This article is about the short-lived 2nd Battalion 80th Carnatic Infantry will help you to research the Battalion as well as those men who served with it during the First World War. I have written a separate article for the 80th Carnatic Infantry and created a series of guides to help you research those who served with the Indian Army in more detail. The links below will take you to the guides:
The 2nd Battalion 80th Carnatic Infantry in the First World War
Lineage: The 2nd Battalion 80th Carnatic Infantry was formed at Trichinopoly (Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India) in October 1918 and was disbanded on 31 January 1921.
Composition in April 1920: 1 Company of Marawars, 1 Company of Tamils, 1 Company of Muslims and 1 Company Mixed.
The 2nd Battalion 80th Carnatic Infantry was a short-lived Indian infantry battalion formed at Trichinopoly (Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India) in October 1918. The Battalion’s first commanding officer was Acting Lieutenant-Colonel Hubert Norris who was appointed from the 1st Battalion 80th Carnatic Infantry on 27 October 1918. The majority of its British officers were either Indian Army officers on probation or drawn from the Indian Army Reserve of Officers (IARO). The excerpt below was taken from the Battalion’s entry in the July 1919 Indian Army List and records the British officers serving with the Battalion.
The 2nd Battalion 80th Carnatic Infantry was inspected by Brigadier-General R. R. Sladen, Commanding Southern Brigade on 24 February 1919:
General observations: Too large a percentage of men of poor physique who should be got rid of. Shortage of Indian officers non-commissioned officers and instructors which will be shortly be remedied. Young British officers are not up to the mark: they do not know their drill well, or check faults, sufficiently.
Confidential review reports on Indian Army units, depots, British officers, etc. for 1918-1919: IOR/L/MIL/7/17030.
The Battalion did not serve out of India and was stationed at Meiktila, Burma (Myanmar) in the April 1920 Indian Army List and was disbanded on 31 January 1921.
War Diaries
Unfortunately, there are no war diaries for the 2nd Battalion 80th Carnatic Infantry.
Further Sources of Information for the 2nd Battalion 80th Carnatic Infantry
For information regarding the British and Indian officers who served in the 2nd Battalion 80th Carnatic Infantry, the Indian Army List should be consulted. There is only one confidential report for the Battalion which is held at the British Library: Confidential review reports on Indian Army units, depots, British officers, etc. for 1918-1919: IOR/L/MIL/7/17030. This report also contains the annual confidential report of the British officers who were serving with the Battalion at the time. These reports would have been duplicated in their service records which for the most part have now been lost.