Madras Regiment
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The Madras Regiment is the oldest
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
Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
, originating in the 1750s. The regiment took part in numerous campaigns with both 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 ...
and the post-independence
Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
.


History

The town of
Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
was founded in 1639 and the first Fort Saint George in 1644. In August 1758, they were formed into regular companies of 100 men each with a due proportion of Indian officers,
havildar Havildar or havaldar ( Hindustani: or (Devanagari), (Perso-Arabic)) is a rank in the Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese armies, equivalent to sergeant. It is not used in cavalry units, where the equivalent is daffadar. Like a British sergeant, ...
s, naiks, etc. and in December of that year the first two battalions were formed with a European subaltern to each company and a captain to command the whole. (These officers were mostly seconded from the King's service with a step-in rank. They were of a better class, better educated and above all had far more military experience than the company's officers). The Madras Regiment was initially formed as the Madras European Regiment in the 1660s by the
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
as the second company established in India. However, it was formed as a battalion in 1748 under the command of Major
Stringer Lawrence Major-General Stringer Lawrence (February 1698–10 January 1775) was an English soldier, the first Commander-in-Chief of Fort William. Origins Lawrence was born at Hereford, England, the son of John Lawrence of Hereford by his wife Mary, about ...
. The battalion was involved in all the battles against the French forces in India. Lawrence structured the regiment to include two battalions, one European and one ''Sepoy India''. Both battalions were similar in structure and included seven companies each, with each company including three officers in command and seventy privates. Also part of the companies were four sergeants and corporals and three drummers. In 1748, Major
Stringer Lawrence Major-General Stringer Lawrence (February 1698–10 January 1775) was an English soldier, the first Commander-in-Chief of Fort William. Origins Lawrence was born at Hereford, England, the son of John Lawrence of Hereford by his wife Mary, about ...
, a veteran of action in Spain, Flanders and the Highlands, was hired by the East India Company to take charge of the defence of
Cuddalore Cuddalore, also spelt as Kadalur (), is the city and headquarters of the Cuddalore District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Situated south of Chennai, Cuddalore was an important port during the British Raj. While the early history of Cudda ...
. He laid the foundations of what was to become the Indian Army. Training the levies to become a militia, the Madras Levies were formed into "companies" and trained to become a disciplined and fine fighting force. In 1758, Lawrence raised the Madras Regiment, forming the several Companies of Madras Levies into two battalions. 2 Madras was raised in 1776 as the 15th Carnatic Infantry at
Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
(and underwent many name changes thereafter). The original title of these battalions was 'Coast Sepoys'. In 1769, these battalions were numbered and named differently with the battalions in the South being called 'Carnatic' and numbering 1 to 13, while those serving in the North were named 'Circar' and numbered 1 to 6. In 1784, this distinction between 'Carnatic' and 'Circar' was abolished and they were henceforth known as 'Madras' battalions. In 1796, the units were numbered 1st to 50th Madras Native Infantry. In 1891, the word 'Native' was dropped. The regiment has been through many campaigns with both 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 ...
and the
Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
. Many well-known British officers have commanded this regiment, among them
Robert Clive Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency. Clive has been widely credited for laying the foundation of the British ...
. This regiment fought in the Carnatic wars, which were fought in South India. The elephant crest symbolises its gallantry in the
Battle of Assaye The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company. It occurred on 23 September 1803 near Assaye in western India. An outnumbered Indian and British forc ...
under Arthur Wellesley, later
Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...
. There after the British annexed the Indian sub-continent, largely with the help of the Madras Regiment
sepoys ''Sepoy'' () was the Persian-derived designation originally given to a professional Indian infantryman, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire. In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its oth ...
. At its zenith in the 1800s, the regiment consisted of 52 battalions. The regiment saw many overseas deployments during this period –
First Anglo-Burmese War The First Anglo-Burmese War ( my, ပထမ အင်္ဂလိပ်-မြန်မာ စစ်; ; 5 March 1824 – 24 February 1826), also known as the First Burma War, was the first of three wars fought between the British and Burmese ...
, First China War of 1840-42,
Second Anglo-Burmese War The Second Anglo-Burmese War or the Second Burma War ( my, ဒုတိယ အင်္ဂလိပ် မြန်မာ စစ် ; 5 April 185220 January 1853) was the second of the Anglo-Burmese Wars, three wars fought between the Konbaung dy ...
of 1852-54, 1857 campaign in Lucknow and Central India,
Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...
of 1879-80,
Third Anglo-Burmese War The Third Anglo-Burmese War ( my, တတိယ အင်္ဂလိပ် – မြန်မာစစ်, Tatiya Anggalip–Mran cac), also known as the Third Burma War, took place during 7–29 November 1885, with sporadic resistance conti ...
of 1885-87 and during the
Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...
in China in 1900. The coming of the British rule and merging of the Presidency armies into a British Indian Army led the erstwhile regiments to be reorganised. After conquest of India, the main perceived threat to British was from Russia. So, recruitment was re-oriented towards north Indians of
Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
and
Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
. This resulted in the British reducing the strength of the Madras Regiment, since the southern borders were relatively peaceful. As part of this change, seventeen Madras regiments, were converted into Punjab and Gorkha regiments between 1890 and 1903. They were renamed the 1st, 2nd and 8th Punjab and 1/7th and 1/10th Gorkha Rifles. By the time of
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 ...
, the once large regiment was left with eight Carnatic Regiments, the 63rd, 73rd, 75th, 79th, 80th, 83rd, 86th and 88th. These battalions were with a reduced strength of 600 men, as they were intended to perform duties of garrison troops only. During 1917-18, eight additional battalions were raised. In 1922, the regiment was allotted one regiment each of Pioneers and Infantry. During the re-organisation of the Indian Army in 1922, the regiments were numbered according to their seniority. The 1st and 2nd Punjab Regiments, which ironically were raised from senior Madras Regiment battalions were given precedence and the regiment was renamed as 3rd Madras Regiment. Following the great war, nearly the whole of the regiment was disbanded between 1922 and 1928. What remained were four
Indian Territorial Force The Indian Territorial Force (ITF) was a part-time, paid volunteer military organisation within the British Indian Army, with recruits from British India. Its units were made up of European officers and Indian other ranks. It was formed in 1920, a ...
(ITF) and one University Training Corps battalions. This decline was arrested in 1941, when Sir Arthur Hope, the then
Governor of Madras This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947. English Agents In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized be ...
put in efforts to revive the regiment. The ITF battalions were converted to regular ones and new ones raised. A training centre was raised at
Madukkarai Madukkarai is a suburb of Coimbatore city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the gateway to Coimbatore city from Kerala State and is located around 12 km from the Kerala border. The Coimbatore International Airport is about 27&nbs ...
in
Coimbatore district Coimbatore district is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is one of the most industrialized districts and a major textile, industrial, commercial, educ ...
in July 1942. After many years, the regiment was re-raised with fresh recruits and a draft of troops from the Queen's own Sappers and Miners (Madras Paraiyar Regiment) and the
Madras Sappers Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The newly reborn Madras Regiment performed very creditably during the Burma Campaign. In 1947, the numeral ‘3’ was dropped from the name of the regiment and it came to be known by its present name.


Post Independence

After independence, the infantry battalions of the Travancore " Nair Pattalam", Cochin and Mysore State forces were amalgamated into the Madras Regiment. This included what is now the 9th Battalion, which is the oldest battalion of the Regiment (and thus the Indian Army). It was formerly known as the Nair Brigade (''Nair Pattalam''/"Nair Army"). This militia was raised in 1704 at
Padmanabhapuram Padmanabhapuram is a town and a municipality near Thuckalay in Kanyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 21,342. History Padmanabhapuram was the erstwhile capital of the Kingdom of Travan ...
as body guards for the Maharajah of
Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
, and saw action in the
Battle of Colachel The Battle of Colachel (or The Battle of Kulachal) was fought on between the Indian kingdom of Travancore and the Dutch East India Company. During the Travancore-Dutch War, King Marthanda Varma's (1729–1758) forces defeated the Dutch East ...
by defeating the
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
forces. The army was made up of soldiers from
Nair The Nair , also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom histor ...
warrior clans, however after the 1940s, non-Nairs were permitted to join. The "Nair Army" became incorporated into the
Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
in April 1951. Post-independence saw the consolidation of the Regiment and re-affirmation of the versatility and valour of the South Indian troops, when the battalions of the Regiment fought fierce battles during the 1947–48 Jammu & Kashmir Operations, the 1962 Sino-Indian Conflict, the Indo-Pak Wars of 1965 and 1971 and Operation Pawan in 1987–89.


Class composition

The regiment still recruits heavily from
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
,
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
,
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
and
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
with a slight majority of
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
- and
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
-speaking recruits. Drill commands by NCOs are commonly given in Tamil or Malayalam. However, since the 1990s the percentage from Kannadiga and Telugu speaking recruits has increased, commands are also given through
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
and
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
. As is the practice in all the army, the officers of the regiment can be from any part of India.


Crest and uniform

The present Crest of the Madras Regiment consists of the Assaye Elephant surmounting a pair of Malabar swords with a shield at the crossing, and a scroll below inscribed 'THE MADRAS REGIMENT'. It is bi-metallic, the shield being in brass and the rest in white chrome. The elephant faces west as seen from the front, and has an arched back, a slightly curved trunk, tusks pointing upwards, and a sagging belly, with the tuft of the tail resting at the rear edge of its left thigh. The Assaye Elephant was sanctioned as a special honour-badge to the 2nd, 4th, 8th, 10th and 24th Madras Infantry following the victory at the
Battle of Assaye The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company. It occurred on 23 September 1803 near Assaye in western India. An outnumbered Indian and British forc ...
in 1803. The uniform of the Madras Regiment includes a green lanyard on the left shoulder and the shoulder title ''Madras'' (brass / green letters over scarlet background). The green beret (common to all infantry units in India) has the regimental crest on a scarlet diamond base stitched to the beret and a black
pom pom A pom-pom – also spelled pom-pon, pompom or pompon – is a decorative ball or tuft of fibrous material. The term may refer to large tufts used by cheerleaders, or a small, tighter ball attached to the top of a hat, also known as a ...
. The latter, a black woollen ball, is unique to the Regiment and it gives a distinct identification. It was adopted on 07 January 1949 following a proposal by the then Commanding Officer of 4 Madras (WLI) - Lieutenant Colonel MK Sheriff. The regimental turban is worn by personnel during ceremonial occasions, parades, on guard duty and by those in the regimental band. It was adopted in November 1979 and consists of a dark green background with yellow, scarlet and white stripes. On the left of the wearer is a yellow silken jhallar with the same stripes. On the front top is a black pom pom and below is the regimental crest on a scarlet background.


Motto, War cry and Salutation

The motto of the regiment is from chapter 3, verse 35 of
Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...
. It is स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: (Swadharme Nidhanam Shreyaha), which translates to “It is glory to die doing one’s duty”. The motto was adopted 08 June 1955. The war cry of the regiment is “Veer madrassi, adi kollu, adi kollu, adi kollu !”, which means “O brave Madrassi, hit and kill, hit and kill, hit and kill !”. This was adopted during the Battalion Commanders’ Conference in 1969. The salutation used by the regiment is ‘Namaskaram’. It was adopted by 4 Madras (WLI) in 1956 and subsequently adopted by all the battalions.


Madras Regimental Centre and Records

The Madras Regimental Centre is presently located in
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
and is commanded by an officer of the rank of
Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
. The centre traces its history to the raising of the 36 Madras Battalion at
Tanjore Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
in 1794. The unit has been subsequently designated as 2/13 Madras Native Infantry (1798), 26 Madras Native Infantry (1824), 86th Carnatic Infantry (1903) and 10/3rd Madras Regiment (1922) it was subsequently placed under suspended animation. The Centre was re-raised at
Madukkarai Madukkarai is a suburb of Coimbatore city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the gateway to Coimbatore city from Kerala State and is located around 12 km from the Kerala border. The Coimbatore International Airport is about 27&nbs ...
as the 3rd Madras Regiment - Recruits Training Centre on 19 July 1942. The centre received the colours of old 10/3rd Madras Regiment on 23 September 1942 (Assaye Day). The centre relocated from Madukkarai to its present location in Wellington in February 1947. It occupied the Wellington barracks, which were built between 1852 and 1860. The Wellington barracks was subsequently renamed Shrinagesh Barracks after independence. The museum of Madras Regimental Centre is located in the Shrinagesh Barracks Complex and was inaugurated in 1993. The Madras Regiment Record Office was formed in Madukkarai in October 1942 and moved to Wellington in 1947.


Band

The Madras Regiment Band a full-time
military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...
, that serves as part of the Madras Regimental Centre in
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
. It was raised in 1951 purely as a brass band and has evolved over the years to become a symphonic band as well. Today, it consists of a
concert band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...
, a brass band and a percussion section. It performs at arrival ceremonies for
state visits A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...
as well as
state dinner A state banquet is an official banquet hosted by the head of state in his or her official residence for another head of state, or sometimes head of government, and other guests. Usually as part of a state visit or diplomatic conference, it is ...
hosted at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...
by the
President of India The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...
, as well as regimental and community events.


Regimental tribute

''Let those who come after, see to it that these names be not forgotten,''
''For they who at the call of duty, left all that was dear to them,''
''Endured hardships, faced dangers, and finally passed out of sight of men,''
''In the path of duty and self-sacrifice, Giving their lives that we might live in freedom.''


Current strength

Currently, the regiment has a strength of 21
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, four
Rashtriya Rifles The Rashtriya Rifles (RR; ) is a counter-insurgency force in India, formed in 1990, to specifically serve in the Jammu and Kashmir region. They also maintain public order by drawing powers from the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Po ...
battalions and three Territorial Army battalions. They are as follows The battle honours in italics indicate those awarded prior to the independence of India.


Campaigns and Battles

;Pre independence * Battle of Sholinghur (1781) *
Siege of Seringapatam (1799) A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...
*
Battle of Assaye The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company. It occurred on 23 September 1803 near Assaye in western India. An outnumbered Indian and British forc ...
(1803) *
Anglo-Burmese Wars The Anglo-Burmese Wars were a clash between two expanding empires, the British Empire against the Konbaung Dynasty that became British India‘s most expensive and longest war, costing 5–13 million pounds sterling (£400 million – £1.1 billio ...
*
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 ...
(1914-1918) – The 63rd took part in the East African campaign, while the 75th was stationed in
Aden Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...
. The 73rd, 79th, 80th, 83rd (WLI) and the 88th took part in the
Mesopotamian campaign The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, troops from Britain, Australia and the vast majority from British India, against the Central Powe ...
. The Regiment was awarded the Battle Honours 'Kilimanjaro', 'East Africa 1914-16', 'Kut-al-Amara', 'Baghdad', 'Mesopotamia 1915-18', 'Aden', 'Persia 1918', NW Frontier India 1914-15 ; 1917' and 'Baluchistan 1918'. *
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
- 4th Battalion of the regiment fought against Imperial Japan at Imphal in 1943. It was awarded the Battle Honours ‘Tamu Road’, ‘Ukhrul’, ‘Ava’, ‘Kama’ and Theatre Honour ‘Burma 1942-45’. The 1st Battalion took part in the Burma campaign in February 1945. It earned the Battle Honour ‘Mount Popa’ and Theatre Honour 'Burma 1942-45'. The unit then went on to serve in Malaya and
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. The 28th Battalion served in
Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
and
Khorramshahr Khorramshahr ( fa, خرمشهر , also romanized as ''Khurramshahr'', ar, المحمرة, romanized as ''Al-Muhammerah'') is a city and capital of Khorramshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 170,976, in ...
in the Persian Gulf. ;Post independence *
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, or the First Kashmir War, was a war fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four Indo-Pakistani wars that was fought between t ...
– 1, 2 and 4 Madras took part in the operations. 1 Madras fought in the axis
Kathua Kathua is a city and municipal council located in Kathua district of Jammu Division of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, near its border with Punjab, India and Himachal Pradesh. The city is headquarters of Kathua district and is ...
-
Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi Ri ...
and then in
Baramulla Baramulla (), also known as Varmul () in Kashmiri, is a town and a municipality in the Baramulla district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Baramulla district. It is on the ...
and
Tithwal Teetwal (also spelt Tithwal) is a small border-village in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated in Kupwara district, from the district headquarters of Kupwara and close to the Line of Control with Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Teetwal ...
sectors. 2 Madras joined 77 Parachute Brigade at
Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its natu ...
in May 1948 and saw action in
Uri Uri may refer to: Places * Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland * Úri, a village and commune in Hungary * Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India * Uri (island), an island off Malakula Islan ...
in July 1948. 4 Madras (WLI) joined operations in September 1948 and in October took part in the capture of Pir Kalewa and 'Camel's Hump', opening the way to the Mendhar valley. The regiment won a Maha Vir Chakra, seven Vir Chakras and 16 Mentions-in-Despatches and was awarded Battle Honours 'Punch' and 'Tithwal' and the Theatre Honour 'Jammu and Kashmir 1947-48'. *
Hyderabad Police Action Operation Polo was the code name of the Hyderabad "police action" in September 1948, by the then newly independent Dominion of India against Hyderabad State. It was a military operation in which the Indian Armed Forces invaded the Nizam-rule ...
(1948) – 8 Madras took part in the rounding up of hostile forces at
Tirumalagiri Tirumalagiri, previously spelt as Trimulgherry, is a locality and a Mandal in the city of Secunderabad also it falls under Secunderabad Revenue Division, Earlier is a major suburb of Secunderabad, India. The name is an anglicization of Tirumalag ...
. *
United Nations Operation in the Congo The United Nations Operation in the Congo (french: Opération des Nations Unies au Congo, abbreviated to ONUC) was a United Nations peacekeeping force deployed in the Republic of the Congo in 1960 in response to the Congo Crisis. ONUC was the ...
(ONUC) – 4 Madras (WLI) was posted under ONUC in 1962-63. The regiment received one
Vir Chakra Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy on the battlefield and is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards a ...
and four
Sena Medal The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for s ...
s during this tenure. *
Sino-Indian War The Sino-Indian War took place between China and India from October to November 1962, as a major flare-up of the Sino-Indian border dispute. There had been a series of violent border skirmishes between the two countries after the 1959 Tib ...
(1962) – 1, 2, 16 and 17 Madras saw action in the war. All except the 16th saw action in NEFA. The 16th was near
Gangtok Gangtok is a city, municipality, the capital and the largest populated place of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is also the headquarters of the East Sikkim district, Gangtok District. Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an e ...
in
Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligur ...
. 1 Madras bore the brunt of the Chinese attack and many were taken prisoners. It was awarded a Vir Chakra. *
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...
**1 Madras was at
Rajouri Rajouri or Rajauri (; Pahari: 𑠤𑠬𑠑𑠶𑠤𑠮, راجوری; sa, राजपुर, ) is a city in Rajouri district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about from Srinagar and from Jammu city on th ...
and later at Nowshera. It was then involved in the capture of Malla. It was awarded the theatre honours ‘Punjab 1965’ and ‘Jammu and Kashmir 1965’ and the battle honour ‘Kalidhar’. It was also awarded two Sena Medals and three mentioned in despatches. **2 Madras moved from its location in
Ambala Ambala () is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala has two sub-are ...
to
Dera Baba Nanak Dera Baba Nanak is a town and a municipal council in Gurdaspur district, in the state of Punjab, India. It is 36km away from Gurdaspur city, the capital of the district. Since November 2019, a corridor between India and Pakistan has been establ ...
, where it saw action against the Pakistanis. It then saw action at
Khemkaran Khem Karan is a town and a nagar panchayat, just 56km from Tarn Taran Sahib in Tarn Taran district of Patti tehsil of the Majha region of Indian state of Punjab. It was the site of a major tank battle in 1965. The Battle of Asal Uttar was th ...
. The battalion suffered 27 casualties during the war. **3 Madras was given the responsibility to capture Maharajke village, which was part of the larger game plan – Operation Riddle. The village was 2.5 km inside Pakistani territory, the assault began with open fire with artillery, medium machine gun and rifles from the enemy. Despite the effective fire, the Army relentlessly kept up the pace of assault and with remarkable courage captured Maharajke within one day. The battalion suffered 45 casualties during the war and was awarded two Sena Medals. **4 Madras (WLI) also took part in the capture of Maharajke and then in the Sialkot sector as part of 69 Mountain Brigade. It was awarded the battle honour ‘Maharajke’, one
Maha Vir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the B ...
, 3
Vir Chakra Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy on the battlefield and is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards a ...
s and three mentioned in despatches. **6 Madras took part in anti-infiltration role in the
Rajouri Rajouri or Rajauri (; Pahari: 𑠤𑠬𑠑𑠶𑠤𑠮, راجوری; sa, राजपुर, ) is a city in Rajouri district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about from Srinagar and from Jammu city on th ...
-Palam Kandi- Budhal axis in September 1965. **7 Madras fought in
Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
area against infiltrators from Pakistani occupied Kashmir. **8 Madras served in Moga and
Machhiwara Sri Machhiwara Sahib is one of the developing cities in the Ludhiana district of the Indian state of Punjab. Machhiwara is famous for Gurudwara Sri Charan Kanwal Sahib associated with Guru Gobind Singh ji and named after the Guru's feet that are ...
in Punjab and then moved to
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
sector around
Jaisalmer Jaisalmer , nicknamed "The Golden city", is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located west of the state capital Jaipur. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. This fort contains a ...
. ** 9 Madras was located at
Firozpur Firozpur, also known as Ferozepur, is a city on the banks of the Sutlej River in Firozpur District, Punjab, India. After the partition of India in 1947, it became a border town on the India–Pakistan border with memorials to soldiers who di ...
under 65 Infantry Brigade. It fought the famous
Battle of Burki The Battle of Burki (Barki) was a battle fought by Indian infantry and Pakistani armour in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Barki is a village that lies south-east of Lahore near the border with Punjab,Just 11 km from the Allama Iqbal Interna ...
and played a leading role in the capture of Barka-Kalan and Ichogil Bund. The battalion was honoured with one Vir Chakra, two Sena Medals, twelve mentioned in dispatches and the theatre honour ‘Punjab 1965’. **16 Madras was posted in the eastern border under 32 Mountain Brigade. It was tasked to build a bridgehead across the
Ichamati River Ichamati River ( bn, ইছামতী নদী) (also spelt Ichhamati), is a trans-boundary river which flows through India and Bangladesh and also forms the boundary between the two countries. The river is facing the problem of siltation le ...
, which it performed suitably. **17 Madras joined 85 Infantry Brigade at
Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...
and was involved in the campaigns at Dali and Jessekapar. *
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decem ...
**3 Madras was part of 65 Infantry Brigade and took part in the battle of Kalsian Khurd, which involved the capture of this border village on western front in Punjab. The battalion lost 7 soldiers and 9 wounded and was awarded two Sena Medals. **4 Madras was part of 340 Mountain Brigade Group in the Eastern Sector. It saw action in the
Bogra Bogra ( bn, বগুড়া), officially known as Bogura, is a major city located in Bogra District, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. The city is a major commercial hub in Northern Bangladesh. It is the second largest city in Rajshahi Divi ...
Sector and was awarded a Vir Chakra. **6 Madras was under 54 Infantry Division in the Western Front. It saw action in Punjab and was awarded the theatre honour ‘Punjab 1971’ and the battle honour ‘Basantar’. **8 Madras was under 32 Infantry Brigade in the Eastern front of the war. Assigned to press home an attack on Siramani in East Pakistan, a fortified military base of Pakistan the gallant ‘Thambis’, despite strong enemy resistance succeeded in capturing the post through sheer exhibition of courageousness and professionalism. It won the theatre honour ‘East Pakistan 1971’, the battle honour ‘Siramani and a Vir Chakra. ** 9 Madras was deployed under the 330 Infantry Brigade at Barmer. It captured Mahendro Ro Par and Fateh Ro Par on Gadra City-Umraokot axis and remained deployed at Naya Chor till the announcement of ceasefire on 17 December 1971. The battalion had ten casualties (2 killed and 8 wounded) and was awarded a Vir Chakra. **16 Madras under 54 Infantry Division played an important part in the
Battle of Basantar The Battle of Basantar also known as the Battle of Shakargarh or Battle of Barapind (December 4–16, 1971) was one of the vital battles fought as part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the western sector of India. The Indian troops won a har ...
. The battalion fought valiantly and had 5 officers and 27 JCOs and Other Ranks killed, and 1 officer and 103 JCOs and Other Ranks wounded. It was awarded the battle honour ‘Basantar’, two
Maha Vir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the B ...
s, five Vir Chakras, two Sena Medals and six mentioned in despatches. **17 Madras under 116 Infantry Brigade and was deployed in
Muktsar Sri Muktsar Sahib (/ʃriː ˈmʊktsər saːhɪb/) (often referred to as Muktsar (/ˈmʊktsər/)) is a historical city and district headquarters in Punjab, India. The 2011 Census of India put the total population of Sri Muktsar Sahib municipality ...
area. It successfully captured enemy posts of ‘Kili Sahu’ and ‘Chukra’. During these actions, it was awarded one Vir Chakra, three Sena Medals and one mentioned in despatches. **18 Madras made the Indian Army’s deepest thrust in the western desert, as part of 31 Infantry Brigade of 11 Division. It saw extensive marches through trackless desert, periods without food and water and finally bitter fighting at Hingoro Tar, Sind. The battalion suffered 31 casualties: 1 officer, 1 JCO and 16 Other Ranks killed, and 3 officers, 2 JCOs and 8 Other Ranks wounded. It was awarded one
Maha Vir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the B ...
, two Vir Chakras and four Sena Medals. **19 Madras was under 323 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir. It was initially deployed to defend the Ramgarh Ditch, but was inducted into Chamb-Jaurian Sector by 11 December. It was then engaged in aggressive patrolling and was awarded one Sena Medal and one mentioned in despatches. **26 Madras was in the eastern front under 350 Infantry Brigade. It undertook aggressive patrolling towards Chuttipur, capturing it and then opening the main road axis Rangaon-
Jessore Jessore ( bn, যশোর, jôshor, ), officially Jashore, is a city of Jessore District situated in Khulna Division. It is situated in the south-western part of Bangladesh. It is the administrative centre (headquarter) of the eponymous district ...
. It then showed mettle in the Battle of Siramani, one of the fiercest battles of the war fought in the
Khulna Khulna ( bn, খুলনা, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of Khulna District and Khulna Division. Khulna's economy is the third-largest in Bangladesh, contributing $53 b ...
sector. The battalion lost 2 Officers, 2 JCOs and 12 Other Ranks killed, and 4 Officers, 2 JCOs and 56 Other Ranks wounded during the operations. It was awarded the battle honour ‘Siramani’, two Vir Chakras, one Sena Medal and one mentioned in despatches. **27 Madras, the freshly minted battalion saw action initially in
Longewala Longewala is a border town in the Thar Desert in the western part of Jaisalmer district, in the state of Rajasthan, India. See also * List of military disasters * Battle of Longewala The Battle of Longewala (4–7 December 1971) was one ...
and then in the Kutch sector. During a reconnaissance patrol, the commanding officer and six men were killed during an ambush across the international border. *
Operation Blue Star Operation Blue Star was the codename of a military operation which was carried out by Indian security forces between 1 and 10 June 1984 in order to remove Damdami Taksal leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from the buildings of ...
(1984) – 26 Madras as part of 350 Infantry Brigade took part in the operaion. It was tasked to attack from southern (Langar side) entrance to secure the southern and eastern wings. Its casualties included fourteen killed and forty nine wounded. *
Operation Pawan Operation Pawan ( hi, कार्यवाही पवन ''Kãryvãhi Pavan'', lit. "Operation Wind") was the code name assigned to the operation by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to take control of Jaffna from the Liberation Tigers o ...
- As many as seven battalions of the Regiment (2, 5, 7, 11, 12, 19, 25) were deployed in
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. This was a testimony to the loyalty, dedication and valour of the troops of the Madras Regiment. *Counter insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab. *
Operation Meghdoot Operation Meghdoot ( "Operation Cloud Messenger" after a famous Sanskrit poem by Kalidasa) was the codename for the Indian Armed Forces' operation to seize control of the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir, precipitating the Siachen conflict. E ...
(Siachen glacier) * United Nations Peacekeeping missions - 2 Madras served in the United Nation mission in Lebanon in 1999-2000 and 26 Madras served as part of the United Nation Forces at Congo in 2007-08.


Battle Honours

The list of battle honours is evidence to the long history and valour of the regiment. Some of these honours have been declared repugnant after the independence of the country. ;Pre Independence * Amboor * Carnatic *
Sholinghur Sholinghur is a municipality under Sholinghur taluk in Ranipet District of Tamil Nadu, India. The town is famous in Tamil Nadu and other neighboring states for the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple. Sholinghur is located between Tiruttani (Tam ...
*
Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
*
Seringapatam Srirangapatna is a town and headquarters of one of the seven Taluks of Mandya district, in the Indian State of Karnataka. It gets its name from the Ranganthaswamy temple consecrated at around 984 CE. Later, under the British rule the city wa ...
* Assaye *
Cochin Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
*
Bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...
* Seetabuldee *
Nagpore Nagpur (pronunciation: aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nagpur is projected to ...
* Maheidpore * Kemmendine * Ava *
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
*
Pegu Bago (formerly spelt Pegu; , ), formerly known as Hanthawaddy, is a city and the capital of the Bago Region in Myanmar. It is located north-east of Yangon. Etymology The Burmese name Bago (ပဲခူး) is likely derived from the Mon lang ...
*
Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
*
Central India Central India is a loosely defined geographical region of India. There is no clear official definition and various ones may be used. One common definition consists of the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which are included in alm ...
*
Afghanistan 1839 Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
*
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
* Malakand *
Tirah The Tirah also spelled Terah ( ps, تیراہ) also called the Tirah Valley (), is a mountainous tract located in the Khyber district, lying between the Khyber Pass and the Khanki Valley in Pakistan. Society Lying close to the Pak-Afghan bord ...
* Punjab Frontier * China 1900 * North West Frontier *
East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...
*
Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and a ...
*
Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
*
Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
*
Kut-Al-Amara Kūt ( ar, ٱلْكُوت, al-Kūt), officially Al-Kut, also spelled Kutulamare or Kut al-Imara, is a city in eastern Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris River, about south east of Baghdad. the estimated population is about 389,400 people. It ...
* North West Frontier *
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
*
Aden Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...
*
Baluchistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
* Afghanistan 1878-80 *
Mount Popa Mount Popa (, ) is a dormant volcano 1518 metres (4981 feet) above sea level, and located in central Myanmar in the region of Mandalay about southeast of Bagan (Pagan) in the Pegu Range. It can be seen from the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) Riv ...
* Tamu Road *
Ukhrul Ukhrul/Hunphun ( Meitei pronunciation:/ˈuːkˌɹəl or ˈuːkˌɹʊl/) is a town in the state of Manipur, India. Ukhrul is the home of the Tangkhul Nagas. It is the administrative headquarter of the Ukhrul district. There are also four sub-div ...
* Ava *
Kama ''Kama'' (Sanskrit ) means "desire, wish, longing" in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh literature.Monier Williamsकाम, kāmaMonier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary, pp 271, see 3rd column Kama often connotes sensual pleasure, sexual ...
; Post Independence *
Tithwal Teetwal (also spelt Tithwal) is a small border-village in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated in Kupwara district, from the district headquarters of Kupwara and close to the Line of Control with Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Teetwal ...
*
Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...
* Kalidhar * Maharajke * Basantar * Siramani


Theatre Honours

The theatre honours earned by the battalions of the regiment are as follows - ;Pre Independence *World War I 1939-45 *Burma 1942-45 ;Post Independence *Jammu & Kashmir 1947-48 *Jammu & Kashmir 1965 *Punjab 1965 *Punjab 1971 *Sindh 1971 *East Pakistan 1971


Gallantry awards

;Pre independence - *
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
(VC) – Lieutenant (later Colonel) Charles James William Grant, 12 Madras Native Infantry, Captain (later Major) Herbert Clogstoun, 19th Madras Native Infantry. * Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) - Lieutenant Colonel AT Scott, Lieutenant Colonel Pythian Adams, Major James Archibald Gill * Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) – Major Karunakara Menon, Major EG Sollay, Major CJL Maddan, Major M S Hussain, Major TR Subramanian, Captain N Ananthan Nair, *
Indian Order of Merit The Indian Order of Merit (IOM) was a military and civilian decoration of British India. It was established in 1837, (General Order of the Governor-General of India, No. 94 of 1 May 1837) although following the Partition of India in 1947 it was ...
(IOM) - Lance Naik Chathu *
Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...
(DSO) – Lieutenant Colonel WR Wenning *
Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...
– Lieutenant Colonel CH M Vean, Major RS Norohna (bar to MC), Major CPA Menon, Major Mohinder Singh, Captain PL Achard, Subedar Major CM Thomas, Subedar Rama Rao, Subedar Devarajulu. *
Indian Distinguished Service Medal The Indian Distinguished Service Medal (IDSM) was a military decoration awarded by the British Empire to Indian citizens serving in the Indian armed forces and military police. When it was instituted in 1907 it was the second highest award avail ...
(IDSM) – Subedar Major Homilal, Subedar Mohd Ismail, Havildar Shaik Ahmed, Naik Perumal, Naik Thangamuthu, Lance Naik Gurumurthy, *
Order of British India The Order of British India was an order of merit established in 1837 by the East India Company for "long, faithful and honourable service". The company's powers were removed after the Indian Mutiny, and the Order was incorporated into the Brit ...
(2nd Class) – Subedar Major John Peter *
British Empire Medal The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to ...
(BEM) – Havildar Michael, Havildar Devasigamani, *
Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...
– Subedar Pakianathan, Havildar Kannan Nair, Naik P Madhavan, Naik Subbaiah, Lance Naik Kanniappan , Lance Naik Sengani, Lance Naik Krishna Reddy, Sepoy Chedayan ;Post independence *
Ashoka Chakra Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, ...
(AC) - Lieutenant Ram Prakash Roperia, 36 Madras *
Maha Vir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the B ...
(MVC) – Naik Raju, Lieutenant Colonel Harbans Lal Mehta, Lieutenant Colonel Ved Prakash Ghai, Captain SS Walkar, Havildar Philipose Thomas *
Kirti Chakra The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the ''pe ...
(KC) - Major P Bhaskaran, Captain SR Kosuri, Company Havildar Major S Michael, Subedar K Raman Ravi, Naib Subedar K George Koshy, Havildar Varghese Mathew, Naik Kannalan Kennady V, Havildar Dhanaraj Muthappan, Major AS Bhadauria, Lieutenant Vikram Ajit Deshmukh, Naik Radhakrishnan C. *
Vir Chakra Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy on the battlefield and is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards a ...
(VrC) - Company Havildar Major Pushpanathan, Havildar Gopala Kurup, Naik Abdul Rahiman Kunju, Lance Naik Ayyappan, Jemadar Shaik Khadar, Brigadier K Venugopal, Captain EN Iyengar, Sepoy Sanal Kumaran Pillai, Subedar Major Mohammed Ibrahim, 2nd Lieutenant VN Madan, Subedar CA Madhavan Nambiar, Subedar PM Gregory, Sepoy Kannan, Sepoy Bhaskaran Nair, Captain Gopakumar Raman Pillai, Subedar AP Sreedhara Das, Major PV Sahadevan, Naik Appukuttan Sahadevan, Naik Mani, Naik Jajula Sanyasi, Naib Subedar PO Cheriyan, Naib Subedar PC Varghese, Subedar Krishnan Nair, Sepoy Kolli John Krishthaper, Naik V Bhaskaran, Havildar Kamalasanan PK, Havildar M Anthony Wilson, Captain RS Chopra, Subedar Russel Maria, Havildar A Shanmuga Sundaram, Naik (Lance Havildar) C Subbaiyan, Captain RS Rana, Lieutenant Colonel AS Sekhon. *
Shaurya Chakra The Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthumously ...
(SC) - 2nd Lieutenant Udhe Singh, Jemadar S Raja Manickam, Sepoy Raji, Sepoy M Lakshmanan, Company Quarter Master Havildar Ramakrishna Pillai, Sepoy PO Ommen, Major Mohanan Pappini Veetil, Lance Havildar Kuppuswamy, Naik Madhusoodanan Pillai, Sepoy C Rayappan, Sepoy A Ravi Kumar, Lance Naik Surendran Nair K, Havildar Sarthi Reddy Budupu, Major Kamal Kalia, Subedar Mayan Gopal, Naik Varsi Vasudev Rao, Major John Soundra Pandian, Major SS Gahlawat, Naik Yama Sivasankara Reddy, Sepoy Alphonse S, Sepoy J Veerabhadrudu, Lieutenant Colonel Ajit Bhandarkar, Havildar Radhakrishnan Kunju Panicker, Major Rajeshwar Singh, Major Chatoth Binu Bharathan, Lance Naik Krishna Murthy G, Naik Manesh PV, Havildar Luis Periyera Nayagam, Lieutenant Colonel Sanjay Kaushik, Major NN Venkata Sriram, Naik Baiju B, Captain Ashutosh Kumar, Naib Subedar Sreejith M, Sepoy Maruprolu Jaswanth Kumar Reddy


Colonels of the Regiment

The Colonel of the regiment is a senior officer of the regiment, usually the senior-most, who is a father-figure to the regiment and looks after the interests of the regiment. This is a tradition and position that the Indian Army has inherited from the British Army. The officers who have graced this position are as follows -


Commemorative stamps


References


External links


Official websiteHistory Of The Madras RegimentArmy Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Madras Regiment, The M M Mad Military units and formations established in 1758