The 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) is one of the oldest and a highly decorated armoured regiment of the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four ...

. The regiment was formed by the amalgamation of two of the oldest regiments of 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 Govern ...

– the 2nd Royal Lancers (Gardner's Horse) and the 4th Cavalry.

Early history

An Officer of Col Gardiner’s irregular Cavalry

The regiment was raised in 1809 at

Farukhabad Farrukhabad is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Farrukhabad tehsil. The city is on the banks of river Ganges and is from the national capital Delhi and from the state capital Luckn ...

and

Mainpuri Mainpuri is a city in Mainpuri district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Mainpuri district and is situated to the north-east of Agra and is 270 km from New Delhi. Mainpuri forms part of the an ...

by William Linnæus Gardner, who had previously served with the 74th Highlanders and later the

Maratha The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...

ruler of

Indore Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...

. He then joined the Company's forces under

Lord Lake Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (27 July 1744 – 20 February 1808) was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India. Background He wa ...

and raised the regiment. The regiment was initially deployed for police duties in the newly occupied territories around

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...

. It was almost exclusively composed of Hindustani Mahomedans, with a small minority of Rajputs and Brahmins. Gardner was one among several British officers such as Skinner and Hearsey, who had become leaders of irregular cavalry that preserved the traditions of Mughal cavalry. This had a political purpose because it absorbed pockets of cavalrymen who might otherwise become disaffected plunderers. It first saw service in the

Nepal War The Anglo-Nepalese War (1 November 1814 – 4 March 1816), also known as the Gorkha War, was fought between the Gorkhali army of the Kingdom of Nepal (present-day Nepal) and the British forces of the East India Company (EIC, present-day Indi ...

of 1815, a war rendered necessary by the frequent inroads by the

Gurkhas The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India. The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Go ...

into Indian territory. The corps showed meritorious service against the

Pindari The Pindaris were irregular military plunderers and foragers in 17th- through early 19th-century Indian subcontinent who accompanied initially the Mughal army, later the Maratha army, and finally on their own before being eliminated in the 1817� ...

s between 1817-19. In late 1819, it was employed on the Eastern frontier invading

Arakan Arakan ( or ) is a historic coastal region in Southeast Asia. Its borders faced the Bay of Bengal to its west, the Indian subcontinent to its north and Burma proper to its east. The Arakan Mountains isolated the region and made it access ...

. The regiment fought on horses and after losing most of their mounts, fought on foot. They were the only regiment to win the honour ‘Arracan’. The 4th Cavalry was raised by Captain C. Newbury at Sultanpur as a cavalry regiment under the Company's orders for service with the Nawab of

Oudh The Oudh State (, also Kingdom of Awadh, Kingdom of Oudh, or Awadh State) was a princely state in the Awadh region of North India until its annexation by the British in 1856. The name Oudh, now obsolete, was once the anglicized name of ...

in 1838. The regiment was later transferred to the Bengal Army in 1840 and saw service in

Scinde Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

and the

Baloch Baloch, also spelled Baloch, Beluch and in other ways, may refer to: * Baloch people, an ethnic group of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan * Baluch, a small itinerant community of Afghanistan * Balouch, Azad Kashmir, a town in Pakistan * Baloch (s ...

frontier in 1844, for which they received the Honorary Standard bearing the device of a

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

. The dress of the regiment originally consisted of an emerald green alkhalak, red pai-jamaas(later changed to the "Multani Mutti" color), and the Persian "Qizilbash" hat(which was later changed to a cloth cap and then a red turban). The government usually consulted the men regarding the head-dress so that nothing could be done without their consent.

Pre-World War

The 2nd Lancers took part in the Sutlej and Punjab expeditions against the

Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

1846 Events January–March * January 5 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom. * January 13 – The Milan–Venice railway's bridge, over the Venetian Lagoon between ...

and

1848 1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the poli ...

. In 1855, they were in

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

quelling the

Santhal rebellion The Santhal rebellion (also known as the Sonthal rebellion or the Santhal Hool), was a rebellion in present-day Jharkhand and West Bengal , Eastern India against both the British East India Company (BEIC) and zamindari system by the Santhal. It ...

. During the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

, the 2nd regiment saw action in

Gogera Gogera ( ur, ), is a town and union council of Okara District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located at 30°58'4N 73°18'24E with an altitude of 166 metres (547 feet) and lies to the north-west and away from the district capital - ...

and

Gurdaspur district Gurdaspur district is a district in the Majha region of the state of Punjab, India. Gurdaspur is the district headquarters. It internationally borders Narowal District of Pakistani Punjab, and the districts of Amritsar, Pathankot, Kapurthal ...

s, while the 4th fought in

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the olde ...

. In 1882, the 2nd were sent to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

to fight dismounted at

Kassassin Kassassin ( ar, القصاصين) is a village of Lower Egypt by rail west of Ismailia, a major city on the Suez Canal. Battle of Kassassin Lock At the Sweet Water Canal, on August 28, 1882 the British force was attacked by the Egyptians, ...

and mounted at the

Battle of Tell El Kebir The Battle of Tel El Kebir (often spelled Tel-El-Kebir) was fought on 13 September 1882 at Tell El Kebir in Egypt, 110 km north-north-east of Cairo. An entrenched Egyptian force under the command of Ahmed ʻUrabi was defeated by a British ...

First World War

The 2nd Lancers was sent to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

as part of the

5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade The 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the Indian Army during the First World War. Formed in November 1914, it served on the Western Front as part of the 2nd and 1st Indian C ...

2nd Indian Cavalry Division The 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was a division of the British Indian Army formed at the outbreak of World War I. It served on the Western Front, being renamed as 5th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916. In March 1918, the 5th Cavalry Divisi ...

. It was brigaded with the

6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons The 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1689 as Sir Albert Cunningham's Regiment of Dragoons. One of the regiment's most notable battles was the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. It became t ...

and the

38th King George's Own Central India Horse The Central India Horse (formerly the 21st King George V's Own Horse, also known as Beatson's Horse) was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army and is presently part of the Indian Army Armoured Corps. Formation The regiment was r ...

. Once in France, its personnel were called upon to serve in the trenches as infantry. The high number of officer casualties suffered early on had an effect on performance. British officers who understood the language, customs and psychology of their men could not be quickly replaced, and the alien environment of the Western Front had some effect on the soldiers. During their time on the Western Front, the regiment was involved in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

, Battle of Bazentin,

Battle of Flers–Courcelette The Battle of Flers–Courcelette (, 15 to 22 September 1916) was fought during the Battle of the Somme in France, by the French Sixth Army (France), Sixth Army and the British Fourth Army (United Kingdom), Fourth Army and Reserve Army (United K ...

, the

Advance to the Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 191 ...

and the Battle of Cambrai. In February 1918, they left France for

, joining the

Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–15), at the beginning ...

, 10th Cavalry Brigade, 4th Cavalry Division in the

Desert Mounted Corps The Desert Mounted Corps was an army corps of the British Army during the First World War, of three mounted divisions renamed in August 1917 by General Edmund Allenby, from Desert Column. These divisions which served in the Sinai and Palesti ...

. From May 1918, the regiment took part in General

Edmund Allenby Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, (23 April 1861 – 14 May 1936) was a senior British Army officer and Imperial Governor. He fought in the Second Boer War and also in the First World War, in which he led ...

's Palestine section of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. After taking part in the

Occupation of the Jordan Valley The occupation of the Jordan Valley by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) began in February 1918 during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. After the Capture of Jericho in February the Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment began pat ...

, on 20 September 1918 when infantry and cavalry divisions in three corps, enveloped two Ottoman armies in the

Judean Hills The Judaean Mountains, or Judaean Hills ( he, הרי יהודה, translit=Harei Yehuda) or the Hebron Mountains ( ar, تلال الخليل, translit=Tilal al-Khalīl, links=, lit=Hebron Mountains), is a mountain range in Palestine and Israel wh ...

during the Battle of Megiddo, the 2nd Lancers, commanded by Captain, temporary Major and Acting Lieutenant Colonel, Douglas Davison launched an improvised cavalry charge which broke the Ottoman line defending the

Jezreel Valley The Jezreel Valley (from the he, עמק יזרעאל, translit. ''ʿĒmeq Yīzrəʿēʿl''), or Marj Ibn Amir ( ar, مرج ابن عامر), also known as the Valley of Megiddo, is a large fertile plain and inland valley in the Northern Distri ...

. Captain D.S. Davison was awarded the DSO for his part in this battle. On the same day, the 4th Cavalry Division captured the towns of

Afulah Afula ( he, עפולה Arabic: العفولة) is a city in the Northern District of Israel, often known as the "Capital of the Valley" due to its strategic location in the Jezreel Valley. As of , the city had a population of . Afula's ancient ...

and

Beisan Beit She'an ( he, בֵּית שְׁאָן '), also Beth-shean, formerly Beisan ( ar, بيسان ), is a town in the Northern District of Israel. The town lies at the Beit She'an Valley about 120 m (394 feet) below sea level. Beit She'an is be ...

, along with around 100 German personnel, aircraft, trucks and railway stock. The regiment was also involved in Lieutenant General

Harry Chauvel General (Australia), General Sir Henry George Chauvel, (16 April 1865 – 4 March 1945) was a senior officer of the First Australian Imperial Force, Australian Imperial Force who fought at Gallipoli Campaign, Gallipoli and during the Sinai and ...

's pursuit to Damascus along the Pilgrims Road via

Deraa Daraa ( ar, دَرْعَا, Darʿā, Levantine Arabic: , also Darʿā, Dara’a, Deraa, Dera'a, Dera, Derʿā and Edrei; means "''fortress''", compare Dura-Europos) is a city in southwestern Syria, located about north of the Jordan–Syria bor ...

. The regiment returned to India in December 1920. The 4th Cavalry proceeded to France in 1914 as the Meerut Divisional Cavalry. At the

Battle of Festubert The Battle of Festubert (15–25 May 1915) was an attack by the British army in the Artois region of France on the western front during World War I. The offensive formed part of a series of attacks by the French Tenth Army and the British F ...

, they were rushed into battle and along with the 2nd

Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regim ...

, held the line fighting in the trenches in hand to hand combat and with their lances. They were transferred to

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

in the winter of 1915 and took part in the actions to relieve Kut. The 4th finally arrived in India in the winter of 1917.

Gallantry awards

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

: The regiment's only Victoria Cross was awarded, during the First World War, to

Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...

a Lance-Daffadar (corporal) in the

27th Light Cavalry The 16th Light Cavalry is a regiment of the Armoured Corps, a primary combat arm of the Indian Army. Prior to India gaining independence from the British in 1947, it was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1776 ...

attached to the 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse). On 12 December 1917, east of Pezières, Singh volunteered three times to carry messages between the regiment and brigade headquarters, a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) over open ground which was under heavy fire. He succeeded in delivering the messages, although on each occasion his horse was shot from under him and he was compelled to finish the journey on foot. * Albert Medal : The Albert Medal is awarded for "daring and heroic actions performed by mariners and others in danger of perishing, by reason of wrecks and other perils of the sea". It was awarded on 15 March 1919 to Trooper

Mangal Sain Mangal Rajgan (or Manghal, Mangla) is a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name * Mangal (singer), Afghan singer * Mangal Bagh (born 1973), Pakistani militant leader * Mangal Dhillon, Indian act ...

, 2nd Indian Lancers (Gardner's Horse) at

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

, Lebanon. Whilst guarding a party of Turkish

POWs A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of ...

who were being allowed to swim, he saved a prisoner and a British soldier from drowning. *

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typi ...

: Captain Douglas Stewart Davison *

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

: Captain Edward William Drummond Vaughan, Lieutenant Ernest St. John King, Risaldar Mukand Singh (2nd Lancers) *

Order of British India The Order of British India was an order of merit established in 1837 by the East India Company for "long, faithful and honourable service". The company's powers were removed after the Indian Mutiny, and the Order was incorporated into the Bri ...

: Risaldar Mukand Singh, Risaldar Major Ganga Dat, Risaldar Suraj Singh (2nd Lancers); Risaldar Major Awal Khan, Risaldar Major Saddha Singh, Risaldar Major Kanaya Ram (4th Cavalry) *

Indian Order of Merit The Indian Order of Merit (IOM) was a military and civilian decoration of British India. It was established in 1837, (General Order of the Governor-General of India, No. 94 of 1 May 1837) although following the Partition of India in 1947 it was ...

: Risaldar Suraj Singh, Sowar / Acting Lance Dafadar Udey Singh, Lance Dafadar Anokh Singh, Sowar Liakat Hussain, Acting Lance Dafadar Sahib Singh, Sowar Shahzad Khan, Dafadar Chuni Lal (2nd Lancers); Lance Dafadar Puran Singh, Lance Dafadar Khazan Singh (4th Cavalry) *

Indian Distinguished Service Medal The Indian Distinguished Service Medal (IDSM) was a military decoration awarded by the British Empire to Indian citizens serving in the Indian armed forces and military police. When it was instituted in 1907 it was the second highest award avail ...

: 2nd Lancers – 26 medals, 4th Cavalry – 5 medals * Indian Meritorious Service Medal : 2nd Lancers – 51 medals, 4th Cavalry – 10 medals *

Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic ...

: Kot Dafadar Sant Singh (2nd Lancers) *

Croix de guerre (Belgium) The ''Croix de guerre'' (French) or ''Oorlogskruis'' ( Dutch), both literally translating as "Cross of War", is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Belgium established by royal decree on 25 October 1915. It was primarily awarded for bravery o ...

: Sowar Banagopal Singh (2nd Lancers) *Cross of Kara George, 1st Class with Swords : Lance Dafadar Khazan Singh (4th Cavalry) *Medal of St. George, 1st Class : Dafadar Amanatullah Khan (4th Cavalry)

Amalgamation

In late 1920, the 4th Cavalry were sent to Palestine on occupation duties, not returning to India until January 1922. At

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the '' de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the sec ...

, in April 1922 they amalgamated with the 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) to form the 2nd/4th Cavalry. However this title was short-lived and the new unit was retitled 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) by July 1922.

Second World War

The regiment served in the Western Desert campaign during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

as part of the

3rd Indian Motor Brigade The 3rd Indian Motor Brigade was formed in 1940 by the Indian Army during World War II. In 1941, the brigade was surrounded at Mechili by Axis forces during Operation Sonnenblume and suffered many casualties breaking out of the encirclement. On ...

, 7th Armoured Division. It was brigaded with the

18th King Edward's Own Cavalry The 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry was a regular cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. Following the independence of India, the regiment was allotted to the Indian Army and redesignated as the 18th Cavalry. Formation Tracing its origi ...

and the

11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) The 11th Cavalry (Frontier Force), 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. It was formed in 1921 by t ...

. It also supplied men for the

Indian Long Range Squadron The Indian Long Range Squadron or ILRS was a unit of the British Indian Army during World War II. 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.Molinari, ...

. It fought during the first Axis offensive, their counter-attack following

Operation Compass Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...

. In 1942, during the

Battle of Gazala The Battle of Gazala (near the village of ) was fought during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to ...

, the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade was based near Bir Hacheim and formed the southernmost point of the Gazala Line. On 27 May 1942, Italy's Ariete Armoured Division overran the brigade. After this action, the shattered remains of the brigade were reformed at Buq Buq. The brigade was formed into two strong columns, Shercol and Billicol, with the 2nd Royal Lancers supplying some men and equipment to both. The remainder of the regiment were assigned to protect the rear Brigade headquarters and the "B" echelons. Neither column lasted long. In the early hours of 24 June 1942, Shercol was smashed after running into an Italian force in the dark. This provide to be the end of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade's role in the Desert War. On 30 June, the Brigade handed over 50 per cent of its vehicles to the Eighth Army. The brigade was dispersed in July, the 2nd Lancers moved to

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropoli ...

in Palestine. The brigade was reformed in August. It travelled overland to

Sahneh Sahneh ( fa, صحنه; also Romanize Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliterat ...

in Persia via

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesipho ...

, coming under the command of 31st Indian Armoured Division. It remained there until late November, when they moved to

Shaibah Shaibah ( ar, الشعيبة) is the name of a small village and a site of a military airfield near Az Zubayr, south west of Basrah in Iraq. The area was the site of a battle with Turkish Forces during the Mesopotamian campaign of the First World ...

, seven miles 7 miles (11 km) from

Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is han ...

. From here the Regiment returned to India in January 1943. After a three-month stay at

Ferozepore Firozpur, also known as Ferozepur, is a city on the banks of the Sutlej River in Firozpur District, Punjab, India. After the partition of India in 1947, it became a border town on the India–Pakistan border with memorials to soldiers who di ...

, the Regiment moved to

Risalpur Risalpur (Pashto/ ur, رسالپور) is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 18 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin som ...

, where it was converted to an Armoured Car Regiment, in Training Brigade. In October, the regiment marched to

Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of the ...

. The same month, Lieutenant-Colonel Maharaj Rajendra Sinhji became the first Indian to take over the command of the regiment, and was also the first Indian to command an armoured regiment. In May 1944, the regiment moved again to

Allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the admin ...

, then

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and divisio ...

after a short stay then back to the frontier in October to

Kohat Kohat ( ps, کوهاټ; ur, ) is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th centur ...

, relieving the

16th Light Cavalry The 16th Light Cavalry is a regiment of the Armoured Corps, a primary combat arm of the Indian Army. Prior to India gaining independence from the British in 1947, it was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 17 ...

. They were still at Kohat when the war ended.

Gallantry awards

: Major Raj Kumar Shri Rajendrasinghji *

: Captain A.H. McConnel, Captain D McV Reynolds, 2nd J.E. Miller, Captain CF Williams, Jemadar Hari Raj Singh, Jemadar Lakhi Ram, Jemadar Ran Pratap Singh *

: Lance Dafadar Mehbub Ali Khan *

: Risaldar Lakhan Singh, Daffadar Risal Singh, Daffadar Ghulam Rabani *

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...

: Sowar Mohd Salim Khan

Post Independence

In August 1947, the Regiment was based on Malaya and fought against the communist guerrillas. In December, the regiment returned to India. As part of the Indian Partition, the regiment split. Several

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Tro ...

s of 'A' Squadron, who were Muslim, opted to join the

Pakistani Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a resul ...

. They set sail for

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former ...

during November 1947. In 1948, the remaining Muslim soldiers were posted to the

, and in turn the 2nd Lancers received a

Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...

squadron. The regiment was then formed of two

and one

Jat The Jat people ((), ()) are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and subseq ...

squadron. In January 1953, General Maharaj Rajendra Shinji assumed the appointment of the

Chief of Army Staff Chief of Army Staff or Chief of the Army Staff which is generally abbreviated as COAS is a title commonly used for the appointment held by the most senior staff officer or the chief commander in several nations' armies. * Chief of Army (Australia ...

of the Indian army. He was the first officer from the 2nd Lancers, as well as from the Armoured Corps, to become the Army Chief. In November 1961, the regiment (as well as the

Scinde Horse The Scinde Horse is an armoured regiment in the Indian Army Armoured Corps, Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. The regiment, known before independence as the 14th Prince of Wales's Own Scinde Horse was a regular cavalry regiment of the Bombay Army ...

) was awarded a guidon by the President,

Rajendra Prasad Rajendra Prasad (3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963) was an Indian politician, lawyer, Indian independence activist, journalist & scholar who served as the first president of Republic of India from 1950 to 1962. He joined the Indian Nationa ...

for its distinguished record during peacetime and wartime, the first regiment in the armoured corps to have such an award.

1965 War

In September 1965, the 2nd Lancers took part in the

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...

as part of the 43 Lorried Brigade Group of the 1st Armoured Division. The regiment was equipped with

M4 Sherman } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It ...

tanks ( Mk V and VI variants), and fought in the Battle of Phillora and the

Battle of Chawinda {{Infobox military conflict , width = 380px , image = File:Sculpture showing Indo-Pak war.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = Sculpture showing the Indo-Pakistani War {{clear {{OSM Location map , co ...

. For their performance in these battles, the regiment was awarded the honour of "PUNJAB". Sowar Jit Singh Sansanwal was awarded the

Sena Medal The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for s ...

and 4 were

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

Post-war

On 10 August 1966, following the war, the regiment was the first in the military to receive the

Vijayanta The ''Vijayanta'' (en: "Victorious") was a main battle tank built in India based on a licensed design of the Vickers Mk.1. The Vijayanta was the first indigenous tank of the Indian Army. The prototype was completed in 1963 and the tank entered ...

main battle tanks A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sy ...

, the first indigenously built Indian tanks. The regiment is currently equipped with

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

-era

T-72 The T-72 is a family of Soviet/Russian main battle tanks that entered production in 1969. The T-72 was a development of the T-64, which was troubled by high costs and its reliance on immature developmental technology. About 25,000 T-72 tanks ...

tanks.

Regiment's name changes

Like all regiments of the Indian Army, the 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) underwent many name changes during various reorganisations, as listed below - *1809 Gardner's Horse *1823 2nd (Gardner's) Local horse *1840 2nd Irregular Cavalry *1861 2nd Regt. of Bengal Cavalry *1890 2nd Regt. Of Bengal Lancers *1901 2nd Bengal Lancers *1903 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) *1922 (April) 2nd/4th Cavalry *1922 (July) 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) *1935 2nd Royal Lancers (Gardner's Horse) *1947 To Indian Army upon Partition *1950 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) upon India becoming a Republic

Battle Honours

Arracan, Sobraon, Punjaub, Mooltan, Afghanistan 1879-80, Tel-El-Kabir, Egypt 1882, La Bassee 1914, Givenchy 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Festubert 1915, Somme 1916, Morval, Cambrai 1917, France and Flanders 1914-18, Egypt 1915, Meggido, Sharon Damascus, Palestine 1918, Tigris 1916, Mesopotamia 1915-16, Afghanistan 1919, North Africa 1940-43, Point 171, Punjab.

Regimental Day

During First World War, for its gallant actions in the battle of Cambrai in France the regiment was mentioned in the Cambrai Despatch by Field Marshall Lord Douglas Haig. Since, then Cambrai day i.e. 30 November is celebrated as a Battle Honour day.

Alliance

The alliance between the

Royal Tank Regiment The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as th ...

and 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) was promulgated in Defence Council Instruction (Army) T 52 of 1973.

Notable Officers

General Maharaj Shri

Rajendrasinhji Jadeja General Maharaj Shri Rajendrasinhji Jadeja (15 June 1899 – 1 January 1964), also known as K.S. Rajendrasinhji, was the first Chief of Army Staff of the Indian army, and the second Indian, after Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, to become Comma ...

, was the first Chief of Army Staff (COAS). On 1 July 1993, General Bipin Chandra Joshi, became the second officer from the regiment to become the COAS. The Regiment also holds the distinction of having produced two Army Commanders, Lieutenant General Hriday Kaul (GOC-in-C Western Command) and Lieutenant General R Sharma ( Deputy Chief of the Army Staff). Lion Passant Reguardant

Regimental Insignia

The 2nd Bengal Lancers insignia consisted of four crossed lances with the letters ‘’2BL’’, whereas the 4th Bengal Lancers had two crossed lances overlaid by the crown and mounted by the

lion passant guardant The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

– derived from the Honorary Standard it received in 1844. Earning the nickname, the “Sindh Lions” all ranks of the Regiment were authorized to wear on its accoutrements a badge representing a unique Lion “Passant Ragardant”. The lances are overlaid by a scroll with the word ‘’SCINDE’’ and the Roman numeral ‘’IV’’. Following the amalgamation of the successor units, the 2nd Lancers insignia combined elements from both units – it consisted of a central voided lion surrounded by circular band with

HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (, , ) is a maxim in the Anglo-Norman language Anglo-Norman, also known as Anglo-Norman French ( nrf, Anglo-Normaund) (Standard French, French: ), was a dialect of Old Norman French that was used in Kingdom of England, England and, to a ...

, all superimposed on four crossed lances with the crown above the band. Post independence, the insignia consists of a lion passant reguardant surrounded by a belt inside which is the embossed inscription: SECOND LANCERS (G.H.), the belt is surmounted by the Lions of Ashoka and is backed by four crossed lances. Second Lancers (Gardener's Horse) is the only unit in the Indian Army which is authorised to bear its unique insignia of the Lion on all its vehicles during peace time. The shoulder title consisted of "2RL" prior to independence and "2L" after independence.

References

External links

Uniforms of the late 19th Century
{{Indian Army Armoured Corps , state=expanded British Indian Army cavalry regiments Honourable East India Company regiments Military units and formations established in 1809 Military units and formations disestablished in 1946 Indian World War I regiments Indian World War II regiments Armoured regiments of World War II Armoured and cavalry regiments of the Indian Army from 1947

Early history

Pre-World War

First World War

Gallantry awards

Amalgamation

Second World War

Gallantry awards

Post Independence

1965 War

Post-war

Regiment's name changes

Battle Honours

Regimental Day

Alliance

Notable Officers

Regimental Insignia

References

Further reading

External links