10th Duke Of Cambridge’s Own Lancers (Hodson’s Horse)
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4th Horse (Hodson's Horse) is a part of the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army, which had its beginnings as an irregular
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
regiment during the time of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.


Formation

The regiment was raised during the turbulent times of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. During the siege of Delhi, on 19 May 1857, an order was issued by the Commander-in-Chief, Major General George Anson to appoint Lieutenant (later
Brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...
Major)
William Stephen Raikes Hodson William Stephen Raikes Hodson (19 March 182111 March 1858) was a British leader of irregular light cavalry during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, commonly referred to as the Indian Mutiny or the Sepoy Mutiny. He was known as "Hodson of Hodson's ...
as the Commandant of a corps of Irregular Horse, which he was directed to raise, while at
Kurnaul Karnal ( is a city located in the state of Haryana, India and is the administrative headquarters of Karnal District. It was used by East India Company army as a refuge during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in Delhi. The Battle of Karnal between ...
. Hodson sought assistance from Robert Montgomery, Judicial Commissioner of the Punjab. Montgomery asked two Sirdars to raise a rissalah (troop) each, and he raised one himself. The three rissalahs left for Delhi on 23 June 1857 under the command of Man Singh, who was Risaldar-Major of the 1st Regiment from 1866 to 1877. Mr Montgomery sent two more rissalahs on 9 July 1857. The troops were mainly from the Lahore and
Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
districts of the Punjab.


History

;Indian Rebellion of 1857 The rissalahs sent to Delhi saw their first action on 14 and 18 July 1857 in the Delhi suburb of Sabzi Mandi. The regiment then fought against the rebels on 17 and 18 August at Khurkowdeh and Rohtak. Following the siege of Delhi, on 20 September 1857, Hodson took 50 men from the regiment, rode to Humayun's Tomb, and captured the Mughal emperor
Bahadur Shah Zafar Bahadur Shah II, usually referred to by his poetic title Bahadur Shah ''Zafar'' (; ''Zafar'' Victory) was born Mirza Abu Zafar Siraj-ud-din Muhammad (24 October 1775 – 7 November 1862) and was the twentieth and last Mughal Emperor as well a ...
. Hodson returned there the next day and captured the Mughal princes, Bahadur Shah Zafar's sons Mirza Mughal and
Mirza Khizr Sultan Mirza Khair-ud-din Muhammad Khizr Sultan Bahadur (1834 – 21 September 1857) was a son of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II. Khizr Sultan was a prominent military leader during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. However, that same year he wa ...
, and grandson
Mirza Abu Bakht Shahzada Mirza Abu Bakht (1835–1857) was a Mughal prince. Abu Bakht was the son of Mirza Fath-ul-Mulk Bahadur who was the last crown prince of the Mughal Empire and the eldest son of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. He was the olde ...
. While escorting the princes, Hodson's force was threatened by a large hostile crowd. Rather than let the princes escape, Hodson shot them at the
Khooni Darwaza Khooni Darwaza ( hi, खूनी दरवाज़ा, ur, literally ''Bloody Gate''), also referred to as Lal Darwaza (Hindi:लाल दरवाज़ा, ''Red Gate'') was initially called as Kabuli Darwaza, The gate is located near ...
, near the Delhi Gate. A detachment from Hodson's Horse was sent out on 27 September 1857 to pursue rebels heading for
Rohilkhand Rohilkhand (previously Rampur State) is a region in the northwestern part of Uttar Pradesh, India, that is centered on the Rampur, Bareilly and Moradabad divisions. It is part of the upper Ganges Plain, and is named after the Rohilla tribe. Th ...
. The regiment also saw action against the rebels near Agra on 10 October 1857, in Cawnpore, at Alambagh on 12 November 1857, the
Siege of Lucknow The siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defence of the British Residency within the city of Lucknow from rebel sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British East India Company's Army) during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief att ...
, against the Gwalior rebels under Tantia Tope, at Gangiri in Aligarh district on 7 December 1857, at the battle at
Patiyali Patiyali is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kasganj District in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located on the banks of River Ganga. It is the birthplace of Amir Khusrau (1253-1325 CE). Patiyali is a constituency of District Kasganj. Mem ...
, and at Mainpuri. On 25 January 1858, Hodson with 200 of his men and three other British officers were part of a column commanded by Brigadier Adrian Hope against an army of 5,000 rebels encamped at Shamshabad. In the fierce battle, Lieutenant CTM McDowell was killed and Hodson and Lieutenant Charles Gough were badly wounded. Lieutenant Hugh Henry Gough was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery at Alambagh on 12 November 1857 and at Jellalabad, Lucknow on 25 February 1858. A detachment of the regiment was sent with Colonel
Hope Grant General Sir James Hope Grant, GCB (22 July 1808 – 7 March 1875) was a British Army officer. He served in the First Opium War, First Anglo-Sikh War, Indian Rebellion of 1857, and Second Opium War. Early life Grant was the fifth and younge ...
’s column from
Kanpur Kanpur or Cawnpore ( /kɑːnˈpʊər/ pronunciation (help·info)) is an industrial city in the central-western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded in 1207, Kanpur became one of the most important commercial and military stations o ...
to protect the road to Lucknow. They laid siege to a town called Mianganj and cleared the enemy, but lost an Indian officer, Naib-Risaldar Hukm Singh. On 25 February 1858, 374 men of Hodson's Horse were part of a cavalry force at Alambagh led by Colonel Campbell of the Queen's Bays. They were under the command of Lieutenant General Sir James Outram against Begum Hazrat Mahal, the Begum of Oudh (Awadh). This was one of the first occasions where the Hodson's Horse saw fierce action as a complete regiment. While the regiment remained at Alamagh, Hodson went alone to Lucknow for a meeting with Sir
Colin Campbell Colin may refer to: * Colin (given name) * Colin (surname) * ''Colin'' (film), a 2008 Cannes film festival zombie movie * Colin (horse) (1905–1932), thoroughbred racehorse * Colin (humpback whale), a humpback whale calf abandoned north of Sydney ...
. Following lunch with him, he joined Brigadier-General Robert Napier who was inspecting a breach in the wall. They became separated and he went to look around the palace with a Captain Taylor. The enemy had been cleared from most parts of the city, but areas remained where rebels were hidden. The two men had a look inside one dark room. which turned out to contain rebels. One of them shot Hodson in the chest. He was conscious, but became weaker and died around 1.30 am that night. He was buried on the evening of 12 March 1858 in the grounds of La Martiniere School in Lucknow. Following Hodson's death, command of the regiment was given to Henry Daly of the Guides Cavalry. Daly played a major role in reorganising the regiment: more troops were recruited, including Pathans, muster rolls were created, and accounts were organised. The regiment was reorganized into three regiments: 1st and 2nd Regiment of Hodson's Horse on 26 August 1858, and 3rd Regiment on 9 September 1858. 3rd Regiment was disbanded on 5 January 1860. On 13 June 1858, the regiment was involved in a fierce battle at Nawabganj under Hope Grant. The regiment lost 3 men and 24 were wounded. The regiments of Hodson's Horse were involved in multiple smaller conflicts to suppress the mutiny – in Daudpur on 20 October 1858 against the Nasirabad brigade; at Dholpur on 27 October 1858; at Gonda on 25 November 1858 where they routed a large force led by the Rajah of Gonda; at Basantpur on 23 December 1858; at Jarwa Pass on 31 March 1859 and at Lalpur in May 1859.


Name changes

The two regiments of the Hodson's horse went through various changes in their designation before amalgamating into a single unit. ;1st Regiment *1857 Hodson's Horse *1858 1st Regiment of Hodson's Horse *1861 9th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry *1886 9th Regiment of Bengal Lancers *1901 9th Bengal Lancers (Hodson's Horse) *1903 9th Hodson's Horse *1921 Amalgamated with the 10th Hodson's Horse to form 9th/10th Hodson's Horse *1922 4th Duke of Cambridge's Own Hodson's Horse *1927 Hodson's Horse (4th Duke of Cambridge's Own) *1947 Post-Partition (To India) - Hodson's Horse *1966 4th Horse ;2nd Regiment *1857 Hodson's Horse *1858 2nd Regiment of Hodson's Horse *1861 10th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry *1864 10th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry (Lancers) *1874 10th Regiment of Bengal Lancers *1878 10th Bengal (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers *1901 10th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Bengal Lancers (Hodson's Horse) *1903 10th Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers (Hodson's Horse) *1921 Amalgamated with the 9th Hodson's Horse to form 9th/10th Hodson's Horse


Pre World War

The 9th Bengal Cavalry was stationed at Faizabad, when on 8 April 1862, they were sent to Bhutan with the three squadrons were sent to different places - one squadron with the headquarters went to Jalpaigori, the second to Barhampur, and the third to Raniganj. The regiment returned to Benares in April 1863. The regiment moved on to Cawnpore on 29 April 1863, then to Peshawar from January 1864 till November 1866. The regiment then spent four years at Mian Mir and in 1868, were part of a punitive expedition to the Black mountains in
Hazara Hazara may refer to: Ethnic groups * The Hazaras, a Persian-speaking people of Afghanistan and Pakistan * Aimaq Hazara, Aimaq's subtribe of Hazara origin * Hazarawals, a Hindko-speaking people of the Hazara region of northern Pakistan * Hazar ...
, but they saw no action. They spent another four years at Deoli, with a detachment at Jhansi, then moved to Meerut on 8 March 1878. In 1871, the 10th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry fought in Abyssinia. A squadron of the 10th went to Malta with the 9th regiment in 1878 while the rest of the regiment went to Afghanistan. The 9th travelled from Meerut to Bombay by train in April 1878. They were brought up to strength with a squadron from the 10th Bengal Cavalry, making them around 550 men. From Bombay, they embarked for Malta via
Aden Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...
and Suez. They disembarked at Malta on 6 June 1878 and pitched camp at San Antonio. The 9th/10th were brigaded with the 1st Bombay Cavalry. Whilst in Malta, the force was inspected by the Duke of Cambridge, who bestowed his title on the 10th Bengal Cavalry, which was represented by one squadron. The eventual destination of the forces stationed in Malta was Cyprus, which had been ceded to Britain by Turkey in exchange for their support against Russia. But a day or so before departure for Cyprus, the regiment was prevented from embarking with the rest of the army, because 48 men were poisoned. Three men died in agony and the rest were permanently disabled. As a result, the regiment stayed in Malta until October, when they sailed back to Bombay. In February 1885, the 9th was ordered to convert to
lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...
s and move off to join the British Army in
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
. The regiment moved from Wazirabad to Kanpur, where they received lances and related equipment and reached Suakin in March 1885 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel AP Palmer. It saw action in Hashin, Tofrek, Tamai and T'Hakul. The regiment less one squadron left Sudan in June 1885 for Bombay, from where they travelled to Ambala. The 3rd squadron was required to stay in Suakin until 20 November 1885. The 9th stayed at Ambala until 1888, moved to Nowshera until 1891 – where it was part of the ''Buner Field Force'' to ensure the pacification of the
Bunerwals Buner District ( ps, بونیر ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Before becoming a district in 1991, it was a tehsil within Swat District. History The Buner Valley lies bet ...
. The regiment moved to Peshawar and took part in the durbar and review at Lahore for the Viceroy, Lord Elgin in November 1894. Following this, at Muridki, on the night of 20 December 1894, Daffadar Kartar Singh, bearing a grudge through loss of promotion, shot two officers, Risaldar Kesar Singh and the Commanding Officer, Colonel Ernle Money. He was overpowered, court martialled and publicly hanged on 31 January 1895. Two Sikh officers, who had encouraged the Daffadar were tried in a civil court and sentenced to life. The 9th were part of the Chitral Relief Force in April 1895 and received the battle honour 'Chitral'. They moved to
Rawalpindi Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...
in May 1895. Following the re-organisation of 1895, the regiment retained their name and came under Punjab Command. On 10 August 1897, the regiment was ordered to proceed by train from Rawalpindi to Peshawar and became part of the ‘Peshawar column’ of the
Tirah Expeditionary Force The Tirah campaign, often referred to in contemporary British accounts as the Tirah expedition, was an Indian frontier campaign from September 1897 to April 1898. Tirah is a mountainous tract of country in what was formally known as Federally ...
. Many men and a large number of horses were sent for remount duties to South Africa and many British officers for active service for the Second Boer War. Hodson's Horse was the first Indian regiment to appear and win medals at the Royal Tournament in 1902. The 9th regiment took part in the Rawalpindi Parade on 8 December 1905 to honour the Prince and
Princess of Wales Princess of Wales (Welsh: ''Tywysoges Cymru'') is a courtesy title used since the 14th century by the wife of the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. The current title-holder is Catherine (née Middleton). The title was firs ...
.


World War I

On 31 August 1914, 9th Hodson's Horse, located at Ambala, got the orders to prepare to move as part of the
3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade The Ambala Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army formed in 1904 as a result of the Kitchener Reforms. It was mobilized as 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade at the outbreak of the First World War as part of the 1st Indian ...
for war in France. Its convoy reached Marseille on 7 November, moved to Orléans, where it was trained with British soldiers for trench warfare for 10 days. It became part of the
1st Indian Cavalry Division The 1st Indian Cavalry Division was a division of the British Indian Army which was formed at the outbreak of the First World War. It served on the Western Front, and was renamed the 4th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916. In March 1918, the ...
(till it joined the
2nd Indian Cavalry Division The 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was a division of the British Indian Army formed at the outbreak of World War I. It served on the Western Front, being renamed as 5th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916. In March 1918, the 5th Cavalry Divisio ...
on 15 September 1915). On 21 December, Hodson's Horse was inducted to La Bassée, where it fought in the trenches full of water and dirt. Thereafter, it moved near Norrent-Fontes for training with the division followed by another phase of trench battle in very adverse weather for which it was awarded the battle honour " Givenchy". In June 1916, it fought protracted actions earning more battle honours –
Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France *Somme, Queensland, Australia *Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), a ...
, Bazentin and Flers – Courcelette. It was in
Cambrai Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department and in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, regio ...
towards the end of November and early December, 1917, that the Regiment fought its toughest action. It came under heavy fire with the forward most troops facing the brunt of it. The heavy toll of fatal casualties included two brave officers, Majors A.I. Fraser and F.S.T. Atkinson. It was in this battle that the Regimental Medical Officer, Captain Som Dutt, MC, treated an enemy German officer, who was so overcome that he took off his Iron Cross and presented it to him. The battle honour Cambrai awarded to the Regiment, became an important one celebrated every year on 30 November. The regiment was also awarded the theatre honour
France and Flanders France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. In March 1918, the
2nd Indian Cavalry Division The 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was a division of the British Indian Army formed at the outbreak of World War I. It served on the Western Front, being renamed as 5th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916. In March 1918, the 5th Cavalry Divisio ...
was broken up in France. The Canadian and British units remained in France and the Indian elements were sent to Egypt. The regiment briefly served as part of the
5th Mounted Brigade The 1st South Midland Mounted Brigade (later numbered as the 5th Mounted Brigade) was a yeomanry brigade of the British Army, formed as part of the Territorial Force in 1908. It served dismounted in the Gallipoli Campaign before being remounte ...
, Australian Mounted Division before it became part of the 13th Cavalry Brigade of the 5th Cavalry Division, where they saw service in General Edmund Allenby's final campaign against the Turks and Germans. They marched from
Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
to
Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...
, where Risaldar Nur Ahmed of Hodson's Horse made hundreds of Turks surrender to him. On 18 September the Division moved to El Jelil and next day early morning attacked the front line and right flank and captured lt. Thus, Infantry got its safe lane for further advance. At 0600 hours, 9th Hodson's Horse reached Nahr El Falik. ‘C’ and ‘D’ Squadrons of the Regiment captured 70 prisoners, guns and other war material while crossing Nahr El Falik and Murkhalid. On 30 September, in an action where 9th Hodson's Horse was leading, Major MD Vigors commanding ‘D’ Squadron got an input of 70 Turkish soldiers advancing to
Kiswe Al-Kiswah ( ar, الكسوة ' also spelled Kissoué/Kiswe) is a city in the Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria. It is located approximately south of Damascus. It was the location of the 1303 Battle of Marj al-Saffar, and the childhood home of Adn ...
. In a number of more actions that ensued, not only those 70 but a total of 900 Turkish soldiers with a lot of arms and equipment were captured. Turkish Army had lost most of its soldiers, but Gen Allenby decided to finish the rest of the Turkish Army. Around
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
, there were about 20,000 Germans and Turkish soldiers, of which 8000 had already lost hope. On 20 March the Division advanced towards Aleppo. On 26 October, 9 Hodson's Horse was inducted into Aleppo and by 31 October the Turkish Army surrendered. In these 38 days, the Regiment covered a total of 567 miles and made a major contribution to the Division's tally of 1100 prisoners of war and 58 canons. The battle honours awarded to 9th Hodson's Horse in the Middle Eastern theatre were Megiddo,
Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
, Sharon,
Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...
, Khan-Baghdadi and Mesopotamia. The regiment continued to stay in the Middle East after the war and returned to India in December 1920. The regiment's overseas tenure of five years was the longest for a cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. The 10th Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers (Hodson's Horse) was stationed at
Loralai Loralai ( ps, لورلايي, ur, ), also known as Bori ( ps, ), is the division headquarter of Loralai Division and district headquarter of Loralai District. It is in the northeast of Balochistan province in Pakistan. It is above sea level. ...
in Balochistan under the
4th (Quetta) Division The 4th (Quetta) Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army. It was formed by General Kitchener while he was Commander-in-chief of India. During World War I the division remained in India. Its composition was: Formation 191 ...
, when the First World War broke out in August 1914. It had arrived from
Jullundur Jalandhar is the third most-populous city in the Indian state of Punjab and the largest city in Doaba region. Jalandhar lies alongside the Grand Trunk Road and is a well-connected rail and road junction. Jalandhar is northwest of the state ...
on 18 November 1912 and had detachments at Gumbaz, Maratangi, Murgha and
Musa Khel Musakhel can refer to: *the Musakhel tribe of Afghanistan and Pakistan * Musakhel District, Afghanistan, part of the province of Khost, Afghanistan **Musakhel, Khost, the administrative centre of the district of the same name in the province of Khos ...
. While the regiment did not proceed overseas until 1916, the Regiment supplied drafts of officers and men to other cavalry regiments. Over 350 officers and men of the Regiment were sent abroad, before the 10th Lancers received orders to mobilize for service in Mesopotamia in August 1916, the first two squadrons arriving in September and the other two squadrons and headquarters in October 1916. The 10th Lancers initially served as part of the Tigris Defences, guarding the lines of communication between Amara and Sheikh Sa’ad. From 1 January to 3 March 1917 a squadron of the regiment formed part of III (Tigris) Corps Cavalry Regiment in the advance to Capture Baghdad. The Regiment spent the next three years serving in Mesopotamia, but it would be during the Iraqi revolt of 1920, that the 10th Lancers suffered its heaviest casualties. On 3 September 1920, an armoured train at Samawa which was guarded by ‘D’ Squadron was overwhelmed and the 10th Lancers lost 28 men. The Regiment left Mesopotamia on 30 October 1920 and returned to India. The two regiments won the following gallantry awards during the Great War – * Distinguished Service Order : Major Arthur Ion Fraser * Military Cross : Jemadar Hasan Shah, Risaldar Nur Ahmad Khan (9th Hodson Horse), Ressaidar Laurasib Khan (10th Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers (Hodson's Horse)) * Order of British India : Risaldar Major Malik Khan, Risaldar Muhammad Akram Khan, Risaldar Jai Ram, Risaldar Ram Singh (9th Hodson Horse),Risaldar Ajab Khan (9th Hodson Horse), Risaldar Nur Khan (10th Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers (Hodson's Horse)) * Indian Order of Merit : Sowar Abdullah Khan, Dafadar Hakim Singh, Ressaidar Nur Ahmad Khan, Ressaidar Nur Ahmad Khan, IOM, Lance Daffadar Muhammad Azam, Jemadar Sardar Khan, Risaldar Dost Muhammed, Jemadar Nawab Ali Khan (9th Hodson Horse), Sowar Hayat Muhammad, Dafadar Sarfaraz Khan, Sowar Mansa Ram (10th Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers (Hodson's Horse)) * Indian Distinguished Service Medal : 9th Hodson Horse – 25 medals, 10th Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers (Hodson's Horse) – 13 medals. * Indian Meritorious Service Medal : 9th Hodson Horse – 38 medals, 10th Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers (Hodson's Horse) – 12 medals. *
Croix de guerre (Belgium) The ''Croix de guerre'' ( French) or ''Oorlogskruis'' (Dutch), both literally translating as "Cross of War", is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Belgium established by royal decree on 25 October 1915. It was primarily awarded for bravery o ...
: Dafadar Nawab Ali Khan, Lance Dafadar Sorain Singh (9th Hodson Horse) * Order of the Nile, 4th Class : Ressaidar Hasan Singh (9th Hodson Horse)


World War II

In 1921, the British decided to cut down on the number of cavalry regiments, and re-amalgamated the two as the 10th Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers (Hodson's Horse). At the time of the war, the regiment was part of the 2nd Indian Armoured Brigade, which was later designated as the 252nd Indian Armoured Brigade. The brigade was under
31st Indian Armoured Division The 31st Indian Armoured Division was an armoured division of the Indian Army during World War II, formed in 1940, originally as the 1st Indian Armoured Division; it consisted of units of the British Army and the British Indian Army. When it w ...
and served in the Middle East in Iraq and Palestine. It received the M3 Stuart light tanks in November 1942. Major General FW Messervy of the regiment was awarded a
Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...
, a Distinguished Service Order and a mention, while Major MR Smeeton was awarded a Military Cross.


Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

In the 1965 war, Hodson's Horse was equipped with the Centurion tanks. It was part of the divisional reserve of the 1st Armoured Division, tasked for the massive attack at the Phillora sector against the Pakistani
6th Armoured Division The 6th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army, created in September 1940 during the Second World War and re-formed in May 1951 in the UK. History The division was formed in the United Kingdom under Northern Command on ...
. From Rurki Kalan, two regiments (4 Horse and 17 Horse) were to open out and encircle Phillora by a pincer movement from both flanks, while
16th Light Cavalry The 16th Light Cavalry is a regiment of the Armoured Corps, a primary combat arm of the Indian Army. Prior to India gaining independence from the British in 1947, it was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1776 ...
was to provide flank protection from the right. 43rd Lorried Brigade was tasked to capture Phillora. This armada of tanks destroyed the maximum number of enemy tanks (most of which were newly acquired and technologically superior Patton tanks) and recoilless guns. The Commandant, Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) MMS Bakshi's tank got detached from the main body of the regiment owing to moving through the tall sugarcane crops. Reaching a stretch of open ground, he spotted four Pakistan's army Patton tanks. Immediately, he gave out fire orders for engaging them. Three of the Pattons were hit by his gunner one after another and it was only then that the fourth Patton had homed on to his tank. Both tanks fired simultaneously at each other and both were hit. With his tank catching fire, he ordered the crew to bail out. With him apart from the gunner and driver of the tank was his regimental signal cum intelligence officer, Lieutenant (later Brigadier) Ravi Malhotra, who was performing the duties of the radio operator-cum–loader. Having bailed out, they came under small arms fire from the Pakistani crew of the four destroyed Pattons, who had all bailed out too. Bakshi then fired back at them with his revolver and ordered his crew to get into the sugarcane crop, through which they moved on foot and after some time they were fortunate to be picked up by a squadron of the Poona Horse and eventually joined up with their own regiment. The regiment won the following gallantry awards – * Maha Vir Chakra : Lieutenant Colonel MMS Bakshi, Major Bhupinder Singh * Vir Chakra - Lance Dafadar Udham Singh * Sena Medal : Captain Arun Kumar Nehra, Dafadar Didar Singh, A/Lance Dafadar Onkar Datt, Naib Risaldar Piara Singh, Sowar Harbhajan Singh *
Mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
- 11. * The Regiment was bestowed with the battle honour ‘Phillora’ and the theatre honour ‘Punjab 1965’.


Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

In the 1971 war, the regiment, equipped with Centurion tanks was part of the 54th Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel (later Lieutenant General)
Raj Mohan Vohra Lieutenant General (India), Lieutenant General Raj Mohan Vohra, Param Vishisht Seva Medal, PVSM, Maha Vir Chakra, MVC (7 May 193214 June 2020) was a General Officer of the Indian Army. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his bravery and lead ...
in the
Shakargarh Shakargarh ( ur, ), the capital of Shakargarh Tehsil, is a city in the north-eastern part of Narowal District in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. It borders Jammu, India to the north and Sialkot to the west Its literacy rate i ...
sector of the western front. His regiment spearheaded the advance capturing in its wake several Pakistan Army positions in villages namely Bhairo Nath, Thakurdwara, Bari Lagwal, Chamrola, Darman, Chakra and Dehlra and took in the famous Battle of Basantar. The regiment won the following gallantry awards – * Maha Vir Chakra : Lieutenant Colonel RM Vohra * Vir Chakra : Major Kamal Nanda, Major Suraj Jit Chaudhari, Major Govind Singh *8 mentioned in despatches *The regiment was awarded the Battle Honour ‘Basantar River’ and Theatre Honour ‘Punjab 1971’.


Other achievements

*The regiment was awarded with the ' Guidon' on 4 March 1976, at Pathankot, Punjab. *Dafadar Harbhajan Singh was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously in 2006 for his act of gallantry in
Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...
, while serving with 8 Rashtriya Rifles. *The regiment has produced sportsmen of international repute like Pardumman Singh and Karnail Singh, who have represented India in the Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth Games.


Regimental insignia

The regimental badge consists of crossed lances with pennants; the Lions of Ashoka above the cross-over point and a scroll across the bottom with embossed inscription: HODSON'S HORSE. Prior to independence, the badge had a crown instead of the lion capital. The shoulder title is ‘4H’ in brass.


Regimental Composition

*In the time immediately after the mutiny, the 1st Regiment consisted of one squadron of
Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
, one squadron of Punjabi Musalmans, one troop of Pathans and border tribesmen, and one troop of Dogras. *In 1886, the class constitution was changed a little and an extra squadron was added, making 4 squadrons consisting of two troops each as follows: Sikhs – 3 troops, Dogras – 1 troop, Punjabi Muslims – 1 troop, Punjabi Musalmans – 2 troops, Pathans – 1 troop and Hazaras – 1 troop. *Prior to amalgamation, the 9th Horse had a composition of 1 ¼ squadron of Sikhs, 1 ¼ squadron of Dogras, 1 ¼ squadron of Punjabi Musalmans and ½ squadron of Pathans; whereas the 10th Horse had 1 ¼ squadron of Sikhs, 1 squadron of Dogras, 1 squadron of Punjabi Musalmans and ½ squadron of Pathans. *At present, the regiment is composed of two Sikh and one Dogra Squadrons.


Notable officers

*Major
William Stephen Raikes Hodson William Stephen Raikes Hodson (19 March 182111 March 1858) was a British leader of irregular light cavalry during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, commonly referred to as the Indian Mutiny or the Sepoy Mutiny. He was known as "Hodson of Hodson's ...
- Commanding officer on formation. *General Sir Hugh Henry Gough – Was a Lieutenant in the Bengal European Light Cavalry, and serving in the Guides Cavalry - received the Victoria Cross for his acts of bravery during the mutiny, while serving in the Hodson's Horse. *General Sir
Charles John Stanley Gough General Sir Charles John Stanley Gough, ( ; 28 January 1832 – 6 September 1912) was a senior British Indian Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Br ...
, – Brother of Hugh Gough, joined the 8th Bengal Cavalry, and served in the Guides Cavalry - received the Victoria Cross for his acts of bravery during the mutiny, while serving in the Hodson's Horse. *General Sir Henry Dermot Daly – Second Commandant of the Regiment *Risaldar-Major Man Singh - Raised the first troop (risallah), decorated with the Order of Merit 1st class and the Order of British India 1st class. On 9 March 1866, he was appointed as the first Risaldar Major of the 9th Bengal Cavalry, a post he held until his retirement in 1877. Having left military service, he was made Honorary Magistrate at
Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
and then manager of the Golden Temple at Amritsar. * Colonel Osmond Barnes - Commanded the 10th Bengal (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers and was Herald, who proclaimed Queen Victoria as the Empress of India at the Great Imperial Assemblage on 1 January 1877. *General Sir Arthur Power Palmer, -
Commander-in-Chief, India During the period of the Company rule in India and the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India (often "Commander-in-Chief ''in'' or ''of'' India") was the supreme commander of the British Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his ...
between March 1900 and December 1902. *Major General Sir Charles Metcalfe MacGregor - Quartermaster General for the British Army in India, the head of the Intelligence Department for the British Indian Army and founder of the United Service Institution of India. *Major General Sir
Guy Archibald Hastings Beatty Major General Sir Guy Archibald Hastings Beatty & Bar (22 June 1870 – 22 May 1954) was an officer in the British Indian Army. Beatty was born in 1870 at Poona, British India. He was first commissioned into the Royal Irish Regiment in 18 ...
- Was Aide de Camp to King George V, commander of the 4th Indian Cavalry Brigade in August 1925 and Military Adviser-in-Chief,
Indian State Forces The Imperial Service Troops were forces raised by the princely states of the British Indian Empire. These troops were available for service alongside the Indian Army when such service was requested by the British government. At the beginning of ...
. *Major-General
Austin Timeous Miller Major-General Austin Timeous Miller CB MC & Bar was born on 28 July 1888. He was the son of Joseph Miller, J.P., of Bedford. He was educated at Bedford School and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He entered the Indian Army on 28 August 191 ...
*Lieutenant General Thomas William Corbett, - General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 1st Indian Armoured Division and commanded the IV Corps during the Second World War. *General Sir Frank Walter Messervy, - General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command, India in 1946 and 1947 and the first Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army. *Colonel George Lindsay Garstin - Joined the 9th Bengal Cavalry on 3 August 1877, and served in the Second Afghan War 1880 (Battle of Suakin) and led the regiment in the Chitral relief column. He possibly invented the wristwatch in the 1890s, getting a relative, Arthur Garstin (trading leather goods in Bloomsbury, London) to fashion him straps for his pocket watch. He commanded the Regiment between 1894 - 1901. * Brigadier Miles Richard Smeeton, - Traveller and author * Charles Chenevix Trench - Author and historian. *Risaldar-Major Mir Dad Khan, - Father of Pakistani general and president
Ayub Khan Ayub Khan is a compound masculine name; Ayub is the Arabic version of the name of the Biblical figure Job, while Khan or Khaan is taken from the title used first by the Mongol rulers and then, in particular, their Islamic and Persian-influenced s ...
. *Lieutenant General
Raj Mohan Vohra Lieutenant General (India), Lieutenant General Raj Mohan Vohra, Param Vishisht Seva Medal, PVSM, Maha Vir Chakra, MVC (7 May 193214 June 2020) was a General Officer of the Indian Army. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his bravery and lead ...
, - GOC-in-C of Eastern Command from May 1988 to May 1990 *Lieutenant General Gurinder Singh, - GOC-in-C of Northern Command from June 1989 to September 1991 *Lieutenant General NS Malik, - Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Planning and Systems) September 1996 – February 1998 *Lieutenant General PPS Bhandari - Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Planning and Systems) January 2004 to January 2006 *Colonel Ajai Shukla - Journalist and defence writer *Major
Bikramjeet Kanwarpal Major Bikramjeet Kanwarpal (29 August 1968 1 May 2021) was an Indian film and television actor. A retired army officer, Kanwarpal had played supporting roles in many films and television serials. Kanwarpal shared screen space with actor Anil K ...
- Indian film and television actor


See also

* 4th Cavalry (India), a former regiment of the British Indian Army * 4th Cavalry (Pakistan), an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army


Notes


References


Further reading

* Cork, Barry Joynson (1958). ''Rider on a Grey Horse: A Life of Hodson of Hodson's Horse.'' Cassell & Company Ltd. * Harris, Ronald (1979). ''Bengal Cavalry Regiments 1857–1914.'' Osprey Publishing. * Hodson, GH (2011). ''Hodson Of Hodson’s Horse Or Twelve Years Of A Soldier’s Life In India.'' Nabu Press. * Trotter, Lionel J (1901). ''The life of Hodson of Hodson’s Horse.'' William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London. * *


External links


Uniforms of the late 19th Century
{{DEFAULTSORT:4th Duke Of Cambridge's Own Hodson's Horse Military units and formations established in 1857 Armoured and cavalry regiments of the Indian Army from 1947 British Indian Army cavalry regiments 1857 establishments in India