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The 9th Bhopal Infantry was raised by the Princely State of Bhopal as a combined army of cavalry and infantry in 1818 at Sehore. It was formed for providing military service with the East India Company. The unit was titled as the Bhopal Contingent and was initially engaged in maintaining peace in the uncontrollable regions of Central India. After the culmination of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the contingent was re-structured and reformed as the Bhopal Levy by Lieutenant Colonel James Travers, VC, in the year 1859. The military unit was later renamed as the Bhopal Battalion in 1865.
The Bhopal Battalion was made up of the loyal remnants of the disaffected Bhopal, Gwalior and Malwa contingents raised for local service in Central India. They remained localised until the Second Afghan War when they were to man the North-West Frontier. In 1903, they were brought into the Line as the 9th Bhopal Infantry.
After Lord Kitchener re-organised the entire British Indian Army in the year 1903, the designation of the Bhopal Battalion was modified to the 9th Bhopal Infantry. The unit served during the First World War and was sent to France in the year 1914. The troops also took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the Battle of Festubert, the Battle of Givenchy and the Second Ypres Battle. It was here that Chatta Singh was awarded a Victoria Cross for conspicuous Bravery.
By the time the regiment returned home in March 1919, only fifteen men remained of those who had sailed for France in 1914.
The 9th Bhopal Infantry regiment remained in active military service from the year 1859 till 1922. The battalion was re-designated as 4th Battalion (Bhopal) 16th Punjab Regiment in the year 1922. The Nawab of Bhopal acted as the Colonel-in-Chief of the infantry regiment.
Their nickname was 'The Bo-Peeps' but they earned a reputation for toughness in World War 1. At first they were stationed at Fyzabad and comprised 2 companies of Sikhs, 2 of Rajputs, 2 of Brahmans and 2 of Muslims.
Then in September 1914 they were sent to France. In the late afternoon of a cold, wet late autumn day, the Bhopals went to the aid of the remnants of a Brirish battalion near Neuve Chapelle. Still in cotton-drill, they had their first encounter with trenches and barbed wire and stayed, locked in battle for three days without food. Their losses were 11 officers and 262 men. Three days later they lost a further 200 at Festubert. Remaining in France until May 1915, they went on to Mesopotamia where a sepoy, Chattar Singh, earned a VC.. 42 decorations were won by the regiment including 4 Military Crosses. On returning to India, there remained only 15 of the originals who had sailed for France in 1914. The Bhopals did not have linked battalions so that they suffered immediate problems when they sustained the heavy casualties in France.
Unknown officers were posted in and whole platoons of reinforcements arrived, made up of differing tribal origins.Notwithstanding, the Bo-Peeps' reputation stood high but they constituted a potent argument in favour of the reforms planned for after the war.
In 1922 as mentioned above ,they became the 4th battalion 16th Punjab Regiment which was stationed at Mooltan. Their WW2 service was in India, Egypt, Italian East Africa, Italy and Palestine.
The Willcox Committee Report on the future of the Indian Army after the war had recommended the disbandment of the 16th Punjab Regiment but Partition overtook almost everything and Solah Punjab passed to Pakistan to suffer extinction by merger nine years later. This unit is now known as 17 Punjab ( Haidri) in the Pak Army
A war fund postcard issued by Princely State of Bhavnagar during WWI. Bhavnagar was a princely state during British India.
This forms a part of a set of 5 postcards issued during WWI by order of Her Highness Nandkunverba, C.I., Maharani of Bhavnagar, for the benefit of the War Fund.
Four of such postcards show soldiers awarded for their bravery while fifth one shows seals of different rulers of Bhavnagar.
Sepoy Chatta Singh, 9th Bhopal Infantry, winning the Victoria Cross on 13 January 1916. The Tigris Front, Mesopotamia.
Sepoy Chatta Singh was awarded the Victoria Cross for exceptional valour at the Battle of Wadi on 13 January 1916. By the time the regiment returned home in March 1919, only fifteen men remained of those who had sailed for France in 1914.
He was about 29 years old, and a Sepoy in the 9th Bhopal Infantry, British Indian Army during the First World War when he performed the deed for which he was awarded the VC. On 13 January 1916 during the Battle of the Wadi, Mesopotamia, Sepoy Chatta Singh left cover to assist and to rescue his commanding officer, who was lying wounded and helpless in the open.
Sepoy Chatta Singh VC
The Bhopal Battalion was made up of the loyal remnants of the disaffected Bhopal, Gwalior and Malwa contingents raised for local service in Central India. They remained localised until the Second Afghan War when they were to man the North-West Frontier. In 1903, they were brought into the Line as the 9th Bhopal Infantry.
After Lord Kitchener re-organised the entire British Indian Army in the year 1903, the designation of the Bhopal Battalion was modified to the 9th Bhopal Infantry. The unit served during the First World War and was sent to France in the year 1914. The troops also took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the Battle of Festubert, the Battle of Givenchy and the Second Ypres Battle. It was here that Chatta Singh was awarded a Victoria Cross for conspicuous Bravery.
By the time the regiment returned home in March 1919, only fifteen men remained of those who had sailed for France in 1914.
The 9th Bhopal Infantry regiment remained in active military service from the year 1859 till 1922. The battalion was re-designated as 4th Battalion (Bhopal) 16th Punjab Regiment in the year 1922. The Nawab of Bhopal acted as the Colonel-in-Chief of the infantry regiment.
Their nickname was 'The Bo-Peeps' but they earned a reputation for toughness in World War 1. At first they were stationed at Fyzabad and comprised 2 companies of Sikhs, 2 of Rajputs, 2 of Brahmans and 2 of Muslims.
Then in September 1914 they were sent to France. In the late afternoon of a cold, wet late autumn day, the Bhopals went to the aid of the remnants of a Brirish battalion near Neuve Chapelle. Still in cotton-drill, they had their first encounter with trenches and barbed wire and stayed, locked in battle for three days without food. Their losses were 11 officers and 262 men. Three days later they lost a further 200 at Festubert. Remaining in France until May 1915, they went on to Mesopotamia where a sepoy, Chattar Singh, earned a VC.. 42 decorations were won by the regiment including 4 Military Crosses. On returning to India, there remained only 15 of the originals who had sailed for France in 1914. The Bhopals did not have linked battalions so that they suffered immediate problems when they sustained the heavy casualties in France.
Unknown officers were posted in and whole platoons of reinforcements arrived, made up of differing tribal origins.Notwithstanding, the Bo-Peeps' reputation stood high but they constituted a potent argument in favour of the reforms planned for after the war.
In 1922 as mentioned above ,they became the 4th battalion 16th Punjab Regiment which was stationed at Mooltan. Their WW2 service was in India, Egypt, Italian East Africa, Italy and Palestine.
The Willcox Committee Report on the future of the Indian Army after the war had recommended the disbandment of the 16th Punjab Regiment but Partition overtook almost everything and Solah Punjab passed to Pakistan to suffer extinction by merger nine years later. This unit is now known as 17 Punjab ( Haidri) in the Pak Army
A war fund postcard issued by Princely State of Bhavnagar during WWI. Bhavnagar was a princely state during British India.
This forms a part of a set of 5 postcards issued during WWI by order of Her Highness Nandkunverba, C.I., Maharani of Bhavnagar, for the benefit of the War Fund.
Four of such postcards show soldiers awarded for their bravery while fifth one shows seals of different rulers of Bhavnagar.
Sepoy Chatta Singh, 9th Bhopal Infantry, winning the Victoria Cross on 13 January 1916. The Tigris Front, Mesopotamia.
Sepoy Chatta Singh was awarded the Victoria Cross for exceptional valour at the Battle of Wadi on 13 January 1916. By the time the regiment returned home in March 1919, only fifteen men remained of those who had sailed for France in 1914.
He was about 29 years old, and a Sepoy in the 9th Bhopal Infantry, British Indian Army during the First World War when he performed the deed for which he was awarded the VC. On 13 January 1916 during the Battle of the Wadi, Mesopotamia, Sepoy Chatta Singh left cover to assist and to rescue his commanding officer, who was lying wounded and helpless in the open.
Sepoy Chatta Singh VC
