129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis

[Regulus 1]

Hi,

On this cemetary I ran into the grave of this officer :

Name: HUMPHREYS, GEORGE GEOFFREY PRENDERGAST

Nationality: Indian

Rank: Major

Regiment/Service: 127th Queen Mary's Own Baluch Light Infantry

Secondary Regiment: 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis

Secondary Unit Text: attd.

Age: 41

Date of Death: 30/10/1914

Additional information: Son of T. W. D. Humphreys, J.P., and Isabella Humphreys, of Strabane, Co. Tyrone; husband of Olive Muriel Humphreys, of The Wilderness, Sherborne, Dorset. Extra A.D.C. to His Majesty King George in India, 1911-12.

This info comes from the CWGC site. Can anyone tell me something on these two unit's and the action's they were involved that early in the war ?

Thanks and best from Johan

[Steven Broomfield]

Baluchistan is a part of what is now Pakistan; the province was first recruited by Sir Charles Napier in the 1844/45 period, and these two regiments (the 1st and 2nd Belooch Regiments( were raised in Karachi.

The soldiers are Muslim, and tough soldires, who stayed loyal during the Mutiny.

The 1st regiment (the 127th) served round Delhi and then in Oudh Province, during he Mutiny, and were brought into the regular Line afterwards.

The 2nd (129th) marched to Kandahar with Roberts in 1878, and were joined there by the 127th; the first time the two regiments served together.

In 1882 the 129th were in Egypt with Wolesely, and the surgeon of the 127th won a VC in Burma (Surgeon Crimmin). In 1896-99 the 127th were in East Africa, and in 1900 in Somaliland, fighting the Mad Mullah!

In 1914, only the 129th went to France, and they were the only Indian regiment to bear the Honour, "Ypres 1914" On 30/31st October, 1914, they were amongst the last troops holding the Line at Ypres, and sepoy Khudadad Khan became the first Indian to win the VC.

After leaving France, the 129th went to East Africa, where they were apparently singled out for praise by the german commande, von Lettow Vorbeck.

Interestingly, in France the 129th had in their number some Mahsuds (a very troublesome tribe of border hillmen, not normally recruited), who proved excellent shots - snipers and scouts. One is alleged to have gone out alone to deal with an enemy post , where he shot the officer, the corporal, the sentry and the bugler - the rest legged it. He returned and "Sahib, here is the officer's pistol, the corporal's stripes, the sentry's rifle and the bugler's bugle"!

In September 1917 the 127th went to East Africa.

In 1922, the two regiments were amalgamated into the 10th baluch regiment, the 127th becoming the 3rd Bn, and the 129th, the 4th. Oddly, by the 1930's Baluchis were no longer recruited, and the regiment was filled with Pathans, Dogras, Brahmins and the ubiquitous 'Punjabi Mussalman'.

On the subject of Major Humphries, I would guess he went to the 129th to make up numbers - having experiences British officers was considered vital - poor chap obviously copped it in the action Khudadad Khan won his VC in.

The 127th

[Steven Broomfield]

Just looked up Corrigans' "Sepoys in the Trenches", and Humphreys is mentioned on page 60: he was killed commanding No. 4 Company in the reserve trenches. He was killed by enemy shell fire, which had been falling on Vaughan's Rifles (58th Rifles), his company having been withdrawn from the front line, at about 0630. Corrigan's book refers to the 129th having "a trying day".

[Regulus 1]

Steven,

Again you come to the rescue ! Thank you very very much ! Great info as always !

Thanks and best from Johan