2nd Battalion 61st King George’s Own Pioneers

This article looks at the short-lived 2nd Battalion 61st King George’s Own Pioneers and aims to help you research the Battalion and those who served with it during the First World War. I have written a separate article for the 1st Battalion 61st King George’s Own Pioneers and a series of guides to help you research those who served in the Indian Army during the First World War. The links below will take you to the guides:

The 2nd Battalion 61st King George’s Own Pioneers in the First World War

Lineage: Formed at Dhond on 20 July 1918 and disbanded on 30 September 1921. For a history of the Regiment’s lineage see my page on the 1st Battalion 61st King George’s Own Pioneers.

Class Composition of Battalion in 1919: 2 Companies of Mussalis and 2 Companies of Madrassis.

The 2nd Battalion 61st King George’s Own Pioneers was a short-lived Indian infantry battalion formed at Dhond on 20 July 1918. The Battalion was inspected by Major-General Sir M. J. Tighe shortly after its creation who reported:

Turn-out: Satisfactory.

Marching Powers: Satisfactory.

Physical appearance: Very satisfactory.

General observations: This unit had a great deal to contend with; some of the men were not in my opinion physically up to the standard and there was at first a great lack of instructions.

I saw it twice at work and was satisfied that Lieut-Colonel Bruce Commanded it well and that the progress made was good.

Confidential review reports on Indian Army units, depots, British officers, etc. for 1918-1919: IOR/L/MIL/17030.

The Battalion was still at Dhond when the Third Anglo-Afghan War broke out on 6 May 1919 and was mobilised the next day. During the war, the Battalion served with the 16th Division as divisional troops. The 2nd Battalion 61st Pioneers spent the war at Kacha Garhi and Jamrud and there is a war diary covering the period between May and August 1919. The Battalion remained on the North West Frontier (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) after the war and in the January 1920, Indian Army List was stationed at Kohat.

The Battalion took part in the Waziristan Campaign and there is another war diary covering the period between November 1920 and March 1921. The Battalion spent a lot of this period at Sarwekai in what i now South Waziristan, Pakistan. The war diary is good and you can follow the Battalion as it moved around the area. In the July 1921 Indian Army List, the Battalion was stationed at Bangalore and was disbanded on 30 September 1921.

Below is part of the July 1919 Indian Army List entry for the 2nd Battalion 61st Pioneers recording the British officers who were then serving with it. The large numbers of British officers who were from the Indian Army Reserve of Officers (I.A.R.O.) is typical of a war-raised Indian infantry battalion. Most of these officers have a wide range of records to consult and I would suggest starting your research by looking through the Indian Army Lists.2nd Battalion 61st Pioneers British Officers

War Diaries of the 2nd Battalion 61st King George’s Own Pioneers

There are two war diaries for the 2nd Battalion 61st King George’s Own Pioneers and as of November 2017, neither has been digitized and they can only be viewed at the National Archives. I have copies of both and have transcribed some entries at the bottom of the page.

  • Date: 07 May – 31 August 1919
  • 16th Indian Division Troops
  • Reference: WO 95/5413
  • Notes: A good war diary which provides plenty of information regarding the Battalion’s activities during the Third Anglo-Afghan War. There are no appendices.
  • Date: 01 November 1920 – 05 March 1921
  • Waziristan Force
  • Reference: WO 95/5398
  • Notes: An excellent war diary which goes into great detail regarding the activities (often given by company) of the 2nd Battalion 61st Pioneers. Unfortunately, there are very few British officers mentioned and no Indian other ranks.

Further Sources for the 2nd Battalion 61st Pioneers

If you’re researching either a British or Indian officer who served with the Battalion you should consult the Indian Army List. There is only one confidential report for the 2nd Battalion 61st Pioneers which I have quoted from above. This report also contains the annual confidential reports of the British officers who were serving with it at the time:

  • Confidential review reports on Indian Army units, depots, British officers, etc. for 1918-1919: IOR/L/MIL/17030

Extracts from War Diaries of the 2nd Battalion 61st King George’s Own Pioneers 

01 November 1920 – 05 March 1921, Waziristan Force, WO 95/5398

01 November 1920 – Jandola – The Battalion under Major Plumer began construction of the camel track to Chagmalai. A road 15 feet width was made from Spinkai Raghza to the river bed, and a camel track 20 feet wide across the nullah bed… The 58th Vaughan’s Rifles covered the operations, and enabled the track to be sited up the junction of the Tank Zam River and the Shahur River. The Battalion completed about 1500 yards of camel track, and almost finished the road from the concentration camp to the river bed. No sniping or untoward incident occurred. The Battalion is holding a perimeter of 500 yards length in the Wana Column Concentration Camp Jandola.

04 November 1920 – Jandola – The Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel C. E. H. Wilson (the Commandant) completed the road to Chagmalai Camp and joined it to the position of the main roads up to camp constructed in 1917. The operation was covered by the 2nd Battalion the Norfolk Regiment, and 1 Company South Waziristan Militia. The Battalion closed on completion of the work. No sniping.

13 November 1920 – Chagmalai – A Mashud with a Martini rifle and live cartridges (22 in number Mark VII) was captured by D Company in the Mastane River, but afterwards released by the column intelligence officer.

15 November 1920 – Haideri Kach – The Battalion forming part of the Wana Column moved to Haideri Kach today. Reveille was at 04.00 hours, and the morning as bitterly cold. The Shahur River on the Shahur Tangi had to be crossed numerous times and the water was very cold…

18 November 1920 – Sarwekai – …B Company (after considerable delay due to the presence of about 40 enemy snipers) went forward and constructed and wired a piquet for 16 rifles on the ridge S.S.E. of Sarwekai. No sniping took place and the Company returned to camp at 17.30 hours on completion. The Battalion had to construct and defend a perimeter wall about 740 yards in length.

29 November 1920 – Sarwekai – …The Remainder of the Battalion started the construction of a camel path through the Waroghi Tangi Algad. The unit was responsible for its own protection, but encountered no enemy position. Considerable blasting had to be resorted to in order to clear away the very large boulders which constituted the greater portion of the bed of the Tangi and in many placed the road was constructed by filling in with rocks and shingle so as to obtain easy gradients. A road passable for camels was completed, but considerable further improvements can be affected.

11 December 1920 – Sarwekai – B, C and D Companies each constructed 4 sangars (with head cover) for the new system of defences to be adopted at Sarwekai on the advance of the Wana Column. Stones were very difficult to collect, and a party of 250 men of the 4/3 Gurkha Rifles was split up amongst the 3 Companies to assist in supplying stones.

A Company in conjunction with No. 14 Company Sappers and Miners constructed single ? barbed wire fences round the above mentioned picquets, in such a way that a Lewis gun firing from a loophole in the sangar would fire for 40 – 50 yards along the barbed wire. So that an enemy caught in the wire would at once be riddled with bullets.

Guides to Researching Soldiers who Served in the Indian Army

Guides to Researching Soldiers who Served in the British Army