1st ROYAL (KOHAT) MOUNTAIN BATTERY F.F – The premier Indian Mountain Battery was raised at Bannu in 1851 from disbanded Sikh Artillerymen following the second Sikh war of 1849. The Battery saw action during the Second Afghan War of 1878-80, and later defended Egypt from Turkish aggression.

2nd (DERAJAT) MOUNTAIN BATTERY F.F – The 2nd, like the first, was also raised from disbanded Sikh Artillerymen, at Dera Ghazi Khan. The Afghan War, saw the Derajat Mountain Battery at Robert’s side through out the war; from the heights of PeiwarKotal and Charasia to the defense of Kabul and the on to that most famous march south to Kandahar.

3rd (PESHWAR) MOUNTAIN BATTERY F.F – The 3rd Battery was raised in Peshwar in 1853, and soon thereafter took part in numerous Frontier campaigns, the most important of which was the brutal Ambala (Umbelya) Campaign of 1863. From December 1871 to February 1872, the Battery took part in Looshai campaign.

4th (HAZARA) MOUNTAIN BATTERY F.F – The 4th was raised in 1851 at Haripur from Hazara gunners that were trained by Major abbot in order to help defend the Hazara District of the North-West Frontier. During the Great War, the 4th left India in 1917 for East Africa where it would remain the Armistice.

5th (BOMBAY) MOUNTAIN BATTERY – Raised in 1827 as the Bombay Foot Artillery, the 5th is the oldest Indian Mountain Battery, and the only one that served in the Second Sikh War at the Seige of Mooltan in 1849. The 5th was also in the 1867-68 Abyssinia Expedition. In the Great War, The 5th served on the Frontier, the Persian Seisten Cordon in 1917 and during the lat mopping up operations in Mesopotamia in 1917-1918.

The Mountain Artillery came into being during Afghan war when for the first time ‘Mountain’ was formed. It was first ordered to form a native ‘Mountain train’ in 1840 consisting of six three pounders for service in Afghanistan with mule transport, pack and draught. Later five mountain Batteries were raised with primary aim of their Mountain gunners were known as the corps-de-elite attracting the best officers and troops who lived up to their formidable reputation as tough men of great courage, daring and fortitude. Much of the glory and pride in the Regiment of Artillery stems from the heroic role played by the mountain gunners in the North West Frontier Province. In addition to service on the ‘Frontier’, Indian Mountain Batteries served in North East India, Burma, Afghanistan, Tibet, The Middle East, Africa, and during the Great War; Mesopotamia Gallipoli, East Africa, Persia, and Palestine. During the First World War, Mountain Batteries were awarded as many as thirty seven ‘Battle Honours’. As an edifice of acknowledgement, a mountain gun is given place atop the Gunners War Memorial.

 In the aftermath of 1857, a majority of Artillery units were disbanded with only the mountain batteries being retained for deployment in the rugged North West Frontier during the Afghan Wars. The accounts of the operations in Kabul, Kandahar, and Gilgit are replete with tales of the exploits of the mountain gunners. The courage and sheer audacity of the gunners have been immortalized by Rudyard.