The Grenadiers

Early history The Grenadiers are one of the oldest grenadier regiments in the Commonwealth of Nations, and have the longest unbroken record of existence in the Indian Army. The history of the Grenadiers dates back to the Bombay Army of the East India Company (EIC). In 1684, the Bombay Army consisted of three companies stationed on the Seven Islands of Bombay, one of which was a grenadier company. The company, which consisted of a mixture of Europeans and native Christians, disappears from subsequent historical records. By 1710, the Bombay Army had expanded to five companies of "Europeans, topasses, and coffrees", one of which was an all-European grenadier company. This company was subsequently merged into the Bombay European Regiment, which was later disbanded. In 1757, Robert Clive raised the 1st Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, which consisted in part of two grenadier companies. However, no grenadier regiments were raised by the Bengal Army until 1779. In 1759, as a response to the ongoing Seven Years' War, the Bombay Army underwent a major expansion, and the first company of native grenadiers was raised with the best of Bombay sepoys "paying a regard to those having families on the island". It had only native officers and all sepoys wore red coats with blue facings. Later on, an adjutant was appointed to the corps. Later the Bombay Army comprised a number of sepoy battalions, each having one or two grenadier companies. These were clubbed together as a composite battalion comprising the grenadier companies of the Bombay sepoy battalions, and they won the famous battle of Talegaon in 1778. So impressive was the performance of this composite battalion that the Bombay Presidency ordered the permanent raising of a grenadier battalion which duly took place on 12 March 1779, thirty-six years before the first time that a British battalion was given the honour of calling itself "grenadiers". The Governor General of Bombay made an Order dated 12 November 1779, according to which the grenadier companies of the following regiments combined to form the first Grenadier Regiment in the world, namely "The Grenadier Battalion, First Regiment of Infantry": • 1st Sepoy Battalion • 2nd Sepoy Battalion • 3rd Sepoy Battalion • 4th Sepoy Battalion • 5th Sepoy Battalion • 6th Sepoy Battalion • Marine Battalion (two companies of grenadiers) 4th Bombay Grenadiers The 4th Bombay Grenadiers were an infantry regiment of the pre-independence Indian Army, formed on 1 March 1922 as part of the reforms of the Indian Army that took place after the end of the First World War. Following the Second World War they were one of the regiments allocated to the new Indian Army and renamed The Grenadiers The regiment consisted of six battalions, all former regiments themselves. These were: • 1st Battalion - Formerly the 101st Grenadiers. • 2nd Battalion - Formerly the 102nd King Edward's Own Grenadiers • 3rd Battalion - Formerly the 108th Infantry • 4th Battalion - Formerly the 109th Infantry • 5th Battalion - Formerly the 112th Infantry • 10th (Training) Battalion - Formerly the 113th Infantry Second World War At the beginning of the Second World War there were only two battalions of the Regiment, the 1st and 2nd. This was soon changed, though, as a number of battalions were raised for wartime service, including: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 14th, 25th, 26th and 27th Battalions. ==Regimental battalions==

The Grenadiers consists of 23 battalions, four Rashtriya Rifles battalions and two Territorial Army battalions - § indicates former units. ==Affiliations==

The Grenadiers has been affiliated with the following - • 51 Armoured Regiment. • INS Beas (F37). ==Class composition==

• 1923 - Rajputana Mussalmans, Rajputana Jats, Mahrattas, Mers and Merats • 1946 - Jats from the Punjab, United Provinces, Rajputana and Central India states, Hindustani Mussalmans from Ambala Civil Division, Rajputana, United Provinces, Central India states and the Deccan. • Present - Rajputs, Kaimkhanis, Hindustani Mussalmans, Dogras, Gujjar, Ahir, Mena, Gujratis, Jats. ==Battle honours==

Battle Honours (Pre-Independence) Prior to Indian independence, the Regiment had won many battle honours as part of the British Indian Army. These battle honour include: Pre-World War I • Mangalore – 1784 • Mysore – 1786 • Srirangapatnam – 1799 • Egypt – 1802 • Koregaon – 1818 • Beni Boo Alli – 1821 • Kirkee – 1827 • Hyderabad – 1831–43 • Multan • Meeane – 1843 • Punjab – 1848 • Central India – 1858 • Abyssinia – 1868 • Kandahar 1880 • Afghanistan 1878–80 • Burma 1885–87 • Somaliland (Dharatol) – 1901–04 • Afghanistan 1919 World War I • East Africa 1914–16 • Egypt – 1916–17 • Baghdad – 1917 • Kut-Al-Amara – 1917 • Gaza – 1917 • Battle of Sharqat – 1918 • Megiddo • Nablus – 1918 • Palestine 1917–18 • Mesopotamia – 1915–18 • Aden – 1914–19 • Afghanistan 1919 • Tigris – 1919 World War II • Kohima – 1944 • Kalewa – 1944 • Naga Village – 1944 • Fort Dufferin, Mandalay – 1945 • Pwabwe – 1945 • Capture of Meiktila – 1945 • Defense of Meiktila – 1945 • Pegu – 1945 • Taungtha – 1945 Battle Honours (Post-Independence) Since 1947, the Regiment has won the following battle honours as part of the Indian Army: • Gurais – 1948 • Asal Uttar – 1965 • Jarpal – 1971 • Chakra – 1971 • Tololing & Tiger Hill (Kargil War) – 1999 ==Decorations==

The Grenadiers have the unique and distinct honour of having the most number of Param Vir Chakras, India's highest medal for gallantry, among all the Indian Army's Infantry Regiments. Of note also, is the fact that prior to independence, British officers serving with The Grenadiers won four Victoria Crosses. Members of the Regiment have also received a number of other decorations prior to independence. of The Grenadiers, 2017 Pre independence Victoria Cross • Captain George Murray Rolland, 22 April 1903, Daratoleh, Somaliland ;1914-1921 Military Cross • Jemadar Pola Khan, 101st Grenadiers, Egypt • Subedar Jiwan Khan, 101st Grenadiers, Egypt and Aden (twice) • Subedar Kasianth Mane, 101st Grenadiers, Egypt Order of British India • Subedar Major Martand Rao Mohite, 101st Grenadiers, Egypt • Subedar Agdi Singh, 102nd Grenadiers, Mesopotamia Indian Order of Merit • Sepoy Fazil Khan, 101st Grenadiers, East Africa • Sepoy Sowaz Khan, 101st Grenadiers, East Africa • Subedar Rahim Khan, 101st Grenadiers, Egypt • Subedar Ahmed Din, 101st Grenadiers, Egypt • Colour Havildar Shah Muhammad, 101st Grenadiers, Egypt • Subedar Jafar Ali, 102nd Grenadiers, Muscat • Sepoy Nand Ram, 102nd Grenadiers, Muscat • Subedar Ganga Ram Singh, 102nd Grenadiers, Mesopotamia • Subedar Muhammad Ali, 102nd Grenadiers, Mesopotamia • Jemadar Ganga Ram, 102nd Grenadiers, Mesopotamia • Havildar Jaffar Ali, 102nd Grenadiers, Waziristan • Naik Shivlal Dalal (1933) , marking the 70th anniversary of the victory in Europe. Indian Distinguished Service Medal • Lance Naik Abdul Sattar Khan, Temporary Lance Naik Muhammad Khan, 101st Grenadiers, Egypt • Havildar Karan Singh, Havildar Ganga Ram, Private Sultan Ahmad, Havildar Tula Ram, Havildar Tula Ram, Havildar Mansare Ali, Private Sheo Ram, Havildar Sanwal Ram, Private Shedu Ram, Private Sirdara Ram, Private Surja Ram, Jemadar Khan Muhammad, Sepoy Ahmad Khan, Sepoy Girdhari Ram, Sepoy Tulsi Ram, Private Feroz Khan, Havildar Ram Diyal Singh, Naik Niyamat Khan (all in Mesopotamia), Private Karam Dad Khan (Muscat), Lance Naik Hoti Singh (Baluchistan), Subedar Mansar Ali (Pishin Moveable Column) 102nd Grenadiers Indian Meritorious Service Medal • 84 medals - 101st Grenadiers, Egypt, Aden, Somaliland, India • 12 medals - 102nd Grenadiers, Mesopotamia, India, Baluchistan ;World War II Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) • Subedar Major Shamshad Khan, 4th Bombay Grenadiers Mentioned in dispatches • Major T H Waumsley, 4th Bombay Grenadiers • Major E R S Dods, 4th Bombay Grenadiers Post independence Source: Vir Chakra • Lieutenant Colonel Ramakrishnan Vishwanathan, (Posthumous), 18th Grenadiers, Kargil War (Operation Vijay) 1999. ==Notable General Officers==

• Vice Chief of the Army Staff - Lieutenant General Stanley Leslie Menezes, • Army Commanders (GOC-in-C) - Lieutenant General Y. N. Sharma (Central Command) • Corps Commanders (GOC) - Lieutenant Generals Y.S. Tomar, Sanjay Mitra (I Corps); Rajeev Sirohi (III Corps); Stanley Leslie Menezes, Shakti Gurung, Gurpal Singh Sangha (all IV Corps); Y.N. Sharma (XII Corps); Sarabjit Singh Dhillon (XV Corps); Lalit Kumar Pandey (XVII Corps). ==References & notes==