The 6th 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 ...
. Previously, it was known as the 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse), and was a regular cavalry regiment in 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 1921 by amalgamation of the
13th Duke of Connaught's Lancers (Watson's Horse)
The 6th Lancers is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. Previously, it was known as the 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse), and was a regular cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by amalgama ...
and the
16th Cavalry
The 6th Lancers is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. Previously, it was known as the 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse), and was a regular cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by amalgama ...
. The regiment and its predecessors have seen active service on the
North West Frontier, in
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 ...
during 1882, 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 ...
during the
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...
, the two World Wars and 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 ...
. On the
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 the Pakistan Army, where it remains in service today.
13th Duke of Connaught's Lancers (Watson’s Horse)
The 13th Duke of Connaught's Lancers was originally raised in Sep 1857, at
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. ...
, as the 4th Sikh Irregular Cavalry by Lieutenants H Cattley and
John Watson VC. Watson was appointed the commandant but did not join until 1860. He would go on to command the regiment for eleven years and is better known for introducing changes in the riding practices of the cavalry, whereby the rider would rise in the stirrups during the trot instead of bumping along in the saddle. 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 ...
of 1878–80 and in Egypt in 1882, where it fought against
Arabi Pasha Arabi may refer to:
*Ibn Arabi (1165–1240), early medieval Muslim mystic and philosopher
*Arabi (sheep)
* Arabi, Iran (disambiguation), villages in Iran
* Arabi, Ethiopia
* Arabi, Georgia, United States
*Ahmed ‘Urabi, a 19th-century Egyptian re ...
at the
Battle of Tel-el-Kebir
The Battle of Tel El Kebir (often spelled Tel-El-Kebir) was fought on 13 September 1882 at Tell El Kebir in Egypt, 110 km north-north-east of Cairo. An entrenched Egyptian force under the command of Ahmed ʻUrabi was defeated by a British ...
. It so impressed 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 ...
that he requested his mother,
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
, to appoint him as their
Colonel-in-Chief. In 1897, the regiment was engaged in suppressing the tribal uprisings on the
Northwest Frontier. During the
First World 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 regiment remained on the Northwest Frontier until July 1916, when it moved 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 ...
for the relief of
Kut-al-Amara
Kūt ( ar, ٱلْكُوت, al-Kūt), officially Al-Kut, also spelled Kutulamare or Kut al-Imara, is a city in eastern Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris River, about south east of Baghdad. the estimated population is about 389,400 people.
It ...
. On its return, it served in
Waziristan
Waziristan (Pashto and ur, , "land of the Wazir") is a mountainous region covering the former FATA agencies of North Waziristan and South Waziristan which are now districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Waziristan covers some . ...
during 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 ...
in 1919.
*1857 4th Sikh Irregular Cavalry
*1861 13th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
*1861 13th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry (Lancers)
*1874 13th Regiment of Bengal Lancers
*1884 13th (Duke of Connaught's) Regiment of Bengal Lancers
*1901 13th (Duke of Connaught's) Bengal Lancers
*1903 13th Duke of Connaught's Lancers
*1904 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse)
16th Cavalry
The 16th Cavalry was raised as the Rohilcund Horse at Haldwani in 1857 and spent the next two years pacifying the
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 ...
. In 1864, the regiment was sent to conquer
Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...
as part of the Bhutan Field Force. It was disbanded in 1882 when three regiments were broken up to provide an additional, fourth squadron for the other regiments. However, fears of a Russian invasion led to the approval for an increase in strength of the cavalry and the 16th Cavalry was reformed in 1885 at
Ambala
Ambala () is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala has two sub-area ...
. In 1900, the regiment went to China to relieve the international legations in
Peking
}
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 ...
during the
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...
. On relieving the
American Legation
The Tangier American Legation ( ar, المفوضية الأميركية في طنجة; french: Légation américaine de Tanger), officially the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIMS), is a building in the ''medina'' of ...
, the 16th Cavalry was presented with the United States flag, which had flown over the building and, for many years, it had hung in the Officers' Mess.
During the First World War, the 16th Cavalry served in the
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, troops from Britain, Australia and the vast majority from British India, against the Central Powe ...
. After the war, it 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 ...
of 1919.
![13th Bengal Lancers 1897](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/13th_Bengal_Lancers_1897.jpg)
*1857 Rohilcund Horse
*1861 16th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
*1864 16th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry (Lancers)
*1874 16th Regiment of Bengal Lancers
*1882 Disbanded
*1885 16th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry (re-raised)
*1901 16th Bengal Lancers
*1903 16th Cavalry
6th Duke of Connaught’s Own Lancers (Watson’s Horse)
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 13th Duke of Connaught's Lancers (Watson's Horse) and 16th Cavalry were amalgamated at
Meerut
Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capital ...
on 1 June 1921 as the 13th/16th Cavalry; becoming the 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers a year later. Their uniform was blue with scarlet facings, while the new badge was to be crossed lances with the figure '6' on the intersection and a scroll below, reading 'The Duke of Connaught's Own'. Their composition was one squadron each of Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs and Dogras.
![Indian troops at Temple of Heaven Peking 1900](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Indian_troops_at_Temple_of_Heaven_Peking_1900.jpg)
During the Second World War, the 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers, now mounted on armoured cars, served as the Reconnaissance Regiment of the
10th Indian Infantry Division
The 10th Indian Infantry Division was a war formed infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. In four years, the division travelled over from Tehran to Trieste, fought three small wars, and fought two great campaigns: the ...
and later with the
8th Indian Infantry Division
The 8th Mountain Division was raised as the 8th Indian Infantry division of the British Indian Army. It is now part of the Indian Army and specialises in mountain warfare.
The 8th Indian Infantry Division was formed as an infantry division in ...
in the
Italian Campaign. The regiment was engaged in a number of actions, most notably the Second Battle of Cassino, Monte Moro, crossing of the Rivers Po and Adige and the race to
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
. In August 1947, on the
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: ...
, the 6th DCO Lancers was allotted to Pakistan. The regiment's Jat Squadron went to the
7th Light Cavalry
The 7th Light Cavalry previously the 28th Light Cavalry, was a regular army cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1784 under the East India Company. The regiment later saw service on the North West Frontier and in World Wa ...
in exchange for their Punjabi Mussalman Squadron, while the Sikh Squadron was exchanged with the Punjabi Mussalmans of the
8th King George V's Own Light Cavalry
The 8th Light Cavalry traces its origins from the 8th King George's Own Light Cavalry which was formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 26th King George's Own Light Cavalry and the 30th Lancers following a re-organisation of the Indian Cavalry C ...
.
![6th DCO Lancers, San Felice, during the advance towards the Sangro](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/6th_DCO_Lancers%2C_San_Felice%2C_during_the_advance_towards_the_Sangro.jpg)
In 1956, Pakistan became a republic and all titles pertaining to the British royalty were dropped. The regiment's new designation was 6 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 ...
, 6 Lancers spearheaded the Pakistan Army's advance in the
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 ...
Sector and captured the Indian town of
Khem Karan
Khem Karan is a town and a nagar panchayat, just 56km from Tarn Taran Sahib in Tarn Taran district of Patti tehsil of the Majha region of Indian state of Punjab. It was the site of a major tank battle in 1965.
The Battle of Asal Uttar was the ...
under the dynamic leadership of their Commandant, Lieutenant Colonel Sahib Zad Gul, who fell in battle while leading his regiment.
*1921 13th/16th Cavalry (amalgamation)
*1922 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
*1927 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse)
*1956 6 Lancers
Battle honours
Afghanistan 1878–80, Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt 1882, Punjab Frontier, China 1900, Shaiba, Kut al Amara 1915, Ctesiphon, Tigris 1916, Baghdad, Kut al Amara 1917, Sharqat, Mesopotamia 1915–18, NW Frontier, India 1915, Afghanistan 1919, The Trigno, Tuffilo, The Sangro, The Moro, Cassino II, Pignataro, Liri Valley, The Senio, Santerno Crossing, Italy 1943–45, Khem Karan 1965.
[Rodger, Alexander. (2003). ''Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces 1662–1991''. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press.]
Affiliations and alliances
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 ...
See also
*
6th Lancers (India)
The 6th Lancers is an armoured regiment of the Indian Army.
Formation
6 Lancers was raised on 1 February 1984 at Nabha, Punjab as 6 Armoured Regiment. The first Commanding Officer of the Regiment was Lt Col R S Deol, SM. The class composition ...
Notes
Further reading
* Brock, Maj F. (1948).''The 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers in Italy''. Published privately.
* Gaylor, John. (1991). ''Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903- 1991.'' Stroud: Spellmount Publishers Ltd.
* Cardew, FG. (1903). ''A Sketch of the Services of the Bengal Native Army to the Year 1895''. Calcutta: Military Department.
* Harris, RG, and Warner, C. (1979). ''Bengal Cavalry Regiments 1857–1914''. London: Osprey Publishing. .
* Elliott, Maj Gen JG. (1968). ''The Frontier 1839–1947: The Story of the North-West Frontier of India''. London: Cassell.
* Trench, CC. (1988). ''The Indian Army and the King’s Enemies, 1900–1947''. London: Thames and Hudson.
* Rikhye, Maj Gen Indar Jit. (2003). ''6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers''. Charlottesville: University of Virginia.
External links
6th Duke of Connaught’s Own Lancers (Watson’s Horse) by John Gaylor at The Defence Journal
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
British Indian Army cavalry regiments
Honourable East India Company regiments
Armoured regiments of Pakistan
Indian World War I regiments
Indian World War II regiments
Military units and formations established in 1857
1857 establishments in India