48th Pioneers

Active| 1901–1921
Country| Indian Empire
Branch| Army
Type| Infantry
Part of| Bengal Army (to 1895)
Bengal Command
Colors| Scarlet; faced emerald green, 1903 black

Military unit

The 48th Pioneers were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1901, when they were raised as the 48th (Pioneers) Bengal Infantry. They were the last raised Bengal Infantry unit before the reorganization of the Indian Army in 1903.[1] Compared to various other regiments, the 48th Pioneers were religiously diverse.[1]

During World War I the regiment was part of 6th (Poona) Division and was captured in its entirety at the Siege of Kut, on 29 April 1916.[1] A 2/48th Pioneers was reformed in Mesopotamia in May 1916, renumbered 48th Pioneers in June, and attached to 15th Indian Division.[1][2]

After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments.[3] In 1921, the 48th Pioneers now became the 4th Battalion, 2nd Bombay Pioneers. This became the Corps of Bombay Pioneers in 1929, which was subsequently disbanded in 1933.[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Spackman, Col. W.C. (2008). Captured at Kut : prisoner of the Turks : the Great War diaries of Colonel W.C. Spackman. ISBN 9781844158737.
2. ^ Perry, F.W. (1993). History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions: Indian Army Divisions Pt. 5B. Ray Westlake Books. ISBN 1-871167-23-X
3. ^ Sumner p.15
4. ^ Griffen, Charles. "48th Pioneers". Retrieved 21 February 2023.

* Barthorp, Michael; Burn, Jeffrey (1979). Indian infantry regiments 1860-1914. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-307-0.
* Sumner, Ian (2001). The Indian Army 1914-1947. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-196-6.

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