http://military-security-review.blogspot.com/, Indian Army-British Indian Army-History of The Baloch Regiment 1939-1956-A.H Amin-Agha Humayun Amin-pavocavalry-Military History-Strategy-Operational Strategy-Philosophy

History of The Baloch Regiment 1939-1956

Major General Rafiuddin Ahmad (Retired)

Published by Baloch Regiment Centre, Abbottabad; Printed by Central Army Press Rawalpindi
(First Edition, 2000)

A.H Amin - Book Review

The second volume of Baloch Regiment history is a welcome addition to the extremely limited number of books on Indo-Pak military history. Maximum part of the volume deals with the Second World War.

The author has laid greater stress on the general military history of the Second World War than on Baloch Regiments’ role in it. This appears to have been done since limited material was available on the regimental histories of the Baloch units which participated in the war and the fact that the Baloch Regiment was relatively a much smaller regiment than the Punjab or the FF Groups.

The first chapter contains a good description about the organisation of the Baloch Regiment. The details pertaining to units raised during World War Two are sketchy. A casual remark states that “new classes and areas were included” but no specific figures have been given.

The portions dealing with events of Second World War are excellent for the layman readers. The author has also dealt with the political aspects of Indian perceptions about the Second World War, with special stress on the difference between Muslim League and Congress Party positions.

The descriptions about circumstances in which various gallantry awards were won in WW Two are very well written. Yahya Khan’s escape is described in a very interesting manner, however, the author has not discussed the Axis Camp Commandant’s warning to Yahya about having him shot once he was caught escaping before his final successful escape. This incident has been mentioned in one of Shaukat Riza’s books (The 1965 War).

The author made a passing reference to General Messervy’s getting captured by the Germans in North Africa while giving his designation but not name. Had he mentioned his name the narrative may have been more interesting since Pakistan Army’s first C in C was a German prisoner for some time as a general officer before he escaped (the Germans not knowing that they had captured the British general officer commanding a British armoured division).

The author’s treatment of 1947-48 War could have been more extensive. He has once again quoted Fazal Muqeem’s criticism of Liaquat about calling off Operation Venus but has not given detailed reasons as to how it may have succeeded when the Indian Army in December was well poised to meet it. Even the Pakistani official account of 1970 written many years later refutes Fazal Muqeem’s criticisms. Rafi should have been more critical and should have given a dispassionate and concrete analysis rather than repeating Muqeem’s criticism. It should not have been difficult for the author to analyse the detailed pros and cons of the projected operation Venus. This discussion would certainly have added meat to the bones i.e. reproduced judgement of Fazal Muqeem Khan. It is fifty two years now from 1948. One wonders whether the 1948 war would ever be properly analysed or not!

The volume contains some minor factual errors. The German Blitzkrieg struck across Western Europe not in June 1940 (Page-16) but in May 1940. Rajauri was not captured by a brigade group (Page-206) but by a tank squadron of Central India Horse by a surprise attack through a nala. The infantry brigade later joined the tank squadron after Rajauri had been captured.

The book contains extremely elaborate and detailed appendices dealing with various aspects of Baloch regiment history. The research scholars, very rare in Pakistan, will find these particularly useful.

The second volume on the whole is a fine contribution to Pakistani military history. We hope that the book will cover many blanks in Pakistani military history. We hope that General Rafi will be more forthright, critical and blunt in his third volume which covers the 1965, and 1971 wars.