The oldest grenadier regiment of the armies in the Commonwealth belongs to the Indian Army. The concept of 'Grenadiers' evolved from the practice of selecting the bravest and strongest men for the most dangerous tasks in combat. The Grenadiers have the longest unbroken record of existence in the Indian Army.[3]
The history of the Indian Grenadiers is linked to the troops recruited for the army of the Bombay Presidency. The first mention of a grenadier company hails back to 1684, when a little army of English troops, which had taken possession of the island of Bombay and comprising three companies of Europeans and local Christians, had a grenadier company, but nothing was heard about this unit subsequently. In 1710, the Bombay Army consisted of five companies of "Europeans, topasses (Indian Christians), and coffrees (Kaffirs)" of which the first company was a European grenadier company. This company was merged into the Bombay European Regiment, which was later disbanded. In 1757, Robert Clive had raised the 1st Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry of which two companies were grenadier companies, however, no regiments of grenadiers were formed from the Bengal Army until a battalion was formed in 1779.[4]
In 1759, as a response to French maneuvering in South India, the strength of the Bombay Army was enhanced, and the first company of sepoy grenadiers was raised with the best of Bombay sepoys "paying a regard to those having families on the island". It had only native officers and all sepoys wore red coats faced with blue. Later on, an adjutant was appointed to the corps.
Later the Bombay Army comprised a number of sepoy battalions, each having one or two grenadier companies. These were clubbed together as a composite battalion comprising the grenadier companies of the Bombay sepoy battalions, and they won the famous battle of Talegaon in 1778. So impressive was the performance of this composite battalion that the Bombay Presidency ordered the permanent raising of a grenadier battalion which duly took place on 12 March 1779, thirty-six years before the first time that a British battalion was given the honour of calling itself "grenadiers". The Governor General of Bombay made an Order dated 12 November 1779, according to which the grenadier companies of the following regiments combined to form the first Grenadier Regiment in the world, namely "The Grenadier Battalion, First Regiment of Infantry":
1st Sepoy Battalion
2nd Sepoy Battalion
3rd Sepoy Battalion
4th Sepoy Battalion
5th Sepoy Battalion
6th Sepoy Battalion
Marine Battalion (two companies of grenadiers)
4th Bombay Grenadiers
Military unit
The 4th Bombay Grenadiers were an infantry regiment of the pre-independence Indian Army, formed on 1 March 1922 as part of the reforms of the Indian Army that took place after the end of the First World War.[3] Following this, the Regiment spent the next fifteen years serving in the British Somaliland protectorate in present-day Somaliland, as well as in China and on the North-West Frontier. The 3rd, 4th and 5th Battalions were all disbanded and the 10th Battalion amalgamated with the 10th Battalion, Jat Regiment to form a Combined Training Centre at Bareilly.[3] Following the Second World War they were one of the regiments allocated to the new Indian Army and renamed The Grenadiers
The regiment consisted of six battalions, all former regiments themselves. These were:
At the beginning of the Second World War there were only two battalions of the Regiment, the 1st and 2nd. This was soon changed, though, as a number of battalions were raised for wartime service, including: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 14th, 25th, 26th and 27th Battalions.[3] The 10th (Training Battalion) was also de-linked from the Jat Regiment. Some of these battalions were to be garrison or rear area troops only, while others went on to serve with distinction in a number of theatres during the war including the Middle East and Burma, notably during the Arakan campaigns and at Kohima.
The 4th Grenadiers formed the motorised infantry element of the Indian Armoured and Tank brigades, distinguishing themselves as 'tank escort' infantry protecting tanks against sniper attack in jungle conditions:
In October 1945, the Indian infantry regiments lost their numerical designation and the regiment was re-designated as the Indian Grenadiers, thus severing its last link with the erstwhile Bombay Army (Special Indian Army Order 132/S/45). Following the partition of India, the regiment was allotted to India. The active units at that time were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 25th. The Muslim troops in the regiment were allotted to Pakistan. Dogras from 5 Baluch joined the 1st battalion, The Frontier Force Rifles to 2nd battalion, and from 1/16 Punjab to the 4th battalion.[5]
Regimental battalions
Attestation Parade at Grenadiers Regimental Centre, Jabalpur, September 2021.
INS Beas(F37) has also been affiliated with The Grenadiers.
Class composition
1923 - Rajputana Mussalmans, Rajputana Jats, Mahrattas, Mers and Merats
1946 - Jats from the Punjab, United Provinces, Rajputana and Central India states, Hindustani Mussalmans from Ambala Civil Division, Rajputana, United Provinces, Central India states and the Deccan.[34]
The Grenadiers have the unique and distinct honour of having the most number of Param Vir Chakras, India's highest medal for gallantry, among all the Indian Army's Infantry Regiments.[37] Of note also, is the fact that prior to independence, British officers serving with The Grenadiers won four Victoria Crosses.[38] Members of the Regiment have also received a number of other decorations prior to independence.
^"Grenadiers' history is replete with stories of valour". 19 July 1999. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"Infantry Regiments: The cutting edge of Soldiering". 24 January 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^ a b c dSharma, p. 75
^"Brief History". Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^Gaylor, John. Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–1991. Stroud: Spellmount Publishers Ltd. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-946771-98-1.
^"Indian Army Grenadiers Regiment".
^"2 Guards (1 Grenadiers)". Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^"2 Grenadiers of India". 7 June 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"Third Battalion The Grenadiers". 11 February 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"16 Madras, 3 Grenadiers' braves". 6 June 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^"Fourth Battalion The Grenadiers". 1 February 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"Remembering a hero named Abdul Hamid". 21 July 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^"Sixth Battalion The Grenadiers". 1 March 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"The Grenadiers Regiment - Bharat Rakshak - Indian Army & Land Forces".
^"Raising Days and Battle Honours : Mech Battalions". Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"8 Grenadiers". 1 January 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^"Army starts 'Mewar Trail' foot expedition from Udaipur". 8 October 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^"Princely States' contribution to the Indian Army". 1 October 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^"11th Battalion The Grenadiers". 1 October 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"12th Battalion The Grenadiers". 1 April 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"Rajputs State forces to modern Indian Army: A milllenium of military service". 1 January 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"14 Grenadiers". 22 January 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"15th Battalion The Grenadiers". 16 January 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"Grenadiers Regiment". Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^"17th Battalion The Grenadiers (Motorised)". 10 November 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"18 Grenadiers relive Tiger Hill capture". 22 July 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"18 Grenadiers to celebrate Battle Honour Day". The Times of India. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^"22nd Battalion The Grenadiers". 1 June 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"Raising of 25th Grenadiers". 19 October 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"118 Inf BN TA Grenadiers Platinum Jubilee". 22 August 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^"118 TA Battalion vacates Sitabuldi Fort". 14 November 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^"An entire Army unit just pledges their organs". 14 January 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^"Jaipur Terrier Pipe Band". Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^Gaylor, John. Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–1991. Stroud: Spellmount Publishers Ltd. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-946771-98-1.
^Gautam, PK (2016). Indigenous Historical Knowledge: Kautilya and His Vocabulary, Volume III. IDSA/Pentagon Press. p. 154. ISBN 978-81-8274-909-2.
^ a b c"The Grenadiers". Retrieved 11 March 2023.
^"Know the brave regiments of Indian Army". 23 June 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
^Sharma, p. 69
^India, Adjutant General of (1930). List of Honours Awarded to the Indian Army August 1914 to August 1921. Committee Indian War Memorial Delhi.
^Sharma, p. 73
^The Tiger Kills. Director of Public Relations, India Command, Government of India. 1944. p. 327.
^The Tiger Strikes. Director of Public Relations, India Command, Government of India. 1942. p. 148.
^"75th Republic Day: President approves Gallantry awards to 80 Armed Forces personnel, including 12 posthumous". 25 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
Bibliography
Barthorp, Michael; Burn, Jeffrey (1979). Indian infantry regiments 1860–1914. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-307-0.
Rinaldi, Richard A (2008). Order of Battle British Army 1914. Ravi Rikhye. ISBN 978-0-9776072-8-0.
Sharma, Gautam (1990). Valour and sacrifice: famous regiments of the Indian Army. Allied Publishers. ISBN 81-7023-140-X.
Sumner, Ian (2001). The Indian Army 1914–1947. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-196-6.
Moberly, F.J. (1923). Official History of the War: Mesopotamia Campaign, Imperial War Museum. ISBN 1-870423-30-5
Singh, Rajendra (1969) History of the Grenadiers
Singh, Rajendra (1955) Organisation and Administration in the Indian Army
Palsokar, R.D. (1980) The Grenadiers, a Tradition of Valour, The Grenadiers Regimental Centre, Jabalpur
bharat-rakshak.com – The Grenadiers Archived 14 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
Indian Grenadiers Regiment
The Bombay Grenadiers
2nd Battalion, 4th Bombay Grenadiers (King Edward's Own), Formerly the 102nd King Edward's Own Grenadiers, Historical Record of the Regiment, 1796-1933