Second World War
- 1st Battalion - India, Malaya. Captured at Singapore in 1942. Reformed in 1946 by redesignation of 9/8th Punjab.
- 2nd Battalion - India, Burma, French Indochina.
- 3rd Battalion - India, Iran, Italy.
- 4th Battalion - India, Iraq, Iran.
- 5th Battalion - India, Burma, Malaya, Dutch East Indies.
- 6th Battalion (Machine Gun) - Raised in 1940. India, Malaya, Dutch East Indies. Disbanded January 1948; re-raised October 1948.
- 7th Battalion - Raised in 1940. India, Malaya. Captured at Singapore in February 1942.
- 8th Battalion - Raised in 1941. India, Burma.
- 9th Battalion - Raised in 1941. India, Ceylon, Cyprus. Redesignated as 1/8th Punjab in 1946. Re-raised 1948.
- 10th Battalion - Converted into Regimental Centre in 1942.
- 14th Battalion - Raised in 1941. Converted into 9th (Punjab) Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment, Indian Artillery, in 1942. India, Ceylon. Disbanded 1946.
- 15th Battalion - Raised in 1942. Became a training battalion. India. Disbanded 1946.
- 16th Battalion - Raised in 1943. India. Disbanded 1946.
- 25th Garrison Battalion - Raised in 1941. India. Disbanded 1946.
- 26th Garrison Battalion - Raised in 1942. India. Disbanded 1946.
During the Second World War the 8th Punjab Regiment again distinguished itself, suffering more than 4500 casualties. It was awarded two Victoria Crosses to Havildar Parkash Singh and Sepoy Kamal Ram, besides numerous other gallantry awards. The regiment raised a further nine battalions. Two of its battalions, the 1st and 7th, were captured on Singapore Island, when the British Commonwealth Army surrendered there to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. Four battalions fought in the Burma Campaign, while others saw service in Iraq, Iran, Italy, French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies. Two men from the 8th Punjab Regiment received the Victoria Cross: Havildar Parkash Singh in Burma and Sepoy Kamal Ram in Italy. By the end of the war, the Regiment consisted of 14 Battalions. However, most of the war-raised units were disbanded in 1946 except the 6th and 8th Battalions.
Read more about this topic: 8th Punjab Regiment
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