FRONTIER FORCE RIFLES 1849 – 1946

The Frontier Force Rifles – largely composed of Sikh soldiers – was one of the most distinguished regiments of the old Indian Army. Originating in the Punjab Corps of Guides in the 1840s, the regiment saw continuous service during the 19th century on the always troubled North West Frontier. The outbreak of the First World War saw a massive expansion in the regiment’s size to six battalions, and more than half of this detailed history is composed of the unit’s exploits in that conflict, in which it saw action in theatres as diverse as France, Iraq, East Africa, Palestine and Syria. The Rifles returned to Syria in the Second World War. Between the world wars, the Regiment saw action in today’s trouble spots of Afghanistan and Waziristan. Disbanded in 1946 on Indian Independence, many of the Regiment’s ranks were absorbed into the new Pakistani Army. This comprehensive history will appeal to anyone interested in the history of the British Raj and the Indian Army.