54th Sikhs Frontier Force

Brief History

The 4th Sikhs were raised in 1847 with transfers from the Umballa Police Battalion as well as the 6th and 11th Bengal Native Infantry as a local force. They became part of the Punjab Irregular Force (PIF) in 1851, together with the Corps of Guides and six regiments of Punjabi Infantry. In 1852 the 4th and 3rd Sikhs volunteered for Burma, the 4th being the one accepted, serving there for two years. All four Sikh regiments went to Central India at the time of the Mutiny, but the 4th gained the most fame. They marched from Abbottabad to Delhi, a distance of 560 miles in 30 days in the June heat, going into action on their arrival. They became the 54th Sikhs in 1903 and in the period up to WW1 they were stationed at Kohat. They served in India, Egupt and Turkey during that war. The 1922 reorganisation saw them as the 4th battalion 12th Frontier Force Regiment and in 1933 they were one of the units nominated for Indianisation. The Second World War saw them in India and Burma.

Principal Campaigns and Battles

• 1879 :Pegu
• 1880 :Delhi
• Chitral

Predecessor Units

• 4th Regiment of the Frontier Force
  (1846 – 1847)
• 4th Sikh Local Infantry
  (1847 – 1857)
• 4th Sikh Infantry, Punjab Irregular Force
  (1857 – 1865)
• 4th Sikh Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force
  (1865 – 1901)
• 4th Sikh Infantry
  (1901 – 1903)

Successor Units

4th/12th Frontier Force Regiment
(1922 – 1947)

Post-Independence Fate

To Pakistan