The Modernization of Mountain Warfare, November 1925–August 1939

Abstract

The Army in India quickly settled down into the normal routine of peacetime service, with imperial troops stationed in the Khyber Pass, the Kurram Valley, Waziristan and the administered areas of the NWFP held in immediate readiness to support the Civil Armed Forces and local political administration if required. Throughout the remainder of the inter-war period Indian regiments served a two-year tour of duty out of every six in the Covering Troops’ Districts, allowing them to steadily accumulate a cadre of trained and experienced officers and men. In comparison, British infantry units only served an infrequent one-year tour of duty in the area.¹ Both British and Indian units normally had a year’s notice before they joined formations stationed in the NWFP, allowing them to carry out preliminary mountain warfare training on the parade ground or nearby suitable terrain in preparation for their move to the frontier. An advance party of officers and NCOs was normally attached to a unit currently serving in a border garrison for three months to familiarise it with local conditions and to ensure a smooth tactical and administrative handover.² When a unit arrived these men provided a cadre of experienced instructors, and special ‘nursery’ columns gave troops an opportunity to learn about mountain warfare ‘shepherded’ by units already in the garrison under the close supervision of experienced officers.³