The 13th Lancers is an armoured regiment of

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

. 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 The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

in 1947, the regiment was allotted to

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

.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 Second Anglo-Maratha War (from 1803 –1805) was a large conflict within the Maratha Confederacy, Maratha Empire involving the British East India Company. It resulted in major loss of territory for the Marathas, including regions around Delhi a ...

. 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 in 1839 when they fought in the Battle of Ghazni and took part in the march to

Kabul Kabul 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. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...

. During the

Second Sikh War The Second Anglo-Sikh War was a military conflict between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company which took place from 1848 to 1849. It resulted in the fall of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab region, Punjab and what sub ...

of 1848-49 the regiment took part in the Siege of Multan, 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 (), also known as the Third Burma War, took place during 7–29 November 1885, with sporadic resistance continuing into 1887. It was the final of three wars fought in the 19th century between the Burmese and the Br ...

. The Duke of Connaught (

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 Gove ...

(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 British India within the British Empire. It was established in 1668 and governed by the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferr ...

, became their

Colonel-in-Chief Colonel-in-Chief is a ceremonial position in an army regiment. It is in common use in several Commonwealth armies, where it is held by the regiment's patron, usually a member of the royal family. Some armed forces take a light-hearted approach to ...

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, 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 by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. In 1919, they served in the Third Afghan War and then went to perform garrison duties in

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

. * 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 city in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. The town shares its northwestern border with the state of Rajasthan and is the administrative headquarters of Neemuch District. Formerly a large British people, British cantonm ...

in 1857 and took part in the pacification of Central India. One of its officers, Captain James Blair, won the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

during these operations. Under Kitchener's Reforms, the 2nd Bombay Lancers was redesignated as the 32nd Lancers.

During the Great War, the 32nd went to

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

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 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 tank and two squadrons with armoured cars. They were deployed on frontier duties but in April 1941, left for

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

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 S ...

. They saw action against the

Vichy French Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against G ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

and also served in

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and

before joining the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was a field army of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed as the Western Army on 10 September 1941, in Egypt, before being renamed the Army of the Nile and then the Eighth Army on 26 September. It was cr ...

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

. In October 1942, they moved back to Persia and then to India. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the regiment moved to

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

in the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

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 () 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 is the headquarters of the South ...

and on Partition of India in August 1947, the 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers were allotted to the

. * 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 regiment spearheaded the advance of the Pakistan Army towards

Akhnoor Akhnoor is a town 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 ...

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, 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 P ...

. Fighting with ''elan'', it penetrated 23 miles inside enemy territory. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, 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 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.Rodger, Alexander. (2003). ''Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces 1662-1991''. The Crowood Press.

Notable officers

* General James Blair, VC, CB (Victoria Cross recipient; Resident at

Aden Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...

1882–1885) * 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 (:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India, GCSI) # K ...

, DSO (Commander-in-Chief in India 1935–1941) * General Sir Frank Messervy, KCSI,

KBE KBE may refer to: * Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, post-nominal letters * Knowledge-based engineering Knowledge-based engineering (KBE) is the application of knowledge-based systems technology to the domain o ...

, CB, DSO & Bar (World War II Commander & First Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army 1947–48) * General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher,

, CB, MC (Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army 1948–49) * General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (President 1978-88 and Chief of Army Staff 1976–1988) * General Jehangir Karamat, NI (M), TBt ( Chief of Army Staff 1996–1998) * Brigadier

Mervyn Cardoza Brigadier Mervyn Adrian Cardoza (1922 – 17 November 2010) was a one-star general in the Pakistan Army. In 1965, Cardoza was awarded the Tamgha-e-Khidmat by President Ayub Khan (Field Marshal), Ayub Khan for Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. B ...

, Tamgha-e-Khidmat, Director Logistics 1971 *Gen Naveed Mukhtar, DG ISI, Ex-Corps Commander Karachi, Pakistan

References

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