Button,14th Ferozepore Sikhs, 1903-1906

Large brass button by Hawkes and Company, Piccadilly, London, with the regimental number, '14', within a quoit bearing the unit title, 'Sikhs'.

The 14th Sikhs was originally formed in 1846 as the Regiment of Ferozepore. Ferozepore, now Firozpur in modern India, is a town in the state of Punjab. During British rule the town was the site of a large military base.

The regiment stayed loyal to the British during the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859) and served in the 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880). The 14th Regiment of Bengal Infantry (The Ferozepore Sikhs) served in the 3rd China War (Boxer Rebellion), in 1900. As the 14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs, the regiment served in Gallipoli and Mesopotamia during World War One (1914-1918). Reform of the Indian Army in 1922 led to the amalgamation of six regiments into the 11th Sikh Regiment, with the 14th Ferozepore Sikhs forming its 1st Battalion.

From the Field Marshal Sir John Chapple Indian Army Collection.