22 Medium Regiment (Sittang and Yenang Yaung) is part of the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army. It was raised in 1920 as 8 Pack Artillery Brigade.
Formation and early history Mountain Artillery in India was developed in the 1800s by the British to allow field guns to accompany forces operating in the frontier mountainous regions of North West India bordering Afghanistan. The mountain artillery units were organised as mountain batteries, each consisting of four to six guns. These batteries proved their mettle in the many campaigns in Afghanistan and during the Third Anglo-Burmese War. More batteries were raised during the First World War and these batteries saw action at various fronts.
During the war, the practice of grouping together batteries as brigades began, though most batteries still fought singly, often quite far away from other parts of the brigade. In 1920, the nomenclature mountain was changed to pack and these units were named as pack brigades. Each pack brigade consisted of headquarters, one British pack battery armed with four 3.7 inch howitzers and three Indian pack batteries consisting of four 2.75 inch guns. In 1920, six new pack artillery brigades were formed. 8 Pack Artillery Brigade was one among them and was raised at Peshawar.
At the time of its raising, 8 Pack Artillery Brigade was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Alan Gordon Haig , . The ethnic composition of the Indian gunners of 8 Pack Artillery Brigade was half Punjabi Muslims and half Sikhs. The brigade consisted of one British battery and three Indian batteries, namely - 8th Pack Battery, R.G.A., commanded by Major M.E. Mascall , at Landi Kotal 22nd Derajat Pack Battery (Frontier Force), commanded by Major S. Carwithen at Nowshera 24th Hazara Pack Battery (Frontier Force), commanded by Major E.W. Chadwick at Ali Masjid 30th Pack Battery, commanded by Major W.M. Hunt , at Peshawar
A re-designation of units took place following Indian Army Order 1279 of 1921 – Pack Artillery Brigades were redesignated at Indian Pack Artillery Brigades and the 6th to 11th brigades were renumbered from 20th to 25th. Thus, 8 Pack Artillery Brigade became 22nd Pack Artillery Brigade. At the same time, 80 was added to each battery number and the ‘Frontier Force’ distinction omitted. This omission was restored in 1922 by Indian Army Order 515.
1922-1939 Batteries were moved from one brigade to another as needed. For example, in 1922, when the unit was at Nowshera, the constituent batteries were - 102nd (Derajat) Pack Battery (formerly 22nd Derajat Pack Battery (Frontier Force)) 104th (Hazara) Pack Battery (formerly 24th Hazara Pack Battery (Frontier Force)) 110th (Abbottabad) Pack Battery (formerly 30th Mountain Battery) In 1927, 100 was deducted from numbers and all batteries were retitled as ‘Indian Mountain Batteries, RA’. 22nd Mountain Brigade was at Kohat in July 1929 and at Peshawar in October 1933. During this time, the unit consisted of - 4th (Hazara) Indian Mountain Battery, R.A. (F.F.) 10th Abbottabad Mountain Battery, R.A. 2nd (Derajat) Indian Mountain Battery, R.A. (F.F.) 3rd Light Battery, R.A. These mountain batteries continued to be in operation in the North Western part of India and Afghanistan between 1920 and 1935. 22nd Mountain Brigade was part of the Mohmand campaign of 1935 and was involved in the advance to Ghalanai in August 1935 and to Nahakki in September 1935. In late 1935, 22nd Mountain Brigade was located at Wana, Waziristan and the class composition was of Punjabi Muslims and Jat Sikhs. It consisted of – Headquarters and 7th (Bengal) Mountain Battery, R.A. 2nd (Derajat) Mountain Battery, R.A. (F.F.) 4th (Hazara) Mountain Battery, R.A. (F.F.) 4th Light Battery, R.A. Between 1935 and 1939, there was relative peace in the North West Frontier, though the unit was involved in many operations in Waziristan. It was part of the Razmak column, also known as Razcol and consisted of – 3rd Light Battery, R.A. 4th (Hazara) Mountain Battery, R.A. (F.F.) 7th (Bengal) Mountain Battery, R.A. By Indian Army Order 204 of 1938, the nomenclature ‘Brigade’ was replaced by ‘Regiment’ and thus the title of the unit became 22nd Mountain Regiment. From 1 August 1939, Indian Mountain Artillery ceased to belong to the Royal Regiment of Artillery and formed part of His Majesty’s Indian Forces. The Corps of Mountain Artillery was transferred to the Indian Regiment of Artillery, later renamed the Regiment of Indian Artillery (R.I.A.).
World War II
The first Indian Artillery unit to see action in the war against the Japanese was 22 Mountain Regiment, which had sailed from India for Malaya in August 1939. In September 1939, before the outbreak of World War II, 22nd Mountain Regiment was under command of Lieutenant Colonel A.H. Peskett, and was under 12 Indian Infantry Brigade Group and of Malaya Command. It had three Indian and one British mountain batteries – 4th Hazara Mountain Battery F.F. (Major G.L. Hughes ) 7th Bengal Mountain Battery (Major S.F. Fisken ) 10th Abbottabad Mountain Battery (Captain D.G.C. Cowie) 21st Mountain Battery (Major F.H.C. Rogers ) During the war, 22 Mountain Regiment fought all down the Peninsula in small detachments. The batteries were also employed in a secondary anti-tank role.
The 4th, 7th and 10th batteries were affiliated to the 2 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5/2 Punjab and 4/19 Hyderabad Regiments respectively for jungle training in Johore. The 4th Hazara Battery was re-armed with 6 inch howitzers towed by Marmon-Herrington trucks. The 3.7 inch howitzers were divided between the 10th and 21st batteries. In December 1940, Regimental Headquarters (R.H.Q.) along with 7th and 10th batteries moved to Ipoh to join the newly arrived 11 Indian Division. The other two batteries remained at the Naval Base under 12 Indian Infantry Brigade.
In January 1941, R.H.Q. along with 7th and 10th batteries moved to Jitra in Kedah under 6 Indian Infantry Brigade under 11 Indian Division. 7th battery was affiliated to 2/16 Punjab Regiment and 10th battery with 1/8 Punjab Regiment. In May 1941, 21st battery joined 9 Division at Kota Bahru. In July 1941, the battery was re-armed with 3.7-inch howitzers on trailers and joined 11 Division in Kedah. It was affiliated to 3/16 Punjab Regiment at Kroh. In September 1941, all batteries were concentrated at Jitra.
In late 1941, the unit was being commanded by Lieutenant Colonel G.L. Hughes , 4th (Hazara) Battery by Major E.L. Sawyer, 7th (Bengal) Battery by Major J.W.P. Scott, 10th (Abbottabad) Battery by Major D.G.C. Cowie and 21st Battery (Royal Artillery) by Major J.B. Sopper.
21st Mountain Battery shelled the Japanese ships within range on the day of the invasion, 8 December 1941. On 9th, the battery held a defensive line at Krai and beat off an attack on 12th; though they had to withdraw further. For the next two days, the battery was in support of 2/10 Baluch Regiment. The battery moved to Kuala Lipis and then to Kuantan under the 22 Infantry Brigade. The battery took part in sea firing against the enemy and airfield defence tasks. It moved to Gambang on the night of 22 December 1941 and joined 2/12 Frontier Force Regiment, where it faced a heavy enemy attack. The battery fought both in artillery and infantry role till 3 January 1942, when it became imperative to withdraw. It moved via Raub to Kuala Lumpur, finally joining the unit, which was with the 11 Indian Division.
Meanwhile, the other batteries of the 22 Mountain Regiment were expecting to take part in an offensive role of the division. 4th Battery was on the border astride Alor Star-Singora road with 1/14 Punjab Regiment under 15 Indian Infantry Brigade. 7th and 10th batteries were located for the defence of Jitra under 6 Indian Infantry Brigade. 10th battery began preparing a defence at Kroh, when it along with 5/4 Punjabis had to extricate 3/16 Punjab from Betong. In the fierce fighting on 13 January, two companies of Japanese were practically exterminated. The battery saw heavy fighting on 14 January and reached Baling at night.
4th Battery saw action south of Changlun on 10 January 1942. From the 11th, the position was subject to regular attacks by infantry and tanks. The left section of the battery was surrounded and captured. The right section withdrew in the dark to Tanjong Pau, but were back in action the next morning supporting 2/9 Jat on the right of the Jitra line. The line was penetrated on 13 January and the battery fell back to join the regimental headquarters at Gurun. This position was evacuated on 15 January and was at Ipoh on 20 January.
7th Battery was in support of 2/16 Punjab on the road from Jitra to Kodiang. On 8 December 1941, the battery covered the withdrawal of troops on the railway south of Padang Besar. Following the withdrawal demolitions were carried out. On 10 December, the battery attacked targets near Kodiang road, following which the airfield at Alor Star was evacuated. This was followed by a period of unverified reports of enemy advances, which lead to a hasty withdrawal on foot with loss of guns. The Japanese captured the headquarters of 6 Infantry Brigade at Gurun on the morning of 15 December. The battery moved to Bukit Mertajam with the regimental headquarters. The absence of air support and armour forced the withdrawal of 11 Division; and the R.H.Q. along with 4 and 7 batteries moved to Kampar on 22 December. 7th battery saw action three miles north of Kampar along with a British battalion of 6/15 Brigade. 10th battery joined the regiment on 27 December. On 28 December, the regiment was sent to Temoh as divisional reserve. On 30 December, 7th battery was sent to support 8 Indian Brigade at Teluk Anson, but was withdrawn after a day.
On 1 January 1942, the commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was hospitalised and Major Cowie, the battery commander of 10th battery, took over command of the regiment. This was followed by two days of heavy Japanese attack at Kampar. All three batteries were in action on the Kampar-Teluk Anson road. 7th battery supported 28 Infantry Brigade north of Temoh during its withdrawal. On 3 January, 4th and 7th batteries were in support of the retreat of 2/1 Gurkha and 2/2 Gurkha south of Tapah.
The batteries being Corps reserve, moved back to Kuala Lumpur. Shortly after, 7th and 10th batteries were involved in supporting the eviction of the Japanese landing at Berjuntai. Major Scott of 7th battery was killed by enemy machine gun fire during this operation on 7 January. The regiment saw action at Labu during the retreat from Kuala Lumpur through the Seremban pass. From 22 January, the regiment was back fighting on the new line - Mersing-Kluang-Muar River, from where it withdrew to Skudai and finally to Singapore on 28 January.
At Singapore, the regiment was re-organised. The 4th battery was equipped with two 6 inch howitzers and its four 3.7 inch howitzers were handed over to the 7th and 10th batteries. Each battery then took over a 18 pounder gun for naval defence. The regiment (less 4th battery) supported the 6/15 Indian Infantry Brigade and later the 53 Infantry Brigade in the sector between Seletar creek and the causeway. On 5 February, 155 Field Regiment R.A. came under the command of the 22nd Mountain Regiment. The regiment saw action on multiple fronts – 21st battery at the Naval Base, 4th battery in support of 28 Infantry Brigade and at Serangoon Road in support of the 53 Infantry Brigade. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes reassumed command of the unit on 4 February. Major Cowie was killed by a shell splinter on 7 February. On 15 February, with fuel and water running out, the Battle of Singapore came to an end with the G.O.C. Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival deciding on a surrender. On 16 February, the regiment handed over the arms and ammunition to the Japanese and marched to Farrer Park into captivity.