History of the Regiment
See below for a History of the Sirmoor Rifles. In 1994 the Regiment was amalgamated with the 6GR, 7GR and 10GR to become The Royal Gurkha Rilfes. (In order to view more of the history of these other Regiments please click on the following links:)
- 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles.
- 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles.
POTTED HISTORY OF THE REGIMENT
1817-1818 Formation of the Corps (Sirmoor Battalion). Strength. First services. First uniform.
Maharatta War – 1817-1818.
1818-1824 Suppression of Dacoity in the Doon. Affair at Koonja. Dacoit attack on Thano.
1824-1826 Siege of Bhurtpore. Changes in uniform.
1826-1842 Life in Dehra Doon. Changes in uniform.
1842-1848 Trouble at Bareilly and at Kythal. Sutlej War.
1847-1857 Sikh War. Re-armament and changes in uniform. The Corps becomes a 'General Service' Corps. Move to Almorah. First application for grant of land for families. New musketry school at Umballa.
1857 Indian Mutiny. March to Meerut, Balandshahr, Hindun, and Badli ke Serai. Seizure of the Ridge at Delhi. Defence of Hindu Rao's House. Attack on Kissenganj. Attempt to fire Boat Bridge. Great rebel attack on the 'Eed'. Final assault on Delhi. Lists of casualties and honours.
1857-1869 Garrisoning of Delhi Fort. Grant of Third Colour. Return to Dehra. Ordered to Oudh, Kyrabad and Biswa. Detachment sent across the Tyne Range. Move to Kalka to escort Commander-in-Chief's Camp to Lahore. Presentation of the Queen's Truncheon. Move to and attack on fort at Shabkadr. Move to Rawal Pindi. Move to Hazara country – Soosul Pass and Agror Valley. Attack on Kiarkot Hill, Chittabut and Munchaie. Return to Rawal Pindi. Return to Dehra.
1869-1872 Move to new site in Dehra. First Looshai Expedition. Attack on Lal Gnoora's village. Return to Chittagong and Dehra.
1872-1878 Visit of Prince of Wales to India. Inspection of 60th Rifles and 2nd Goorkhas on the Ridge at Delhi. Re-armament. Regiment re-named 'Prince of Wales's Own'. Guards at Simla. Imperial Assemblage at Delhi. The Malta Expeditionary Force. First Afghan War – Regiment joins the Peshawa Valley Field Force. Ali Masjid. End of first phase of War. Return to Dehra.
1879-1880 Massacre at Cavagnari. Move to Peshawa. Action in Logar Valley. Sydabad. News of Maiwand disaster. Roberts's march to and battle of Kandahar. March back to India and Dehra.
1880-1891 Distribution of Bronze Stars. Adoption of khaki uniform. Burmese War. Increase in Gurkha battalions. 2nd Battalion raised. Cholera. Re-armament. 2nd Battalion service in Looshailand and return to Dehra. Chin Looshai Expedition. Fort Tregear. Lienpunga. Return to Dehra. Affair at Jacopa by detachment left at Fort Tregear.
1891-1897 Manipur Rebellion. Three columns ordered to Manipur. Pacification of country. 2nd Battalion joins the 'Chitral Movable Column' at Abbottabad. Return to Dehra.
1897 North West Frontier troubles. 1st Battalion ordered to Peshawa. March to Kohat. Relief of Fort Gulistan. Chagru Kotal. Dargia. Advance into Tirah. Waran Valley. Bagh. Dwatoi. Chamkanni country. The Bara Valley. Sher Khel. Action near Mamani. Return to Dehra. 2nd Battalion on Lines of Communications and at Fort Lockhart. Honours and Rewards.
1901-1902 1st Battalion operations in Waziristan blockade. 2nd Battalion in Chitral. The 'Kashmir' hat introduced by Lieutenant Becher was adopted by the Regiment as the field service headdress in place of the puggaree.
1902 Coronation Contingent. The regiment was selected to provide one of the detachments of the Indian Coronation Contingent at the Coronation Celebrations in England . They travelled to England in June and were encamped at Hampton Court and visited Edinburgh on 30th and 31st July. The detachment took part in the Coronation Celebrations on 9th August. On 13th August the detachment was received by His Majesty King Edward VII, Honorary Colonel of The Regiment.