5th Light Infantry
| 5th Light Infantry | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1803–1922 |
| Country | Indian Empire |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry (Indian) |
| Part of |
Bengal Army (to 1895) Bengal Command |
| Uniform | Red; faced yellow |
| Engagements | Arracan 1838 – 42 Afghanistan Kandahar Ghaznee 1842 Cabul Moodhee Ferozeshah Sobraon 1878 – 80 Afghanistan 1885 – 87 Burma |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | King Edward VII (1904) |
The 5th Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army and later of the raj-period British Indian Army. It could trace its lineage back to 1803, when it was raised as the 2nd Battalion, 21st Bengal Native Infantry. The regiment was known by a number of different names: the 42nd Bengal Native Infantry 1824–1842, the 42nd Bengal Native (Light) Infantry 1842–1861, the 5th Bengal Native (Light) Infantry 1861–1885 and the 5th Bengal (Light) Infantry 1885–1903. Its final designation 5th Light Infantry was a result of the Kitchener Reforms of the Indian Army, when all the old presidency titles (Bengal) were removed. During World War I the regiment was stationed in Singapore and was notorious for its involvement in the 1915 Singapore Mutiny. The regiment was disbanded in 1922, after another set of reforms of the post World War I Indian Army.
First raised in 1803, the regiment was awarded the distinction of becoming light infantry in 1843.
As the 42nd Bengal Native (Light) Infantry the regiment carried as battle honours "Arakan, Afghanistan and Kandahar 1842", "Ghunze 1842", and "Kabul and Moodkee, Ferozeshah and Sobroan 1857". The 42nd BNI was one of only twelve infantry regiments of the old Bengal Army to remain fully loyal to the British East India Company and to escape mutiny or disbandment during the Indian Mutiny of 1857–58.It was then renumbered as the 5th Bengal Native (Light) Infantry.
As noted above the regimental title underwent several subsequent changes until it became the 5th Light Infantry in 1903. Throughout its history the 5th LI was known to its Indian soldiers as "Jansen-ki-Paltan" or Johnson's Regiment after its first commander (Captain Jeremiah).After serving in the Second Afghan War of 1879–80 and the Third Burmese War of 1885–87, the regiment saw only garrison duty until World War I. In 1914 the regiment was stationed at Nowgong in the Central Provinces. From there they were posted to Singapore in October to replace a British battalion. The regimental centre was at Benares and for enlistment and training purposes the 5th LI was linked with the 17th Infantry and the 18th Infantry.
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