The 47th Sikhs was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army that
served with distinction during the First World War, fighting on the Western Front in Europe and later in the Middle East. It was a "class regiment" composed solely of Jat Sikhs.
The regiment was part of the 8th Jullundur Infantry Brigade within the 3rd (Lahore) Division when the war began.
Western Front (France and Belgium): The 47th Sikhs were deployed to the Western Front in late 1914. They faced immediate and heavy casualties in some of the war's most brutal battles.
Battle of Neuve Chapelle (October 1914 / March 1915): The regiment was heavily involved in fighting at Neuve Chapelle, with one company commander noting intense action on October 27-28, 1914. By November 1914, the battalion had been reduced from 764 men to only 385 fit for duty.
Second Battle of Ypres (April 1915): The Lahore Division was deployed to counter German advances and faced the first large-scale use of chlorine gas. On April 26, 1915, the 47th Sikhs suffered massive losses, with 347 out of 444 men killed or wounded in a single day of fighting.
Battle of Loos (September 1915): The regiment again incurred heavy casualties during this battle.
The Indian infantry divisions were withdrawn from the Western Front in December 1915 and redeployed to other theatres.
Middle East (Egypt and Mesopotamia): The 47th Sikhs moved to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. They later served in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) and Palestine, where they were involved in significant actions:
Battle of Megiddo (September 1918): The regiment played a notable role in this decisive battle against the Ottoman Turkish Army.
