Did you know that the Indian Army infantry regiment, Bihar Regiment has roots of origin in the city of Jamshedpur.  Moreover, Bihar Regiment is probably the only Army Infantry Unit to have an aircraft carrier assigned to it.

According to city-based historians, on 15 September 1941 an embodied Indian Territorial Force ( ITF) was raised in Jamshedpur by the 11 & 19th Hyderabad Regiment and named the ‘1st Bihar Regiment’ by the Commander Lt Col JRH Tweed, MBE MC. The members were recruited from Champaran, Puri, Patna, Shahabad, Gaya, Shahabad Patna, Chaibasa, Ranchi and  Palamu.

This regiment’s duties were railway protection and guarding the steel plant of TISCO, Jamshedpur, the largest steel plant in India. It was generally believed that the Germans might break through the Caucasus and attack India from the North-west. It was under this threat perception that the 11th / 19th battalion was given the roles of protecting the steel plant with Lewis machine guns deployed in an anti-aircraft role.

“During our research we found that the 11th and 19th ITF was named the 1st Bihar Regiment. This regiment was located in Golmuri lines in Jamshedpur when the conversion was effected. It was to boost the morale of the men officers started calling them the Bihar Warriors. Lt. Col. Tweed, who was in charge contributed to making the 1st Bihar Regiment a fine fighting machine,” said Ronald D’costa, a city-based philanthropist.

He went on to inform that it was his innovativeness that resulted in the adaptation of the anti-aircraft gun to a bicycle. The mobile ack ack gun was shown to Lord Wavell, the viceroy when he visited, who thoroughly disapproved.

The three lions of the Ashoka Pillar which was incorporated on the cap badge and shoulder titles of the regiment were selected by Capt Habibullah Khan Khattak. Later the Indian nation accepted the Ashoka lion as their emblem too.

Earlier the emblem for the 1st Bihar Regiment was the meeting of the two rivers signifying the importance that the regiment was formed in Jamshedpur.

“The archives have mentions of the Armoury Ground only after 1940, after the 1st Bihar Battalion was formed. We therefore conclude that from April 1940 till the end of the II World War, this ground was used by this Battalion for their parades, training and the mounting of the ack ack guns and other equipment essential to protect the plant.

It is here that Lord Wavell would have seen the cycle mounted ack ack gun,” said D’costa.