Anonymous

“ During the march the Battalion formed the advance guard. Army transport carts, sufficient for half the men to ride in, were provided, mainly in order to facilitate a swift pursuit on the enemy retreating.
At daybreak, the guns with Column “A” could be heard away to the south-west. A few enemy camel patrols were rounded up by our cavalry and armoured cars. Columns “B” and “C” soon after advanced, and took “V.P.” after fierce fighting. At 8.15 the Flying Column advanced, cavalry on the right, 76th on the left, supported by the Machine Gun Battery and “S” Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. ”

“ On April 12th the Brigade attempted to reinforce the garrison of Shaiba by wading through mud and water across the inundated country between Zobeir Gate and Old Basra but, owing to the farther bank being strongly held by the enemy, was ordered to retire when half-way across. Several attempts to cross by bellum were made, but priority had to be given to urgently required ammunition and rations, so the Battalion remained in bivouac at Zobeir Gate. Detachments were provided to protect the bellum convoys and drive off hostile craft. ”

“ Owing to a threatened invasion of the Carnatic by the Mahrattas, the growing power of Hyder Ali of Mysore, and war with the French, it was considered necessary to increase the troops of the Madras Government. The native portion of the army then consisted of eight battalions, and eight more were raised, the present 3rd Battalion 1st Punjab Regiment being formed by drafts from the other battalions and designated the 16th Carnatic Battalion or “Lane’s” Battalion. ”

“ A force consisting of the light companies of the 44th and 54th Foot and of the 16th Madras Native Infantry, and four companies of the 1st Bengal Light Infantry Battalion, marched in May, 1825, to endeavour to find a route across to the Irrawaddi River, by which the force at Arracan could join hands with the main army from Rangoon. After terrible hardships they were forced to return, nearly every man being sick. The unhealthiness of the country may be judged by the fact that on October 1st, 1825, the Battalion only had 108 men fit for duty and 644 sick. ”

“ Enemy aeroplanes also put in frequent appearances, but in only one case did their bombs cause any damage. Several schemes for sorties were prepared and the Battalion actually paraded for some, but they did not eventually take place. Great difficulty was met with in getting the men to eat horsemeat and they did not do so until very near the end of the siege; they did, however, find many kinds of edible weeds and grass to cook and supplement the scanty ration. The casualties in Kut up to the end of February totalled 3,000. ”

“ The Battalion was employed night and day digging the second line and communication trenches to the front line.
On December 5th the enemy began to close round Kut and opened with artillery fire and a few snipers. The Cavalry Brigade and greater portion of land transport crossed the river on their way to Ali Gharbi on the 6th, on which day the last steamer also left, and Kut was isolated. Work was continued on the defences to the limit of the men’s endurance. The enemy strength increased daily and he gradually closed in on the front line. ”

“ Intense artillery bombardment was kept up for about two hours morning and evening when the mirage disappeared and enabled observation of fire to be made. On the 9th the enemy attacked the bridgehead on the right bank and captured it. Under cover of fire from the left bank it was temporarily reoccupied, but again captured by the Turks. After dark the bridge was cut adrift, the right bank having been occupied in force by the enemy.
The Turkish artillery fire had become so severe by the 10th that orders were issued to discontinue working in the open in daylight. ”

“ One havildar was drowned trying to rescue ammunition. The cold was also extreme and the men, having no means of drying their clothes, [34] suffered heavily from exposure, 3 British officers and 50 men having to report sick. The enemy to our front had been forced by the water to retire 1,500 yards and valuable firewood was retrieved from his trenches by parties from the Battalion, after inflicting many casualties on him as he retired across the open. ”

“ Our men were kept employed to the utmost limit of their strength improving the trenches, etc. During this first tour of duty in the front line the Battalion lost severely, 2nd-Lieutenant Muirhead being mortally wounded, Jemadar Ram Sarup killed, Subadar Sundar Singh wounded, and about fifty men killed and wounded.
Throughout the siege casualties were of daily occurrence, there being no place within the defences which was not under rifle fire. The majority of the [33] enemy artillery fire was directed at our artillery positions near the brick kilns, and on the town itself. ”

“ In July, 1886, the Battalion, which was then at Vizianagram, was ordered to embark for active service in Burma, and crossed the frontier on August 1st. The 16th formed part of the 3rd Brigade, Upper Burma Field Force, under Brigadier-General Anderson, and was employed in various parts of Upper Burma, chiefly on detachment, and took part in much desultory fighting.
During the campaign the following casualties were incurred: 1 British officer killed and 1 wounded, 5 other ranks killed and 3 wounded. In 1887, 61 non-commissioned officers and men died of disease ”

“ Two Indian Orders of Merit and two Indian Distinguished Service Medals were awarded to men of the Regiment, and seven officers and men were mentioned in despatches for services in the Afghan Campaign.
The complete Battalion concentrated in Tank in July, and remained there till the end of August, finding escorts for convoys, and dealing with raiders. In September it moved to Khirgi, where a month was spent working on defences and roads, attempting to round up Mahsud raiders, and day piqueting. Several men died of cholera. ”

“ At [23] 7 a.m. the 30th Brigade began their advance under shell- and heavy rifle-fire from the enemy trenches. The ground being absolutely devoid of cover, casualties were heavy. A barge had meanwhile been jammed across the mouth of the Medijinah Creek. This barge carried parties of Sappers and Miners and Pioneers with bridging material and reserve ammunition. Work was started on two foot bridges over the creek within 200 yards of the enemy trenches. The artillery bombardment continued until the Hampshire Regiment and Gurkhas and 76th had worked their way up to the bank of the creek. ”

“ The 16th was one of the battalions left to garrison the town and to assist in dismantling the defences.
1780: Defence of Permacoil Fort.
In September, 1780, Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysore, invaded the Carnatic in alliance with the French. The Battalion, less one company under Lieutenant Bishop at Permacoil Fort, joined the main army which marched to Conjeeveram, with the object of joining hands with a detachment under Colonel Baillie, which was marching from Guntoor. ”

“ Owing to the continued lack of transport the army was practically immobile, and Hyder Ali laid siege to Wandewash and other forts. To draw him off Coote marched towards Arnee, Hyder’s principal depot. This had the desired effect and the British were overtaken on June 2nd, about three miles from Arnee. The rear guard held the enemy until the army was formed up, when the whole line advanced and drove the enemy back. The advance had to be stopped for a time owing to an attack by 11,000 cavalry on the baggage, which was covered by the 2nd Brigade. ”

“ Drafts of about two hundred non-commissioned officers and men were received from various [16] Punjab Battalions and the new Battalion recruited up to full strength, the majority of the British officers being those of the 16th Madras Infantry. ”

“ There it remained until January, 1900, when it embarked for Singapore, in relief of British troops who had been sent to South Africa. Returning to India in November, 1901, the Battalion was stationed at Madras until May 16th, 1903, when it was transferred to Secunderabad to be reconstituted as a Punjab regiment with the designation “76th Punjabis.” Thus, after an honourable existence of more than 130 years, the Battalion ceased to exist as a purely Madras Battalion. ”

“ They had suffered heavy casualties, including the loss of their two senior British officers.”
The cavalry now withdrew to ward off an Arab attack on the transport and rear of Columns “B” and “C.” The Battalion had by this time lost severely and any attempt to advance was at once stopped by enemy rifle and machine-gun fire. Meantime, many gallant actions were performed by various men, in bringing up ammunition and distributing it and bringing the wounded into the shelter of the shallow entrenchment that had been made. During this time severe fighting was taking place in the enemy second line. ”

“ The enemy did not stand in his second position, and was driven out of a third position on the bank of the river in the evening. The 30th Brigade bivouacked on his third position.
The Turks left in our hands 17 guns, numerous rifles, quantities of ammunition and stores. The enemy losses were 700 killed, 740 wounded, and 200 wounded prisoners. The Battalion lost Lieutenants Darell and McElwaine, and Subadar-Major Ajab Khan wounded, 6 rank and file killed, and 55 wounded out of about 300 engaged, the 30th Brigade losing 200 out of a strength of 900. The total British casualties were 564. ”

“ The march was resumed at 5 a.m., only interfered with by Arab snipers, and bivouac within three miles of Kut was reached at 8 p.m., all ranks being exhausted, having marched seventy miles since 8 a.m. 30th, and been on the move for forty-eight hours without food. The cold was bitter and no food or blankets could be obtained till nearly midnight.
During the retirement one man was killed, one wounded, and one missing. The strength of the Battalion on arrival in Kut, under the command of Major Cotton (99th Infantry, attached) , was—Officers: British, 8; Indian, 13 ”

“ After much fighting against the enemy’s advanced posts, which were gradually captured, the breaching batteries were established by May 2nd. By May 4th a practicable breach had been made, and the [10] assault was ordered for one o’clock that afternoon. The Battalion was on duty in the trenches on that day, the assaulting troops being formed of the flank companies of the battalions off duty. The troops in the trenches formed the “sustaining” corps. The assault was entirely successful after severe fighting. Tippoo himself was killed. The casualties were:—Europeans: Killed, 181 ”

“ Communication was interrupted the next day except by means of friendly Bhittanis. Heavy attacks were again made during the night May 31st/June 1st. The men now suffered greatly from thirst, as water was strictly rationed to two water-bottles a day, and the heat was very great. ”

“ Between June 16th, 1824, and January 31st, 1826, the Battalion lost by death 7 officers, 5 native officers, and 148 other ranks and 15 followers. Some Battalions did not have a single man available for duty. ”