The Poona Horse
Encyclopedia
The Poona Horse is an armoured regiment
in the Armoured Corps
of the Indian Army
. The regiment, known before independence as The Poona Horse (17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry), was raised as a regular cavalry regiment in the Bombay Presidency
army of the East India Company
. It was formed from the 3rd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry, raised in 1820, and the Poona Auxiliary Horse, raised about 1817-18. The latter unit was absorbed into the regular forces about 1860 and the two regiments later became the 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry and the 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse. These were amalgamated in 1921 into the present regiment, the battle honours of which tell of service in three Afghan Wars, in Persia, Abyssinia and China, as well as in the Great War. The regiment has fought with distinction in the 1965
and 1971
Indo-Pak Wars with an officer winning India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra
, in each war.
between the British Governor-General of India
Lord Hastings
and Baji Rao II
of the Peshwas, a cavalry regiment was raised on 15 June 1817. As per the treaty the force would be maintained by the Peshwa and was supposed to be permanently stationed in the territory of Peshwas. The interesting part of the treaty was that the force could have been used against the Peshwa by the British when necessary. The regiment was raised under the order of Mountstuart Elphinstone
the Governor of Bombay.
The two Regiments that would go onto form the Poona Horse were the 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry and the 34th Prince Albert victor's Own Poona Horse
, as part of the 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade. They were brigaded with the 7th Dragoon Guards
and the 20th Deccan Horse.
The Brigade was dispatched to France
and fought on the Western Front
their first action being the First Battle of Ypres
.
in the Neuve Chapelle sector on arrival they discovered that the Gurkha
s defences had been breached and overrun. The Poona Horse was asked to recapture the position. The Regiment launched a counter attack in daylight and without any artillery support. The Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Swanston who was leading the attack was killed.
In France the regiment would be involved in the Battle of Givenchy,Battle of La Basse,Battle of Armentiers,Battle of the Somme-1916,Battle of Flers-Courselette,Battle of Cambrai-1917.
In February 1918, the Poona Horse and all the other Indian Cavalry Regiments in France, was deplyoed to Palestine
to join General Allenby’s forces.
and the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
.
The force also consisted of the 4th Cavalry Division,the Australian Mounted Division
and the Anzac Mounted Division
.
On 19 September 1918, the allied offensive began. The Infantry broke through the Turkish defences and the Desert Mounted Corps followed up. When they reached the Gates of Damascus
, the Poona Horse, along with rest of the 14th Cavalry Brigade, were tasked with patrolling the road from Homs to Damascus Road. When they charged a party of Arabs who ran off leaving a large car behind with a Europe
an seated inside the Risaldar Major Hamir Singh, believing him to be a spy, demanded his surrender. The European turned out to be Colonel TE Lawrence. “El Aurens” was not amused.
At 1015hrs on the morning of 1 October 1918, the Regiment entered Damascus and after the rest of the Brigade. The Regiment was ordered to take Rayak and then march onto Aleppo
, which they reached on 25 October just prior to the Armistice was signed on 30 October in Mudros Harbour, abroad the battleship .
as part of the 6th (Poona) Division
to counter Turkish advances and to protect the oil fields. They were involved in the Battle of Shaiba
and the Battle of Ctesiphon
.
they were brigaded with the,
1st Lancers
and “M” Battery, Royal Horse Artillery
. On 6 May 1919, they received the information that the Afghan Army had attacked the outpost at Landi Khanna,North of the Khyber Pass
, and was advancing into India.
The Infantry attacked the Khyber Pass to push the Afghans back. Once the pass had been cleared the Cavalry advanced and after some skirmishing,and two set piece battles, the Afghan Army was dispersed..
. This change was promulgated under Indian Army Order No 1257 November 22, 1921. Based on this decision, the 33rd Light Cavalry and 34th Poona Horse were amalgamated as the 33rd/34th Cavalry, which was changed in 1922 to the 17th Queen Victoria's
Own Poona Horse..
The Regiments new organisation was now three sabre squadrons and a headquarters squadron, which would contain all the specialists, i.e, machine gunners, signalers etc, into one squadron..
The Headquarters Squadron now had a mortar troop, signals troop, 'B' echelon administrative troop and light Aid Detachment for forward vehicle recovery and repair. The sabre Squadrons each now comprised a Squadron Headquarters, four armoured carrier troops and one rifle troop. Each troop had four Bren carriers and the rifle troop was mounted in four 15 cwt Chevrolet trucks now mechanised they become the Divisional reconnaissance regiment for the 6th Indian Division and deployed to Iraq
.
In 1942 the regiment was ordered to the middle east to join the British Eighth Army. In the closing stages of the First Battle of El Alamein
, the Poona Horse was the guard force for General Claude Auchinleck
, the commander of the 8th Army at the tactical headquarters sited on the Ruweisat Ridge
, the most prominent tactical feature of the Alamein position. This was the highlight of the Regiment's war for they were then ordered back to Iraq as part of the British Tenth Army
.
In September 1944 the Regiment was sent to Cyprus
on garrison duties and were still there in May 1945 when Germany surrendered.
The Regiment returned to India in October 1945 and were issued their first tanks, the Stuart MK IV
.
and participated in Operation Polo
, Operation Ablaze and Operation Nepal.
The division consisted of the 9th Armoured Brigade and 43rd Lorried Infantry Brigade. The Armoured Brigade consisted of the 16th Cavalry, Hodson's Horse
and the Poona Horse equipped with upgunned Sherman tanks and Centurion tank
s.
.
.
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in the Armoured Corps
Indian Army Armoured Corps
The Indian Army Armoured Corps is one of the combat arms of the Indian Army. Formed in 1947 from two-thirds of the personnel and assets of the Raj's Indian Armoured Corps. It currently consists of 63 armoured regiments, including the president's bodyguards. The naming of the regiments varies...
of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
. The regiment, known before independence as The Poona Horse (17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry), was raised as a regular cavalry regiment in the Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
army of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. It was formed from the 3rd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry, raised in 1820, and the Poona Auxiliary Horse, raised about 1817-18. The latter unit was absorbed into the regular forces about 1860 and the two regiments later became the 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry and the 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse. These were amalgamated in 1921 into the present regiment, the battle honours of which tell of service in three Afghan Wars, in Persia, Abyssinia and China, as well as in the Great War. The regiment has fought with distinction in the 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...
and 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...
Indo-Pak Wars with an officer winning India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra
Param Vir Chakra
The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It can be, and often has been, awarded posthumously....
, in each war.
History
In accordance with the article VI of The Treaty of PoonaTreaty of Poona
The Treaty of Poona was signed in 1817 between the East India Company and the Peshwa of Bundelkhand. The treaty resulted in the British gaining control of the territory....
between the British Governor-General of India
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
Lord Hastings
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings KG PC , styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783 and known as The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an Irish-British politician and military officer who served as...
and Baji Rao II
Baji Rao II
Baji Rao II was the last Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy, and governed from 1796 to 1818. His reign was marked by confrontations with the British.-Biography:...
of the Peshwas, a cavalry regiment was raised on 15 June 1817. As per the treaty the force would be maintained by the Peshwa and was supposed to be permanently stationed in the territory of Peshwas. The interesting part of the treaty was that the force could have been used against the Peshwa by the British when necessary. The regiment was raised under the order of Mountstuart Elphinstone
Mountstuart Elphinstone
Mountstuart Elphinstone was a Scottish statesman and historian, associated with the government of British India. He later became the Governor of Bombay where he is credited with the opening of several educational institutions accessible to the Indian population...
the Governor of Bombay.
The two Regiments that would go onto form the Poona Horse were the 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry and the 34th Prince Albert victor's Own Poona Horse
33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry
Raised at Sirur on 4 May 1820 by Major Peter Delamotte.- 1820 3rd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry.
- 1861 3rd Regiment of Bombay Silladar Light Cavalry.
- 1861 3rd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry.
- 1876 3rd (The Queen's Own) Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry
- 1903 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry.
- 1911 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry.
- 1921 33rd/34th Cavalry.
- 1922 17th Queen Victoria's Own Poona Horse.
- 1927 The Poona Horse (17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry).
- 1947 To Indian Army.
- 1950 The Poona Horse (17 Horse)
34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse
Raised at Poona (now Pune) on 15 July 1817 as a result of the treaty between the HEIC and The Peshwa Bajee Rao II.- 1817 The Auxiliary Horse
- 1818 The Poona Auxiliary Horse.
- 1847 The Poona Irregular Horse.
- 1861 4th Regiment of Poona Silladar Horse.
- 1861 1st Regiment of Poona Horse.
- 1862 The Poona Horse.
- 1885 4th Bombay Cavalry (Poona Horse).
- 1890 4th (Prince Albert Victor's Own) Bombay Cavalry (Poona Horse).
- 1903 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse.
- 1921 33rd/34th Cavalry.
- 1922 17th Queen Victoria's Own Poona Horse.
- 1927 The Poona Horse ( 17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry).
- 1947 To Indian Army.
- 1950 The Poona Horse ( 17 Horse)
World War I
In August 1914, the Poona Horse was stationed at SecunderabadSecunderabad
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...
, as part of the 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade. They were brigaded with the 7th Dragoon Guards
7th Dragoon Guards
The 7th Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1688. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards in 1922....
and the 20th Deccan Horse.
The Brigade was dispatched to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and fought on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
their first action being the First Battle of Ypres
First Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...
.
France
On 2 November 1914 the regiment was sent to reinforce the 2nd Gurkhas2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)
The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India's independence in 1947. The 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles , where it exists to this day...
in the Neuve Chapelle sector on arrival they discovered that the Gurkha
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
s defences had been breached and overrun. The Poona Horse was asked to recapture the position. The Regiment launched a counter attack in daylight and without any artillery support. The Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Swanston who was leading the attack was killed.
In France the regiment would be involved in the Battle of Givenchy,Battle of La Basse,Battle of Armentiers,Battle of the Somme-1916,Battle of Flers-Courselette,Battle of Cambrai-1917.
In February 1918, the Poona Horse and all the other Indian Cavalry Regiments in France, was deplyoed to 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....
to join General Allenby’s forces.
Palestine
The Poona Horse arrived in Egypt in April 1918, they now formed the 14th Cavalry Brigade of the 5th Cavalry Division with the Deccan Horse9th Royal Deccan Horse
The 9th Royal Deccan Horse was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army , it was formed from the amalgamation of two regiments after World War I. They saw service from the Mutiny of 1857 up to and including World War II.-Formation:...
and the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry is one of the five squadrons of the Royal Yeomanry , an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army. Designated as 'S' Squadron, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry's current role is to support the Formation Reconnaissance Regiments and the Joint Chemical Biological Nuclear...
.
The force also consisted of the 4th Cavalry Division,the Australian Mounted Division
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division was a mounted infantry division formed in Egypt during World War I. When the British forces in the Middle East expanded in late 1916, a second mounted division was created called the Imperial Mounted Division...
and the Anzac Mounted Division
Anzac Mounted Division
The ANZAC Mounted Division was a mounted infantry and mounted rifles division formed in March 1916 in Egypt during World War I following the Battle of Gallipoli when the Australian and New Zealand regiments returned from fighting dismounted as infantry...
.
On 19 September 1918, the allied offensive began. The Infantry broke through the Turkish defences and the Desert Mounted Corps followed up. When they reached the Gates of Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, the Poona Horse, along with rest of the 14th Cavalry Brigade, were tasked with patrolling the road from Homs to Damascus Road. When they charged a party of Arabs who ran off leaving a large car behind with a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an seated inside the Risaldar Major Hamir Singh, believing him to be a spy, demanded his surrender. The European turned out to be Colonel TE Lawrence. “El Aurens” was not amused.
At 1015hrs on the morning of 1 October 1918, the Regiment entered Damascus and after the rest of the Brigade. The Regiment was ordered to take Rayak and then march onto Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, which they reached on 25 October just prior to the Armistice was signed on 30 October in Mudros Harbour, abroad the battleship .
Mesopotamia
The 33rd Queen Victoria's Own were sent to MesopotamiaMesopotamia
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...
as part of the 6th (Poona) Division
Indian 6th Infantry Division
For the World War I formation see 6th DivisionThe 6th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II, created on 1 March 1941 in Secunderabad. On 11 September 1941 it was shipped to the Iraq and later Iran. During 1942 and 1943 it was part of the Tenth Army...
to counter Turkish advances and to protect the oil fields. They were involved in the Battle of Shaiba
Battle of Shaiba
The Battle of Shaiba, 12–14 April 1915 was between British forces and Ottoman forces that were trying to retake the city of Basra from the British.-Background:...
and the Battle of Ctesiphon
Battle of Ctesiphon (1915)
The Battle of Ctesiphon was fought in November 1915 by the British Empire and British India, against the Ottoman Empire, within the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I....
.
Between the wars
In 1919, the 33rd Light Cavalry now part of the 1st Cavalry Brigade was posted to RisalpurRisalpur
Risalpur is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 15 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and...
they were brigaded with the,
1st Lancers
1st Duke of York's Own Skinner's Horse
The 1st Duke of York's Own Lancers was a unit of the British Indian Army from 1922 to independence and thereafter a unit of the Indian Army....
and “M” Battery, Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
. On 6 May 1919, they received the information that the Afghan Army had attacked the outpost at Landi Khanna,North of the Khyber Pass
Khyber Pass
The Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world....
, and was advancing into India.
The Infantry attacked the Khyber Pass to push the Afghans back. Once the pass had been cleared the Cavalry advanced and after some skirmishing,and two set piece battles, the Afghan Army was dispersed..
Amalgamation
In 1920, the decision was made to reduce the number of Indian Cavalry Regiments from 39 to 21. This would leave the army with 18 amalgamated regiments, plus the 27th Light Cavalry, the 28th Light Cavalry and the Guides Cavalry10th Queen Victoria's Own Corps Of Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force)
The Guides Cavalry is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army which was raised in 1846 as The Corps of Guides. During more than a hundred and fifty years of glorious military service, the regiment has earned the reputation of one of the most glamorous military units in the world.-Historical...
. This change was promulgated under Indian Army Order No 1257 November 22, 1921. Based on this decision, the 33rd Light Cavalry and 34th Poona Horse were amalgamated as the 33rd/34th Cavalry, which was changed in 1922 to the 17th Queen Victoria's
Own Poona Horse..
The Regiments new organisation was now three sabre squadrons and a headquarters squadron, which would contain all the specialists, i.e, machine gunners, signalers etc, into one squadron..
World War II
The Poona Horse was one of two Indian Army cavalry regiments selected to remain horsed while the rest of the cavalry was mechanised. This situation did not last long and just after the start of the war the regiment was mechanised.The Headquarters Squadron now had a mortar troop, signals troop, 'B' echelon administrative troop and light Aid Detachment for forward vehicle recovery and repair. The sabre Squadrons each now comprised a Squadron Headquarters, four armoured carrier troops and one rifle troop. Each troop had four Bren carriers and the rifle troop was mounted in four 15 cwt Chevrolet trucks now mechanised they become the Divisional reconnaissance regiment for the 6th Indian Division and deployed to 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....
.
In 1942 the regiment was ordered to the middle east to join the British Eighth Army. In the closing stages of the First Battle of El Alamein
First Battle of El Alamein
The First Battle of El Alamein was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, fought between Axis forces of the Panzer Army Africa commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and Allied forces The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert...
, the Poona Horse was the guard force for General Claude Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
, the commander of the 8th Army at the tactical headquarters sited on the Ruweisat Ridge
Ruweisat Ridge
Ruweisat Ridge is a geographical feature in the Western Egyptian desert, mid way between the Mediterranean Sea and the Qattara Depression. It was a prominent part of the defence line in the First and Second Battle of El Alamein. During the Second Battle of El Alamein, the 4th Indian Infantry...
, the most prominent tactical feature of the Alamein position. This was the highlight of the Regiment's war for they were then ordered back to Iraq as part of the British Tenth Army
British Tenth Army
The Tenth Army was a unit of the British Army during World War II created in Iraq and formed from the major part of "Paiforce"...
.
In September 1944 the Regiment was sent to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
on garrison duties and were still there in May 1945 when Germany surrendered.
The Regiment returned to India in October 1945 and were issued their first tanks, the Stuart MK IV
Stuart tank
The M3 Stuart, formally Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II and supplied to British and Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war—and used thereafter by U.S...
.
Post Independence
Post Independence the Regiment was part of the 1st Armoured Division (India)and participated in Operation Polo
Operation Polo
Operation Polo code name for The Hyderabad Police Action was a military operation in September 1948 in which the Indian Armed Forces engaged those of the State of Hyderabad and ended the rule of Nizam, annexing the state into the Indian Union....
, Operation Ablaze and Operation Nepal.
The division consisted of the 9th Armoured Brigade and 43rd Lorried Infantry Brigade. The Armoured Brigade consisted of the 16th Cavalry, Hodson's Horse
Hodson's Horse
Hodson's Horse is a cavalry regiment which originated as part of the British Indian Army. It was raised by Brevet Major William Stephen Raikes Hodson during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and exists today as the 4th Horse Regiment in the Indian Army...
and the Poona Horse equipped with upgunned Sherman tanks and Centurion tank
Centurion tank
The Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period. It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades...
s.
Victoria Cross
Members of the Regiment awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria 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....
.
- Lieutenant Arthur Thomas MooreArthur Thomas MooreArthur Thomas Moore VC CB was born in Carlingford, County Louth and educated at the East India Company College...
3rd Bombay Light Cavalry. On 18 February 1857. - Lieutenant Frank Alexander de PassFrank Alexander de PassFrank Alexander de Pass VC was an English 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...
34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse. On 24 November 1914. - Lieutenant John Grant Malcolmson 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry. On 18 February 1857.
- Lieutenant (later Field Marshal)Sir Henry Evelyn Wood whilst on attachment with the 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry.On 19 October 1858.
Param Vir Chakra
Since independence two members of the regiment have been awarded the Param Vir ChakraParam Vir Chakra
The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It can be, and often has been, awarded posthumously....
.
- Lt. Col. Ardeshir TaraporeArdeshir TaraporeLieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore was born on August 18, 1923 in Mumbai. He belongs to the family of General Ratanjiba who led the army of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who was awarded 100 villages of which Tarapore was main village. The name Tarapore comes for the same reason...
(Posthumous), Indo-Pakistani War of 1965Indo-Pakistani War of 1965The 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...
, Battle of Butur-Dograndi - 2nd Lt. Arun KhetarpalArun KhetarpalSecond Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, PVC born in Pune, Maharashtra, was an officer of the Indian Army and a posthumous recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military decoration for valour in face of the enemy...
(Posthumous), [edit]Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Battle of Jarpal