The corps recruited men from various backgrounds, with Pathans, Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs, and Dogras forming the majority of their manpower.

Under the leadership of Lieutenant Harry Burnett Lumsden, the Guides gained a formidable reputation and introduced the dust-colored "khaki" uniforms, later adopted by the British Army in India.

The Guides Infantry also participated in the Rann of Kutch Conflict in 1965, capturing Indian positions and earning several awards for their bravery.

Throughout their history, the Guides Infantry played a vital role in frontier operations and earned a reputation as a brave and dependable force.

The Corps of Guides was raised at Peshawar on 14 December 1846 by Lieutenant Harry Burnett Lumsden on the orders of Sir Henry Lawrence, the British Resident at Lahore, capital of the Sikh Empire.

Initially composed of a troop of cavalry and two companies of infantry mounted on camels, the Guides were organized as a highly mobile force.

The Sikhs and Dogras were transferred to India and the new class composition of the regiment became Punjabi Muslims and Pathans in equal proportion.

Early in 1848, Lumsden and his Guides were summoned to Lahore to gather evidence of the planned Sikh insurrection - a mission that they successfully carried out.

The Guides served at the Siege of Multan and then participated in the Battle of Gujrat on 21 February 1849, where the Sikh Army was decisively defeated.

[1] In May 1857, when the mutiny broke out, Lumsden was on a mission at Kandahar and Captain Henry Daly led the Guides to join the Delhi Field Force then besieging the ancient capital city.

They left Hoti Mardan on 13 May and arrived at Delhi on 9 June after marching 580 miles in twenty-six days and fourteen hours in the searing Indian summer.

During the Second Afghan War of 1878-80, the Guides joined the Peshawar Field Force under General Sir Sam Browne and took part in the capture of Ali Masjid, the advance to Jalalabad and the cavalry action at Fatehabad, where Lieutenant Walter Hamilton won the Victoria Cross for gallantry.

The mission, led by Sir Louis Cavagnari, arrived in Kabul on 24 July 1879, escorted by a detachment of 76 Guides under Lieutenant Hamilton, VC.

The Residency finally fell after twelve hours of fierce resistance by the Guides, who perished to the last man along with 600 of their foes.

They participated in the attacks on Takht-i-Shah and Asmai Heights, where Captain Arthur Hammond won the Victoria Cross for conspicuous gallantry.

The battalion was instrumental in checking the Indian offensive in the Kishenganga Valley, where it fought with great gallantry at Tithwal and foiled all enemy efforts at advance.

His actions delayed the Indian army, long enough for the 10th Brigade of 7th Infantry Division to prepare defences along the Panjkot Nullah, preventing their advance.

[7][8][13] In 1965 the Guides Infantry (2FF) was camping at Kasur where A and D companies of the battalion were carrying watermanship training at Thaman Distributary near Luliani after they had moved from the Rann of Katch area.

The battalion was assigned the task of establishing a bridge head on Rohhi Nullah for launching of 1 Armoured Division across the India – Pakistan border.

The battalion crossed the Rohi Nullah on foot and entered the enemy territory on night 6/7 Sep 1965 and established a bridge head for the armoured division.

On the night 21/22 September 1965 C company position was shelled heavily and was attacked by Indian troops who succeeded in overrunning part of a forward platoon.

Honours Tamgh-e-Jurat Imtiazi Sanad Commendation Card On 3 October 1971 during the war, the battalion was deployed to the Chakothi area to defend the Sirinager-to-Muzaffarabad road in the Uri section.

The fourth company under Major Aziz Ahmed was detached to Lipa Valley where it fought a glorious action on Shisha Ladi ridge, "R" battery of 25 Composite Mountain Regiment (Artillery) was in support.