The 11th Cavalry (Frontier Force), is an armoured regiment of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the 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 British India, which occurred as a result ...

. It was previously known as the 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry and was a regular cavalry regiment of the old

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 cou ...

. It was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of the 21st Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) and the 23rd Cavalry.Effendi, Col MY. (2007). ''Punjab Cavalry: 11 Cavalry (Frontier Force) 1849–1971''. Karachi: Oxford University Press.

21st Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) (Daly's Horse)

The 21st Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) (Daly's Horse) was raised as the 1st Punjab Irregular Cavalry by Lieutenant

Henry Daly General Sir Henry Dermot Daly (25 October 1823 – 21 July 1895) was a senior British Indian Army officer, colonial administrator, Liberal Unionist politician and founder of Daly College. Biography Daly was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Franc ...

at Peshawar on 18 May 1849. It was one of five regiments of Punjab Cavalry raised to guard the North West Frontier of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

, which soon became famous as part of the legendary Punjab Frontier Force or the Piffers. Over the next decades, the regiment saw extensive service on the Frontier. During 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 for ...

of 1857–58, the regiment operated in North India and took part in the

Siege of Delhi The siege of Delhi was one of the decisive conflicts of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The rebellion against the authority of the East India Company was widespread through much of Northern India, but essentially it was sparked by the mass ...

and the Relief of Lucknow, where Lieutenant John Watson 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 previousl ...

. During 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 ...

of 1878–80, it formed part of Kandahar Field Force and fought in the

Battle of Ahmed Khel The Battle of Ahmed Khel took place during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. It was fought on 19 April 1880, on the road between Kandahar and Kabul in central Afghanistan between Afghan tribesmen and soldiers of the British Empire, including forces fro ...

. In 1890, Prince

Albert Victor Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (Albert Victor Christian Edward; 8 January 1864 – 14 January 1892) was the eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark, Queen Alexandra) ...

, the Crown Prince of Britain was gazetted as their Colonel-in-Chief, giving his name to the regiment, which has endured to this day. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, the regiment 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 Po ...

as part of

6th Indian Cavalry Brigade The 6th Indian Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the Indian Army during the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and was broken up soon after the end of the war. ...

. It fought on the Tigris Front and took part in the capture of Kut al Amara and

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

. It also fought in the Actions of Istabulat,

Ramadi Ramadi ( ar, ٱلرَّمَادِي ''Ar-Ramādī''; also formerly rendered as ''Rumadiyah'' or ''Rumadiya'') is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad and west of Fallujah. It is the capital and largest city of Al Anbar Governorate w ...

, Daur and Tikrit. Later it saw service in

Kurdistan Kurdistan ( ku, کوردستان ,Kurdistan ; lit. "land of the Kurds") or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languag ...

and took part in the capture of

Kirkuk Kirkuk ( ar, كركوك, ku, کەرکووک, translit=Kerkûk, , tr, Kerkük) is a city in Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate, located north of Baghdad. The city is home to a diverse population of Turkmens, Arabs, Kurds ...

.North, REFG. (1934). ''The Punjab Frontier Force: A Brief Record of Their Services 1846–1924''. DI Khan: Commercial Steam Press * 1849 1st Punjab Irregular Cavalry * 1851 1st Regiment of Cavalry, Punjab Irregular Force * 1865 1st Regiment of Cavalry, Punjab Frontier Force 1st (PAVO) Punjab Cavalry 1900

* 1890 1st (Prince Albert Victor's Own) Regiment of Cavalry, Punjab Frontier Force * 1901 1st (Prince Albert Victor's Own) Punjab Cavalry * 1903 21st Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) * 1904 21st Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) (Daly's Horse)

23rd Punjab Cavalry (Frontier Force)

The 23rd Cavalry was raised as the 3rd Punjab Irregular Cavalry by Lieutenant WG Prendergast at Lahore in 1849, and it too saw extensive service on the Frontier with the Punjab Frontier Force. During the Second Afghan War, it was part of the Kabul Field Force, and took part in Lord Roberts' famous march from

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 #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...

and fought in the

Battle of Kandahar Battle of Kandahar may refer to: * Battle of Kandahar (1880), the last major conflict of the Second Anglo-Afghan War * Battle of Kandahar (2001), the fall of the city in 2001, signaling the end of organized Taliban control of Afghanistan * Battl ...

. During the First World War, the regiment served in

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 ...

as part of the

11th Indian Cavalry Brigade The 11th Indian Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the Indian Army during the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and was broken up soon after the end of the war. ...

and was part of General

Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...

's failed advance towards Baghdad. It then served on the Tigris Front. Later on, it moved to the Euphrates Front and fought in the Battles of

Khan Baghdadi Khan may refer to: *Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan *Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name *Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...

and Sharqat. One of its squadrons served in Persian Arabistan. On their return to Indian they saw service 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. * 1849 3rd Punjab Irregular Cavalry * 1851 3rd Regiment of Cavalry, Punjab Irregular Force * 1865 3rd Regiment of Cavalry, Punjab Frontier Force * 1901 3rd Punjab Cavalry * 1903 23rd Punjab Cavalry (Frontier Force)

Combined regiment

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 21st and 23rd Cavalry were amalgamated in 1921 to form 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force). The uniform of PAVO Cavalry was blue with scarlet facings. The new regiment's badge consisted of the Kandahar Star representing the five rivers of the

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

. Its class composition was one squadron each of Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs and Dogras. The regiment was mechanised in 1940. 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 opposi ...

, it initially served 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

Iran 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 then went on to

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 ...

, where it fought in the

Battle of Gazala The Battle of Gazala (near the village of ) was fought during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, west of the port of Tobruk in Libya, from 26 May to 21 June 1942. Axis troops of the ( Erwin Rommel) consisting of German an ...

. It then moved to

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 C. Wells, Joh ...

, where it greatly distinguished itself against the Japanese. In 1946, the regiment was sent to 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, whic ...

(

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

) to pacify the country after the surrender of the Japanese. On

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the 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: India and Pakistan. T ...

in 1947, PAVO Cavalry 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 ...

. The regiment was soon engaged in fighting the Indians 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 ...

. In 1956, Pakistan became a republic and all titles pertaining to British royalty were dropped. The regiment's new designation was 11th Cavalry (Frontier Force). 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 ...

, 11th Cavalry took part in Pakistan Army's advance towards

Akhnur 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 Pa ...

in Kashmir. It then fought in the

Battle of Chawinda {{Infobox military conflict , width = 380px , image = File:Sculpture showing Indo-Pak war.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = Sculpture showing the Indo-Pakistani War {{clear {{OSM Location map , co ...

. In 1971, the regiment again served in the Chhamb Sector of Kashmir. It is the only armoured regiment of Pakistan Army to carry

Battle Honours 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 ...

on its

Regimental Colours In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some ...

for all three wars fought with India. * 1921 21st/23rd Cavalry (amalgamation) * 1922 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) * 1927 Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (11th Frontier Force) * 1956 11th Cavalry (Frontier Force)

Badge

The badge worn by 11 Cavalry (Frontier Force) since 1974 is an amalgamation of badges of 21st Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) (Daly's Horse) and 23rd Punjab Cavalry (Frontier Force). It consists of the

Kabul to Kandahar Star The Kabul to Kandahar Star, also known as the Roberts Star or Kandahar Bronze Star was awarded to those British and Indian troops who participated in the 320 mile march from Kabul to Kandahar in Afghanistan between 9–31 August 1880, under the c ...

taken from the badge of 23rd Punjab Cavalry that participated in the Second Afghan War. The swords are taken from the badge of 21st PAVO Cavalry, however, Christian Swords were replaced by Muslim Swords. The Arabic Numerals "١١" replaced the English Numerals "11". Quranic Verse replaced "KABUL TO KANDHAR 1880" around the Numeral "١١". The bugle on top shows association of this regiment with PIFFERS.

Battle Honours

British India:Rodger, Alexander. (2003). ''Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces 1662–1991''. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press. * Delhi 1857 * Lucknow 1857 * Afghanistan 1878–80 * Ahmad Khel 1880 * Kandahar 1880, * Mesopotamia 1915–18 * Kut al Amara 1917 * Baghdad 1917 * Khan Baghdadi 1918 * Sharqat 1918 * Afghanistan 1919 * El Mechili 1941 (Libya) * Halfaya 1941 (Egypt) * Gazala 1941 (Egypt) * Bir Hacheim 1942 (Egypt) * Kohima 1944 (India) * Monywa 1945 (Burma) * Myinmu 1945 (Burma) * Irrawaddy 1945 (Burma) * Meiktilla 1945 (Burma) * Mandalay 1945 (Burma) * Rangoon 1945 (Burma) * Malaya 1945 * Java 1946 (Malaya) Pakistan: * Kashmir 1948 * Chhamb 1965 * Chawinda 1965 * Chhamb 1971

Affiliations & Alliances

* The 9th Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment *

1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (QDG) is a regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps of the British Army. Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the regiment recruits from Wales and the bordering English counties of Cheshire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, ...

References

External links

General Sir Henry Dermot Daly
{{British Indian Army Cavalry Regiments 1903 - 1946 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 1849 1921 establishments in British India R Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948