HM 24th Foot an outstandingly eminent battalion of British Army in 1857-59 battles
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This summary describes the actions and accomplishments of a British Army battalion serving under the British East India Company in Punjab in 1857 during the Indian Rebellion. On July 7th, 1857, the battalion successfully disarmed the 58th Native Infantry as well as two companies of the 14th Native Infantry at Rawalpindi without casualties. However, when a wing of the battalion marched to Jhelum to disarm the 14th Native Infantry, they suffered heavy casualties in the ensuing firefight. Despite this, through securing these two strategic locations, the battalion performed a great feat in securing British communications in northwest India and the Punjab region during this crucial time.
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HM 24th Foot an outstandingly eminent battalion of British Army in 1857-59 battles
- 4. This was an outstanding battalion of the British Army , serving under the British East India Company in Punjab in 1857. The battalion was located in Rawalpindi in 1857.It did not take part in any major operation in 1857 except disarming of 14th Native Infantry which turned into a major firefight.
- 5. On 7th July 1857 the battalion successfully disarmed 58th Native Infantry as well as two companies of 14th Native Infantry at Rawalpindi. However, the battalion was less successful, as far as casualties sustained was concerned when on the same date its wing marched to Jhelum to disarm 14th NI. Here the battalion suffered heavy casualties. However the battalion performed a great strategic feat on 7th July 1857 when it secured the British company’s strategic communications in the most crucial northwest India by securing two key strategic communications bottlenecks in Punjab.
- 7. NIL. The battalion was employed in the difficult tasks of disarming two infantry battalions on the same day which was not an easy task . This included marching over 70 miles and disarming a battalion. It performed both tasks successfully . 58 NI was disarmed without any casualties.14th NI which was occupying the most strategic location on the company’s north south link at Jhelum was successfully destroyed and the grand trunk road secured , although the battalion suffered heavily losing 40 men including an officer. The bottom line is that Punjab was secured for the company because Jhelum being captured by rebels would have been a serious strategic failure for the British company ruling India.
- 8. NIL AS WAS NEVER DEPLOYED INTO ACTION IN ANY MAJOR BATTLE. Captain Spring and Captain Greenspill. The battalion lost 38 killed including captain Spring in the battle with 14th NI at Jhelum when the battalion tried to disarm it.1 In addition one soldier died accidentally at Jullundur on 12th July 1857 . 2 Captain Thomas Greensill who 1 Pages-27 , 28 and 29- CASUALTY ROLL FOR THE INDIAN MUTINY 1857-59-Op cit. 2 Page-27-Ibid.
- 9. was working as a field engineer at the siege of Delhi was killed on 20th July 1857.3 In total the battalion lost 40 killed. Although the battalion did not participate in any major operation in the war, its net impact on the outcome of war was significant because it almost singlehandedly disarmed or destroyed two battalions which could have seriously threatened the British company’s north-south communications inside Punjab and thus affected operations at the most decisive siege of Delhi. Nil as not deployed . 3 Page-27-Ibid and Page-339- Selections from the Letters, Despatches and Other State Papers, Preserved in the Military Dept. of the Government of India, 1857- 58-Volume 1 - Edited by George W. Forrest-Military Department Press-Calcutta-1893.