Remembering Today 25/3/41Lance Naik Abbas Ali 14878 6th Rajputana Rifles 1st Bn.

ABBAS ALI

Rank:
Lance Naik
Service No:
14878
Date of Death:
25/03/1941
Age:
24
Regiment/Service:
6th Rajputana Rifles

1st Bn.
Grave Reference
Moslem Plot. 2.A.7.
Cemetery
KEREN WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Barhan Ali, of Panjrir, Mirpur, Kashmir; husband of Dana Begum, of Panjrir.
CWGC - Cemetery Details

 

Reading the historical information on the CWGC link pretty well describes the actions surrounding this casualty (and 439 others) - one of the best notes I have read on the CWGC site.

A fair bit of info is also available via Wiki (Battle of Keren) which then links to the 5th Indian Division history "Ball of Fire" plus Wiki pages on the OOB etc.

The 1st Rajputna Rifles weren't with 5ID which explains why I couldn't find any reference to them at first. According to the OOB, the
1st battalion (Wellesley's) 6th Rajputana Rifles were part of 11th Indian Infantry Brigade under Brigadier Reginald Arthur Savory, which in turn was part of the 4th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Noel Beresford-Peirse)


“Cameron Ridge was reinforced by 1 (Wellesley's)/6th Rajputana Rifles. The ridge became a focus of fighting for the next ten days. The Cameron Highlanders and Rajputana Rifles narrowly hung on to their positions despite being under near constant attack and having to carry all food, water and ammunition up 1,500 ft (460 m) across the exposed terrain”