KatharinaFlanery at 08:18, 26 March 2026

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{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=23rd Peshawar Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)
|image=
|caption=
|dates=1853 - Present
|country={{flag icon|United Kingdom}} [[British India]] (1853 - 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=[[Umbeyla Campaign]] 1863 [[Lushai Expedition]] 1871-72 [[Second Afghan War]] 1878-80 [[First World War]] ([[Mesopotamian Campaign|Mesopotamia]], [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|Northwest Frontier]], [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|Baluchistan]]) 1914-18 [[Third Afghan War]] 1919 [[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 '''23rd Peshawar Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)''' was an artillery unit of the [[British Indian Army]]. It was raised in 1853 as the Peshawar Mountain Train. It became the 23rd Peshawar Mountain Battery (Frontier Force) in 1903. In 1947, it was transferred to the [[Pakistan Army]], where it exists as the 3rd Peshawar Battery (Frontier Force) of The First (SP) Medium Regiment Artillery (Frontier Force).

==History==
The 23rd Peshawar Mountain Battery was raised at [[Peshawar]] by Captain T Broughman in January 1853 as the Peshawar Mountain Train. Initially, it was manned by European gunners of the 2nd Company, 2nd Battalion Bengal Artillery but in 1854, Europeans were replaced with Indian gunners. One of the first officers of the unit was Lieutenant FS Roberts, later [[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Field Marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar]]. The battery was equipped with four [[3-pounder gun]]s and four 4.5-inch [[howitzers]]. In 1858, it became part of the [[Punjab Irregular Force]] ('''Piffer'''). The Punjab Irregular Force, later designated as the Punjab Frontier Force, earned legendary fame for its exploits on the [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|Northwest Frontier of India]]. The Peshawar Battery saw extensive service on the Frontier and took part in numerous operations including the [[Umbeyla Campaign]] of 1863 and the [[Second Afghan War]] of 1878–80. In 1871–72, it took part in the [[Lushai Expedition]].<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]], 23rd Peshawar Mountain Battery fought with distinction in the [[Mesopotamian Campaign]], where it took part in the [[Battle of Basra (1914)|capture of Basra]] and the [[Battle of Shaiba]]. In 1916, it was engaged on the Tigris Front, as the British made desperate efforts to raise the [[Siege of Kut|Siege of Kut al Amara]]; fighting in the Battles of [[Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad|Sheikh Sa'ad]], the Wadi, [[Battle of Hanna|Hanna]] and [[Battle of Dujaila|Dujaila Redoubt]]. On returning to India, it operated against [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|Mahsuds]] in 1917 and against [[Operations against the Marri and Khetran tribes|Marri and Khetran]] tribes in 1918. After the war, it again saw service on the Northwest Frontier during the [[Third Afghan War]] in 1919 and in [[Waziristan campaign (1919–1920)|Waziristan]] during 1919–24. During the [[Second World War]], it fought in the [[Burma Campaign]] and then served in [[British Military Administration (Malaya)|Malaya]] and [[War in Vietnam (1945–1946)|French Indochina]] in 1946. 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 1 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 1 (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==
Afghanistan 1878–79, Basra, Shaiba, Tigris 1916, Mesopotamia 1914–16, North West Frontier, India 1917, Baluchistan 1918, Afghanistan 1919.<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==
*1853 - Peshawar Mountain Train[[File:Peshawar Mountain Battery, 1868.jpg|thumb|right|'The Peshawur Mountain Battery'. Antique wood engraved print by an unknown artist, 1868.|400px]]
*1858 - Peshawar Mountain Train, Punjab Irregular Force
*1862 - Peshawar Mountain Train Battery, Punjab Irregular Force
*1865 - Peshawar Mountain Battery, Punjab Frontier Force
*1876 - No. 3 Mountain Battery, Punjab Frontier Force
*1879 - No. 3 Peshawar Mountain Battery, Punjab Frontier Force
*1890 - No. 3 (Peshawar) Mountain Battery, Punjab Frontier Force
*1901 - Peshawar Mountain Battery
*1903 - 23rd Peshawar Mountain Battery (Frontier Force)
*1920 - 23rd Peshawar Pack Battery (Frontier Force)
*1921 - 103rd (Peshawar) Pack Battery
*1922 - 103rd (Peshawar) Pack Battery (Frontier Force) (How)<ref>Howitzer</ref>
*1924 - 103rd (Peshawar) Pack Battery, Royal Artillery (Frontier Force) (How)
*1927 - 3rd (Peshawar) Indian Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery (Frontier Force) (How)
*1928 - 3rd (Peshawar) Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery (Frontier Force) (How)
*1939 - 3rd (Peshawar) Mountain Battery, Frontier Force, Indian Artillery
*1942 - 3rd (Peshawar) Indian Mountain Battery, Frontier Force, Indian Artillery
*1945 - 3rd (Peshawar) Indian Mountain Battery, Frontier Force, Royal Indian Artillery
*1947 - 3rd (Peshawar) Mountain Battery, Frontier Force, Royal Pakistan Artillery
*1956 - 3rd (Peshawar) Mountain Battery, Frontier Force, Artillery
*1957 - 3 Peshawar (SP) Field Battery, Artillery (FF)
*1980 - 3 Peshawar (SP) Medium Battery, Artillery (FF)

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Pakistan Army Artillery Regiment]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of India in World War I]]
[[Category:Royal Indian Artillery batteries]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1853]]

23rd Peshawar Mountain Battery Frontier Force - Revision history

KatharinaFlanery at 08:18, 26 March 2026