The 3rd Madras Regiment was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

formed after the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

reforms of the Indian Army. The infantry regiments were converted into

large regiment A large regiment is a multi-battalion infantry formation of the British Army. First formed in the 1960s, large regiments are the result of the amalgamation of a number of existing single-battalion regiments, and perpetuate the traditions of each of ...

s with four or five

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

s in each regiment plus a training battalion, always numbered the 10th. The regiment was later disbanded for economic reasons. The 3rd and 4th Battalions were disbanded in 1923, the 2nd and 10th in 1926 and the 1st in 1928.

Formation

It was due to the 'spirited advocacy' of the then Governor of Madras Sir Arthur Hope, that the 3rd Madras Regiment was restored to the Army List in 1941 ; the old 11th, 12th, 13th and 15th Territorial battalions were converted into regular units, becoming the 1st to 4th Battalions of the reconstituted Regiment, with the Regimental Centre at Madukkarai (Coimbatore). Hectic training activity commenced and several other battalions were raised. The 4th Battalion joined the War at Imphal in 1943 and distinguished itself in the fierce fighting that ensued in Tamu in March 1944. Capt RS Noronha tenaciously held his company defences for sixteen days against repeated attacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy, for which he was awarded Military Cross. He was again instrumental in launching a feint attack to relieve pressure on 19 Inf Div bridge-head for which he was awarded a Bar to Military Cross. In October 1945, all the Infantry Regiments of the Indian Army (barring Punjab) shed their numbers and the 3rd Madras Regiment became simply The Madras Regiment. At the time of Independence it had four battalions, 1st to 4th, with the Regimental Centre having shifted in 1946 to Trichinapally. Regiments that joined: *1st Battalion ex 73rd Carnatic Infantry *2nd Battalion ex 75th Carnatic Infantry *3rd Battalion ex 79th Carnatic Infantry *4th Battalion ex 83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry *10th (Training) Battalion ex

86th Carnatic Infantry The 86th Carnatic Infantry was an infantry regiment originally raised in 1794 as the 36th Madras Native Infantry, part of the Presidency of Madras Army which was itself part of the Honourable East India Company Army. The presidency armies, lik ...

Citations

{{Reflist British Indian Army infantry regiments Indian World War II regiments Military units and formations established in 1922 Military history of the Madras Presidency R