The 19th Lancers is an armoured regiment of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

. Before 1956, it was known as 19th King George V's Own Lancers, which was a regular

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 A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

. It was formed in 1922, by the amalgamation of 18th King George's Own Lancers and 19th Lancers (Fane's Horse). On

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

in 1947, the regiment was allotted to

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

.Gaylor, John. (1992). ''Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–91''. Stroud: Spellmount.

18th King George's Own Lancers

The regiment was raised at

Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...

during the upheaval of the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

in 1858, as the 2nd Regiment of Mahratta Horse. In December, it was joined by a small body of independent cavalry of Punjabi Rajput Muslims called the

Tiwana Tiwana or Tiwana is a Jatt clan from the Punjab region of India. The Tiwanas in East Punjab are mostly Sikhs, while the Tiwanas of West Punjab are almost all Muslims. Notable people with this surname include: * Dalip Kaur Tiwana (born 1935), I ...

Horse. In 1861, it was redesignated as the 18th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry, becoming Lancers in 1886. The regiment served in the

Second Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...

during 1879–80 and took part in the 1897

Tirah Campaign 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 ...

on the North West Frontier of India. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the regiment was sent to

France 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 1914 with the

Indian Cavalry Corps The Indian Cavalry Corps was a formation of the British Indian Army in World War I. It was formed in France in December 1914. It remained in France until March 1916, when it was broken up. The corps consisted of the 1st Indian Cavalry Division a ...

and participated in the Battles of the

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 ...

and

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 ...

. In 1918, it moved to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

joining the 13th Cavalry Brigade and took part in General

Edmund Allenby Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, (23 April 1861 – 14 May 1936) was a senior British Army officer and Imperial Governor. He fought in the Second Boer War and also in the First World War, in which he led th ...

's campaign in

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 ...

. The regiment fought in the Battle of Megiddo and the subsequent dash towards

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 = , ...

– riding 550 miles in 38 days.Hudson, Havelock. (1937). ''History of the 19th King George's Own Lancers, 1858–1921''. Aldershot: Gale & Polden. * 1861: 18th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry * 1886: 18th Regiment of Bengal Lancers * 1901: 18th Bengal Lancers * 1906: 18th Prince of Wales's Own Tiwana Lancers * 1910: 18th King George's Own Lancers

19th Lancers (Fane's Horse)

The regiment was raised as the Fane's Horse by Captain

Walter Fane Major-General Walter Fane (1828–1885) was a British Indian Army officer who served in Central India, on the North West Frontier as well as in China during the Opium Wars. Fane raised a troop of irregular cavalry to fight in China made up of Ind ...

Cawnpore 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 ...

in 1860 for service in the

Second Opium War The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Sino War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a colonial war lasting from 1856 to 1860, which pitted the British Empire and the French Emp ...

. In

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, the regiment fought in several sharp actions including those at Sinho, Chan-chi-wan and Pa-le-chiao. It then took part in the capture of Chinese capital of Pekin (

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

). In 1861, the regiment was redesignated as the 19th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry, becoming Lancers in 1864. It served in the Second Afghan War and fought in the Battle of Ahmad Khel in 1880. During World War I, the regiment served in France in the

2nd (Sialkot) Cavalry Brigade The Sialkot 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 2nd (Sialkot) Cavalry Brigade at the outbreak of the First World War as part of the 1st India ...

and participated in the Battles of the Somme and Cambrai. In 1918, it took part in the Palestinian Campaign and fought with distinction in the Battle of Megiddo. * 1861: 19th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry * 1864: 19th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry (Lancers) * 1874: 19th Regiment of Bengal Lancers * 1901: 19th Bengal Lancers * 1903: 19th Lancers (Fane's Horse)

19th King George V's Own Lancers

After the First World War, the number of Indian cavalry regiments was reduced from thirty-nine to twenty-one. However, instead of disbanding the surplus units, it was decided to amalgamate them in pairs. This resulted in renumbering and renaming of the entire cavalry line. The 18th King George's Own Lancers and 19th Lancers (Fane's Horse) were merged to form the 18th/19th Cavalry. In 1923, the regiment was redesignated as the 19th King George's Own Lancers, and in 1937 as 19th King George V's Own Lancers. Their uniform was scarlet with white facings and blue overalls. The badge consisted of crossed lances with the cypher of King George V at the intersection, a crown above, and the title scroll below. The new class composition of the regiment was one squadron each of Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs and Hindu

Jats The Jat people ((), ()) are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and subse ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the 19th KGVO Lancers was the divisional Reconnaissance Regiment of

25th Indian Infantry Division The 25th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II which fought in the Burma Campaign. It was re-raised within the post-independence Indian Army in 1948. History Originally formed in Bangalore in ...

and fought in the Third Arakan Campaign in

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

. In November 1944, the 25th Indian Division cleared the Mayu Range down to Foul Point and occupied Akyab Island. These actions included the decisive Battle of Kangaw and landings at

Myebon Myebon ( my, မြေပုံမြို့ Myebon Township) is a town of Mrauk-U District in Rakhine State, Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even ...

and Ru-Ywa to intercept the retreating Japanese. The regiment was actively engaged in these battles. In May, a squadron of 19th KGVO Lancers took part in the seaborne assault landing near Rangoon, which led to the capture of the Burmese capital. In April 1945 the 25th Indian Division was withdrawn to South India to prepare for the invasion of

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

. Although Japan surrendered in August, the operation proceeded as planned and the 25th Division along with 19th KGVO Lancers was the first formation to land in Malaya. It then proceeded to occupy the capital

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

and accepted the surrender of the Japanese Army. In 1947, with the partitioning of the British Indian empire and the creation of a separate state of

, the 19th King George V's Own Lancers was transferred to the Pakistan Army. The regiment exchanged its Jat squadron with the

Central India Horse The Central India Horse (formerly the 21st King George V's Own Horse, also known as Beatson's Horse) was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army and is presently part of the Indian Army Armoured Corps. Formation The regiment was ra ...

for its Punjabi Mussalman squadron, and gave its Sikh squadron to

Skinner's Horse The 1st Horse (Skinner's Horse) is a regiment of the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. It traces its origins as a cavalry regiment from the times of the East India Company, followed by its service in the British Indian Army and finally, afte ...

in return for its Mussalman squadron.

19th Lancers

In 1956, when Pakistan became a republic, all references to the British royalty were dropped and the regiment became simply the 19th Lancers. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, the regiment had the unique distinction of serving in four theatres of war. Its Recce Troop served with 12 Division in

Operation Grand Slam Operation Grand Slam was a key military operation of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It refers to a plan drawn up by the Pakistan Army in May 1965 that consisted of an attack on the vital Akhnoor Bridge in Indian-administered Jammu and Kash ...

, while the rest of the regiment was deployed near

Kasur Kasur (Urdu and pa, ; also Romanization of Urdu, romanized as Qasūr; from pluralized Arabic word ''Qasr'' meaning "palaces" or "forts") is a city to south of Lahore, in the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. The city serves as th ...

as part of 1 Armoured Division. From Kasur, it was later sent to

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

Sector and then finally to

Chawinda Chawinda ( ur, ) is a city located in Pasrur Tehsil, Sialkot District, Punjab, Pakistan. The town sits at an altitude of , close to the border with Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Chawinda was the site of a key tank battle during th ...

as part of 6 Armoured Division. It was here, that 19th Lancers finally got a chance to go into action. The regiment saw heavy fighting and played an important role in blunting the Indian offensive. In 1993–94, the regiment was deployed in

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

, as part of United Nations Peacekeeping Forces (

UNOSOM II United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) was the second phase of the United Nations intervention in Somalia and took place from March 1993 until March 1995, following the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991. UNOSOM II carried on ...

). The regiment's performance was highly commendable and it played a key role in rescuing the American Rangers, who were trapped by Somali gunmen after the disastrous American operation on 3 and 4 October 1993.

Battle honours

Battle of Taku Forts (1860) The Third Battle of Taku Forts () was an engagement of the Second Opium War, part of the British and French 1860 expedition to China. It took place at the Taku Forts (also called Peiho Forts) near Tanggu District ( Wade-Giles: Pei Tang-Ho), ap ...

Pekin 1860 Pekin may refer to: Places *A historic spelling of a Names of Beijing, name of Beijing, China *Pekin (hotel), a four star hotel in Moscow, Russia United States *Pekin, Illinois *Pekin Township, Tazewell County, Illinois *Pekin, Indiana **Old Pe ...

, Ahmad Khel, Afghanistan 1878–80, Tirah, Punjab Frontier,

Somme 1916 __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 Bazentin () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Situated between Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and s ...

, Flers-Courcelette, Morval,

Cambrai 1917 Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Esc ...

France and Flanders 1914–18 The Western Front was one of the main theatres of war during the First World War. Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of import ...

, Megiddo, Sharon, Damascus, Palestine 1918, Buthidaung, Mayu Valley, Myebon, Kangaw, Ru-Ywa, Dalet,

Tamandu Tamandu was a village in Ann Township, Kyaukpyu District, in northern Rakhine State in the westernmost part of Myanmar. Tamandu was located on the southside of the Dalet River (Dalet Chaung) just after it passes through the Kolonzin Range of hills ...

, Rangoon Road, Burma 1942–45, Chawinda 1965, Lower Dir and Swat (2017-2019).Rodger, Alexander. (2003). ''Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces 1662–1991''. The Crowood Press. 19 Lancers 1910

Affiliations & Alliances

* 7th Battalion The Frontier Force Regiment * The

Light Dragoons The Light Dragoons (LD) is a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment has a light cavalry role and specialises in mounted and dismounted reconnaissance. The Light Dragoons recruit mainly in Northern England, from the counties of Northu ...

* 2nd Battalion The Grenadier Guards