2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry

This article is about the 2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry and will help you to research the Battalion and soldiers who served with it during the First World War. I have written a separate article for the 1st Battalion 5th Light Infantry and a series of guides to help you to research soldiers who served in the Indian Army during the First World War. To view the guides click on the blue links below:

The 2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry in the First World War

Lineage: The 2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry was formed at Quetta (Balochistan, Pakistan) on 13 August 1918 (some sources have July 1918) and disbanded in 1919. For a history of the Regiment’s lineage see my page on the 1st Battalion 5th Light Infantry.

Class Composition of Battalion in July 1919: 2 Companies of Ahirs and 2 Companies of Muslims of the Eastern Punjab and Hindustan.

The 2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry was a short-lived Indian infantry battalion formed at Quetta (Balochistan, Pakistan) on 13 August 1918. The Battalion saw no active service and was disbanded a year later leaving few records. During its short existence, the Battalion’s commanding officer was Acting Lieutenant-Colonel Kenneth Douglas Murray Henderson MC (Military Cross) who was appointed on 31 August 1918 from the 17th Infantry (the Loyal Regiment). Of the British officers listed in the July 1919 Indian Army List as serving with the Battalion, only Henderson was a pre-war officer. The majority of British officers were either Indian Army officers with temporary commissions (T.C.) or from the Indian Army Reserve of Officers (I.A.R.O). The 2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry was disbanded in 1919. 2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry

War Diaries of the 2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry

Unfortunately, there are no war diaries for the 2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry.

Further Sources for the 2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry

There are few sources for the Battalion and no confidential reports. For information regarding British and Indian officers who served with the 2nd Battalion 5th Light Infantry, the Indian Army List can be consulted.