This article on the short-lived 1st Battalion 131st United Provinces Regiment will help you research those who served with the unit during the First World War. I have written a separate article for the 2nd Battalion 131st United Provinces Regiment and a series of guides to help you research those who served in the Indian Army during the First World War:
The 1st Battalion 131st United Provinces Regiment in the First World War
Lineage: The 1st Battalion 131st United Provinces Regiment was formed in India in June 1918 and was disbanded in June or July 1919.
Class Composition of Battalion in 1919: 3 Companies of Rajputs and 1 Company of Hindustani Muslims.
The 1st Battalion 131st United Provinces Regiment was a war-raised Indian infantry battalion recruited from the Indian Imperial Police. The Battalion was formed in June 1918, with its commanding officer, Second Lieutenant (Acting Lieutenant Colonel) Harold Rudyard Warner, joining on 26 July 1918. Warner was a police officer who had been appointed to the Indian Army Reserve of Officers. There is little surviving documentation for the Battalion which served with the 7th (Meerut) Division and was stationed at Moradabad. In its short existence, the Battalion had one confidential review which was conducted by Brigadier-General Frederick William Barton Gray, C.M.G., D.S.O. who commanded the Bareilly Brigade. In a report dated 21 March 1919, and held at the British Library, he wrote:
Drill, handling of arms good. Training and instruction quite satisfactory for a battalion raised 8 1/2 months ago. Discipline good. Interior economy satisfactory.
This battalion was raised from Civil Police by Police Officers at first without regular Officers or instructors. These were later on provided. The battalion was isolated in a single battalion station. The difficulty of raising and training were very well met and the result good. The men are well trained and keen. The battalion is now being demobilized and the difficulties of this, complicated by 400 men being on a distant detachment in aid of the Civil, are also being well met. Battalion up to pre-war standard in physique but not in training as would be expected.
Major-General S. W. Nugent, C.B., D.S.O., who commanded the 7th (Meerut) Division wrote on 10 April 1919:
This battalion showed promise of becoming a valuable fighting unit. Much credit is due to the commanding officer. Lieutenant Colonel Warner and to Major L.P. Collins, 4th Gurkha Rifles, who joined as 2nd-in-Command in October 1918, for the capacity shown in organisation and training.
Confidential review reports on Indian Army units, depots, British officers, etc. for 1918-1919: IOR/L/MIL/7/17030.
A 2nd Battalion 131st United Provinces Regiment was raised on 2 July 1918. The excerpt below is taken from the Battalion’s entry in the April 1919 Indian Army List and shows some of the British officers serving with the 1st Battalion 131st United Provinces Regiment. Most of the officers were from the Indian Army Reserve of Officers and many of them were probably from the Indian Police. In June 1919, the Battalion was still stationed at Moradabad and was recorded as being “For disbandment”. The Battalion was disbanded at some point between June and July 1919.
Further Sources for the 1st Battalion 131st United Provinces Regiment
The 1st Battalion 131st United Provinces Regiment left no war diary and few records. The confidential report quoted from above contains short reports for the British officers serving with the Battalion. For more information about the British and Indian officers serving with the unit, the Indian Army List can be consulted.