>Lennart97 at 19:38, 4 June 2021

2021-06-04T19:38:48Z

New page

{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=21st Kohat Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)
| image=Kohat Battery badge.jpg
| image_size = 190
|caption=
|dates=1851 - Present
|country={{flag icon|United Kingdom}} [[British India]] (1851 - 1947) {{flag icon|Pakistan}} [[Pakistan]] (1947 - Present)
|branch={{flagicon|British Raj}} [[British Indian Army]] {{Army|Pakistan}}
|type=Artillery
|size=Battery
|command_structure=
|garrison=
|ceremonial_chief=
|ceremonial_chief_label=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|nickname=
|motto=
|colors=Blue; faced scarlet
|colors_label=Uniform
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=[[Second Afghan War]] 1878-80 [[Tirah Campaign]] 1897-98 [[First World War]] ([[First Suez Offensive|Egypt]], [[Gallipoli Campaign|Gallipoli]], [[Mesopotamian Campaign|Mesopotamia]], [[Persian campaign (World War I)|Persia]]) 1914-18 [[Second World War]] ([[Burma Campaign|Burma]]) 1939-45 [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947|Kashmir War]] 1948 [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Indo-Pakistan War]] 1965 [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|Indo-Pakistan War]] 1971
|notable_commanders=
|anniversaries=
}}

The '''21st Kohat Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)''' was an artillery unit of the [[British Indian Army]]. It was raised in 1851 as the No. 2 Horse or Punjab Light Field Battery, [[Punjab Irregular Force]]. It became the 21st Kohat Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) in 1903. In 1947, it was transferred to the [[Pakistan Army]], where it exists as the 2nd Royal Kohat Battery (Frontier Force) of The First (SP) Medium Regiment Artillery (Frontier Force).

==History==
The 21st Kohat Mountain Battery was raised at [[Bannu]] by Lieutenant H Hammond on 1 February 1851 from horse artillery detachments of the [[Sikh period in Lahore|Lahore Durbar]], as part of the Punjab Irregular Force ('''Piffer'''). The Piffers were a collection of regular units accreted for expeditionary operations in the Punjab Frontier and Afghanistan. 21st Kohat Mountain Battery was the first unit to be formally raised as a permanent part of the Punjab Irregular Force, later designated as the Punjab Frontier Force. Is the senior most unit of the Frontier Force Regiment. After 1903 reforms, the Punjab Frontier Force began to cease to be an expeditionary force and incorporated permanent units.

The Frontier Force earned legendary fame for its exploits on the [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|Northwest Frontier of India]]. The Kohat Battery saw extensive service on the Frontier and took part in numerous operations including the [[Second Afghan War]] and the [[Tirah Campaign]] in 1897-98.<ref name ="Graham 1957">Graham, Brig Gen CAL. (1957). ''The History of the Indian Mountain Artillery''. Aldershot: Gale & Polden.</ref><ref name="North 1934">North, REFG. (1934). ''The Punjab Frontier Force: A Brief Record of Their Services 1846-1924''. DI Khan: Commercial Steam Press.</ref>

During the [[First World War]], the 21st Kohat Mountain Battery fought with great distinction at [[Gallipoli Campaign|Gallipoli]], [[First Suez Offensive|Egypt]], [[Mesopotamian Campaign|Mesopotamia]] and [[Persian campaign (World War I)|Persia]]. For its outstanding performance in the war, it was awarded the title of ‘Royal’ in 1922. After the war, it again saw service on the Northwest Frontier. During the [[Second World War]], it fought in the [[Burma Campaign]] as part of the [[17th Infantry Division (India)|17th Indian Division]]. In 1944, it became an exclusively Punjabi Muslim unit.<ref name ="Graham 1957"/>

In 1947, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army, where it became part of the 1st Mountain Regiment, Royal Pakistan Artillery. The battery fought in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947|Kashmir War]] of 1948. In 1957, it was equipped with 105 mm Self Propelled Field guns and the 1st Mountain Regiment was re-designated as the 1st (SP) Field Regiment, Artillery. The regiment fought with great gallantry in the [[Battle of Chawinda]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]. In the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], the regiment served in the Zafarwal Sector. In 1980, it was re-equipped with medium guns. The battery is affiliated with the [[Frontier Force Regiment]].<ref>Refaqat, Lt Col Syed. (1968). ''The First in Peace & War: An Account of the Actions of 1 (SP) Field Regiment, Artillery During 1965 War with India''. Islamabad: Printing Corporation of Pakistan.</ref><ref>Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. (1980). ''Izzat O Iqbal: History of Pakistan Artillery (1947-1971)''. Nowshera: School of Artillery.</ref><ref>Khan, Maj Muhammad Nawaz. (1996). ''The Glorious Piffers 1843-1995''. Abbottabad: The Frontier Force Regimental Centre.</ref>

==Battle honours==
Peiwar Kotal, Kabul 1879, Afghanistan 1878-80, Tirah, Punjab Frontier, Suez Canal, Egypt 1915-16, Mesopotamia 1916-18, Persia 1918, Anzac, Landing at Anzac, Defence of Anzac, Suvla, Sari Bair, Gallipoli 1915.<ref name ="Graham 1957"/><ref>Rodger, Alexander. (2003). ''Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces 1662-1991''. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press.</ref>

==Genealogy==
*1851 - No. 2 Horse or Punjab Light Field Battery, Punjab Irregular Force[[File:No. 1 Kohat Mountain Battery 1896.jpg|thumb|right|The No. 1 Kohat Mountain Battery, Punjab Frontier Force. Chromolithograph by Richard Simkin, c. 1896.|370px]]
*1865 - No. 2 Horse or Punjab Light Field Battery, Punjab Frontier Force
*1877 - No. 1 Mountain Battery, Punjab Frontier Force
*1879 - No. 1 Kohat Mountain Battery, Punjab Frontier Force
*1890 - No. 1 (Kohat) Mountain Battery, Punjab Frontier Force
*1901 - Kohat Mountain Battery
*1903 - 21st Kohat Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)
*1920 - 21st Kohat Pack Battery (Frontier Force)
*1921 - 101st (Kohat) Pack Battery
*1922 - 101st Royal (Kohat) Pack Battery (Frontier Force) (How)<ref>Howitzer</ref>
*1924 - 101st Royal (Kohat) Pack Battery, Royal Artillery (Frontier Force) (How)
*1927 - 1st Royal (Kohat) Indian Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery (Frontier Force) (How)
*1928 - 1st Royal (Kohat) Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery (Frontier Force) (How)
*1939 - 1st Royal (Kohat) Mountain Battery, Frontier Force, Indian Artillery
*1942 - 1st Royal (Kohat) Indian Mountain Battery, Frontier Force, Indian Artillery
*1945 - 1st Royal (Kohat) Indian Mountain Battery, Frontier Force, Royal Indian Artillery
*1947 - 2nd Royal (Kohat) Mountain Battery, Frontier Force, Royal Pakistan Artillery
*1956 - 2nd Royal (Kohat) Mountain Battery, Frontier Force, Artillery
*1957 - 2 Royal Kohat (SP) Field Battery, Artillery (FF)
*1980 - 2 Royal Kohat (SP) Medium Battery, Artillery (FF)

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

[[Category:Artillery regiments of Pakistan]]
[[Category:British Indian Army regiments]]
[[Category:Indian World War I regiments]]
[[Category:Artillery units and formations]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1851]]

21st Kohat Mountain Battery Frontier Force - Revision history

>Lennart97 at 19:38, 4 June 2021