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{{Short description|Former infantry regiment of the armies of British India and Pakistan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 16th Punjab Regiment
| image = Badge of 16th Punjab Regiment 1922-56.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = [[Cap badge|Regimental cap badge]] of the 16th
| dates = 1922–1956
| country = {{unbulletedlist|{{flag|British India}} {{small|(1922–1947)}}|{{flag|Pakistan}} {{small|(1947–1956)}}}}
| branch = {{unbulletedlist|{{army|British India}}|{{army|Pakistan}}}}
| type = [[Infantry]]
| size =
| command_structure =
| garrison = {{unbulletedlist|[[Multan]] (1923)|[[Sialkot]] (1946)}}
| garrison_label = Regimental Centre
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| colors = [[Scarlet (color)|Scarlet]], [[white]]<br/>{{legend2|#FF2400|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}{{legend2|#FFFFFF|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
| colors_label = Uniform colours
| march =
| mascot =
| battles = {{plainlist|
* [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]]
* [[Duar War|Bhutan War]]
* [[Second Anglo-Afghan War|Second Anglo−Afghan War]]
* [[Third Anglo-Burmese War|Third Anglo−Burmese War]]
* [[World War I]]
* [[Third Anglo-Afghan War|Third Anglo−Afghan War]]
* [[World War II]]
* [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948|First Indo−Pakistani War]]
}}
| anniversaries =
| decorations =
| battle_honours = 
| current_commander =
| current_commander_label =
| ceremonial_chief =
| ceremonial_chief_label =
| colonel_of_the_regiment =
| colonel_of_the_regiment_label =
| notable_commanders = [[General (United Kingdom)|General]] [[James Travers]] {{small|([[Victoria Cross|VC]], [[Order of the Bath|CB]])}}
| identification_symbol =
| identification_symbol_label =
}}
The '''16th Punjab Regiment''' was an [[infantry]] [[regiment]] of the [[British Indian Army]] from 1922 to 1947. Upon the [[Partition of India]], it was transferred to the newly-raised [[Pakistan Army]]. It ceased to exist in this form [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1956|in 1956]], when it was amalgamated with the [[1st Punjab Regiment|1st]], [[14th Punjab Regiment|14th]] and [[15th Punjab Regiment|15th]] Punjab regiments to form the [[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|Punjab Regiment]], an existing infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army.<ref name="Rizvi 1984">Rizvi, Brig SHA. (1984). ''Veteran Campaigners – A History of the Punjab Regiment 1759-1981''. Lahore: Wajidalis.</ref><ref name="Lawford 1967">Lawford, Lt Col JP, and Catto, Maj WE. (1967). ''Solah Punjab: The History of the 16th Punjab Regiment''. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.</ref>

==Early history==
The 16th Punjab Regiment was formed in 1922 by amalgamation of the [[30th Punjabis|30th]], [[31st Punjabis|31st]], [[33rd Punjabis|33rd]] and [[46th Punjabis]], and [[9th Bhopal Infantry]]. Except for the 46th Punjabis, who were raised in 1900, the rest were raised during the upheaval of the [[Indian Mutiny]] in 1857-59. The 30th and 31st Punjabis were raised in 1857, as the 22nd Regiment of Punjab Infantry and Van Cortlandt's Levy respectively. The 33rd Punjabis were also raised in 1857, as the Allahabad Levy, while the 9th Bhopal Infantry was raised in 1859, as the Bhopal Levy from the remnants of loyal elements of the Bhopal Contingent. The 30th and 31st Punjabis served in the [[Bhutan War]] of 1864-66 and all the battalions saw service on the [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|North West Frontier]] of India. The 30th and 31st Punjabis along with the 9th Bhopal took part in the [[Second Afghan War]] of 1878-80, while the 33rd Punjabis served in the [[Third Anglo-Burmese War]] of 1885-87.<ref name="Lawford 1967"/>

==First World War==
The 30th Punjabis served with distinction in the [[German East Africa]], while their 2nd Battalion served in the [[Palestine Campaign]]. The regiment raised a total of three new battalions during the war. Another regiment that raised three battalions was the 9th Bhopal Infantry, who were dispatched to the killing fields of [[France]] and [[Flanders]] in 1914. The regiment suffered heavy losses at the Battles of [[Battle of Neuve Chapelle|Neuve Chapelle]], [[Festubert]], [[Battle of Givenchy|Givenchy]] and the [[Second Ypres]]. In 1915, they arrived in [[Mesopotamia]], where Sepoy [[Chatta Singh]] was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] for exceptional valour. By the time they returned home, only fifteen men remained of those who had sailed for France in 1914.<ref name="Lawford 1967"/>[[File:33rd Punjabis (15 Punjab) (PMs) 1910.jpg|thumb|right|[[Punjabi Muslims]] of the [[33rd Punjabis]]; [[Watercolor painting|Watercolour]] by Alfred Crowdy Lovett, 1910.|250px]]
*30th Punjabis - India, [[German East Africa]], [[Egypt]].
*2/30th Punjabis - Raised in 1918. India, Egypt, [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]].
*3/30th Punjabis - Raised in 1918. India.
*4/30th Punjabis - Raised in 1918. India.
*31st Punjabis - India, [[Mesopotamia]], [[Greece]], [[Turkey]].
*33rd Punjabis - India, Egypt, [[France]], [[Aden]], German East Africa.
*2/33rd Punjabis - Raised in 1917. India.
*9th Bhopal Infantry - India, France, Egypt, Mesopotamia.
*2/9th Bhopal Infantry (The Delhi Regiment) - Raised in 1917. India, Mesopotamia.
*3/9th Bhopal Infantry - Raised in 1917. India, Mesopotamia.
*4/9th Bhopal Infantry - Raised in 1918. India.
*46th Punjabis - India, Egypt.<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>
All war-raised battalions were disbanded after the war. In 1921-22, a major reorganization was undertaken in the British Indian Army leading to the formation of large infantry groups of four to six battalions. Among these was the '''16th Punjab Regiment'''. The line-up of battalions for Solah Punjab was:<ref name="Gaylor 1991"/>
* 1st Battalion - [[30th Punjabis]]
* 2nd Battalion - [[31st Punjabis]]
* 3rd Battalion - [[33rd Punjabis]]
* 4th Battalion - [[9th Bhopal Infantry]]
* 10th (Training) Battalion - [[46th Punjabis]].

The class composition of the new regiment was Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs and Dogras. The new regimental badge consisted of a Maltese cross with a Muslim crescent and a Sikh quoit, surmounted by a Tudor crown with a scroll below. The uniform was scarlet with white facings. [[Multan]] in the [[Punjab region|Punjab]] was chosen as the permanent station for the Training Battalion.<ref name="Gaylor 1991"/>

==Second World War==
The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were captured by the Japanese at [[Singapore]]. The 1st, 5th and 7th Battalions fought in [[Burma]], and the 4th Battalion's fought in Africa and Italy. Lance Naik [[Sher Shah (VC)|Sher Shah]] of the 7th Battalion was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] in Burma. During the war, the 16th Punjab Regiment suffered a total of 2744 casualties including 990 killed or died of wounds.<ref name="Lawford 1967"/>
*1st Battalion - India, [[Burma]], [[Dutch East Indies]].
*2nd Battalion - India, [[British Malaya|Malaya]]. Captured by the Japanese at [[Singapore]] in February 1942. They would end up on a Japanese "hell ship" [[Japanese transport ship Buyo Maru (1919)|''Buyo Maru'']]. Unit re-raised in 1945.
*3rd Battalion - India, Malaya, Singapore. Captured by the Japanese in February 1942. Re-raised in 1946 as 3rd (Para) Battalion.
*4th Battalion - India, [[North Africa]], [[Italian East Africa]], [[Italy]], [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]].
*5th Battalion - Raised in 1940. India, [[Burma]]. Re-designated as 2/16th Punjab in 1945.
*6th Battalion - Raised in 1941. India, [[Ceylon]]. Re-designated as 3/16th Punjab in 1946.
*7th Battalion - Raised in 1941. India, Burma, Malaya. Disbanded January 1948; re-raised October 1948.
*9th Battalion - Raised in 1943 by re-designation of 25th Garrison Battalion on conversion to active status. India. Disbanded 1945.
*25th Garrison Battalion - Raised in 1941. India. Redesignated as 9/16th Punjab in 1943 on conversion to active status. India.
*26th Garrison Battalion - Raised in 1942. India. Disbanded 1946.<ref name="Lawford 1967"/><ref name="Gaylor 1991"/>

==Post-independence history==
On the [[Partition of India|independence]] of [[Pakistan]] in 1947, the 16th Punjab Regiment was allotted to Pakistan Army. At the time, the active battalions were 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th. Jats, Sikhs and Dogras were transferred to the [[Indian Army]] and the regiment's new class composition was fixed as Punjabis and Pathans. In 1948, the 1st, 3rd and 4th 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 16th Punjab Regiment was amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 15th 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"/>
*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==
Afghanistan 1879-80, Burma 1885-87, Chitral, Tirah, Malakand, Punjab Frontier, La Bassee 1914, Messines 1914, Armentieres 1914, Festubert 1914, Givenchy 1914, Ypres 1915, St Julien, Aubers, Loos, France and Flanders 1914-15, Macedonia 1918, Suez Canal, Egypt 1915-16, Megiddo, Nablus, Palestine 1918, Aden, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1915-18, NW Frontier India, 1915, 1916–17, Behobeho, Narungombe, Nyangao, East Africa 1917-18, Afghanistan 1919, Mescelit Pass, Mt Engiahat, Massawa, Abyssinia 1940-41, Sidi Barrani, Omars, Benghazi, El Alamein, Mareth, Akarit, Djebel Garci, Tunis, North Africa 1940-43, Cassino I, Italy 1943-45, Kroh, Jitra, Gurun, Ipoh, Kampar, The Muar, Singapore Island, Malaya 1941-42, Fort White, North Arakan, Kaladan, Maungdaw, Ngakyedauk Pass, Imphal, Tamu Road, Litan, Arakan Beaches, Burma 1942-45, Kashmir 1948.<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)|Punjab Regiment]]
*[[Punjab|Punjab (region)]]
*[[Punjabis]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Lawford, Lt Col JP, and Catto, Maj WE. (1967). ''Solah Punjab: The History of the 16th Punjab Regiment''. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
*Lawford, James. (1972). ''30th Punjabis''. London: Osprey.
*Qureshi, Col HU. ''History of DoSolah: 14th Battalion The Punjab Regiment 1857-1985''.
*Jackson, Maj CC, Martin, Lt Col GD, and Smith, Col H. (1931). ''Historical Record of the 4th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment''. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
*Qureshi, Brig MI. (2003). ''The Haidris: 17 Punjab Regiment in Indo-Pak War, 1965''. Quetta: Command & Staff College.
*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|last=Barthorp|first=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}}

{{Pakistan Infantry Regiments}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Punjab Regiment (Pakistan), Military units and formations established in 1922, Indian World War II regiments, 1922 establishments in British India
|description=
}}

[[Category:Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)]]
[[Category:Former infantry regiments of Pakistan|Punjab]]
[[Category:British Indian Army infantry regiments|16]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1922]]
[[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 Malaya in World War II|R]]
[[Category:1922 establishments in British India]]

16th Punjab Regiment - Revision history

MetaBOT at 12:39, 13 July 2023