First World War
- 89th Punjabis - India, Aden, Egypt, Gallipoli, France, Mesopotamia, Salonika, Russia.
- 2/89th Punjabis - Raised in 1917 - India, Mesopotamia.
- 90th Punjabis - India, Mesopotamia.
- 2/90th Punjabis - Raised in 1918 - India. Disbanded 1922.
- 91st Punjabis (Light Infantry) - Burma, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Palestine.
- 2/91st Punjabis (Light Infantry) - Raised in 1918 - India. Disbanded 1921.
- 92nd Punjabis - India, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine.
- 93rd Burma Infantry - India, Egypt, France, Mesopotamia, Palestine.
Only 2/89th Punjabis of the wartime raisings was retained after the post-war reforms.
The 8th Punjabis have a most distinguished record of service during the First World War. Their long list of honours and awards includes the Victoria Cross awarded to Naik Shahmed Khan of 89th Punjabis in 1916. The 89th Punjabis had the unique distinction of serving in more theatres of war than any other unit of the British Empire. These included Aden, where they carried out the first opposed sea-borne assault landing in modern warfare, Egypt, Gallipoli, France, Mesopotamia, North-West Frontier Province, Salonika and Russian Transcaucasia. All battalions served in Mesopotamia, while 93rd Burma Infantry also served in France. The 92nd Punjabis were made 'Prince of Wales's Own' in 1921 for their gallantry and sacrifices during the war.
In 1922, the five battalions along with the war-raised 2/89th Punjabis were united to form the 8th Punjab Regiment:
- 1/89th Punjabis - 1st Battalion 8th Punjab Regiment
- 90th Punjabis - 2nd Battalion 8th Punjab Regiment
- 91st Punjabis (Light Infantry) - 3rd Battalion 8th Punjab Regiment
- 92nd (Prince of Wales's Own) Punjabis - 4th Battalion (Prince of Wales's Own)8th Punjab Regiment
- 93rd Burma Infantry - 5th (Burma) Battalion 8th Punjab Regiment
- 2/89th Punjabis - 10th Battalion (Training Battalion) 8th Punjab Regiment
The new class composition of the 8th Punjab Regiment was Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs and Hindu Gujars. Chinthe - the mythical Burmese lion-dragon guardian of Buddhist pagodas was chosen as its new emblem. The uniform was of drab colour with blue facings. In inter-war period, the Regiment saw extensive service on the North West Frontier of India.
Read more about this topic: 8th Punjab Regiment
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