The Poona Horse is an armoured

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

in the

Armoured Corps An armoured corps (also mechanized corps or tank corps) is a specialized military organization whose role is to conduct armoured warfare. The units belonging to an armoured corps include military staff, and are equipped with tanks and other arm ...

of the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

. 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 The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

. 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 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

and

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...

Indo-Pakistani wars, with an officer winning India's highest gallantry award, the

Param Vir Chakra The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest Awards and Decorations of the Indian Armed Forces, military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valour during wartime. Param Vir Chakra translates roughly as the "Wheel of Supre ...

, in each war. Stamp of India - 2017 - Colnect 696266 - The Poona Horse Regiment

History

In accordance with article VI of The Treaty of Poona between the British

Governor-General of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the emperor o ...

Lord Hastings Baron Hastings is a title that has been created three times. The first creation was in the Peerage of England in 1290, and is extant. The second creation was in the Peerage of England in 1299, and became extinct on the death of the first holder in ...

and

Baji Rao II Baji Rao II (10 January 1775 – 28 January 1851) was the 13th and the last Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy . He governed from 1795 to 1818. He was installed as a puppet ruler by the Maratha nobles, whose growing power prompted him to flee h ...

(The

Peshwa The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Empire, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary when Shahu gave t ...

of the

Maratha The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

), a force known as the Poona Auxiliary Force was to be recruited, which was raised on 15 June 1817. As per the treaty, the force would be maintained by the Maratha Peshwa, but commanded by British Officers and was supposed to be permanently stationed in the territory of Peshwas. The treaty provided authority for the British to use the force against the Peshwa when necessary. The regiment was raised under the order of

Mountstuart Elphinstone Mountstuart Elphinstone (6 October 1779 – 20 November 1859) was a Scottish statesman and historian, associated with the government of British India. He later became the Governor of Bombay (now Mumbai) where he is credited with the open ...

, the

Governor of Bombay Until the 18th century, Bombay consisted of seven islands separated by shallow sea. These seven islands were part of a larger archipelago in the Arabian sea, off the western coast of India. The date of city's founding is unclear—historians tr ...

. Lt. Col J Cunnigham was the first Commandant of the regiment. The two regiments that would go on to 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. It had 3 squadrons on its establishment, of which one was provided by 1st Regiment of Cavalry and one squadron from the 2nd Regiment of the Cavalry. The rest were inducted from suitable Indian Officers. and NCOs from 1st and 3rd Battalions of Poona Auxiliary Infantry, which were disbanded in 1820. * 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 High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) is a digital container format for storing individual digital images and image sequences. The standard covers multimedia files that can also include other media streams, such as timed text, audio and vide ...

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

Secunderabad Secunderabad () is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South ...

, as part of the

9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade The Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army formed in 1907 as a result of the Kitchener Reforms. It was mobilized as 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade at the outbreak of the First World War and departed f ...

. They were brigaded with the

7th Dragoon Guards The 7th (The Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1688 as Lord Cavendish's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as the 8th Horse in 1694 and the 7th (The Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards for ...

and the 20th Deccan Horse. The Brigade was dispatched to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and fought on the Western Front their first action being the

First Battle of Ypres The First Battle of Ypres (, , – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. The battle was part of the First Battle of Flanders, in which German A ...

France

On 2 November 1914 the regiment was sent to reinforce the 2nd Gurkhas in the Neuve Chapelle sector on arrival they discovered that the

Gurkha The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with the endonym Gorkhali ( Nepali: गोर्खाली ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India. The Gurkha units consist of Nepali and ...

s defences had been breached and overrun. The Poona Horse was asked to recapture the position. The Regiment launched a counterattack 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 A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

, Battle of La Basse, Battle of Armentiers,

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

(1916),

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 and the British Fourth Army and Reserve Army, against the German 1st Army, during the First World War ...

and Battle of Cambrai (1917). In February 1918, the Poona Horse and all the other Indian cavalry regiments in France were deployed to

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

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 Horse and the

Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) was a British Yeomanry regiment. In 1967 it was amalgamated with other units to form the Royal Yeomanry (RY), a light cavalry regiment of the Army Reserve. Originally raised as the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cav ...

. The force also consisted of the 4th Cavalry Division, the

Australian Mounted Division The Australian Mounted Division originally formed as the Imperial Mounted Division in January 1917, was a mounted infantry, light horse and yeomanry division. The division was formed in Egypt, and along with the Anzac Mounted Division formed p ...

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 Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, 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 is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an seated inside the Risaldar Major Hamir Singh, believing him to be a spy, demanded his surrender. The European turned out to be Colonel

T. E. Lawrence Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British Army officer, archaeologist, diplomat and writer known for his role during the Arab Revolt and Sinai and Palestine campaign against the Ottoman Empire in the First W ...

. "El Aurens" was not amused. At 10:15 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 Rayaq - Haouch Hala (), also romanization of Arabic, romanized Rayak, is a Lebanon, Lebanese town in the Beqaa Governorate, Beqaa Mohafazat, Governorate near the city of Zahlé. In the early 20th century and up to the 1975 outbreak of the Lebane ...

and then march onto

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

, which they reached on 25 October just before the Armistice was signed on 30 October in Mudros Harbour, abroad the battleship .

Mesopotamia

The 33rd Queen Victoria's Own were sent to

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

as part of the

6th (Poona) Division The 6th (Poona) Division was a division of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1903, following the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army. World War I The 6th (Poona) Division served in the Mesopotamian campaign. Led by Major General Ba ...

to counter Turkish advances and to protect the oil fields. They were involved in the Battle of Shaiba and the Battle of Ctesiphon.

Between the wars

In 1919, the 33rd Light Cavalry, now part of the

1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade The 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army formed in 1906 as a result of the Kitchener Reforms. It remained in India during the First World War but took an active part in the Third Anglo-Afghan War in ...

, was posted to

Risalpur Risalpur (Pashto/) 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 some 316 meters abo ...

where they were brigaded with the 1st Lancers and M Battery, RHA. On 6 May 1919, they received the information that the Afghan Army had attacked the outpost at Landi Khanna, north of the

Khyber Pass The Khyber Pass (Urdu: درۂ خیبر; ) is a mountain pass in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, on the border with the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. It connects the town of Landi Kotal to the Valley of Peshawar at Jamrud by tr ...

, 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 Cavalry The Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force) is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army which was raised in 1846 as Corps of Guides (India), The Corps of Guides. During more than a hundred and fifty years of military service, the regiment has earned the ...

. This change was promulgated under Indian Army Order No 1257 22 November 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 regiment's new organisation was now three sabre squadrons and a headquarters squadron, which would contain all the specialists, i.e., machine gunners, signallers etc., in 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, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. In 1942, the regiment was ordered to the Middle East to join the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was a field army of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed as the Western Army on 10 September 1941, in Egypt, before being renamed the Army of the Nile and then the Eighth Army on 26 September. It was cr ...

. In the closing stages of the

First Battle of El Alamein The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert campaign of World War II, fought in Egypt between Axis (German and Italian) forces of the Panzer Army Africa—which included the under Field Marshal Erwin ...

, the Poona Horse was the guard force for General

Claude Auchinleck Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck ( ) (21 June 1884 – 23 March 1981), was a British Indian Army commander who saw active service during the world wars. A career soldier who spent much of his militar ...

, 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 Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

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.

Post Independence

;

Annexation of Hyderabad The Annexation of Hyderabad (code-named Operation Polo) was a military operation launched in September 1948 that resulted in the annexation of the princely state of Hyderabad by India, which was dubbed a "police action". At the time of part ...

The Regiment with its Sherman tanks was part of the

1 Armoured Division 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

and participated in

Operation Polo The Annexation of Hyderabad (code-named Operation Polo) was a military operation launched in September 1948 that resulted in the annexation of the princely state of Hyderabad by India, which was dubbed a "police action". At the time of part ...

leading to the integration of Hyderabad to the Union of India. ; Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 The Poona Horse was part of the 1 Armoured Brigade, which also consisted of the 16th Cavalry and Hodson's Horse. The brigade was equipped with upgunned

Sherman tank The M4 Sherman, officially medium tank, M4, was the medium tank most widely used 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. I ...

s and

Centurion tank The FV4007 Centurion was the primary main battle tank of the British Army during the post-World War II period. Introduced in 1945, it is one of the most successful post-war tank designs, remaining in production into the 1960s, and seeing comba ...

s. 1 Armoured Brigade was part of the

(of 1 Corps) along with the 43rd Lorried Infantry Brigade. Captured Indian Centurion Mk

It participated in Operation Ablaze and Operation Nepal (Indian 1 Corps Offensive in Sialkot Sector). The regiment brought home decisive victories in the Battle of Phillora on 11 September 1965 by sheer gallantry of legendary Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir B Tarapore. The regiment spearheaded the Indian advance into Pakistan and cleared the stronghold of Phillora after a gruelling close range tank battle against Patton tanks, in which 23 enemy tanks were destroyed. The regiment captured Wazirwali on 13 September 1965 and Jassoran and Butur-Dograndi on 16 September 1965. ; Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 ( Battle of Basantar) The Poona Horse under the command of 47 Infantry Brigade was ordered to establish a bridgehead across the Basantar river in the

Shakargarh Shakargarh (), the capital of Shakargarh Tehsil, is a city in the north-east of Narowal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It borders Jammu to the north and Sialkot to the west Its literacy rate is more than 85% which is the highest literacy rate teh ...

sector. The brigade's engineers were in the process of breaching the enemy minefields and create a safe lane that would allow the induction of the tanks. In view of the alarming activity of Pakistani artillery, the Poona Horse with its Centurion tanks decided to push through the minefield despite it being only partially cleared by that time. En route, while crossing the Basantar River, the tank troops came under fire from Pakistani tanks as well as recoil gun nests that were still holding out. They retaliated fiercely — destroying tanks, capturing gun nests and over-running enemy defences. 2nd Lieutenant

Arun Khetarpal Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal Param Vir Chakra, PVC (14 October 1950 – 16 December 1971) was an Indian army officer and a Tank commander, who is recognized as the Indian tank List of aces of aces, ace of aces, credited with 10 confirmed ta ...

, who was posthumously awarded the prestigious Param Vir Chakra, was responsible for the destruction of 7 Pakistani tanks. The following days saw Indian troops making massive gains and conducting successive military thrusts deep inside enemy territory, coming threateningly close to the Pakistan Army base at Sialkot. India's resounding victory in the Battle of Basantar resulted in the capture of a significant area ( including nearly 500 villages) under the control of Pakistan in Chhamb sector, apart from cutting off the line of retreat for Pakistani troops. ;Other operations / achievements - *The regiment had the honour to participate in the

Republic Day Parade The Delhi Republic Day parade is the largest and most important of the parades marking the Republic Day celebrations in India. The parade takes place every year on 26 January at Kartavya Path, New Delhi. It is the main attraction of India's R ...

in 1981 with its Vijayanta tanks. *The regiment was part of the

United Nations Disengagement Observer Force The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission tasked with maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The mission was established by Unite ...

(UNDOF) in

Golan Heights The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...

from January 2006 to December 2008. *The regiment was awarded the GOC-in-C (Western Command) unit citation in July 2014 for its role in counter-insurgency duties. *The regiment was affiliated with the Indian Navy frigate, INS Sahyadri in December 2016. *A Centurion tank of The Poona Horse was showcased during the Republic Day Parade, 2022.

List of battle and theatre honours

The list of

battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...

s and theatre honours of the Poona Horse are as follows: ;Pre World War I Corygaum; Ghuznee 1839; Candahar 1842; Ghuznee 1842; Cabool 1842; Afghanistan 1839; Meeanee; Hyderabad; Reshire; Bushire; Koosh-Ab; Persia; Central India; Abyssinia; Kandahar 1880; Afghanistan 1879–80; China 1900; Afghanistan 1919. ;The First World War La Bassee 1914; Armentieres 1914; Somme 1916; Bazentin; Flers-Courcelette; Cambrai 1917; France and Flanders 1914–18; Megiddo;Sharon; Damascus; Palestine 1918; Shaiba; Ctesiphon; Tigris 1916; Mesopotamia 1914–16. ;The Second World War North Africa 1940–43. ;Indo-Pak Conflict 1965 Phillora; Buttur Dograndi; Punjab 1965. ;Indo-Pak Conflict 1971 Basantar River; Punjab 1971. Centurion tank Indian army

Victoria Cross

Members of the Regiment awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

. * Lieutenant Arthur Thomas Moore 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry. On 18 February 1857. * Lieutenant Frank Alexander de Pass 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

. * Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Tarapore (Posthumous), Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Battle of Butur-Dograndi * 2nd Lieutenant

(Posthumous), Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Battle of Basantar

List of gallantry awards

;

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

: Lieutenant Frank Alexander de Pass, 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse. *

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

: Risaldar Taj Muhammad Khan (33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry), Risaldar Major Hussain Bakhsh Khan, Risaldar Hamir Singh (34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse) *

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 The pa ...

: Jemadar Ram Karan, Dafadar Arjan Singh, Risaldar Major Santa Singh, Dafadar Bishan Singh, Sowar Buda Singh, Sowar Mazhar Khan, Dafadar Nihal Singh (33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry), Sowar Madho, Jemadar Prem Singh, Lance Dafadar Abdul Karim (34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse) * Indian Distinguished Service Medal : 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry – 14 medals, 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse – 29 medals * Indian Meritorious Service Medal : 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry – 13 medals, 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse – 43 medals *

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

(French) : Dafadar Ahmed Khan (34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse) *

Croix de guerre (Belgium) The ( French) or ''Oorlogskruis'' ( Dutch) is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Belgium established by royal decree on 25 October 1915. It was primarily awarded for bravery or other military virtue on the battlefield. The award was reesta ...

: Dafadar Nadir Ali Khan, Dafadar Nasir Muhammad Khan (34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse) ;

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

* Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire : Lieutenant Colonel D.S.E. McNeill, The Poona Horse (17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry) *

Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

: Captain Sardar Makhan Singh, The Poona Horse (17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry) ; Civil disturbances during the Partition of India: * Ashoka Chakra, Class III Lance Dafadar Sultan Singh ; Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 *

: Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Tarapore *

Vir Chakra The Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa, ) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of gallantry on the battlefield, on land or in the air or at sea. It is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards and ...

: Lieutenant HIS Dhaliwal, Risaldar Kartar Singh *

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 ...

: Dafadar Harnand Singh, Dafadar Hamir Singh, Risaldar Harbans Singh, Risaldar Sohan Singh, Lance Dafadar Dilip Singh *

Mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) 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 of t ...

: 12 *Commendation Cards : 6 ; Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 *Param Vir Chakra : 2nd Lieutenant

Maha Vir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the B ...

: Lieutenant Colonel Hanut Singh, Major Amarjith Singh Bal *Vir Chakra : 2nd Lieutenant Avtar Singh Ahlawat, Naib Risaldar Mohan Singh, Sowar Mohan Singh *Sena Medal : Captain Rabinder Singh Deol, Dafadar Khushal Singh * Mentioned-in-Despatches : 10 ;Kashmir Insurgency *Sena Medal :Major Ranbir Singh

Notable personnel

*Major General Jang Shamsher Singh: First Indian Commanding Officer of the regiment in 1947. *Major General K Ranjit Singh: Commandant of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington between 1968 and 1972. *Lieutenant General Hanut Singh, : Commanded the regiment during the 1971 Indo Pak War and was popularly known as 'the Doyen of Mechanised Warfare in India' and 'Soldier Saint'. He commanded II Corps during

Operation Brasstacks Operation Brasstacks was a combined arms military exercise of the Indian Armed Forces in the state of Rajasthan from November 1986 to January 1987. The operation's aim was to determine tactical nuclear strategy. As part of a series of exerci ...

. *Lieutenant General Niranjan Singh Cheema: Squadron Commander in the regiment during the 1965 war, raised 67 Armoured Regiment and retired as Chief of Staff, Northern Command. *Lieutenant General Neville Foley: Director-General, Mechanised Forces and Member of Parliament. *Lieutenant General Moti Dar, : Commissioned into the Poona Horse in June 1958. On promotion to the rank of the Lieutenant Colonel, he raised and commanded 82 Armoured Regiment. He was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Command between January 1994 and July 1995 and Vice Chief of the Army Staff between July 1995 and July 1996. *Lieutenant General Surrinder Singh, : General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command from September 1993 to August 1996. *Lieutenant General Balraj Takhar, : General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command. *Lieutenant General

Ajai Singh Lieutenant General Ajai Singh PVSM, AVSM (20 November 1934 – 18 April 2023) was a general officer of the Indian Army Armoured Corps and an administrator, serving as the Governor of Assam from 2003 to 2008, and as the chairman of the North E ...

, : Director General, Mechanised Forces; GOC of 4 Corps and Governor of Assam between 2003 and 2008. *Lieutenant General Dalbir Singh Sidhu, : Director General, Mechanised Forces. *Lieutenant General Rajan Bakshi, : General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command. *Lieutenant General Rajeev Vasant Kanitkar, : General Officer Commanding XXI Corps and Quarter Master General *Major General Vikram Dev Dogra, : First serving Indian Army Officer and only general in the world to do

Ironman Triathlon An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), consisting of a swim, a bicycle ride and a marathon run completed in that order, a total of . It is widely consid ...

twice.

Regimental Class Composition

Prior to amalgamation, the class composition of the two Regiments was as follows :- *33rd Light Cavalry : A Squadron –

Jats The Jat people (, ), also spelt Jaat and Jatt, are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, many Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in ...

, B Squadron – Kaimkhanis, C Squadron – Mussalman Rajputs, D Squadron –

Jat Sikh Jat Sikh or Jatt Sikh (Gurmukhi: ਜੱਟ ਸਿੱਖ) is an ethnoreligious group, a subgroup of the Jat people whose traditional religion is Sikhism, originating from the Indian subcontinent. They are one of the dominant communities in Pu ...

s. *34th Poona Horse : A Squadron – Rathore Rajputs from

Jodhpur Jodhpur () is the second-largest city of the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, after its capital Jaipur. As of 2023, the city has a population of 1.83 million. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Jodhpur district and ...

, B Squadron - Rathore Rajputs from Jodhpur, C squadron - Punjabi Mussalmans from

Jhelum Jhelum (; , ) is a city, located along the western bank of the Jhelum River, in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 21st largest city in Punjab and 31st largest in Pakistan, by population. Located in northern Punjab, it serves as the capital of the ...

, D Squadron - Kaimkhanis from

Shekhawati Shekhawati is a region in the northern part of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan, comprising the districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu, and Churu district, Churu. The language of this region is also called Shekhawat ...

(Jaipur). The class composition of the new amalgamated Regiment was to be as follows : (a) Headquarters Wing or Squadron; (b) A Squadron of Rathore Rajputs - purely from 34th Poona Horse; (c) B Squadron of Kaimkhanis - half squadron each from both the Regiments; (d) C Squadron of Jats - purely from 33rd Light Cavalry. Following the partition of India, the Kaimkhanis moved to Pakistan and were replaced by a squadron of

Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...

, which came from the

13th Lancers The 13th Lancers is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1923 as 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers by the amalgamation of 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers and 32nd Lancers. On Partition of India in 1947, the regiment wa ...

Regimental insignia

;Badge Following amalgamation, the sanction for the crest and badge of Poona Horse came on 29 December 1928 vide Gazette of India No 1759. It consisted of the Royal and Imperial Cypher of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

within the Garter with the words

Honi soit qui mal y pense (, ; ) is a maxim (philosophy), maxim in the Anglo-Norman language, a dialect of Old Norman French spoken by the medieval ruling class in England, meaning "shamed be whoever thinks ill of it", usually translated as "shame on anyone who think ...

, surmounted by a

Tudor Crown The Tudor Crown was a crown created in the early 16th century for either Henry VII of England, Henry VII or Henry VIII, the first House of Tudor, Tudor monarchs of Kingdom of England, England, and destroyed in 1649 during the English Civil War. ...

and having below a scroll with the words ''Queen Victoria's Own Poona Horse''. The present badge consists of an oval belt containing the motto of the regiment in Devanagari script ‘रण वीर जय सदा’ within the oval is the ‘hand of God’; the oval is surmounted by the lions of Ashoka; below oval, and curling up towards its sides, a scroll within which is embossed ‘THE POONA HORSE’. The ‘hand of God’ comes from 8 February 1857, when the regiment wrote history at the famous ' Battle of Kooshab' against the

Shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and captured the Standard of the 1st Khusgai Regiment of the Fars, acclaimed with courageous and fearless soldiers and Shah's personal bodyguards. The Standard of Persian Army now surmounts the Regiment's Standard, and it is etched in Persian with the words 'Yaad Ullal Fauk Idaheem' (the hand of God is above all things). ;Motto The motto of the regiment is ‘रण वीर जय सदा’ (Ran Vir Jai Sada); which translates to ‘the gallant warrior, ever victorious’. ;Shoulder title The shoulder title is in brass and consists two crossed swords overlayed by the ‘hand of God’ and a scroll with the words 'Poona Horse'. When combat fatigues are worn, the shoulder title consists of the numeral and letter ‘17H’.

References

External links

Uniforms of the late 19th century
{{Indian Army Armoured Corps Armoured and cavalry regiments of the Indian Army from 1947 British Indian Army cavalry regiments 1817 establishments in British India