The 130th King George's Own Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles) was an
infantry regiment of the
British Indian Army raised in June 1858 as the 1st Belooch Rifles; re-designated as 1st Regiment Jacob's Rifles in September.
[Ahmad, Lt Col RN. (2017). ''History of the Baloch Regiment''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.] It was designated as 130th Jacob's Baluchis in 1903 becoming 5th Battalion (King George's Own)
10th Baluch Regiment (Jacob's Rifles) in 1922. In 1947, it was allotted to
Pakistan Army, where it continues to exist as 12th Battalion of The
Baloch Regiment.
[Ahmad, Lt Col RN. (2010). ''Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.]
Early history
In 1858, Major
John Jacob raised two local 'silladar' infantry battalions known as Belooch Rifles (re-designated as Jacob's Rifles soon after); the only silladar infantry to have existed in the Indian Army. These battalions soon earned a formidable reputation in and around
Jacobabad for keeping the peace on the Sindh frontier as part of the Sind Frontier Field Force. In 1861, the first of these was accorded regular status, becoming the
30th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry or Jacob's Rifles, while the second was disbanded. The regiment fought in the
Second Afghan War of 1878–80 and suffered heavy casualties at the
Battle of Maiwand. In 1881, it was reconstituted as a Baluch battalion and re-designated as the 30th Regiment (Jacob's) Bombay Native Infantry or 3rd Belooch Regiment. In 1900, it was sent to
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
to suppress the
Boxer Rebellion.
[Cadell, Sir Patrick. (1938). ''History of the Bombay Army''. Longmans & Green.][Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin. (1998). ''History of the Baloch Regiment 1820–1939''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.]
130th King George's Own Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles)
Subsequent to the
reforms brought about in the Indian Army by
Lord Kitchener in 1903, all former
Bombay Army units had 100 added to their numbers, and the regiment's designation was changed to 130th Jacob's Baluchis. In 1906, the Prince of Wales (later
George V) was appointed
Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment.
The regimental full dress uniform in 1914 included a rifle green turban and kurta (knee length tunic) piped in red, worn with red trousers and white gaiters. The red trousers were a distinctive feature of all five Baluch infantry regiments then serving in the Indian Army. During the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
the regiment served in
German East Africa and
Palestine. In 1918 it raised a second battalion, which was disbanded in 1920.
Subsequent History
In 1922, the regiment was grouped with the five other Baluch battalions: 1st & 2nd Battalions of
124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry,
126th Baluchistan Infantry,
127th Queen Mary's Own Baluch Light Infantry and the
129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis, to form the 10th Baluch Regiment. The regiment's new designation was 5th Battalion (King George's Own) 10th Baluch Regiment (Jacob's Rifles).
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, 5/10th Baluch served in
Burma Campaign
The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of British rule in Burma, Burma as part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. It primarily involved forces of the Allies of World War II, Allies (mainly from ...
. The battalion's performance in the war was highly commendable. It suffered a total of 575 casualties and received a number of gallantry awards. On the
Partition of India
The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...
in 1947, the battalion, along with the Baluch Regiment was allocated to Pakistan Army.
[Thatcher, WS. (1980). ''The Tenth Baluch Regiment in the Second World War''. Abbottabad: The Baluch Regimental Centre.] In 1956, the
8th Punjab and
Bahawalpur Regiments were merged with the
Baluch Regiment and 5 Baluch was redesignated as 12 Baluch (now 12 Baloch). During the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the battalion fought in the
Kasur Sector.
Genealogy
*1858 1st Belooch Rifles
*1858 1st Regiment Jacob's Rifles
*1861 Jacob's Rifles
*1861 30th Regiment Bombay Native Infantry or Jacob's Rifles
*1881 30th Regiment (Jacob's) Bombay Native Infantry or 3rd Belooch Regiment
*1885 30th Regiment (Jacob's) Bombay Infantry or 3rd Belooch Regiment

*1888 30th Regiment (3rd Belooch Battalion) Bombay Infantry
*1892 30th Regiment (3rd Baluch Battalion) Bombay Infantry or 30th Baluchis
*1901 30th Baluch Infantry
*1903 130th Jacob's Baluchis
*1906 130th Prince of Wales's Own Baluchis
*1910 130th Prince of Wales's Own Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles)
*1910 130th King George's Own Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles)
*1918 1st Battalion 130th King George's Own Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles)
*1920 130th King George's Own Baluchis (Jacob's Rifles)
*1922 5th Battalion (King George's Own) 10th Baluch Regiment (Jacob's Rifles) or 5/10th Baluch
*1937 5th Battalion (King George V's Own) 10th Baluch Regiment (Jacob's Rifles)
*1945 5th Battalion (King George V's Own) The Baluch Regiment (Jacob's Rifles) or 5 Baluch
*1956 12th Battalion The Baluch Regiment or 12 Baluch
*1991 12th Battalion The Baloch Regiment or 12 Baloch
See also
*
10th Baluch Regiment
*
The Baloch Regiment
*
Brigadier General John Jacob, CB
References
Further reading
* Ahmad, Lt Col Rifat Nadeem. (2017). ''History of the Baloch Regiment''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.
* Ahmad, Lt Col Rifat Nadeem. (2010). ''Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.
* Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin. (1998). ''History of the Baloch Regiment 1820–1939''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.
* Ahmed, Maj Gen Rafiuddin. (2000). ''History of the Baloch Regiment 1939–1956''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.
* Barthorp, Michael, & Jeffrey Burn. (1979). ''Indian Infantry Regiments 1860–1914''. Osprey Publishing.
* Cadell, Sir Patrick. (1938). ''History of the Bombay Army''. London: Longmans & Green
*Gaylor, John (1992). ''Sons of John Company: Indian and Pakistan Armies, 1903–1991'', Spellmount Publishers Ltd. {{ISBN, 978-0-946771-98-1.
* Thatcher, WS. (1980). ''The Tenth Baluch Regiment in the Second World War''. Abbottabad: The Baluch Regimental Centre.
External links
*''History of the Baloch Regiment 1820–1939 the Colonial Period'', text o
pages 1 to 15available online as download preview
Baloch Regiment
British Indian Army infantry regiments
Military units and formations established in 1858
1858 establishments in India
1858 establishments in British India
Military units and formations disestablished in 1922