83rd Light Infantry

83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry
Insignia of the 83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry
Active	1794-1922
Country	Indian Empire
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Part of	Madras Army (to 1895) Madras Command
Colors	Red; faced deep green, 1882 green, 1898 emerald green
Engagements	Fourth Anglo-Mysore War Third Burmese War

The 83rd Wallajahbad Light Infantry was an infantry regiment originally raised in 1794 as the 33rd Madras Battalion, part of the Presidency of Madras Army which was itself part of the Honourable East India Company Army. The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 (passed in the aftermath of the Indian Rebellion of 1857) transferred all three presidencies to the direct authority of the British Crown. In 1903 all three presidency armies were merged into the British Indian Army. The unit was disbanded before Indian Independence.

They took part in the Battle of Seringapatam during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and the Second Burmese War.

The regiment was stationed at Secunderabad in 1914 on the outbreak of war and was here until at least early 1916.

They sent a wing of the regiment as a draft to the 63rd Palamcottah L. I. in 1914, which saw action in East Africa until December 1916, when it rejoined the regiment at Mandalay.

Meanwhile, the other wing was sent to serve in the Persian Gulf from 21 September 1916, being split up in detachments between Jask, Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, Henjam, Kishm Island, Lingeh and Bahrain, all port towns on the Gulf of Oman relieving the 94th Infantry detachments previously stationed there until they were relieved by the 3rd Brahmins from 16 July 1917.

They were joined by the other wing of the regiment and were sent to serve in Mesopotamia, where they were successively stationed at Basra, Tanoomah, and Nar Oomah from 24 July 1917 to 3 May 1919.