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11th Gurkha Rifles

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Through Partition of India and World War I

History

Background

Heavy losses suffered by the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front following the German spring offensive in March 1918 resulted in a major reorganization of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force:

  • two divisions – 52nd (Lowland) and 74th (Yeomanry) – were transferred to France in April; they were replaced by the 3rd (Lahore) and 7th (Meerut) Divisions from Mesopotamia;
  • nine yeomanry regiments were dismounted, converted to machine gunners and sent to France at the end of the same month; the 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions were reformed with Indian cavalry regiments withdrawn from France and the 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade already in Egypt;
  • the 10th (Irish), 53rd (Welsh), 60th (2/2nd London), and 75th Divisions were reduced to a single British battalion per brigade. They were reformed with nine Indian infantry battalions and an Indian pioneer battalion each.

In fact, the 75th Division already had four Indian battalions assigned, so of the 36 battalions needed to reform the divisions, 22 were improvised by taking whole companies from existing units already on active service in Mesopotamia and Palestine to form the 150th Infantry (3 battalions), 151st Sikh Infantry (3), 152nd Punjabis (3), 153rd Punjabis (3), 154th Infantry (3), 155th Pioneers (2), 156th Infantry (1) and the 11th Gurkha Rifles (4). The donor units were then brought back up to strength by drafts. In the event, just 13 of the battalions were assigned to the divisions and the remaining nine were transferred from Mesopotamia to India in June 1918.

Formation

The regiment formed four battalions. The first three were formed in Mesopotamia in May 1918 with companies posted from Gurkha battalions (and the 39th Garhwal Rifles) serving in the 14th, 15th, 17th, and 18th Indian Divisions. They were transferred to Bombay (Mumbai) in June 1918. All three later took part in the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 as part of the 1st (Peshawar) Division. They were disbanded in India in 1921 and 1922 with personnel transferred to various regular Gurkha battalions.

In contrast, the fourth battalion was formed in Palestine with three companies and two half-companies posted from Gurkha battalions serving in the 3rd (Lahore), 7th (Meerut), and British 75th Divisions. It remained in Palestine until the end of the war, before returning to India. It was disbanded in 1920 with personnel transferred to the other three battalions of the regiment.

The badge of the 11th Gurkha Rifles was crossed kukris, points upwards, cutting edge inwards, with "XI" above the intersection. The 11 Gorkha Rifles, formed by the Indian Army in 1948 after the Partition of India, uses the same badge. It does not claim any connection with the First World War regiment.

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