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 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 ...

and is presently part of the

Indian Army Armoured Corps The Indian Army Armoured Corps is one of the combat arms of the Indian Army. Tracing its origins from the first regiment formed in 1776, the present corps was formed in 1947 from two-thirds of the personnel and assets of the British Indian Army' ...

Formation

The regiment was raised as two irregular cavalry regiments at the outset of the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 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 ...

. The first regiment was formed by Captain Henry Otway Mayne on 15 December 1857 and was known initially as Mayne's Horse. Captain Mayne who was from the 6th Madras Light Cavalry and a

Brigade Major A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army. They most commonly held the rank of major, although the appointment was also held by captains, and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section direct ...

of the

Hyderabad Contingent The Nizam's Contingent, later Hyderabad Contingent, was the army funded by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the ruler of a Princely state of India.http://www.indianarmy.gov.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTemp12PLM8C.aspx?MnId=l7m6i4kBQ6GVWWXGRMx4Yg&ParentID=RSk ...

, raised his regiment with troops from Gwalior Contingent, Malwa Contingent Cavalry and Bhopal Contingent. The second regiment was known as Beatson's Horse. It was raised between February and September 1858 in

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

by Lieutenant Colonel (later Major-General) William Fergusson Beatson, originally of the

Bengal Native Infantry The regiments of Bengal Native Infantry, alongside the regiments of Bengal European Infantry, were the regular infantry components of the East India Company's Bengal Army from the raising of the first Native battalion in 1757 to the passing int ...

. The troops were from Hyderabad. They were based at the towns of

Augur An augur was a priest and official in the classical Roman world. His main role was the practice of augury, the interpretation of the will of the gods by studying the flight of birds. Determinations were based upon whether they were flying i ...

in Western

Malwa Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syno ...

and Goona in the state of

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 ...

in central India. In 1860, Mayne's Horse was renamed the 1st Regiment, Central India Horse, and Beatson's Horse was renamed the 2nd Regiment, Central India Horse. Mayne's Horse and Beatson's Horse joined to form the Central India Horse in 1860. They were joined by 200 men of the Meade's Horse in 1861. The Commandant of the Central India Horse then held political charge of the Western Malwa Agency, which included the States of

Jaora Jaora is a city and a municipality in Ratlam district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Jaora is located in the Malwa region, between Ratlam and Mandsaur. It was the capital of the Jaora princely state of Jaora before Independence. During ...

Ratlam Ratlam, known historically as Ratnapuri (lit. ''gem city''), is a city in the northwestern part of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh states and territories of India, state of India. The city of Ratlam lies above sea level. It is the administ ...

Sitamau Sitamau is a town and a nagar panchayat in Mandsaur district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Madhya Pradesh. It is in the Mandsaur district of Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. It was the seat of the princely Sitamau State. ...

and

Sailana Sailana is a town in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Sailana is from Ratlam city and away from Banswara district of the neighboring state of Rajasthan. Sailana was once the capital of the Sailana State before it merged ...

, with the Malwa districts of

Indore Indore () is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is t ...

Jhalawar Jhalawar () is a city, municipal council and headquarter in Jhalawar district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located in the southeastern part of the state. It was the capital of the former princely state of Jhalawar, and is the admin ...

Dewas Dewas is a city in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The municipality was formerly the seat of two 15-Gun Salute state princely states during the British Raj, Dewas Junior state and Dewas Senior state, ruled by the Pua ...

, and Tonk. In December 1895, control of the Agency was transferred from the charge of the Commandant of the Central India Horse to that of an officer of the

Indian Political Department The Indian Political Department (IPD), formerly known as the Foreign and Political Department of the Government of India, was a government department in British India. It originated in a resolution passed on 13 September 1783 by the board of direc ...

, and the head-quarters of the Agency were removed from Agar to

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 1860, the officer commanding the Central India Horse was made the British political officer for the small states of Raghugarh, Khaniadhana (after 1888), Paron,

Garha The Garha, Gaur, Gaud or Gour, Gauri are a Muslim community or caste found in the Indian states of Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana,Manohar, K S Singh, ed. (2005) ''People of India Uttar Pradesh''. Vol. XXIII. p. 407 Punjab and Uttarakhand. ...

, Umri and Bhadaura, which were made a separate charge from that of the Resident of Gwalior. This arrangement was abolished in 1896, when these states were again placed under the resident, with the officer commanding at Guna continuing to act as ex-officio assistant to the Resident, with very limited powers.

Reorganisation

During the Kitchener reorganisation of the Indian Army of 1903, the 1st Regiment became the 38th Regiment Central India Horse, and the 2nd regiment became the 39th Regiment Central India Horse. In 1906, the regiments were renamed the 38th and 39th Prince of Wales's Own Central India Horse, and in 1910 the 38th and 39th King George's Own Central India Horse. The composition of the regiment was Punjabi Musalmans,

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

s and

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 ...

Operations

;

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

Both regiments which were raised as a consequence of the First War of Independence saw action in Central India in pursuit of

Tantia Tope Tantia Tope (also spelled Tatya Tope, : ̪aːt̪ʲa ʈoːpe 6 January 1814 – 18 April 1859) was a general in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and one of its notable leaders. Despite lacking formal military training, Tantia Tope is widely consi ...

after the recapture of Gwalior. ;

Second Anglo-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 ...

The two regiments were part of the Kabul-Kandahar Field Force under its Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Roberts. It was part of the Cavalry Brigade led by Brigadier-general Hugh Gough. The regiment was awarded the battle honours ‘Kandahar,1880’ and ‘Afghanistan, 1879-80’. ;Punjab Frontier In 1897, both regiments were involved in operations in the North West Indian Frontier with Afghanistan. The regiments were also deployed in

Kurram Valley Kurram District ( ps, کرم ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Kohat Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.The name Kurram comes from the river Kuramá ( ps, کورمه) in Pashto which itself derives from the Sanskrit name Kr ...

. ;

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 ...

: In October 1911, the British Government sent a small force of troops to Persia consisting of three and half squadron of 39th King George's Own Central India Horse and sixty men of the 7th Rajputs to support and protect its trade in

Bushire Bushehr, Booshehr or Bushire ( fa, بوشهر ; also romanised as ''Būshehr'', ''Bouchehr'', ''Buschir'' and ''Busehr''), also known as Bandar Bushehr ( fa, ; also romanised as ''Bandar Būshehr'' and ''Bandar-e Būshehr''), previously Antioc ...

Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...

and

Ispahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

. The regiment lost one officer and several men in the many brushes with Kashguli tribesmen. They left back for India in April 1913. ;

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 ...

During the

Great War 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 38th King George's Own Central India Horse was part of the

5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade The 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the Indian Army during the First World War. Formed in November 1914, it served on the Western Front as part of the 2nd and 1st Indian C ...

in the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division.The brigade consisted of the

6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons The 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1689 as Sir Albert Cunningham's Regiment of Dragoons. One of the regiment's most notable battles was the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. It became th ...

, 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse), 38th King George's Own Central India Horse and Signal Troop. The regiment lost many men in the Battle of Cambrai, but were noted for their bravery in extricating the 2nd Lancers. Later in 1918 the 38th King George's Own Central India Horse joined the 10th Cavalry Brigade, in the 4th Cavalry Division for the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. They returned to India in February 1921. The 39th King George's Own Central India Horse remained in India during the war, stationed in

Poona Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

Amalgamation

In 1921, the two regiments were amalgamated at

Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in Geography of Pakistan, south-west of the country close to the ...

into the 38th/39th Cavalry, which was renamed the 38th/39th King George's Own Light Cavalry in 1922, The Central India Horse (21st King George's Own Horse) in 1923, and The Central India Horse (21st King George V's Own Horse) in 1937. The horses were replaced by

armoured fighting vehicles An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured cars ...

in 1939.

Second World War

Indian soldiers with swastika flag after re-occupation of Benghazi 1941

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 Central India Horse (equipped with Light Tanks and Indian Pattern Carriers) was the divisional reconnaissance regiment for the 4th Indian Division. While attached to the 4th Indian Division they were involved in the Western Desert Campaign, the East African Campaign, the

Tunisia Campaign The Tunisian campaign (also known as the Battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the World War II, Second World War, between Axis powers, Axis and Allies of World War II, Allied ...

and the Italian Campaign. It was during the Italian Campaign that two members of the Regiment were posthumously awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

Ditto Ram Sowar Ditto Ram of the Central India Horse (21st King George Vs. Own Horse), Indian Armoured Corps, in the Indian Army during World War II was posthumously awarded the George Cross for his gallantry in helping a wounded comrade on 23 July 19 ...

and St. John Graham Young attached from the

Royal Tank Regiment The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as th ...

. Young had been leading a night patrol on 23 July 1944, when he and his men found themselves in any enemy minefield. He received the full force of a mine explosion, severely injuring both legs. Despite his wounds, his encouragement enabled the majority of his men to reach safety. One of them,

Sowar Sowar ( ur, سوار, also ''siwar'' meaning "the one who rides" or "rider", from Persian ) was originally a rank during the Mughal Empire and Maratha Empire. Later during the British Raj it was the name in Anglo-Indian usage for a horse-soldi ...

, was also posthumously awarded the GC for his actions in the same incident.

Bombay 'mutiny'

In 1940, the Central India Horse was posted to Egypt. While awaiting embarkation the train carrying the regiment was kept in a siding for about twenty-four hours. During this delay four members of a radical political organization – the ''Kirti Lehar'' were able to persuade two-thirds of the

squadron of the regiment to refuse overseas service. The remainder of the regiment embarked for North Africa and Italy where it served with distinction. The 'mutineers' were court-martialed.

Cavalry charge at Toungoo

On March 20, 1942 Captain Arthur Sandeman of the Central India Horse was on secondment to the Burma Frontier Force - leading a

mounted infantry Mounted infantry were infantry who rode horses instead of marching. The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry. According to the 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', "Mounted rifles are half cavalry, mounted infantry merely specially m ...

column. Near

Toungoo Taungoo (, ''Tauñngu myoú''; ; also spelled Toungoo) is a district-level city in the Bago Region of Myanmar, 220 km from Yangon, towards the north-eastern end of the division, with mountain ranges to the east and west. The main industr ...

airfield in central

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 ...

the 60-man mounted patrol mistook Japanese troops for Chinese ones and closed with them before realizing their mistake. Most of the patrol (including Sandeman) were killed in what was probably the last

cavalry charge A charge is an offensive maneuver in battle in which combatants advance towards their enemy at their best speed in an attempt to engage in a decisive close combat. The charge is the dominant shock attack and has been the key tactic and decisiv ...

by a force under the command of the British crown.

Independence

Upon India's independence, the Central India Horse (21st King George V's Own Horse) was allocated to India, although a Muslim Punjabi squadron was transferred to the 19th King George V's Own Lancers in exchange for its Jat squadron. When India became a republic in 1950, the regiment was renamed The Central India Horse, which is one of the decorated regiments of the Indian Army. The Central India Horse is now a

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...

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

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

's XXI Corps ( Southern Command). ;

Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, or the First Kashmir War, was a war fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four Indo-Pakistani wars that was fought between t ...

‘A’ Squadron of the Central India Horse took part in the March–April 1948 Indian offensive along with the three brigades ( 50th Parachute, 19th Infantry and 20th Infantry) and advanced along the Naoshera-

Rajauri Rajouri or Rajauri (; Pahari: 𑠤𑠬𑠑𑠶𑠤𑠮, راجوری; sa, राजपुर, ) is a city in Rajouri district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located about from Srinagar and from Jammu city on the ...

road and recaptured Janghar (March 17, 1948), then changed direction and occupied Rajauri (April 12, 1948). It also took part in the second attempt to capture

Poonch Poonch, sometimes also spelt Punchh, may refer to: * Historical Poonch District, a district in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in British India, split in 1947 between: ** Poonch district, India ** Poonch Division, in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, ...

in October–November 1948. A light tank squadron of Central India Horse along with the 5th and 19th Infantry Brigades carried out the main attack between November 8 and 19 1948 from the Rajauri area to capture Pooch. ;

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 was part of the 7 Infantry Division under

XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to: * 11th Army Corps (France) * XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * ...

. It was tasked to advance along the

Khalra Khalra village is located in Patti Tehsil of Tarn Taran district in Punjab, India. It is situated 27 km away from sub-district headquarter Patti and 35 km away from district headquarter Tarn Taran. According to Census 2011 informatio ...

Burki The Ormur ( ps, اورمړ), also called Burki or Baraki ( ps, برکي), are an Iranian peoples, Eastern Iranic people mainly living in Baraki Barak, Logar Province, Logar, Afghanistan and in Kaniguram, South Waziristan. Despite speaking their ...

axis and capture the adjacent bridge over the

Ichhogil canal __NOTOC__ Bambanwala-Ravi-Bedian Canal (BRB Canal), also called Ichogil Canal, is a manmade waterway in Pakistan that takes off from the Upper Chenab Canal near the Bambanwala village (to the west of Daska), runs southeast until reaching close t ...

and

Bedian Bedian (), also spelled Badian, is a village in the Kasur District of Punjab, Pakistan, close to the India-Pakistan border. The village was founded by the Sikh preacher Baba Sahib Singh Bedi during the region of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After th ...

. The attack was partially successful and following the

Battle of Burki The Battle of Burki (Barki) was a battle fought by Indian infantry and Pakistani armour in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Barki is a village that lies south-east of Lahore near the border with Punjab,Just 11 km from the Allama Iqbal Interna ...

, Burki and Jahman villages were captured. The regiment lost 6 tanks during this operation. Lt Col SC Joshi, commanding officer of the regiment was killed while negotiating an enemy minefield. ;

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 regiment was part of 26 Infantry Division and equipped with T-55 tanks. A detachment of the regiment was part of 3 Independent Armoured Brigade. Both were under

XV Corps 15th Corps, Fifteenth Corps, or XV Corps may refer to: *XV Corps (British India) * XV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * 15th Army Corps (Russian Empire), a unit in World War I *XV Royal Bav ...

Awards and honours

Prominent winners of gallantry awards include: ;Early years *

Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander (GCIE) #Knight Commander ( KCIE) #Companion ( CIE) No appoi ...

: Major Francis Henry Rutherford Drummond, 2nd Regiment of Central India Horse; and Rissaldar Major Baha-ud-din Khan, Sardar Bahadur, 1st Regiment of Central India Horse *

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, Mon ...

: Colonel Lionel Herbert ; Imperial Visit to India, 1911 The following were honoured during the Imperial Visit of King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

to India *

Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander (GCIE) #Knight Commander ( KCIE) #Companion ( CIE) No appoi ...

: Captain Rudolph Edward Trower Hogg * Order of British India, 1st Class, with the title of " Sardar Bahadur”: Risaldar Major Malik Ghulam Muhammad Khan ;Persia * Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George : Lieutenant-Colonel James Archibald Douglas * Order of the Lion and the Sun, 3rd Class : Captain Edward Thomas Ruscombe Wickham ;

1917 Birthday Honours The 1917 Birthday Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The King, and were ...

*Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire : Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Hierom Ogilvy Spence ;World War I *

Battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

s : Somme 1916,

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 ...

, Morval,

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 ...

and

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

1914-18,

Megiddo Megiddo may refer to: Places and sites in Israel * Tel Megiddo, site of an ancient city in Israel's Jezreel valley * Megiddo Airport, a domestic airport in Israel * Megiddo church (Israel) * Megiddo, Israel, a kibbutz in Israel * Megiddo Junction, ...

Sharon Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname. In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...

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 = , ...

, and Palestine 1918. *

Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

Captain and Brevet Major

Charles Offley Harvey Major-general (United Kingdom), Major-General Sir Charles Offley Harvey, Order of the Bath, CB, Royal Victorian Order, CVO, Order of the British Empire, CBE, Military Cross, MC (16 July 1888 – 11 October 1969) was an officer in the British Indi ...

, M.V.O., M.C., 38th King George's Own Central India Horse *Companion of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire : Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Huntingdon Stable *

Indian Order of Merit The Indian Order of Merit (IOM) was a military and civilian decoration of British India. It was established in 1837, (General Order of the Governor-General of India, No. 94 of 1 May 1837) although following the Partition of India in 1947 it was ...

: Risaldar Dilawar Khan, Ressaidar Jawand Singh, Lance Daffadar Faiz Muhammad Khan, Ressaidar Lihaz Gul Khan, Jemadar Mirzaman Khan, Ressaidar Dyal Singh, RessaidarKertar Singh, Sowar Dalip Singh, Sowar Indar Singh. *

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

: Risaldar Kamaluddin Khan *

Order of British India The Order of British India was an order of merit established in 1837 by the East India Company for "long, faithful and honourable service". The company's powers were removed after the Indian Mutiny, and the Order was incorporated into the Brit ...

: Risaldar Major Amar Singh, Risaldar Dilawar Khan, Risaldar Kamaluddin Khan, Ressaidar Mohan Singh *

Indian Distinguished Service Medal The Indian Distinguished Service Medal (IDSM) was a military decoration awarded by the British Empire to Indian citizens serving in the Indian armed forces and military police. When it was instituted in 1907 it was the second highest award avail ...

: 38th King George's Own Central India Horse – 29 medals, 39th King George's Own Central India Horse – 4 medals. *

Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to ...

: Dafadar Lohrasab Khan * Indian Meritorious Service Medals: 38th King George's Own Central India Horse – 58 medals, 39th King George's Own Central India Horse – 12 medals. * Order of Saint Anna, 3rd Class : Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Percy Browne * Medaille d'Honneur avec Glaives "en Argent" : Private Frederick Mason *

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 ...

: Kot Dafadar Shawali Khan. ; World War II *

s : Keren-Asmara Road, Keren, Abyssinia 1940-41, Relief of Tobruk 1941, North Africa 1940-43,

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...

, Italy 1943-45, Greece 1944-45 *

: Sowar Ditto Ram and Lieutenant St. John Graham Young * The Indian Order of Merit (Second Class) : Risaldar Malik Mohammed Allahdad Khan, Lance-Daffadar Ram Bhaj *

: Captain D.H.G.M. Doyne Ditmas *

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...

: Lance-Daffadar Ranbir Singh *

: Lance Daffadar Kapur Singh, Sowar Yad Ram, Risaldar Ali Musa Khan, Risaldar Sis Ram, Jemadar Mohammed Bahadur Khan, Daffadar Janak Singh, Lance-Daffadar Ram Bhaj, Lance-Daffadar Khuda Baksh, Lance-Daffadar Attar Singh *

: Sowar Chabbila Ram *

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 ...

: 19 ;Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948: *

s : Rajaori, Jammu and Kashmir 1947-48, *

Maha Vir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the B ...

: Captain Arvind Nilkhanth Jatar *

Vir Chakra Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋiː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy on the battlefield and is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards and ...

: Major Karam Singh, Lieutenant Satish Chandra Joshi, Jemadar Janak Singh, Lance Daffadar Waryam Singh, Sowar Roop Chand *

: 10 ;

: *

s : Burki, Punjab 1965 *

: Lt Col Satish Chandra Joshi, Naib Risaldar Jagdish Singh *

Sena Medal The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for s ...

: Dafadar Ishwar Singh, Lance Daffadar Uttam Singh *

: 2 ;Presentation of Guidon The regiment was presented the a guidon by the then

President of India The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...

Giani Zail Singh Giani Zail Singh (, born Jarnail Singh; 5 May 1916 – 25 December 1994) was an Indian politician from Punjab who served as the seventh president of India from 1982 to 1987. He was the first Sikh and the first person from a backward caste to bec ...

on 8 January 1983.

Notable personnel

* General James Travers : Commanded the regiment in 1860 and was recipient of

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 ...

. * General Sir Henry Dermot Daly : Commanded the regiment in 1861 and was the Governor General of India's Agent in Central India between 1870 and 1881. He also raised the Daly's Horse. * General Sir Dighton Macnaghten Probyn : Commanded the regiment between 1868 and 1870, recipient of

and after whom the 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse and Probynabad are named. * General Sir John Watson : Commanded the regiment in 1871 and was recipient of

. * General Sir Samuel James Browne : Recipient of the Victoria Cross, commanded the regiment and raised

22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry The 12th Cavalry Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army. It was formed in the British Indian army in 1922 by the amalgamation of 22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) and 25th Cavalry (Frontier Force ...

*General Sir Montagu Gilbert Gerard * Sir Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain : served in the regiment in 1876 and is credited with having invented the game of

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...

while serving in Jubbulpore (

Jabalpur Jabalpur is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. According to the 2011 census, it is the third-largest urban agglomeration in Madhya Pradesh and the country's 38th-largest urban agglomeration. J ...

), India, in 1875. *

Jaswant Singh Major Jaswant Singh (; 3 January 193827 September 2020) was an officer of the Indian Army and an Indian Cabinet Minister. He was one of the founding members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and was one of India's longest serving parliamen ...

: Former Cabinet Minister of External Affairs, Finance and Defence. *Lieutenant General Misbah Mayadas, : Deputy Director of Military Operations; Director General of Weapons and Equipment; and Director General of Military Training *Lieutenant General Surinder Kumar Jetley, : Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Training and Coordination) *Lieutenant General Bhupinder Singh Thakur : Vice Chief of the Army Staff, January - September 2005 * Lieutenant General Dewan Rabindranath Soni, : General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Southern Command and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC). *Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh Minhas : General Officer-Commanding

XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII ...

* Major General K Zorawar Singh,

Uniforms and insignia

The original uniforms were modelled upon that of the

Guides A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Exp ...

. The men wore

khaki The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge. Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage relative to sandy ...

, the

facings A facing colour is a common tailoring technique for European military uniforms where the visible inside lining of a standard military jacket, coat or tunic is of a different colour to that of the garment itself.René Chartrand, William Younghusba ...

being maroon, a blue Ludhiana

pagri Phari or Pagri (; ) is a town in Yadong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China near the border with Bhutan. The border can be accessed through a secret road/trail connecting Tsento Gewog in Bhutan () known as Tremo La. the town had a popula ...

, white

breeches Breeches ( ) are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each human leg, leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Weste ...

, scarlet

lungi The lungi is a type of sarong that originated in the Indian Subcontinent. The Lungi, which usually multicoloured, is a men's skirt usually tied around the lower waist below the navel. it can be worn as casual wear and night wear, in places an ...

and black

puttee A puttee (also spelled ''puttie'', adapted from the Hindi '' paṭṭī'', meaning "bandage") is a covering for the lower part of the leg from the ankle to the knee, alternatively known as: legwraps, leg bindings, winingas, or Wickelbänder. The ...

s. The Regimental insignia consists of crossed

lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier ( lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike si ...

s with

pennon A pennon, also known as a pennant or pendant, is a long narrow flag which is larger at the hoist than at the fly. It can have several shapes, such as triangular, tapering (square tail) or triangular swallowtail (forked tail), etc. In maritime ...

s with the letters CIH inscribed between the crossing of the lances mounted with the

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

. The crown was replaced with the Ashoka Lion Capital.

References

External links

Uniforms of the late 19th Century

Central India Horse Association, UK
{{DEFAULTSORT:Central India Horse British Indian Army cavalry regiments Honourable East India Company regiments Indian World War I regiments Indian World War II regiments Military units and formations established in 1857 Armoured and cavalry regiments of the Indian Army from 1947 1857 establishments in India