The 13th Lancers is an armoured regiment of
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 ...
. It was formed in 1923 as 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers by the amalgamation of
31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
The 13th Lancers is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1923 as 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers by the amalgamation of 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers and 32nd Lancers. On Partition of India in 1947, the regiment was ...
and
32nd Lancers. 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 ...
.
[Ahmad, Lt Col RN. (2010). ''Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre. It is the senior-most armoured regiment of Pakistan Army.]
Formation
The two parent regiments of 13th Lancers had a common origin in the old Bombay Squadron of Cavalry, raised for service in the
Second Anglo-Maratha War
}
The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805) was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India.
Background
The British had supported the "fugitive" Peshwa Raghunathrao in the First Anglo-Maratha War, ...
. The squadron was split to form the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Bombay Light Cavalry in 1817. More than a hundred years later, they were reunited to form the 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Bombay Lancers in 1923.
[Cadell, Sir Patrick. (1938). ''History of the Bombay Army''. London: Longmans & Green.]
31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
The 1st Bombay Light Cavalry served in the
First Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War ( fa, جنگ اول افغان و انگلیس) was fought between the British Empire and the Emirate of Kabul from 1838 to 1842. The British initially successfully invaded the country taking sides in a succession di ...
in 1839 when they fought in the
Battle of Ghazni
The Battle of Ghazni (or Ghuznee) took place in the city of Ghazni in central Afghanistan on Tuesday, July 23, 1839, during the First Anglo-Afghan War.
Prelude
In the 1830s, the British were firmly entrenched in India but by 1837, feared a Rus ...
and took part in the march to
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
. During the
Second Sikh War
The Second Anglo-Sikh War was a military conflict between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company, British East India Company that took place in 1848 and 1849. It resulted in the fall of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab r ...
of 1848-49 the regiment took part in the
Siege of Multan
The siege of Multan began on 19 April 1848 and lasted until 22 January 1849, and saw fighting around Multan (in present-day Pakistan) between the British East India Company and the Sikh Empire. It began with a rebellion against a ruler imposed ...
, where they remained as the garrison for the remainder of the campaign. At the start of the
Great Mutiny of 1857, the regiment was stationed at
Nasirabad, where they were the only ones to remain loyal. Artillery and infantrymen urged them to go over to them but the sowars refused and, under their officers, charged in an attempt to take the guns. They failed to do so but successfully disengaged and took part in the campaign of pacification in Central India. Burma was their next overseas posting in 1885, where they fought in the
Third Anglo-Burmese War
The Third Anglo-Burmese War ( my, တတိယ အင်္ဂလိပ် – မြန်မာစစ်, Tatiya Anggalip–Mran cac), also known as the Third Burma War, took place during 7–29 November 1885, with sporadic resistance conti ...
. The
Duke of Connaught
Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was granted on 24 May 1874 by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to her third son, Prince Arthur. At the same time, he was also ...
(
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (Arthur William Patrick Albert; 1 May 185016 January 1942), was the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He served as Gov ...
(1850-1942), the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria), then Commander-in-Chief of the
Bombay Army
The Bombay Army was the army of the Bombay Presidency, one of the three presidencies of Presidencies and provinces of British India, British India.
It was established in 1662 and governed by the East India Company until the Government of India A ...
, became their
Colonel-in-Chief in 1890. He still held the appointment in the 13th DCO Lancers on his death in January 1942.
During the
Kitchener reorganisation of the Indian Army of 1903, the Bombay cavalry had thirty added to their numbers and, the 1st (Duke of Connaught's Own) Bombay Lancers became the 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers. During the Great War, the 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers remained on the
North West Frontier of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. In 1919, they served in the
Third Afghan War
The Third Anglo-Afghan War; fa, جنگ سوم افغان-انگلیس), also known as the Third Afghan War, the British-Afghan War of 1919, or in Afghanistan as the War of Independence, began on 6 May 1919 when the Emirate of Afghanistan inv ...
and then went to perform garrison duties 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 ...
.
![1ST BOMBAY LANCERS, FIELD SERVICE KIT 1885](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/1ST_BOMBAY_LANCERS%2C_FIELD_SERVICE_KIT_1885.jpg)
* 1804 Native Troop of Cavalry
* 1816 1st Native Troop of Cavalry
* 1817 1st Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry
* 1842 1st Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry (Lancers)
* 1861 1st Regiment of Bombay Silladar Light Cavalry
* 1861 1st Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry
* 1880 1st Bombay Lancers
* 1890 1st (Duke of Connaught's Own) Bombay Lancers
* 1903 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
32nd Lancers
The 2nd Bombay Light Cavalry were stationed at
Neemuch
Neemuch or Nimach is a town in the malwa region. Neemuch crowns the north western part of MP. It has been also referred to city of Nature and Peace. The town shares its northwestern border with the state of Rajasthan and is the administrati ...
in 1857 and took part in the pacification of Central India. One of its officers, Captain
James Blair James Blair may refer to:
*James Blair (Australian judge) (1870–1944), Australian judge, lawyer, and politician
*James Blair (cricketer) (1900–1961), Australian-born New Zealand cricketer
* James Blair (farmer) (1825–1901), Scottish-born farm ...
, won the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
during these operations. Under Kitchener's Reforms, the 2nd Bombay Lancers was redesignated as the 32nd Lancers.
![2nd Bombay Lancers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/2nd_Bombay_Lancers.jpg)
During the Great War, the 32nd went to
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
late in 1916 and from 1 January to 3 March 1917 two squadrons of the regiment formed part of
III (Tigris) Corps Cavalry Regiment
The 1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry was the active service unit formed by the Hertfordshire Yeomanry during World War I. It was sent to garrison Sultanate of Egypt, Egypt and then served dismounted in the Gallipoli Campaign. On return to Egypt it wa ...
, which were the first British troops to
Capture Baghdad. In April 1917, at the Battle of Istabulat, a detachment led by the commanding officer, charged an entrenched Turkish position resulting in all the officers and most of the men becoming casualties.
* 1816 2nd Native Troop of Cavalry
* 1817 2nd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry
* 1861 2nd Regiment of Bombay Silladar Light Cavalry
* 1861 2nd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry
* 1883 2nd Bombay Lancers
* 1903 32nd Lancers
13th Duke of Connaught'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 the renumbering and renaming of the entire cavalry line. In September 1923, the 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers were amalgamated with the 32nd Lancers to form the 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Bombay Lancers. This particular merger was a reunion of two regiments separated more than a hundred years before. The new badge was crossed lances with '13' on the intersection; a crown above and a scroll below, reading 'Duke of Connaught's Own.' Their uniform was blue with scarlet facings, and the new class composition was one squadron each of Pathans, Muslim Rajputs and Sikhs. In 1927, the regiment was redesignated as the
13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
The 13th Lancers is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1923 as 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers by the amalgamation of 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers and 32nd Lancers. On Partition of India in 1947, the regiment was ...
.
The 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers were one of the first two Indian cavalry regiments nominated for mechanisation. One squadron was equipped with the
Vickers Medium Mark I
The Vickers Medium Mark I was a British tank of the Inter-war period built by Vickers from 1924.
Background
After the First World War Britain disbanded most of its tank units leaving only five tank battalions equipped with the Mark V and the ...
tank and two squadrons with armoured cars. They were deployed on frontier duties but in April 1941, left for
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
with the
10th Indian Division
The 10th Indian Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army during World War I. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914 with three infantry brigades of Indian Expeditionary Force F. After taking part in the Actions on the Sue ...
. They saw action against the
Vichy French
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
in
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and also served in
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
before joining the
British Eighth Army
The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces, ...
in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
. In October 1942, they moved back to Persia and then to India. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the regiment moved to
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
in the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
in support of the
5th and
23rd Indian Divisions, who were engaged in suppressing a revolt by the Indonesians. In August 1946 the regiment returned to
Secunderabad
Secunderabad, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It ...
and on Partition of India in August 1947, the 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers were allotted to 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 ...
.
* 1923 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Bombay Lancers (amalgamation of 31st and 32nd Lancers)
* 1927 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
* 1956 13th Lancers
In 1956, Pakistan became a Republic and all titles pertaining to British royalty were dropped. The regiment was now designated as 13th Lancers. During the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...
, the regiment spearheaded the advance of the Pakistan Army towards
Akhnoor
Akhnoor is a city and municipal committee, near city of Jammu in Jammu district of Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies 28 km away from Jammu city. Akhnoor is on the bank of the Chenab River, just before it enters the Pak ...
in
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
. Fighting with ''elan'', it penetrated 23 miles inside enemy territory. During the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the
Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decem ...
, the 13th Lancers launched a counter-attack against invading Indian forces at Barapind near Zafarwal and suffered heavy casualties. Between 1996 and 1997, the regiment served as part of the
UN peacekeeping force of
UNTAES
The United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) was a UN peacebuilding transitional administration in the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia in the eastern parts of Croatia ...
in former Yugoslavia.
Battle honours
Ghuznee 1839, Afghanistan 1839, Mooltan, Punjaub, Central India, Afghanistan 1879–80, Burma
1885–87, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Sharqat, Mesopotamia 1916–18, NW Frontier, India 1917, Afghanistan 1919, Damascus, Deir ez Zor, Raqaa, Syria 1941, Gazala, Bir Hacheim, El Adem, Sidi Rezegh 1942, Gambut, Tobruk 1942, Fuka, North Africa 1940–43, Dewa-Chamb 1965, Jaurian 1965, Zafarwal 1971.
Notable officers
*
General James Blair,
VC,
CB (Victoria Cross recipient;
Resident
Resident may refer to:
People and functions
* Resident minister, a representative of a government in a foreign country
* Resident (medicine), a stage of postgraduate medical training
* Resident (pharmacy), a stage of postgraduate pharmaceuti ...
at
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. ...
1882-85)
*
General Sir Robert Cassels,
GCB,
GCSI
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:
# Knight Grand Commander (GCSI)
# Knight Commander ( KCSI)
# Companion ( CSI)
No appointments ...
,
DSO (Commander-in-Chief in India 1935-41)
*
General Sir Frank Messervy,
KCSI,
KBE,
CB,
DSO &
Bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
(World War II Commander & First Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army 1947-48)
*
General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher,
KBE,
CB,
MC (Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army 1948-49)
*
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, (Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial law i ...
(President 1978-88 and
Chief of Army Staff 1976-88)
*
General Jehangir Karamat
General Jehangir Karamat ( ur, ; born 20 February 1941) best known as JK, is a senior Pakistan Army officer who served as the 6th Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army, from 12 January 1996 to 6 October 1998. diplomat, public intellectual, ...
,
NI (M),
TBt (
Chief of Army Staff 1996-98)
*Lt Gen Zarrar Azim
*Maj Gen Khurshid Alam
*Maj Gen Mian Nadeem Ijaz Ahmad,HI(M),SI(former DGMI Pakistan Army)
*Maj Gen Zahid
*Maj Gen Shakir ullah Khattak
* Brigadier
Mervyn Cardoza
Mervyn Adrian Cardoza (1922 – 2010, Toronto) was a one star general in the Pakistan Army. In 1965 Brig. Mervyn Cardoza was awarded the Tamgha-e-Khidmat by President Ayub Khan.
Background and family
He was first educated at St Patrick's ...
, Tamgha-e-Khidmat, Director Logistics 1971
*Col
Shuja Khanzada Shaheed, Tamgha-e-Basalat, Interior Minister Punjab, Pakistan.
*Gen
Naveed Mukhtar, DG ISI, Ex-Corps Commander Karachi, Pakistan.
* Risaldar
Rao Hasan Ali __NOTOC__
Rao may refer to:
Geography
* Rao, West Sumatra, one of the districts of West Sumatra, Indonesia
* Råö, a locality in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden
Transport
* Dr. Leite Lopes–Ribeirão Preto State Airport , IAT ...
, squadron commander in 13th Lancers, British Indian Army during World War II; participated in 13th Lancers operations in Europe, Egypt, Battle of Al-Alamein, Malaysia.
* Honorary Captain
Naseem Ahmed, participated in 13 Lancers operations in 1971 IndoPak War.
*E. John Jacob, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Kerala, India (1913-1978)
* Brigadier Saad Muhammad SI(M)
* PA-618 Maj Muhammad Akram Khan Arbab, DOB - 1918, Date Of Commission - 1942, Residence of Tehkal Bala, Peshawar. Fought in Baghdad with 13th Lancers in second world war. Later joined 19 KGVOs Lancers, fought 1948 and 1965 as war reservist as sqn comd of 32 TDU later 32 Cavalry Pak Army.
References
Further reading
* Ahmad, Lt Col Rifat Nadeem. (2010). ''Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment''. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.
* Ahmed, Lt Gen Mahmud. (2006). ''History of Indo-Pak War – 1965''. Rawalpindi: Services Book Club.
* Cadell, Sir Patrick. (1938). ''History of the Bombay Army''. London: Longmans & Green.
* Cloughley, Col Brian. (1999). ''A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections''. Karachi: Oxford University Press.
* Gaylor, J. (1992). ''Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903- 1991.'' Stroud: Spellmount Publishers Ltd.
* Kempton, C. (1996). ''A Register of Titles of the Units of the H.E.I.C. & Indian Armies 1666-1947.'' Bristol: British Empire & Commonwealth Museum.
* Newport-Tinley, Col GF. (1910). ''A Brief Sketch of His Majesty’s 31st Duke of Connaught’s Own Lancers, Indian Army''. Bombay: Bombay Gazette Electrical Printing Works.
* Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. (1989). ''The Pakistan Army 1947-49'', Rawalpindi: Services Book Club.
* Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. (1984). ''The Pakistan Army: War 1965'', Rawalpindi: Services Book Club.
* Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. (1990). ''The Pakistan Army 1966-71''. Rawalpindi: Services Book Club.
External links
13th Duke of Connaught’s Own Lancers by John Gaylor at The Defence Journal
{{British Indian Army Cavalry Regiments 1903 - 1946
Armoured regiments of Pakistan
British Indian Army cavalry regiments
Honourable East India Company regiments
Military units and formations established in 1804
1804 establishments in Asia