This article is about the 10th Jats and will help you to research the Regiment and a soldier who served with it during the First World War. I have written a separate article about the 2nd Battalion, 10th Jats and a series of guides to help you to research an Indian soldier who served in the First World War:
- 2nd Battalion 10th Jats
- Researching Soldiers who Served in the Indian Army during the First World War
The 10th Jats in the First World War
Lineage: Raised at Dinapore (present-day Danapur, Bihar, India) as the 1st Battalion, 33rd Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry in 1823. It became the 65th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry in 1824 and the 10th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry in 1861. Then the 10th Regiment of Bengal Infantry in 1885 and the 10th (Jat) Regiment of Bengal in 1897. In 1901 it became the 10th Jat Infantry, then the 10th Jats in 1903 and the 3rd Battalion, 9th Jats in 1922.
Class Composition of Battalion in 1914: 8 Companies of Jats. 1919: 4 Companies of Jats.
Location in 1914: The 10th Jats was stationed at Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh, India), having arrived from Hyderabad, Sind (Sindh, Pakistan) on 10th April 1914.
The 10th Jats was an Indian infantry regiment which spent the majority of the First World War in India before it moved to Mesopotamia (Iraq) in 1918. When the First World War began in August 1914 the 10th Jats was stationed at Jhansi where the Regiment was serving with the Jhansi Brigade, 5th (Mhow) Division. This Division remained in India for the duration of the war. The 10th Jats was mobilised for service when stationed at Bannu in 1917. The Regiment arrived at Karachi on 1 January 1918 and embarked on the Hired Transport Ekma. The extract below was taken from the October 1914 Indian Army List and recorded the British officers serving with the 10th Jats.
The 10th Jats arrived at Basra on 7 January 1918 and joined the 55th Indian Infantry Brigade, 18th Indian Division. The Regiment served in Mesopotamia until October 1918 and there is a good war diary covering this period. The 10th Jats left Mesopotamia in October 1918 and joined the 83rd Infantry Brigade, 28th Division serving in the British Salonika Force. The Regiment served in the 28th Division until September 1919 when it joined the 83rd Infantry Brigade, 28th Division. There are two war diaries covering the 10th Jats service in Salonika and in November 1919 the Regiment was serving at Ismid, Turkey. The 10th Jats served overseas into 1920 and was stationed at Jhansi in the July 1921 Indian Army List. In 1922 the 10th Jats became the 3rd Battalion, 9th Jats. The 10th Jats formed a second battalion at Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh, India) in June 1917 and you can read about the Battalion here: 2nd Battalion, 10th Jats.
Captain Gerald Henry Walter Mortimer 10th Jats attached 9th Bhopal Infantry who was killed in action at Festubert on 23 November 1914. Mortimer’s body was recovered on 30 November and he is buried in the Post Office Rifles Cemetery, Festubert. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission erroneously recorded his date of death as 29 November 1914 (I have sent a correction in). This portrait appeared in Bond of Sacrifice.
War Diaries of the 10th Jats
There are three war diaries for the Regiment but only the first has been digitized by the National Archives. To download this war diary for a small fee click on the first blue link below which will take you to the National Archives’ website. The other two war diaries can only be viewed at the National Archives. I have copies of all the war diaries and have transcribed some of the entries below.
- Date: 01 January – 31 October 1918
- 55th Indian Infantry Brigade, 18th Indian Division, Mesopotamia
- Reference: WO 95/5230/1
- Notes: A good war diary which includes the names and regiment numbers of at least 100 Indian soldiers who left the 10th Jats due to illness, training etc. There is a list of British officers who sailed from Karachi on board HT Ekma on 2 January 1918 and who served with the 10th Jats each month between March and October 1918.
- Date: 01 November 1918 – 19 August 1919
- 80th Infantry Brigade, 27th Division, Salonika
- Reference: WO 95/4890
- Notes: A typical war diary for this period where very little happened. There are a number of appendices, typically regimental orders and a list of British officers serving with the 10th Jats each month.
- Date: 01 September – 30 November 1919
- 83rd Infantry Brigade, 28th Division, Salonika
- Reference: WO 95/4915
- Notes: A good war diary for this period. There are a few Indian other ranks with regimental numbers. Also, nominal rolls of British officers who were present with the 10th Jats each month with the exact dates they were with the Regiment recorded.
Further Sources for the 10th Jats
A very good source of information for the Regiment and the British officers who served with it are its confidential reports held at the British Library: Confidential Reports on Regiments etc. These reports also contain the annual reports of the British officers who served with the Regiment. However, when the Regiment was abroad only its Depot and the officers serving there were reported on. For information regarding the British and Indian officers who served with the 10th Jats, the Indian Army List should be consulted.
Extracts from War Diaries of the 10th Jats
01 January – 31 October 1918, Mesopotamia, WO 95/5230/1
1 January 1918 -Karachi – The Regiment arrived at Karachi, Kiamari Docks, in two hospital trans from Bannu, and embarked forthwith on HT Ekma. The strength of the Regiment in Karachi prior to embarkation was British officers 13 (including Medical Officer) Indian officers 18, sub-assistant surgeon 1, NCOs and men 998, public followers 52, private followers 19.
01 September – 30 November 1919, Salonika, WO 95/4915
15 October 1919 – Ismid – No. 4391 Sepoy Sanwalia C Company 1/ 10th Jats fatally shot during musketry parade at Derindje today. Court of Enquiry held.
17 October 1919 – Ismid – Removal of Dump of Turkish ammunition from Arsenal into the old Ismid mosque begun at 10.00 hours today. General Solly Flood and staff visited camp at 10.30 hours and left for Eski Shehr at 12.30 hours.
09 November 1919 – Ismid – Sunday. Holiday. Wrestling. No. 4236 Lance Naik Ganpat was brought to camp at 01.00 hours in dying condition. Had fallen out of a train near Hamide on 8th instant.
10 November 1919 – Ismid – 14.30 – Officer Commanding presented 1914 -15, and 1914 – 18 war medal ribbons to officers and men of 1/ 10th Jats (HQ and 2 Companies) at Ismid.
01 November 1918 – 19 August 1919, Salonika, WO 95/4890
04 January 1919 – No.6 Camp Uchantar (Salonika) – 99 Sepoy Nandu transferred to military prison Lembet for execution of suspended sentence (1 year’s rigorous imprisonment and to be dismissed [from] the service).
27 March 1919 – Our guard in goods yard Batoum captured three men in the act of stealing stores from a train which had just arrived from docks. Men handed over to A. P. M. today.