15th Punjab Regiment - First World War

First World War

During the First World War, the five battalions of 15th Punjab Regiment served with distinction in all the major theatres of war.

• 25th Punjabis - Hong Kong, India, Mesopotamia, Salonika, Turkey.
• 2/25th Punjabis - Raised in 1917. India.
• 26th Punjabis - Hong Kong, India, Mesopotamia, Persia.
• 2/26th Punjabis - Raised in 1918. India, Mesopotamia.
• 27th Punjabis - India, Egypt, France, Mesopotamia.
• 2/27th Punjabis - Raised in 1918. India.
• 28th Punjabis - Ceylon, Mesopotamia, Egypt.
• 2/28th Punjabis - Raised in 1918. India.
• 29th Punjabis - India, German East Africa, Palestine, Egypt.

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 15th Punjab Regiment. The line-up of battalions for the 15th Punjabis was:

• 1st Battalion - 25th Punjabis
• 2nd Battalion - 26th Punjabis
• 3rd Battalion - 27th Punjabis
• 4th Battalion - 28th Punjabis
• 10th (Training) Battalion - 29th Punjabis
• 11th (Territorial) Battalion - 1st (Territorial) Battalion 25th Punjabis

The class composition of the new regiment was Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs and Jats. The new regimental badge was a Muslim crescent entwined with a Sikh quoit, surrounded by a wreath and surmounted by a Tudor crown with a scroll below, which read "15th Punjab Regiment". The uniform was scarlet with buff facings. Sialkot in the Punjab was chosen as the permanent station for the Training Battalion. In 1921, Sepoy Ishar Singh of the 28th Punjabis was awarded the Victoria Cross during an action in Waziristan on the North West Frontier.