The Hindu : New Delhi News : A day to remember for tough Patialas

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 13, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

A day to remember for tough Patialas

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, APRIL 12 .The tough Patialas or the 15 Punjab (First Patiala) battalion, is completing 300 years on Wednesday. Raised by Baba Alla Singh, the founder of the Patiala State on April 13, 1705, the battalion is celebrating its tri-centenary under the command of Advitya Madan, Colonel and Commanding Officer.

Apart from being the oldest infantry battalion in the Indian Army, the 15 Punjab is also the second highest decorated battalion of the Army with 22 Battle Honours, 1 Theatre Honour(Punjab) and numerous individual gallantry awards. The battalion has taken part in numerous campaigns in India and abroad and distinguished itself in each of them.

It is pertinent that 15 Punjab(First Patiala) is the only battalion of the Punjab Regiment with cent percent Sikh troops. All the other battalions of the Punjab Regiment have a mixed troop composition of Dogra and Sikh troops.

On the occasion of the celebrations, the battalion, deployed somewhere in the western sector is having the Punjab Chief Minister, Amrinder Singh, and Colonel of Punjab Regiment, Mohinder Singh as the guests, besides the ex-commanding officers, war veterans and widows of war heroes. The battalion has seen many changes in its designation over the past three centuries since its inception. In May 1900, the battalion was re-designated as "First Patiala Imperial Service Infantry (Rajindra Sikh)''.

In 1932, the battalion was again re-designated as "First Patiala Rajindra Sikh Infantry''. In 1951 it was integrated into the Indian Army and was re-designated as 15 Punjab(First Patiala).

During World War I, the battalion took part in operations in the Middle East (Suez Canal, Jordan, Gallipoli, Palestine and Egypt) under the British Expeditionary Force. During World War II, the battalion fought in Waziristan and participated in the Burma Campaign. They successfully cut the Japanese lines of communication, thus halting their advance towards India.

The battalion took part in J&K operations in 1948, in the battle at Dras Kargil Sector in 1988 and fought the Kashmir insurgency from 1992-1995. During Kargil war(Operation Vijay) in 1999, the battalion was once again in action in J&K winning one Vashisht Seva Medal, four Sena Medals, four Chief of Army Staff Commendation Cards and nine General Officer Commanding in Chief Commendation Cards.

As a part of the celebrations the unit launched a motor cycle expedition to the Pooh Valley on March 31. It passed through New Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla, Kalpa Valley, Pooh Valley and on to Patiala, Bhathinda and Ferozepur to reach Hussainiwala, the old battlefield of the 1971 war. The colonel of the Punjab Regiment, Mohinder Singh flagged in the expedition today.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi

News Update

Stories in this Section