83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry

The 83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry were an infantry regiment in the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1794, when they were raised as the 33rd Madras Battalion.

They took part in the Battle of Seringapatam during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and the Second Burmese War.

World War One 1914-1918
The regiment was stationed at Secunderabad in 1914 on the outbreak of war and was here until at least early 1916.

They sent a wing of the regiment as a draft to the 63rd Palamcottah L. I. in 1914, which saw action in East Africa until December 1916 when it rejoined the regiment at Mandalay.

Meanwhile the other wing was sent to serve in the Persian Gulf from 21st Sept 1916, being split up in detachments between Jask, Chagbar, Bandar Abbas, Henjam, Kishm Island, Lingeh and Bahrain, all port towns on the Gulf of Oman relieving the 94th Infantry detachments previously stationed there until they were relived by the 3rd Brahmins from the 16th July 1917.

They were joined by the other wing of the regiment and were sent to serve in Mesopotamia, where they were successively stationed at Basra, Tanoomah, and Nar Oomah between the 24th July 1917 to 3rd May 1919.

1919-1922
From here they were sent join the forces in North Persia from the 4th May 1919 at Hamadan and Kasvin in 1919, where misfortune in the shape of an epidemic of influenza overtook it, the casualties during the period, December 15, 1919, to March 30, being no less than 57.

In Iraq from May 1920 doing garrison duty in Kut & Amarah until it returned to India in June 1921

The regiment arrived at Cannanore 24th June 1921.

They arrived back from foreign service into another inflamed situation at home - the Moplah rebellion.

During the operations that followed, from their base at Cannanore the 83rd carried out for the protection duties in the northern portion of Malabar, where outbreaks occasionally threatened. This situation lasted until February 1922.

On the 5th December 1921, Moplah prisoners in Cannamore gaol rioted. A breakout was attempted and in the ensuing struggle with the warders six internees were killed. Eventually troops from the 83rd had to called out to restore order

After World War I the Indian government reformed the army, moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The 83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry now became the 4th Battalion, 3rd Madras Regiment (Wallajahbad Light Infantry) in 1922 however they were disbanded in 1923.

Previous names

 * 33rd Battalion of Madras Native Infantry - 1794
 * 1st Battalion, 12th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry - 1797
 * 12th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry, or Wallajahbad Light Infantry - 1812
 * 23rd Madras Native Infantry, or Wallajahbad Light Infantry - 1824
 * 23rd (Wallajahbad) Regiment of Madras (Light) Infantry - 1885
 * 23rd (Wallajahbad) Madras Light Infantry - 1901
 * 83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry - 1903