The 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry was a
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
in the
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Bengal Presidency, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire.
The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company (EIC) until the Gover ...
(1842–1895) and the
British Indian Army
The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...
(1895–1921) until it was amalgamated with the
7th Hariana Lancers to form the
18th King Edward's Own Cavalry.
History
The 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry was raised at
Fatehgarh
Fatehgarh is a cantonment town in Farrukhabad district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Located on the south bank of the Ganges River, it is the administrative headquarters of Farrukhabad District. Fatehgarh derives its name from an o ...
in 1842 by Lt W H Ryves as the 8th Regiment of Bengal Irregular Cavalry.
Their first action was in 1843 during the
Gwalior campaign in central India for which they earned the battle honour ''
Punniar''.
In 1845 they were involved in the
First Anglo-Sikh War
The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company in 1845 and 1846 around the Firozpur district of Punjab. It resulted in the defeat and partial subjugation of the Sikh empire and cession of Jammu ...
and participated in the ''
Battle of Moodkee
The Battle of Mudki was fought on 18 December 1845, between the forces of the East India Company and part of the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of then declining Sikh Empire of the Punjab region, Punjab. The British army won an untidy encounter bat ...
'', the ''
Battle of Ferozeshah'' and the ''
Battle of Sobraon
The Battle of Sobraon was fought on 10 February 1847, between the forces of the East India Company and the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the declining Sikh Empire of the Punjab region, Punjab. The Sikhs were completely defeated, making this the ...
''.
They were next in action in
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
during the
1882 Anglo-Egyptian War where they were awarded the battle honours ''
Egypt 1882
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
'' as a theatre honour and for the ''
Battle of Tel-El-Kebir''. It was while on service in Egypt that
khaki
The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan (color), 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 rela ...
was worn by all ranks for the first time.
During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
they were part of the
2nd (Sialkot) Cavalry Brigade,
1st Indian Cavalry Division which arrived in France in November 1914. They were involved in the
First Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Ypres (, , – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. The battle was part of the First Battle of Flanders, in which German A ...
and other actions on the
Western Front but notably in the German
Retreat to the Hindenburg Line and the
Battle of Cambrai.
The brigade formation was:
*
17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers
* 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry
*
19th Lancers (Fane's Horse)
* Brigade Signal Troop
They moved to Egypt in March 1918 and were transferred to
22nd Mounted Brigade. They took part in
Allenby's campaign in Palestine.
The regiment then spent the period 1919–20 in West Asia on occupation duties. It returned to India in October 1920, landing at
Bombay
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
from where it took a train to
Ferozepore
Firozpur, (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Punjabi, ɪroːzpʊr also known as Ferozepur, is a city on the banks of the Sutlej River in the Firozpur District of Punjab, India. After the Partition of India in 1947, it became a border town on the In ...
which it reached on 15 October 1920.
In 1921, the regiment was amalgamated with the
7th Hariana Lancers to form the 6th/7th Cavalry. This was quickly changed in 1922 to
18th King Edward's Own Cavalry.
Regimental titles
The regiment underwent a number of changed in title until amalgamation in 1921:
* 18428th Irregular Cavalry
* 18616th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
* 18836th (The
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
's) Bengal Cavalry
* 19016th (Prince of Wales's) Bengal Cavalry
* 19036th Prince of Wales's Cavalry
* 19066th
King Edward King Edward may refer to:
Monarchs of England and the United Kingdom
* Edward the Elder (–924)
* Edward the Martyr (–978)
* Edward the Confessor (–1066)
* Edward I of England (1239–1307)
* Edward II of England (1284–1327)
* Edward III o ...
's Own Cavalry
Battle honours
The regiment was awarded the following
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 ...
:
[
: Punniar, Moodkee, Ferozeshah, ]Sobraon
Sobraon () is a village in Punjab, India. It is located west to Harike village in Tarn Taran district. The Sutlej river is to the south of this village. The village is located at 31°10'39N 74°51'10E with an altitude of 192 metres (633 feet).
...
, Egypt 1882
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, Tel-el-Kebir, Punjab Frontier
Battle honours for the First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
were awarded in 1926 to the successor regiment. These included:
:Somme 1916 __NOTOC__
Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places
*Somme (department), a department of France
*Somme, Queensland, Australia
*Canal de la Somme, a canal in France
*Somme (river), a river in France
Arts, entertainment, and media
*Somme (book), ''Somm ...
, Morval, Cambrai 1917, France and Flanders 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 Juncti ...
, Sharon
Sharon ( 'plain'), also spelled Saron, is a given name as well as a Hebrew name.
In Anglosphere, English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name, but historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In Israel, ...
, Damascus
Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
, Palestine 1918
for the service of the 6th Cavalry.[
]
See also
* 7th Hariana Lancers
* 18th King Edward's Own Cavalrysuccessor regiment
*Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Bengal Presidency, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire.
The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company (EIC) until the Gover ...
*The Great Game
The Great Game was a rivalry between the 19th-century British and Russian empires over influence in Central Asia, primarily in Afghanistan, Persia, and Tibet. The two colonial empires used military interventions and diplomatic negotiations t ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
*
*
{{British Indian Army Cavalry Regiments 1903 - 1946
British Indian Army cavalry regiments
Military units and formations established in 1842
Military units and formations disestablished in 1921
Honourable East India Company regiments
1842 establishments in British India