Indian Long Range Squadron
Encyclopedia
The Indian Long Range Squadron or ILRS was a unit of the British Indian Army
during the Second World War. It was formed by asking for volunteers from the, 2nd Lancers
, 11th Cavalry
and the 18th Cavalry
all part of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade
. It was originally formed to patrol the borders between the Soviet Union
and Persia and Afghanistan
. The ILRS was trained by and performed some missions with the Long Range Desert Group
(LRDG) but was not a part of the LRDG.
), 'M' (Muslim
) and 'S' (Sikh
) (S). In December 1941, 'J' and 'R' patrols were attached to the LRDG, their designations were changed to 'I1' and 'I2' to avoid confusion with the New Zealand
'R' Patrol. In October 1942 the other two Indian patrols 'M' and 'S' were also attached to the LRDG and which became the 'I3' and 'I4' patrols.
The commander of the ILRS was Major
Samuel Vallis Mcoy MBE
, the patrol commanders were:
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
during the Second World War. It was formed by asking for volunteers from the, 2nd Lancers
2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)
The 2nd Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1809. It served in the Nepal and First World Wars. During the reconstruction of the British Indian Army in 1922 it was amalgamated with the 4th Cavalry....
, 11th Cavalry
11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force)
The 11th Cavalry also known as PAVO Cavalry, is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. 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...
and the 18th Cavalry
18th King Edward's Own Cavalry
The 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry was a regular cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922 by the amalagamation of the 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry and the 7th Hariana Lancers...
all part of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade
3rd Indian Motor Brigade
The 3rd Indian Motor Brigade was a unit of the Indian Army during World War II, formed in 1940. In its short history one of its regiments would be involved in the siege of Tobruk and the brigade was twice overrun during the Western Desert Campaign by units of the Afrika Corps and the Italian...
. It was originally formed to patrol the borders between the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Persia and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The ILRS was trained by and performed some missions with the Long Range Desert Group
Long Range Desert Group
The Long Range Desert Group was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength".Originally called...
(LRDG) but was not a part of the LRDG.
Formation
The ILRS was formed on 25 December 1941, and comprised four patrols: 'J' (Jat), 'P' (PunjabiPunjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
), 'M' (Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
) and 'S' (Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
) (S). In December 1941, 'J' and 'R' patrols were attached to the LRDG, their designations were changed to 'I1' and 'I2' to avoid confusion with the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
'R' Patrol. In October 1942 the other two Indian patrols 'M' and 'S' were also attached to the LRDG and which became the 'I3' and 'I4' patrols.
The commander of the ILRS was Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Samuel Vallis Mcoy MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
, the patrol commanders were:
- 'J' Patrol LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
James Edward Cantlay - 'P' Patrol Captain Travers John Durrant Birdwood]
- 'M' Patrol Captain Alan Browning Rand
- 'S' Patrol Lieutenant Gilbert William Nangle