13th Lancers
Encyclopedia
The 13th Lancers is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...

. It was formed in 1923 as 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Bombay Lancers by the amalgamation of 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers and 32nd Lancers. On Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...

 in 1947, the regiment was allotted to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

.

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
The Second Anglo-Maratha War was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India.-Background:...

. 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.

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
Battle of Ghazni
The Battle of Ghazni took place in city of Ghazni in central Afghanistan on July 23, 1839 during the First Anglo-Afghan War.-Prelude:...

 and took part in the march to Kabul
Battle of Kabul (1842)
for other uses of the term see Battle of KabulThe Battle of Kabul was fought from August to October, 1842, between British and Afghan forces. It was the concluding engagement of the First Anglo-Afghan War. The British advanced on Kabul from Kandahar and Jalalabad to avenge the earlier Massacre of...

. During the Second Sikh War of 1848-49 the regiment took part in the Siege of Multan
Siege of Multan
The Siege of Multan was a prolonged contest between the city and state of Multan and the British East India Company. The siege lasted between 19 April 1848, when a rebellion in the city against a ruler imposed by the East India Company precipitated the Second Anglo-Sikh War, and 22 January 1849,...

, 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
Nasirabad
Nasirabad may refer to:* Mymensingh Town, the former name of Mymensingh Town, Bangladesh* Nasirabad, India in Rajasthan, India* Nasirabad, Raibareli in Uttar Pradesh, India* Nasirabad, Ardabil, Iran* Nasirabad, alternate name of Nasrabad, Isfahan, Iran...

, 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
Third Anglo-Burmese War
The Third Anglo-Burmese War was a conflict that took place during 7–29 November 1885, with sporadic resistance and insurgency continuing into 1887. It was the final of three wars fought in the 19th century between the Burmese and the British...

. The Duke of Connaught, then Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army
Bombay Army
The Bombay Army was the army of the Bombay Presidency, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia.The Presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three presidencies to the direct...

, became their Colonel-in-Chief
Colonel-in-Chief
In the various Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel of the Regiment. They do not have an operational role. They are however kept informed of all important activities of the regiment, and pay occasional visits to its...

 in 1890. He still held the appointment in the 13th DCO Lancers on his death in January 1942. During the Kitchener
Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...

 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
North-West Frontier (military history)
The North-West Frontier was the most difficult area, from a military point of view, of the former British India in the Indian sub-continent. It remains the frontier of present-day Pakistan, extending from the Pamir Knot in the north to the Koh-i-Malik Siah in the west, and separating the...

 of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. In 1919, they served in the Third Afghan War and then went to perform garrison duties in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....

.
  • 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
Neemuch or Nimach is a town in the Malwa region in state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Neemuch shares its north eastern border with state of Rajasthan. It is the administrative headquarters of Neemuch District. Nimach is an abbreviation of "North India Mounted Artillery & Cavalry Headquarters"...

 in 1857 and took part in the pacification of Central India. One of its officers, Captain James Blair
James Blair (VC)
General James Blair VC CB was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....

, won the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

 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
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...

 late in 1916 and were the first British troops to enter Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...

. 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 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 13th Duke of Connaught’s Own Bombay Lancers. This particular merger, of course, was simply a reunion of two regiments separated more than a hundred years before. The new badge was to be 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
Vickers Medium Mark I
The Vickers Medium Mark I was a British tank of the period between the two World Wars built by Vickers.-Background:After the First World War Britain disbanded most of its tank units: their number was limited to five tank battalions, equipped with the Mark V and the Medium Mark C...

 tank and two squadrons with Staghound armoured cars
T17 Armored Car
The T17 and the T17E1 were American armored cars produced during the Second World War. They did not see service with frontline US forces but the latter was supplied via the United Kingdom to British and Commonwealth forces during the war and received the service name Staghound...

. They were deployed on frontier duties but in April 1941, left for Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 with the 10th Indian Division
10th Indian Division
The 10th Indian Division was a formation of the British Indian Army during World War I. It was the basis of Indian Expeditionary Force F which served in Egypt and was disbanded in March 1915....

. They saw action against the Vichy French in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

 and also served in Persia and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 before joining the British Eighth Army in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...

. In October 1942, they moved back to Persia and then to India. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the regiment moved to Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...

 in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....

 in support of the 5th and 23rd Indian Division
23rd Infantry Division (India)
The Indian 23rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. It fought in the Burma Campaign.-History:The division was raised on 1 January 1942, at Jhansi in Central India. Its badge was a red fighting cock on a yellow circle...

s, who were engaged in suppressing a revolt by the Indonesians. In August 1946 the regiment returned to Secunderabad
Secunderabad
Secunderabad popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh north of Hyderabad. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was founded in 1806 AD as a British cantonment...

 and on Partition of India in August 1947, the 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers were allotted to the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...

.
  • 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

13th Lancers

In 1956, Pakistan became a Republic and all titles pertaining to the British royalty were dropped. The regiment was now designated as 13th Lancer. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...

, the regiment spearheaded the advance of Pakistan Army towards Akhnoor
Akhnoor
Akhnoor is a town in Jammu district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India.Located from Jammu, Akhnoor is located in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is an extremely beautiful town...

 in Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...

. Fighting with great elan, it penetrated 23 miles inside enemy territory. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...

, 13th Lancers launched a gallant 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
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 peacekeeping force of UNTAES in former Yugoslavia.

Battle Honours

Ghuznee 1839, Affghanistan 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.

Famous Alumni

  • General James Blair
    James Blair
    James Blair may refer to:*James Blair , Australian judge, lawyer, and politician*James Blair , American Gold medalist in the 1932 Olympics...

    , VC
    Victoria Cross
    The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

    , CB
    Order of the Bath
    The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...

     (Victoria Cross recipient; Resident
    Resident (title)
    A Resident, or in full Resident Minister, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indirect rule....

     at Aden 1882-85)
  • General Sir Robert Cassels
    Robert Cassels
    General Sir Robert Archibald Cassels GCB GCSI DSO was an Indian Army officer.-Military career:Cassels was commissioned into Indian Staff Corps in 1896. He went on to serve in World War I...

    , GCB
    Order of the Bath
    The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...

    , GCSI
    Order of the Star of India
    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 # Knight Commander # Companion...

    , DSO
    Distinguished Service Order
    The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...

     (Commander-in-Chief in India 1935-41)
  • General Sir Frank Messervy
    Frank Messervy
    General Sir Frank Walter Messervy, KCSI, KBE, CB, DSO & Bar, , was a British Indian Army officer in both the First and Second World Wars...

    , KCSI
    Order of the Star of India
    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 # Knight Commander # Companion...

    , KBE, CB
    Order of the Bath
    The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...

    , DSO
    Distinguished Service Order
    The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...

     & Bar
    Medal bar
    A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...

     (WWII Commander & First Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army 1947-48)
  • General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher
    Roy Bucher
    General Sir Roy Bucher KBE CB MC was Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.-Military career:Educated at the Edinburgh Academy, Bucher served in World War I with 1st Bn Cameronians in France from 1914 to 1915 when he joined the 55th Cokes Rifles in India...

    , KBE, CB
    Order of the Bath
    The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...

    , MC
    Military Cross
    The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....

     (Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army 1948-49)
  • General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
    Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
    General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq , was the 4th Chief Martial Law Administrator and the sixth President of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988...

     (President 1978-88 and Chief of Army Staff 1976-88)
  • General Jehangir Karamat
    Jehangir Karamat
    General Jehangir Karamat, NI, TBt, afwc, psc, fsc, is a retired four-star general and a renowned military scientist who served as the former Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army from January 1996 to October 1998, and then former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States from November 2004 to June...

    , NI (M), TBt
    Awards and decorations of the Pakistan military
    The awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces recognize a service member's service and personal accomplishments while a member of the Pakistan armed forces...

     (Chief of Army Staff 1996-98)

Further reading

  • Ahmad, Lt Col Rifat Nadeem. (2010). Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment. Abbottabad: The Baloch Regimental Centre.
  • Ahmed, Lt Gen Mahmud. (2006). History of Indo-Pak War – 1965. Rawalpindi: Services Book Club.
  • Cadell, Sir Patrick. (1938). History of the Bombay Army. London: Longmans & Green.
  • Cloughley, Col Brian. (1999). A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections. Karachi: Oxford University Press.
  • Gaylor, J. (1992). Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903- 1991. Stroud: Spellmount Publishers Ltd. ISBN 978-0-946771-98-1
  • Kempton, C. (1996). A Register of Titles of the Units of the H.E.I.C. & Indian Armies 1666-1947. Bristol: British Empire & Commonwealth Museum. ISBN 978-0-9530174-0-9
  • Newport-Tinley, Col GF. (1910). A Brief Sketch of His Majesty’s 31st Duke of Connaught’s Own Lancers, Indian Army. Bombay: Bombay Gazette Electrical Printing Works.
  • Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. (1989). The Pakistan Army 1947-49, Rawalpindi: Services Book Club.
  • Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. (1984). The Pakistan Army: War 1965, Rawalpindi: Services Book Club.
  • Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. (1990). The Pakistan Army 1966-71. Rawalpindi: Services Book Club.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK