18th Cavalry (India)
18th Cavalry | |
---|---|
Active | 1842 1921 (as 18th Cavalry)–present |
Country | Tel-El-Kebir Punjab Frontier |
Commanders | |
Colonel of the Regiment | Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh, VSM[1] |
The 18th Cavalry is a cavalry regiment of the armoured corps of the Indian Army. The regiment was created in 1921 , as the 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry of the British Indian Army, through the amalgamation of the 7th Hariana Lancers and 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry.[2]
Formation
Tracing its origins from 18421921 by the amalgamation of the 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry and the 7th Hariana Lancers to form the 6th/7th Cavalry. This was quickly changed in 1922 to 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry.[3]
, the regiment was formed inThese two regiments themselves had undergone many changes:[citation needed]
- 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry : 1842 – raised at Fatehgarh as 8th Regiment of Bengal Irregular Cavalry, 1861 – 6th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry, 1883 – 6th (The Prince of Wales's) Regiment of Bengal Cavalry, 1901 – 6th (Prince of Wales's) Bengal Cavalry, 1903 – 6th Prince of Wales's Cavalry, 1906 – 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry;
- 7th Hariana Lancers : 1846 – raised at Cawnpore and Meerut as 16th Regiment of Bengal Irregular Cavalry, 1847 – 17th Regiment Bengal Irregular Cavalry, 1861 – 7th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry, 1900 – 7th Regiment of Bengal Lancers, 1901 – 7th Bengal Lancers, 1903 – 7th Lancers, 1904 – 7th Hariana Lancers.
The composition of the regiment at the time of amalgamation was
In
Operations during the British Raj
The regiment, still mounted cavalry, took part in the August to September 1933 Mohmand and Bajaur operations and the July to October 1935 Loe-Agra and Mohmand operations. The 1935 operations was to suppress the Mohmands, north of the Khyber Pass, after their raiding on the plains and attacks on road construction parties. The campaign witnessed a night operation to capture the heights around the Nahakki Pass.[citation needed]
Second World War
In December
The
On 30 June, the brigade was ordered to hand over 50 per cent of its vehicles to the Eighth Army, and was dispersed; the regiment was allotted to the defence of the
18th King Edward's Own Cavalry won the following gallantry awards during the Second World War:[10][11]
- Order of the British Empire — Major L.M. Murphy
- Distinguished Service Order — Major H.O.W. Fowler
- Military Cross — Captain J.M. Barlow, Captain J.W. Prentice, Second Lieutenant G Annesley Cooke
- Indian Order of Merit — Jemadar Jage Ram, Jemadar Aman Singh
- Indian Distinguished Service Medal — Risaldar Hasham Ali Khan, Squadron Daffadar Major Kanshi Ram, Lance Daffadar Bajid Khan, Sowar Jit Ram, Sowar Abhe Ram, Sowar Abdi Khan, Sowar Alim Khan
- Mentioned in despatches— 5
Operations in independent India
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
During the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
During the
Other operations
The regiment has participated in
Battle honours
This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2023) |
The regiment was awarded the following
- Awarded to 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry
- Awarded to 7th Hariana Lancers
- First World War
Awarded in 1926 for services of predecessor regiments
- Second World War
- Independent India
Jammu and Kashmir 1965, Tilkapur-Muhadipur, Punjab 1965.
President’s Standards
The
On 7 March 2016, the regiment was presented the President's Standards at Amritsar by General Dalbir Singh, Chief of the Army Staff, on behalf of the President of India, Mr Pranab Mukherjee.[2][20]
Equipment
The regiment shed its horses and was converted to a motorised cavalry regiment equipped with anti-tank guns in 1940. This gave way to tanks in 1943 with the introduction of the Stuart tanks. They were succeeded by the Sherman tanks in 1946, the T-54s in 1966, and finally the T-72s in 1983.[9]
Regimental insiginia
The regimental insignia consists of crossed lances with pennons. Each of the pennons have scrolls with the words सत्यमेव (Satyameva) and जयते (Jayate). Satyameva Jayate translates to 'Truth alone triumphs'. The crossed lances are overlaid with the numeral '18' mounted by the Ashoka Lion Capital and a scroll at the base with the words 'Cavalry'.[21]
The motto of the regiment is साहस और सम्मान (Saahas Aur Samman), which translates to 'Courage and honour'.[citation needed]
Notable personnel
- Lieutenant General Gurdev Singh Kler[22]
- Major General Jagatbir Singh[23]
- Major General Gurcharan Singh Sandhu, PVSM[24]
- Brigadier Hari Singh Deora, AVSM[25]
- Risaldar Major (Hon. Captain) Mohammed Ayub Khan VrC served the regiment and was a two time member of the Lok Sabha and the Union minister of State for agriculture in the Government of India headed by P. V. Narasimha Rao.[26]
References
- ^ "Gazette of India, No 44" (PDF). eGazette.gov.in. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ a b Sharma, Parvesh (16 March 2016). "The COAS Presents Standard to 18 Cavalry". Sainiksamachar.nic.in. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Cap badge, officer, 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry, 1930-1947". NAM.ac.uk. National Army Museum. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- ^ The Indian Army List, July -1940. Defence Department, Government of India. 1940. p. 675.
- ^ a b "mod.nic". Archived from the original on 4 April 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
- ^ Mackenzie (1951), p. 71
- ^ "Axisforam". forum.AxisHistory.com. Retrieved 6 July 2008.[unreliable source]
- ^ "Rothwell". Rothwell.force9.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
- ^ a b "18th Cavalry 150 years commemorative stamp". istampgallery.com. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ The Tiger Strikes. Director of Public Relations, India Command, Government of India. 1942. p. 148.
- ^ The Tiger Kills. Director of Public Relations, India Command, Government of India. 1944. pp. 311–312.
- ^ "1965 War: A Tale of War and Three Brothers". OpenTheMagazine.com. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Nb Ris Mohammed Ayyub Khan VrC". GallantryAwards.gov.in. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ "Gazette of India, No 45" (PDF). eGazette.gov.in. 5 November 1966. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Nb Ris Noor Mohammad Khan, VrC". GallantryAwards.gov.in. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ Mills, T.F. "18th King Edward VII's Own Cavalry". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 20 April 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
- ^ The Indian Army List, July 1940. Defence Department, Government of India. 1940. p. 675.
- ^ Mills, T.F. "6th King Edward's Own Cavalry". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
- ^ Mills, T.F. "7th Hariana Lancers". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 18 April 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
- ^ "Army chief presents President's Standard to 18 Cavalry in Amritsar". HindustanTimes.com. Hindustan Times. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
- ^ "18 Cavalry regimental insignia". Bharat-Rakshak.com. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Gazette of India, No 45" (PDF). eGazette.gov.in. 5 November 1966. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "India-China Standoff: Gearing up for Ladkah's winter, Indian army gets ready to meet challenges of nature". FinancialExpress.com. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Maj. Gen. Gurcharan Singh Sandhu, PVSM (Retd)". TimesOfIndia.IndiaTimes.com. The Times of India. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "The 1965 Indo-Pak War: Brigadier Hari Singh Deora, AVSM". Bharat-Rakshak.com. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Ayub Khan, the war hero who became an MP". Rediff.com. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
Further reading
- Kempton, C (1996). A Register of Titles of the Units of the H.E.I.C. & Indian Armies 1666–1947. ISBN 978-0-9530174-0-9.
- Gaylor, J (1992). Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–1991. ISBN 978-0-946771-98-1.
- Harris, R.G. Bengal Cavalry Regiments 1857–1914. Christopher Warner. ISBN 978-0-85045-308-9.
- Sandhu, Gurcharan Singh (1991). I serve (Ich dien): saga of the Eighteenth Cavalry. Lancer International, (original from the University of California) digitised 4 Sep 2008. ISBN 978-81-7062-104-1