British East Africa 1897–99 is a

Battle Honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...

awarded to 27th Regiment (1st Baluch Battalion) of Bombay (Light) Infantry; an infantry battalion of the

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

, which participated in the 1897 expedition to

British East Africa East Africa Protectorate (also known as British East Africa) was a British protectorate in the African Great Lakes, occupying roughly the same area as present-day Kenya, from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west. Cont ...

to suppress a rebellion.

Expedition to British East Africa 1897–99

In the late 19th century, the British took over control of area now forming

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

and

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

and declared it as the

British East Africa Protectorate East Africa Protectorate (also known as British East Africa) was a British protectorate in the African Great Lakes, occupying roughly the same area as present-day Kenya, from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west. Contr ...

. However, despite harsh measures, they faced stiff resistance from the local princes and chiefs. In 1897, the situation took a serious turn in areas now forming Uganda, when the Sudanese troops of the local militia mutinied and killed their British officers. In December 1897, the 27th Regiment (1st Baluch Battalion) of Bombay (Light) Infantry (now 10th Battalion The

Baloch Regiment The Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab Regiment, 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments with the 10th Baluch Regiment, Baluch Regiment. Since then, fur ...

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

) under Lieutenant Colonel WA Broome was despatched to East Africa to quell the rebellion. After a tough anti-insurgency operation lasting for a year, the situation was brought under control by January 1899, and the battalion returned to

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

in May. During the campaign, the battalion suffered 56 casualties. For its services in the campaign, the Baluch battalion was awarded the Battle Honour of ‘British East Africa 1897–99’ in 1901. The Battle Honour is unique to this unit. In 1922, when the Regimental Group System was adopted by the British Indian Army, the battalion was redesignated as the 3rd Battalion (Queen Mary's Own)

10th Baluch Regiment The 10th Baluch or Baluch Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. After independence, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was amalgamated with the 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments. During more ...

, and the Battle Honour was extended to all the battalions of 10th Baluch Regiment.Cook, HCB. (1987). ''The Battle Honours of the British and Indian Armies 1662–1982''. London: Leo Cooper. p. 106.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:British East Africa 1897-99 Battle honours of the British Army Battle honours of the Indian Army East Africa Protectorate Uganda Protectorate Awards established in 1897 1890s establishments in the British Empire 1890s in Kenya 19th-century military history of the United Kingdom Wars involving British India

Expedition to British East Africa 1897–99

See also

References