) Battalion - Raised in 1939. Re-designated as 9/15th Punjab on conversion to active status in 1941.
*14th Battalion - Raised in 1942. India. Disbanded 1943.
*15th Battalion - Raised in 1942. India. Broken up into garrison companies in 1945.
*16th Battalion - Raised in 1943 by re-designation of 25th Garrison Battalion on conversion to active status. India. Re-designated as 2/15th Punjab in 1946.
*25th Garrison Battalion - Raised in 1941. On conversion to active status, became the 16th Battalion. India.
*26th Garrison Battalion - Raised in 1942. India. Abu Atoll. Disbanded 1946.
*27th (Jind) Garrison Battalion - Raised in 1943 in [[Jind State]]. India. Disbanded 1946.
*Machine-Gun Battalion - Raised in 1942. Transferred to the Indian Artillery to form the 15th Punjab Anti-tank Regiment. Disbanded 1944.<ref name="Rizvi 1984"/><ref name="Gaylor 1991"/>

==Post-independence history==
On the [[Partition of India|independence]] of Pakistan in 1947, the 15th Punjab Regiment was allotted to Pakistan Army. At the time, the active battalions were 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Sikhs and Jats were transferred to the Indian Army and the regiment's new class composition was fixed as Punjabis and Pathans.
The 2nd Battalion was reformed as a Medium Machine Gun battalion, moving to Kohat in early 1946; by the time of Partition in August 1947 all the British and non-Muslim officers had left, except for one Indian officer, the Adjutant and he left once all Indian Army personnel moved to India. The unit helped to escort the 3rd Grenadiers from Kohat to Rawalpindi, after they had been ambushed twice by Pathan tribes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brownpundits.com/2015/08/04/the-british-indian-armys-legacy-in/|title = The (British) Indian Army's Legacy in India and Pakistan – Brown Pundits}}</ref> Other references are the books by Kaushik Roy and Frederick Llewellyn Freemantle (listed below).
The regiment's badge was also modified and the Sikh quoit was replaced by an Islamic star. In 1948, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions fought in the war with India in [[Kashmir]]. In 1956, a major reorganization was undertaken in the Pakistan Army and larger infantry groups were created by amalgamating the existing infantry regiments. As a result, the 15th Punjab Regiment was amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 16th Punjab Regiments to form one large Punjab Regiment. The four regimental centres were also merged and the combined centre moved to [[Mardan]]. The line up of the new regiment was:<ref name="Rizvi 1984"/>[[File:26th Punjabis, AC Lovett, 1910.jpg|thumb|right|Sepoy 26th Punjabis. Watercolour by Major AC Lovett, 1910|220px]]
*1 Punjab - 1/1st Punjab
*2 Punjab - 2/1st Punjab
*3 Punjab - 3/1st Punjab
*4 Punjab - 5/1st Punjab
*5 Punjab - 1/14th Punjab
*6 Punjab - 2/14th Punjab (Duke of Cambridge's Own)
*7 Punjab - 3/14th Punjab
*8 Punjab - 4/14th Punjab
*9 Punjab - 1/15th Punjab
*10 Punjab - 2/15th Punjab
*11 Punjab - 3/15th Punjab
*12 Punjab - 4/15th Punjab
*13 Punjab - 1/16th Punjab
*14 Punjab - 2/16th Punjab
*15 Punjab - 3/16th Punjab
*16 Punjab - 5/14th Punjab (Pathans)
*17 Punjab - 4/16th Punjab (Bhopal)
*18 Punjab - 7/1st Punjab
*19 Punjab - 7/16th Punjab
*20 Punjab - 14/1st Punjab

==Battle honours==
China 1860–62, Ali Masjid, Peiwar Kotal, Charasiah, Kabul 1879, Ahmad Khel, Kandahar 1880, Afghanistan 1878–80, Burma 1885–87, Chitral, Somaliland 1901–04, Loos, France and Flanders 1915, Suez Canal, Egypt 1915, Megiddo, Sharon, Palestine 1918, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1915–18, Persia 1918, NW Frontier, India 1917, Kilimanjaro, East Africa 1914–17, Berbera, Assab, Abyssinia 1940–41, Tug Argan, British Somaliland 1940, The Sangro, The Moro, Cassino II, Gothic Line, The Senio, Italy 1943–45, West Borneo 1941–42, South East Asia 1941–42, Rathedaung, Donbaik, Jail Hill, Naga Village, Kyaukmyaung Bridgehead, Mandalay, Fort Dufferin, Meiktila, Nyaungu Bridgehead, Capture of Meiktila, Taungtha, Myingyan, The Irrawaddy, Yenaungyaung 1945, Kama, Pyawbwe, Toungoo, Pegu 1945, Sittang 1945, Burma 1942–45.<ref>Rodger, Alexander. (2003). ''Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces 1662-1991''. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Shearer, Lt Col JE. (1937). ''A History of the 1st Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment, 1857-1937''. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
*Stoney, Lt PS. (1924). ''A History of the 26th Punjabis, 1857-1923''. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
*''A Short History of the 4th Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment (28th Punjabis)''.
*Rizvi, Brig SHA. (1984). ''Veteran Campaigners – A History of the Punjab Regiment 1759-1981''. Lahore: Wajidalis.
*Cardew, Lt FG. (1903). ''A Sketch of the Services of the Bengal Native Army to the Year 1895''. Calcutta: Military Department.
*{{cite book|last=Gaylor|first=John|title=Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–91|publisher=Stroud: Spellmount|year=1991|isbn=978-0-946771-98-1}}
*{{cite book|last1=Barthorp|first1=Michael|last2=Burn|first2=Jeffrey|year=1979|title=Indian Infantry Regiments 1860-1914|publisher=London: Osprey|isbn=0-85045-307-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Sumner|first=Ian|title=The Indian Army 1914-1947|year=2001|publisher=London: Osprey|isbn=1-84176-196-6}}
* Roy, Kaushik (2012). ''The Army in British India: From Colonial Warfare to Total War 1857-1947''. London: Bloomsbury.
* Freemantle, Frederick Llewellyn Major General (2000). ''Fred's Foibles''. London and Delhi: Lancer Publishers.
* ''[[Catcher in the Rye]]'' by [[J.D Salinger]]

{{Pakistan Infantry Regiments}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=British Indian Army infantry regiments, Honourable East India Company regiments, Military units and formations established in 1922, Punjab Regiment (Pakistan), Indian World War II regiments, Military units and formations in British Somaliland in World War II
|description=
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[[Category:British Indian Army infantry regiments]]
[[Category:Honourable East India Company regiments]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1922]]
[[Category:Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)]]
[[Category:Indian World War II regiments]]
[[Category:Military units and formations in Burma in World War II|R]]
[[Category:Military units and formations in British Somaliland in World War II]]
[[Category:Former infantry regiments of Pakistan|Punjab]]

15th Punjab Regiment - Revision history

MetaBOT at 12:42, 13 July 2023