7th Rajput Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 7th Rajput Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army
. It was formed in 1922, after the Indian government decided to reform the army moving away from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. After the partition of India
in 1947, it was allocated to the new Indian Army
and renamed the Rajput Regiment
.
The 1st Battalion was in the Arakan
during the Burma campaign
and then took over the defence of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The 2nd Battalion was also in the Arakan area and a number of actions were fought by it. The capture of Point 551, also called Rajput Hill was the most important. The Japanese holding this feature had turned back repeated attacks by other battalions but the Rajputs carried the day winning an IOM, five MC
's and two MM
's for this action.
The 3rd Battalion shipped by convoy to Egypt
in August and September 1940. Their convoy was attacked several times by Italian bombers operating out of Ethiopia
. The Battalion Bren guns were deployed for air defense and on one occasion are believed to have brought down an Italian aircraft. The Battalion was at Suez and Egypt and was sent to defend Cyprus
after the German attack on Crete
as part of Indian 5th Infantry Division
's 161 Indian Infantry Brigade. Here, they were mainly used in an anti-parachute role, supported by elements of Australian armour. Later, they returned to Egypt and participated in fierce fighting around Deir el Shein and Ruweisat Ridge
including a particularly difficult offensive on 21/22 July 1942 where they lost many casualties including the CO. Later in the year they participated in the Second Battle of El Alamein
.
The 4th was also in the Western Desert Campaign
at Sidi Barrani
and El Alamein
and on its return to India was posted to the Kohima
front.
The 5th Battalion was in the Battle of Hong Kong
. The action against the invading Japanese was short and swift with heavy casualties to the regiment. The regiment along with the British garrison was forced to surrender and the men became POWs and had to undergo great hardships. 130 men of the 5th Rajput were either beaten or starved to death or just died because lack of medical care. The Japanese wanted Captain M.A. Ansari
of 5th Rajput to renounce his allegiance to the British, but he refused. For five months he was subjected to brutal beatings and treatment, as a result of which he could not walk. He was then sent to live with the other ranks instead of the officers. Captain Ansari remained true to the regiment and organised a system for helping escapees. He was again put in jail and tortured but refused to be broken. In the end the Japanese executed him. Captain M.A. Ansari was awarded the George Cross
for his heroism.
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. It was formed in 1922, after the Indian government decided to reform the army moving away from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. After the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947, it was allocated to the new Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
and renamed the Rajput Regiment
Rajput Regiment
The Rajput Regiment is a regiment in the Indian Army that is composed primarily of the Rajput clans from India. The British designated the Rajputs as a martial race and subsequently employed large numbers of these warriors in the British Indian Army....
.
Service in Waziristan
In the late 1930s, 3rd Battalion served in South Waziristan (now part of the Tribal Lands in Pakistan). The Battalion was involved in several actions with Afghan insurgents.Second World War
A number of Rajput regiments participated in World War II:The 1st Battalion was in the Arakan
Arakan Campaign 1942–1943
The Arakan Campaign of 1942–1943 was the first tentative Allied attack into Burma, following the Japanese conquest of Burma earlier in 1942...
during the Burma campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
and then took over the defence of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The 2nd Battalion was also in the Arakan area and a number of actions were fought by it. The capture of Point 551, also called Rajput Hill was the most important. The Japanese holding this feature had turned back repeated attacks by other battalions but the Rajputs carried the day winning an IOM, five MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
's and two MM
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
's for this action.
The 3rd Battalion shipped by convoy to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in August and September 1940. Their convoy was attacked several times by Italian bombers operating out of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. The Battalion Bren guns were deployed for air defense and on one occasion are believed to have brought down an Italian aircraft. The Battalion was at Suez and Egypt and was sent to defend Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
after the German attack on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
as part of Indian 5th Infantry Division
Indian 5th Infantry Division
Indian 5th Infantry Division was an infantry division in the Indian Army during World War II which fought in several theatres of war and more than earned its nickname the "Ball of Fire".- History :...
's 161 Indian Infantry Brigade. Here, they were mainly used in an anti-parachute role, supported by elements of Australian armour. Later, they returned to Egypt and participated in fierce fighting around Deir el Shein and Ruweisat Ridge
Ruweisat Ridge
Ruweisat Ridge is a geographical feature in the Western Egyptian desert, mid way between the Mediterranean Sea and the Qattara Depression. It was a prominent part of the defence line in the First and Second Battle of El Alamein. During the Second Battle of El Alamein, the 4th Indian Infantry...
including a particularly difficult offensive on 21/22 July 1942 where they lost many casualties including the CO. Later in the year they participated in the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
.
The 4th was also in the Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
at Sidi Barrani
Sidi Barrani
Sidi Barrani is a town in Egypt, near the Mediterranean Sea, about east of the border with Libya, and around from Tobruk, Libya.Probably named after Sidi Mohammed el Barrani, a Senussi fighter in the early 1900s, the village is mainly a Bedouin community...
and El Alamein
El Alamein
El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
and on its return to India was posted to the Kohima
Kohima
Kohima is the hilly capital of India's north eastern border state of Nagaland which shares its borders with Burma. It lies in Kohima District and is also one of the three Nagaland towns with Municipal council status along with Dimapur and Mokokchung....
front.
The 5th Battalion was in the Battle of Hong Kong
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
. The action against the invading Japanese was short and swift with heavy casualties to the regiment. The regiment along with the British garrison was forced to surrender and the men became POWs and had to undergo great hardships. 130 men of the 5th Rajput were either beaten or starved to death or just died because lack of medical care. The Japanese wanted Captain M.A. Ansari
Mateen Ahmed Ansari
Captain Mateen Ahmed Ansari GC of the 5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment, in the Indian Army during World War II, and member of the British Army Aid Group was awarded the George Cross posthumously...
of 5th Rajput to renounce his allegiance to the British, but he refused. For five months he was subjected to brutal beatings and treatment, as a result of which he could not walk. He was then sent to live with the other ranks instead of the officers. Captain Ansari remained true to the regiment and organised a system for helping escapees. He was again put in jail and tortured but refused to be broken. In the end the Japanese executed him. Captain M.A. Ansari was awarded the George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
for his heroism.
Formation
- 1st battalion ex 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light InfantryThe 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry, commonly shortened to 2nd Rajputs, was a regiment of the British Indian Army, with an origin in 1798 and amalgamated with five other Rajput regiments in 1922.-History:...
- 2nd battalion ex 4th Prince Albert Victor's Rajputs4th Prince Albert Victor's RajputsThe 4th Prince Albert Victor's Rajputs was an infantry battalion of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1798, when they were the 2nd Battalion, 16th Bengal Native Infantry. Over the years they became known by a number of different titles...
- 3rd battalion ex 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajputs7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) RajputsThe 7th Rajputs were an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, later of the united British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1798, when they were the 1st Battalion, 24th Bengal Native Infantry. Over the years the regiment became known by a number of different titles...
- 4th battalion ex 8th Rajput Infantry
- 5th battalion ex 11th Rajput Infantry
- 10th (Training) battalion ex 16th Rajput Infantry (The Lucknow Regiment)