
The Burma Rifles were a British colonial
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
raised in
British Burma
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...
. Founded in 1917 as a regiment of the
British Indian Army
The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...
, the regiment re-used the name of an unrelated earlier unit, the 10th Regiment (1st Burma Rifles) Madras Infantry, which evolved into the
10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles. After Burma was formally separated from India, the regiment was allocated to Burma. Following Burma's independence from
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
in 1948, the regiment was absorbed into the new
Burmese army.
Origins of the regiment
Early history
The expansion of the
British Indian Army
The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...
during World War I led to the raising of two
companies
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...
of Burma
Pioneers in
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553.
Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...
in November 1916. Burmese of all groups were recruited for these units. After expanding to four companies, the Pioneers became the 70th Burma Rifles in September 1917. The
85th Burman Rifles were raised from the
Burma Military Police in July 1917. A second
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
of 70th Burma Rifles was raised in January 1918 and both battalions served in the Middle East in 1918–20.
Two more battalions were raised during 1918.
According to John Gaylor in his history: ''Sons of John Company – The Indian & Pakistan Armies 1903–1991'', the 3/70th Burma Rifles, raised in April 1918, went to Southern India to suppress the
Moplah Rising whilst the 4/70th, raised in May 1918, remained in Burma.
1922 reorganisation of the British Indian Army
In the 1922 reorganisation of the British Indian Army the 70th Burma Rifles and the 85th Burma Rifles were merged to form the 20th Burma Rifles. The new regiment numbered four regular battalions. A new battalion, the 11th (Territorial) Battalion was also formed in 1922.
The Burman element in the regiment was mustered out after 1927,
although Burmans continued to serve in the Burma Military Police. Personnel drawn from the hill-tribes of Burma and other groups (
Karens,
Kachins and
Chin
The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible (List_of_human_anatomical_regions#Regions, mental region) below the lower lip. A fully developed human skull has a chin of between 0.7 cm and 1.1 cm.
Evolution
The presence of a we ...
) continued to serve and in 1940 Burmans were again recruited, although the
Anglo-Burmese tended to be overly represented in the Burma Rifles and the Burma Military Police.
Separation from India
After the British formally separated Burma from India in 1937 the 20th Burma Rifles was allocated to Burma and renamed the Burma Rifles. The intention was for officers to be drawn from the British Army. However the majority of the British officers already serving with the regiment chose to remain with their units on secondment from the British Indian Army.
Second World War
The regiment was expanded 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 ...
to a total of 14 battalions and served through the Japanese invasion of Burma during the
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 ...
.
Eight battalions of infantry were raised along with a holding battalion, a training battalion and four territorial battalions. The men of the territorial battalions were under no obligation to serve outside the borders of Burma.
After the British Burma Army's retreat from Burma, a reconstituted 2nd Battalion continued to take part in the Burma campaign.
The remaining highly weakened battalions were disbanded although many of the non-Burmese nationals (Indians and Gurkhas) from them went to form battalions of the
Burma Regiment created in September 1942.
The 2nd Battalion participated in the 1st and 2nd
Chindit expeditions into Burma. In his official report following the first expedition
Orde Wingate the Chindit commander wrote:
As a result, for the 1943 Chindit operation, the battalion was expanded and broken down into reconnaissance platoons for the Chindit columns.
In 1944, the battalion was broken down into three detachments for attachment to Special Forces units among the Chindit force.
In 1945, the 2nd Burma Rifles was reconstituted as an infantry battalion.
In July 1945, the 1st battalion was re-raised in Burma. Over the following three years leading up to Burmese independence, the 3rd through 6th battalions were re-raised.
Post-Second World War
Reorganised as a conventional infantry battalion of four companies, the 2nd Burma Rifles was based at Hshiarpur in India, where it remained until August 1945. It was listed in September 1945 as being as part of an internal security and administration static command in the South Burma District. In January 1946 the battalion was transferred to
Syriam
Thanlyin (; or ; , ; formerly Syriam) is a major port city of Myanmar, located across Bago River from the city of Yangon. Thanlyin comprises 17 quarters. It surrounding Thanlyin Township is home to the largest port in the country, Thilawa port, ...
and in May 1947 formed part of a force involved in operations against
dacoits.
On 4 January 1948 Burma became independent and the Burma Rifles was absorbed into the new
Myanmar Army
The Myanmar Army (; ) is the largest branch of the Tatmadaw, the armed forces of Myanmar, and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. The Myanmar Army maintains the second largest active force in Southea ...
, which unlike its Indian and Pakistani counterparts did not retain the regimental structure and most traditions of the former Indian Army.
Uniform and insignia
The
mess uniform of the Burma Rifles was
rifle green
Varieties of the color green may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation or intensity) or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tin ...
with scarlet facings. In Volume 2 of his work "Indian Army Uniforms" W.Y. Carman describes a full dress uniform in the same colours, noting that it was worn by officers and other ranks forming part of the Coronation Contingent of 1937. It is not however known on what other occasions (if any) it was used.
The last surviving Burma Rifles Officer, Major Neville Hogan MBE noted the following further insignia distinctions from the Second World War period:
Shoulder titles : rifle green with "BURMA RIFLES" in red.
Collar dogs: a (male) Burmese peacock (displaying) over a title-scroll "BURMA RIFLES" in white metal (officers silver or silver gilt).
Officers pips: silver for full dress, black for service dress. Black embroidered onto red worsted (after the traditions of the 60th Rifles/KRRC).
Enlisted stripes & crowns: black embroidered onto rifle green worsted (after the traditions of the 95th Rifles/Rifle Brigade).
This unusual mix was noted and verified by photographs in Major Hogan's collection.
Titles of the Regiment
* 70th Burma Rifles / 85th Burman Rifles
* 20th Burma Rifles
* Burma Rifles
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
* {{cite book, title=Sons of John Company: the Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903-91 , first=John , last=Gaylor, year=1992, publisher=Spellmount, location=Tunbridge Wells, isbn=0-946771-98-7
British Indian Army infantry regiments
Military units and formations established in 1917
Indian World War I regiments
Military units and formations of Burma in World War II