This article looks at the 2nd Battalion 124th Duchess of Connaught’s Own Baluchistan Infantry, usually abbreviated to the 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchis and will help you research those who served with it. I have written separate articles for the 1st and 3rd Battalions and a series of guides to help you research soldiers who served with the Indian Army during the First World War. To view the articles click on the blue links below:
- 1st Battalion 124th Duchess of Connaught’s Own Baluchistan Infantry
- 3rd Battalion 124th Duchess of Connaught’s Own Baluchistan Infantry
- Guides to Researching Soldiers who Served in the Indian Army in WW1
The 2nd Battalion 124th Duchess of Connaught’s Own Baluchistan Infantry
Lineage: Formed at Bushire, Persia (Iran) on 11 August 1916 and became the 10th Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment in 1922. This was the Regiment’s training battalion. For a history of the Regiment’s lineage see my page on the 1st Battalion 124th Duchess of Connaught’s Own Baluchistan Infantry.
Class Composition of Battalion in 1919: 2 Companies of Sikhs and 2 Companies of Punjabi Musalmans and Khattacks.
The 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchis was one of the first war-raised Indian infantry battalions when it was formed at Bushire, Persia on 11 August 1916. The Battalion was initially composed of drafts from the 1st Battalion 124th Baluchis, 47th Sikhs and 126th Baluchistan Infantry. The Battalion remained in Bushire until October when it moved to Basra and subsequently onto Sinn Abtar. The war diary which I have discussed below records the Battalion’s exact movements. The following extract was taken from the January 1917 Indian Army List and recorded the British officers serving with the Battalion.
In January 1917, the Battalion joined the 8th Indian Infantry Brigade, 3rd (Lahore) Division and there is a war diary covering the period between January 1917 and April 1918. During this period, the Battalion served in a variety of places in present-day Iraq including Samarra and Baghdad. On the 5 November 1917, the Battalion took part in and suffered heavy casualties at the Battle of Tikrit (Tekrit). Fortunately, the casualty list for this battle has survived in the Battalion’s war diary. The 2nd Battalion moved to Samarra after the Battle of Tirkit where it remained until February 1918 when it began preparations to move from Mesopotamia to Egypt.
On 13 May 1918, the Battalion disembarked at Suez, Egypt and moved into camp at Moascar Ismailia. There is a war diary for the 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchis covering the period between May 1918 and March 1920 when it was still serving with the 8th Indian Infantry Brigade, 3rd (Lahore) Division. There is very little of note concerning the Battalion’s service in Egypt/Palestine until it took part in the Battle of Megiddo on 19 September 1918. Fortunately, the Battalion’s casualties were very light. After the battle, the Battalion moved to Jiljulieh in what is now Israel where it stayed for the remainder of the war.
The 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchis remained in Palestine after the war and served at Ludd, Jerusalem and Beersheba. The Battalion returned to India in 1920 and in the July 1921 Indian Army List was stationed at Hyderabad (Sindh) in present-day Pakistan. In 1922, the Battalion was one of the few war-raised Indian infantry battalions not to be disbanded and became the 10th Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment. This was the Regiment’s training Battalion.
War Diaries of the 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchis
There are three war diaries for the 2nd Battalion and the first two have been digitized by the National Archives. To download these war diaries for a small fee click on the first two blue links below. The final war diary of the Battalion hasn’t been digitized and can only be viewed at the National Archives. I have copies of all the war diaries and have transcribed some entries below.
- Date: 01 August – 31 December 1916
- Bushire Force
- Reference: WO95/5010/7
- Notes: An average war diary where many dates do not have an entry and those which do often concern court-martials.
- Date: 01 January 1917 – 30 April 1918
- 8th Indian Infantry Brigade, 3rd (Lahore) Division, Mesopotamia
- Reference: WO 95/5109/3
- Notes: A better war diary. For the first months of 1917, most entries just record the number of Indian other ranks admitted to hospital. The war diary entries become more detailed from September 1917. There is a casualty list (nearly 300 names), with regimental numbers, for the capture of Tikrit 05 November 1917. Also, gallantry citations for battle, though the writing is very hard to read. There are lists of British officers with the Regiment between December 1917 and April 1918.
- Date: 01 May 1918 – 31 March 1920
- 8th Indian Infantry Brigade, 3rd (Lahore) Division, Egyptian Expeditionary Force
- Reference: WO 95/4702
- Notes: A detailed war diary. Court-martials are frequently reported (See an account of the shootings below). There is a list of British officers serving with the 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchistan Infantry each month. There are additional citations recorded for the Battle of Tikrit 1917 at the end of July 1917. Also a map of the area around El Mir and patrol reports for August 1918.
Further Sources for the 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchistan Infantry
For information regarding British and Indian officers who served with the Battalion, the Indian Army List can be consulted. A good resource for the 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchistan Infantry is the Battalion’s confidential reports held at the British Library: Confidential Reports on Regiments etc. These reports only concern the Battalion’s Depot and the British officers serving with it.
There is a regimental history for the 124th Baluchis which is good but very difficult to get hold of: The First Battalion Duchess of Connaught’s own (late 124th D.C.O. Baluchistan infantry) and the Tenth Battalion (late 2/124th Baluchistan infantry) by Oswald Arthur Chaldecott. A copy of the book is held at the British Library and Imperial War Museum.
Extracts from War Diaries of the 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchis
01 August – 31 December 1916, Bushire Force, WO 95/5010/7
17 September 1916 – Bushire – No. 677 Sepoy Muhammad Hasham (Hazara) deserted.
20 September 1916 – Bushire – No. 4114 Lance Naik Ali Jan Khan (Khattak deserted 1-2 July) sentenced to death by S.G.C.M. held on 4 September. No. 4479 Sepoy Zar Dast (Khattak deserted 1-2 July) sentenced to transportation for term of 15 years by S.G.C.M. held on 4 September.
21 September 1916 – Bushire – Sentence on No. 4114 Lance Naik Ali Jan Khan carried out.
01 January 1917 – 30 April 1918, Mesopotamia, WO 95/5109/3
11 January 1917 – Trenches – The Regiment was ordered to assist an attack by the 9 Brigade by seizing a Turkish picquet at Kisa and bombing up the Turkish second line trenches left flank. The Turks counter-attacked and the attack was unable to attain its object. The attack by the 9 Brigade was repulsed. The Regiment was ordered to return to its position in the Turkish first line trench in the evening. [Number of casualties sustained follows].
12 April 1917 – Baghdad – No. 6056 Sepoy Sher Bad Shah captured by the Turks on 11 January 1917, escaped and rejoined Regiment. He reported Subadar Umar Khan and 20 other ranks Indian previously reported “killed” or “missing” or “believed killed” to be prisoners with Turks.
The following foreign decorations were received of [sic] officers and men of the regiment conferred by His Majesty of the King of Italy. The Medal St. George 4 Class. No.4010 Lance Naik Surain Singh. The last named Non-commissioned officers received the decoration for gallantry in bringing in Lieutenant Laurie’s body on the 06 January 1917 under heavy fire during operations in Mohd Abdul Hassan Bend.
10 September 1917 -Istabulat Police Post Camp – No. 6056 Sepoy Sher Bad Shah, a repatriated prisoner of war, returned to depot in India on one months leave.
21 January 1918 – Samarra – Two escaped prisoners of war of 126th Baluchistan Infantry. No. 6054 Sepoy Purdil Khan and No. 5439 Sepoy Sahar Gul came into a 47th Sikh picquet this afternoon. 6054 Sepoy Purdil Khan was captured on 11 January 1917 at Mohd. Abdul Hassan when attached to this Regiment. No. 5439 Sepoy Sahar Gul was captured at Beit Aiessa in 1916 when attached to 51st Sikhs. Both had escaped from Nisibin taking 17 days to reach Samarra.
09 February 1918 – Samarra – No.1 Sepoy Amir Khan having been apprehended at Baqubah was shot today at 5.45 pm near camp at Samarra.
01 May 1918 – 31 March 1920, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, WO 95/4702
22 May 1918 – Moascar – Ismailia – At 11.45 Subadar Sar Gul was shot and died immediately. Three other sepoys were wounded. No. 1661 Sepoy Sher Haider dangerously wounded, No. 4635 Sepoy Arif Khan and No. 5111 Sepoy Amal Mohd slightly. No. 4328 Lance Naik Ghulam Haider was immediately arrested being suspected of the murder, No. 4297 Havildar Khan having apprehended him, just after the last shot was fired, with the rifle in his hand. Major A. D. Day proceeded to hold a Court of Inquiry.
21.15 The following Sepoys were despatched to the Indian Base Depot Kantara to transfer to other units being dangerous characters and suspected of being implicated in the crime:- No. 4802 Sep Sharifullah, Akora Khattak. No. 1746 Sepoy Mastadin, Akora Khattak. No. 1342 Sepoy Wali Khan, Akora Khattak. No. 1204 Sepoy Pir Dost, Yusufzai. No. 5476 Sepoy Mir Baz, No. 4795 Miramzai Khattak, No. 5185 Sepoy Nahram Khan, Miramzai Khattak.
23 May 1918 – Moascar Ismailia – Captain Galbraith R.A.M.C. was recalled from leave as a witness in the shooting case and returned at 21.15.
24 May 1918 – Moascar Ismailia – Summary of evidence as taken today in the case of 4328 Lance Naik Ghulam Haider.
04 June 1918 – Moascar Ismailia – A Summary General Court Martial assembled at Head Quarters of 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchistan Infantry for the purpose of trying No. 4328 Lance Naik Ghulam Haider.
17 June 1918 – Moascar Ismailia – At a S.G.C.M. held at Moascar Ismailia on 04 June 1918 for the purpose of trying No. 4328 Lance Naik Ghulam Haider 2nd Battalion 124th Baluchistan Infantry on the following charges. 1) Committing murder against a person subject to military law (Subadar Sar Gul). 2. Committing culpable homicide against a person subject to military law (Subadar Sar Gul). 3. Committing murder against a person subject to military law (Sepoy Sher Haider), 4) Committing culpable homicide against a person subject to military law (Sepoy Sher Haider). The accused was found guilty of all ? charges and sentenced to hanged [sic] by the court. The C-in-C E.E.F confirmed the finding but ? the sentence to shooting. The sentence was duly carried out at 04.30 hours on 17 June 1918 at Ismailia about 1000 yards from the camp.
02 August 1918 – In Camp near Wilhema – 13.00. No. 1077 Havildar Lal Khan Punjabi Musalman [Transported for life] was shot by No. 4867 Sepoy Baloch Khan Punjabi Musalman. Three shots were fired and Lal Khan was wounded by the first in the shoulder and the second through the neck and shoulder. A court of enquiry was immediately held, Captain L. L. Ogier being president.