Football team from the 59th Scinde Rifles (Frontier Force), 8th Jullundur Brigade, 3rd Lahore Division, 1919 (c)

Photograph, 1919 (c).

The 59th Scinde Rifles received its title in 1903 following Lord Kitchener's reforms of the Indian Army but its lineage goes back to the raising of the Scinde Camel Corps in 1843. It subsequently became known as the 6th Regiment of Infantry, Punjab Irregular Force (1853-1865), 6th Regiment of Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force (1865-1901) and the 6th Punjab Infantry (1901-03) prior to becoming the 59th Scinde Rifles in 1903.

Despite the change of title, the regiment remained part of the newly renamed Frontier Force and was primarily responsible for security on the North West Frontier of India. By 1914 the regiment consisted of three companies of Pathans, two companies of Sikhs, two companies of Dogras and one company of Punjabi Muslims, and were stationed at Jullundur (Jalandhar), Punjab, India.

On the outbreak of World War One (1914-1918), the regiment was placed in the Jullundur Brigade under Major General Philip M Carnegy, within the Indian Corps' Lahore Division, and mobilised to transfer to France. The regiment remained in France for all of 1915, and participated in the Battles of Givenchy, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Ridge, the 2nd Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Loos.

In early 1916 the regiment was transferred to Mesopotamia where they participated in the Relief of Kut al Amara, the Capture of Baghdad and further operations in the region. By 1919 the regiment had returned to India, where on 13 April they were amongst the men ordered to carry out General Reginald Dyer's infamous order to fire upon the crowd at Jallianwala Bagh resulting in the Amritsar Massacre.

In 1921 in recognition of their exemplary war service in France and Mesopotamia, the regiment received a royal title, becoming the 59th Royal Scinde Rifles.