This photograph from the Museum archives shows members
of the 1st Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps,
crossing the Kuram River on 1 December 1926 during a
262-mile march from Rawalpindi to Razmak on the
North-West Frontier of India (now Pakistan).
Background
The 1st Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps, moved
from Ireland to India in 1922 and, after three years
stationed at Rawalpindi, was ordered to the Razmak
district of North Waziristan on the North-West Frontier
bordering Afghanistan.
At 8.20 a.m. on 16 November 1926, on a brilliantly fine
morning, 14 officers and 618 other ranks, under the
command of Lieutenant-Colonel F.G. Willan CMG DSO,
marched out of their barracks in Rawalpindi en route to
Razmak. Two officers and 80 other ranks accompanied the
heavy baggage which was despatched by train.
It took the Battalion 22 days to complete the 262-mile
march, arriving at Razmak in a snowstorm on 8 December.
The average distance marched each day was 14 miles with
three rest days.
The greatest distance marched in a single day was 20
miles on 1 December. On this day the Battalion waded
ankle-deep across the Kuram River, as shown in the
photograph.
Setting an example to his men, the Commanding Officer
marched the whole distance on foot stating that he was
afraid that he might get stiff if he rode on his horse.
On completion of each day’s march, the officers spent
many hours shooting game with mixed results, rarely
bagging more than a few chikor, grey partridges or duck.
The Battalion spent a year at Razmak seeking to prevent
the notoriously blood-thirsty Mahsuds and Wazirs from
fighting.
Razmak itself lies on a plateau 6,600 feet above sea
level. The surrounding area is extremely rugged and
mountainous. A British garrison was established at
Razmak in 1922 to police the area, with battalions
spending a year there at a time on what was effectively
‘active service’.
In November 1927 the Battalion left Razmak and went to
Lucknow. Commenting on their tour of duty at Razmak, the
Battalion’s brigade commander wrote:
The training and tactical efficiency of the Battalion
is of a very high standard, due to the excellent
supervision and instruction of an able commanding
officer, backed by a keen and capable team of officers.
The N.C.O.’s are well trained and know their jobs, with
the result that the training of smaller formations is
good. The men are fit and keen and move extremely well
on the hillside. The efficiency of the Battalion in
mountain warfare is excellent.
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