Military History of The North-West Frontier - Military Formations - Punjab Frontier Force - Infantry

Infantry

The four Sikh regiments were simply redesignated Sikh Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force.

The six former Punjab Infantry regiments were officially redesignated Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force, but the earlier style lingered and was restored in 1901.

Although never designated as such, the 5th Gurkha Regiment was brigaded with the force in practice.

All but two of the infantry regiments took the field in the Second Afghan War, and their subsequent awards were:-

• 1st Sikh Infantry; A M, A 1878-80
• 2nd Sikh Infantry; A K, K 1880, A 1878-80
• 3rd Sikh Infantry; K 1879, K 1880, A 1879-80

• 1st Punjab Infantry; A 1878-79
• 2nd Punjab Infantry; P K, A 1878-79
• 4th Punjab Infantry; A 1879-80
• 5th Punjab Infantry; P K, C, K 1879, A 1878-80

• 5th Gurkha Regiment; P K, C, K 1879, A 1878-80

Spending cuts after the war resulted in the disbandment of the 3rd Punjab Infantry in 1882.

Spared the same fate, the 4th Sikh Infantry was employed in the expedition of 1895 earning the honour C.

The Frontier Revolt of 1897-8 saw the 3rd Sikh and 2nd Punjab Infantries employed in the Tirah Campaign, earning them the honors T and P F. The 5th Gurkha Rifles was also awarded P F.

In 1903 the four Sikh Infantry regiments were brought into the new Indian Army Line by adding fifty to their original numbers:-

• 51st Sikhs (Frontier Force)
• 52nd Sikhs (Frontier Force)
• 53rd Sikhs (Frontier Force)
• 54th Sikhs (Frontier Force)

The five remaining regiments of Punjab Infantry were consecutively renumbered in the same sequence to become:-

• 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force)
• 56th Punjabi Rifles (Frontier Force)
• 57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier Force)
• 58th Vaughan's Rifles (Frontier Force)
• 59th Scinde Rifles (Frontier Force)

The 5th Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) took on the subsidiary title denoting their origin.