7 MECHANISED BATTALION (1-DOGRA)

The 7th Battalion the Mechanised Infantry Regiment was raised as 37 DOGRAS by Lt. Col V. Rivas on 30th May, 1887 at Sialkot. The Battalion saw action within three years of raising as part of Black Mountain Expeditionary Force in March 1891. All ranks were awarded Indian General Service Medal with clasp ‘HAZARA’ 1891. As part of Chitral Relief Force in 1895, the unit crossed ‘MALAKAND,’ pass and earned its first battle honour ‘CHITRAL’. In the gallant action at Kut against the Turks in 1915-1916, the battalion earned a Victoria Cross for then Capt J.A. Sinton.

During the First World War, the battalion was employed in Mesopotamia and won laurels for the gallant actions against the Turks. The battalion was awarded the battalion honour ‘DAHRA BEND’ and the entire battalion was mentioned in Commander in Chief’s despatches, a unique honour. The unit was one of the first to enter Baghdad in 1917.

The Battalion was redesignated as the lst Battalion (Prince of Wales Own) the 17th Dogra Regiment in 1922. During the Second World War the unit was employed in the Arakan campaign and acquitted itself with distinction in the battle of ‘CQX BAZAR’ and ‘ADMIN BOX’ against the Japanese. Some of the battles that brought great honour to the battalion are capture of the ‘NUNG SHIGUM’ hill, ‘TIDDIM’ and ‘MEIKTILA’, On surrender of the Japanese, the battalion had the unique honour of providing a guard of honour to Lord Louis Mountbatten at Rangoon.

The task of exchange of refugees with Pakistan after partition was carried out by the battalion commendably. The unit was redesignated as 1 DOGRA after independence. From March 1961 to April 1962 the battalion formed a part of the UN peacekeeping force at Congo. It earned the admiration of the International set up and a number of decorations. During 1965 operations, the unit took part in Operation ‘ABLAZE’ and Operation ‘RIDDLE’. They earned a number of decorations and captured a lot of Pakistani equipment. During 1971 operations, the unit had the distinction of being one of the two mechanised battalions that saw action.

The huge tally of decorations of the battalion speaks for itself. The battalion has the proud privilege of having won more than one-third of the decorations earned by the Dogra Regiment before independence, The battalion feels proud of its long list of battle honours which run as follows:

CHITRAL-1895, PUNJAB FRONTIER, MALAKAND TIGRIS-1916, BAGHDAD-1917 MES0POTAMIA-1915-18, KUT-AL-AMARA-1917,  AFGHANISTAN-1919, DONBAIK NUN SHIGUM, KENNEDY PEAK ASAL UTTAR-1965, PUNJAB-1965 PUNJAB-1971.

The stamp depicting soldiers in period uniforms.

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