Indian officers, 'B' Company (Ahir), 1st Battalion, 5th Light Infantry, Quetta 1918

Photograph, India, 1918.

The 1st Battalion was made up of four companies; two of Punjabi Hindus and Muslims and two of Ahirs. These officers from 'B' Company are members of the cattle-tending Ahir Hindu caste of northern and central India. They are (from left to right): Jemadar Jhabbar Jemadar Bachan Singh, Jemadar Bhim Singh, Subedar Sharaf-ud-din, Jemadar Habib-ur-Rahman Khan IOM and Jemadar Har Narain Singh.

All were made jemadars (the most junior rank of Indian Officer) in the summer of 1918, after between ten and twenty years' service, except Sharaf-ud-din, who had been an officer since 1909 and a subedar since 1913. Habib-ur-Rahman Khan wears on his chest the medal ribbon for the Indian Order of Merit, 2nd Class, which he was awarded in December 1917. After the 5th Light Infantry was disbanded in 1922, he served as a subedar with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment until 1931.

From an album of 146 photographs compiled by Captain T M Layng, 1915-1921.