34th Royal Sikh Pioneers

2022-10-17T15:51:43Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 34th Royal Sikh Pioneers
| image = Indian pioneers.png
| image_size = 300
| caption = ''[[Subedar major]] 34th Royal Sikh pioneers standing 2nd from right & [[Lance Naik]] standing 1st on the left''
| dates = 1857-1922
| country = {{flag|British India}}
| branch = Army
| type = Infantry
| size = Three battalions
| command_structure = [[Bengal Army]] (to 1895) [[Bengal Command]]
| garrison =
| ceremonial_chief =
| ceremonial_chief_label =
| colonel_of_the_regiment =
| nickname =
| motto =
| colors = Red; faced dark blue
| colors_label = Uniform
| march =
| mascot =
| battles = [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]] [[Second Afghan War]] [[Relief of Chitral]] [[World War I]] [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] [[Mesopotamia Campaign]] [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]]
| notable_commanders =
| anniversaries =
}}

The '''34th Royal Sikh Pioneers''' was an infantry regiment of the [[British Indian Army]]. They could trace their origins to 1857, when they were raised as the Punjab Sappers.

The regiment recruited the [[Mazhabi]] [[Sikhs]] and [[Ramdasia]] [[Sikhs]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/displayPage.jsp?ID=15253&page=1&CategoryID=1&Searched=W3GX&sbtsro=1&viewall=1|title = The History of The Sikh Pioneers}}</ref>of [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab province]].
Despite being Pioneers by name, the regiment was specially trained as [[Assault Pioneer]]s.

==Brief History==
The regiment took part in the [[Siege of Delhi]], the [[Siege of Lucknow]] and the [[Capture of Lucknow]] during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]]. They were next in action during the [[Second Afghan War]] in 1878 and the [[Relief of Chitral]] in 1897. To honour the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Indian they took part in the [[Rawalpindi Parade 1905]].

During [[World War I]] they were part of the [[3rd (Lahore) Division]] and served on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]], in the [[Mesopotamia Campaign]] and in the [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]].

After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments.<ref>Sumner p.15</ref> In 1922, the 34th Sikh Pioneers now became the 2nd Battalion, [[3rd Sikh Pioneers]]. The regiment was allocated to the new [[Indian Army]] on independence.

==Notable Achievements==
[[File:Kinggeorgev1928.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Pale-eyed young man with a beard and moustache|His Royal Highness [[King George V]] awarded the 34th Sikh Pioneers with the "Royal" title in 1921, making them a Royal regiment for their outstanding service during the [[First World War]].]]
* They were the most highly decorated Sikh Regiment of the [[First World War]].
* They became a "Royal" Regiment in 1921.

==Predecessor names==
*Punjab Sappers - 1857
*24th (Pioneer) Regiment of Punjab Infantry - 1858
*32nd Bengal Native Infantry - 1861
*32nd (Punjab) Bengal Native Infantry (Pioneers) - 1864
*32nd (Punjab) Bengal Infantry (Pioneers) - 1885
*32nd Punjab Pioneers - 1901
*34th Sikh Pioneers - 1903

==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{cite book|last=Barthorp|first=Michael|last2=Burn|first2=Jeffrey|year=1979|title=Indian infantry regiments 1860-1914|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=0-85045-307-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Sumner|first=Ian|title=The Indian Army 1914-1947|year=2001|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=1-84176-196-6}}

[[Category:British Indian Army infantry regiments]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1857]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1922]]
[[Category:Bengal Presidency]]
[[Category:1857 establishments in India]]

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34th Royal Sikh Pioneers