55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force)
| 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1849–1922 |
| Country | British India |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 1 Battalion |
| Nickname(s) | Coke Paltan |
| Uniform | Dark green; scarlet piping |
| Engagements |
North West Frontier of India Indian Mutiny 1857–58 Second Afghan War 1878–80 First World War 1914–18 Third Afghan War 1919 |
The 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force) was a regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1849 as the 1st Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force) in 1903 and became 1st Battalion (Coke's) 13th Frontier Force Rifles in 1922. In 1947, it was allocated to the Pakistan Army, where it continues to exist as 7th Battalion The Frontier Force Regiment.
The regiment was formed on 18 May 1849 as the 1st Regiment of Punjab Infantry by Captain John Coke. It was one of five such regiments raised by Colonel Henry Lawrence, the agent (and brother) of the Governor-General of the Punjab frontier region, John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence, to form the infantry element of the Trans Frontier Brigade. The men were recruited from veterans of disbanded opposition forces after the British annexation in 1848 of the Punjab during to the Second Sikh War. In 1851 the regiment was retitled as the 1st Regiment of Infantry, Punjab Irregular Force when the Trans Frontier Brigade, tasked with policing the volatile North-West Frontier, was expanded and renamed the Punjab Irregular Force (PIF), giving rise to the "Piffer" name adopted by the officers and men of the regiments of the PIF and still used to this day by their successor regiments.
In 1857 the Indian Mutiny began and the regiment, like many other Indian units, remained loyal to the British. During the British-Indian siege of rebel-held Delhi (begun on 30 May) the 1st Punjab Infantry was part of the 3rd Column, commanded by Col. Campbell. On 14 September the column was tasked with storming the Kashmiri Gate—a part of the walled defences of Delhi—which they successfully achieved. Fierce fighting, however, ensued and Delhi was not fully retaken until 20 September. The rebellion was finally quelled by July 1858.
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