The Grenadiers is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, formerly part of the Bombay Army and later the pre-independence British Indian Army, when the regiment was known as the 4th Bombay Grenadiers. It has distinguished itself during the two world wars and also since the Independence of India. The regiment has won many battle honours and gallantry awards, and is considered to be one of India's most decorated regiments with three Param Vir Chakra awardees in three different conflicts.
The Grenadiers are one of the oldest grenadier regiments in the Commonwealth of Nations, and have the longest unbroken record of existence in the Indian Army. The history of the Grenadiers dates back to the Bombay Army of the East India Company (EIC). In 1684, the Bombay Army consisted of three companies stationed on the Seven Islands of Bombay, one of which was a grenadier company. The company, which consisted of a mixture of Europeans and native Christians, disappears from subsequent historical records. By 1710, the Bombay Army had expanded to five companies of "Europeans, topasses, and coffrees", one of which was an all-European grenadier company. This company was subsequently merged into the Bombay European Regiment, which was later disbanded. In 1757, Robert Clive raised the 1st Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, which consisted in part of two grenadier companies. However, no grenadier regiments were raised by the Bengal Army until 1779.
In 1759, as a response to the ongoing Seven Years' War, the Bombay Army underwent a major expansion, and the first company of native grenadiers was raised with the best of Bombay sepoys "paying a regard to those having families on the island". It had only native officers and all sepoys wore red coats with blue facings. Later on, an adjutant was appointed to the corps. Later the Bombay Army comprised a number of sepoy battalions, each having one or two grenadier companies. These were clubbed together as a composite battalion comprising the grenadier companies of the Bombay sepoy battalions, and they won the famous battle of Talegaon in 1778. So impressive was the performance of this composite battalion that the Bombay Presidency ordered the permanent raising of a grenadier battalion which duly took place on 12 March 1779, thirty-six years before the first time that a British battalion was given the honour of calling itself "grenadiers". The Governor General of Bombay made an Order dated 12 November 1779, according to which the grenadier companies of the following regiments combined to form the first Grenadier Regiment in the world, namely "The Grenadier Battalion, First Regiment of Infantry":
The 4th Bombay Grenadiers were an infantry regiment of the pre-independence Indian Army, formed on 1 March 1922 as part of the reforms of the Indian Army that took place after the end of the First World War. Following this, the Regiment spent the next fifteen years serving in the British Somaliland protectorate in present-day Somaliland, as well as in China and on the North-West Frontier. The 3rd, 4th and 5th Battalions were all disbanded and the 10th Battalion amalgamated with the 10th Battalion, Jat Regiment to form a Combined Training Centre at Bareilly. Following the Second World War they were one of the regiments allocated to the new Indian Army and renamed The Grenadiers
The regiment consisted of six battalions, all former regiments themselves. These were:
At the beginning of the Second World War there were only two battalions of the Regiment, the 1st and 2nd. This was soon changed, though, as a number of battalions were raised for wartime service, including: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 14th, 25th, 26th and 27th Battalions. The 10th (Training Battalion) was also de-linked from The Jat Regiment. Some of these battalions were to be garrison or rear area troops only, while others went on to serve with distinction in a number of theatres during the war including the Middle East and Burma, notably during the Arakan campaigns and at Kohima.
The 4th Grenadiers formed the motorised infantry element of the Indian Armoured and Tank brigades, distinguishing themselves as 'tank escort' infantry protecting tanks against sniper attack in jungle conditions:
In October 1945, the Indian infantry regiments lost their numerical designation and the regiment was re-designated as the Indian Grenadiers, thus severing its last link with the erstwhile Bombay Army (Special Indian Army Order 132/S/45). Following the partition of India, the regiment was allotted to India. The active units at that time were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 25th. The Muslim troops in the regiment were allotted to Pakistan. Dogras from 5 Baluch joined the 1st battalion, The Frontier Force Rifles to 2nd battalion, and from 1/16 Punjab to the 4th battalion.
The Grenadiers consists of 23 battalions, four Rashtriya Rifles battalions and two Territorial Army battalions -
ç indicates former units.
The Grenadiers has been affiliated with The Armoured Corps and with the Indian Navy.
Prior to Indian independence, the Regiment had won many battle honours as part of the British Indian Army. These battle honour include:
Since 1947, the Regiment has won the following battle honours as part of the Indian Army:
The Grenadiers have the unique and distinct honour of having the most number of Param Vir Chakras, India's highest medal for gallantry, among all the Indian Army's Infantry Regiments. Of note also, is the fact that prior to independence, British officers serving with The Grenadiers won four Victoria Crosses. Members of the Regiment have also received a number of other decorations prior to independence.
Indian Distinguished Service Medal
Indian Meritorious Service Medal
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)
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