The organisation of the regiment was divided into 6 Risalas, each consisting of 85 sowars, a drummer (also trumpeter), a standard bearer, 9 dafadars, one kote-dafadar, a jemadar, a naib-risaldar and a risaldar. They were initially stationed at Farukhabad and Mainpuri but in 1810 they moved to Khasgunj the location of Colonel Gardner’s estate.

Parsa-Garhi, Jan 1815

Colonel Gardner was given command of a column to enter Nepal and attack Almora, the Gurkha stronghold. A detachment including several native officers served in Kumaon during the campaign. The regiment also provided a detachment of 2 Risalas, commanded by Cornet John Bennet Hearsey. They were on the eastern frontier in the column commanded by General Marley. The regiment was at the capture of Barhawa and a small part of the detachment remained at Parsa-garhi (Gurpershad). The garrison defended Parsa-garhi against a determined attack by Gurkhas, but their ammunition was depleted and they were overpowered, losing 121 killed, 134 wounded and 3 missing. Hearsey asked permission to rescue the survivors of this disaster and raced there with 40 men. They retrieved the body of Major Sibley who was in command at Parsa-garhi, and rescued many severely wounded men.

Pirari, 19 Feb 1815

Hearsey’s detachment distinguished themselves when they captured Pirari in Feb 1815. The retreating enemy were pursued by Hearsey and 30 or 40 men which resulted in the death of the Gurkha leader, Bhagwant Singh Thappa, but in the fight, the standard bearer, Dilawar Khan, was severely wounded. He was subsequently promoted to dafadar. Hearsey was also wounded and the action was mentioned in the Commander-in-Chief’s General Orders.

Pursuit of the Pindaris

The regiment remained posted at Khasgunj until 1817 when they joined the Army at Agra under the command of Major-General Sir Rufane Donkin. The pursuit of the Pindaris involved many long arduous marches and several skirmishes. The Pindari leader, Karim Khan was defeated at Kalana, a battle in which the regiment played a conspicuous part.

Arracan, April 1825

In the autumn of 1824 the 2nd Regiment of Local Horse, as they were known, with a strength of 620, marched to join the force under General Morrison on the Eastern frontier, for the invasion of Arracan. They marched 2,000 miles without losing a single man through desertion. During the campaign in Burma they showed great loyalty and were praised for their high morale despite having to march on foot, following the loss of most of their horses. They left Chittagong in Jan 1825, fought in the Padha Hills on 26 March, and at Mahati the next day. Arracan was captured by 1st April 1825. At the end of the campaign they returned to India and were stationed at Bareilly. The battle honour ARRACAN was granted on 11 April 1826.

Sobraon, 10 Feb 1846

During 1840 to 1842 the regiment was kept occupied suppressing disturbances in Bundelkhand. They were based at Saugor from Autumn 1840 but moved to Amballa in Sep 1845. The regiment was mobilised for the First Sikh War, initially forming part of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade. The HQ and the right wing were present at the battle of Sobraon, placed in the 2nd Cavalry Brigade. In the action, Captain Leeson, the commanding officer, was mentioned in despatches. After the war the right wing was stationed at Lahore, the left wing at Tulwandi near Harighat, By December the whole regiment was concentrated at Makhur. At this time, Dec 1846, the regiment was issued with percussion carbines to replace their old matchlocks.

Nerote, 30 Nov 1848

The regiment was commanded by Captain George Jackson for the duration of the Second Sikh War. On 14 Oct, they went into action at the siege and capture of Fort Rangar Nagal where they lost a man and had a horse killed, and a man and two horses wounded. On 23rd Nov there was a battle at Nerote involving the pursuit and routing of a raiding party of 100 enemy riders. Naib-Risaldar Mirza Haidar Beg led 20 men in this action. The enemy were defeated with the loss of 8 men, and several wounded. The party of 20 men lost 4 men wounded. Mirz Haidar Beg and Sowar Karamat Ali were highly praised for their bravery.

Dala, Jan 1849

The Sikh leader, Ram Singh was in command of a force defending the heights of Dal in January 1849. The regiment were unable to fight as cavalry in this battle so Captain Jackson volunteered that his men fight a dismounted action. The resulting victory was due to the bravery of the men of the regiment and the battle honour PUNJAB was granted to them on 7 Oct 1853.

Irregular Cavalry 1853

Operations Against the Mohmands, 1851

In October 1851 a detachment of 320 men of the regiment took part in Sir Colin Campbell’s operations against the Mohmands. Initially they were posted at Shabkadr and Matta from where they sent out patrols every night. On 7 Dec one of their patrols attacked and dispersed a large party of the enemy, numbering 500. They lost 2 men killed, and 2 men and 2 horses wounded. The next day, 8 Dec, the regiment came under attack near Mutta, by a large force of Mohmands, but with help from the Guides and some artillery the enemy were driven off. Captain Jackson distinguished himself, demonstrating effective leadership.

On 3 Jan 1852, Lieutenant W T Hughes led his Troop of 43 men in a charge near Panjpao that defeated 50 Mohmands, killing 15 of them. He lost one man killed and three wounded. Further operations against the Utman Khels in May involved a squadron taking part in the destruction of the Narwardian villages near Abazai, and in the action at Prangarh on 13 May. Five days later, Captain Jackson led a squadron of 79 men that was present, on 18 May, at the storming and capture of the fortified village of Shakot, defended by the Ranizais.

Officer & Trooper 1882

A night march began from dusk on 12 Sep towards the Egyptian army entrenched at Tel-el-Kebir. The Infantry, mostly the Highland Brigade, attacked at daybreak and defeated the rebels, while the 2nd (Indian) Cavalry Brigade moved around to the left of the position to harass the retreating enemy. They captured a train full of fugitives at the railway station. Arabi Pasha surrendered on 14 Sep at Abbassieh. The Indian regiments had performed well and suffered few casualties. The casualty figures for the whole campaign were: Indian Officers; one died of wounds and one died of fever. Indian Other Ranks; 4 killed, 6 died of fever, and 15 wounded. The casualty figures for the 2nd Bengal Cavalry at Tel-el-Kebir were: one officer and one man wounded. Every officer and man in the regiment received the Egypt medal and the Khedive’s Star, and the regiment was awarded the battle honours EGYPT 1882 and TEL-EL-KEBIR.

Indian Lancer in France

Kildare Trench, Dec 1917

The tank battle at Cambrai in November 1917 was Douglas Haig’s great breakthrough to finish the war. A large force of horse-mounted cavalry was kept in reserve to exploit the progress of the tanks, and the regiment was employed in preparing for the offensive. They had to clear a road through three German trenches and ten belts of wire, completed just in time for the start of the attack on 20 Nov 1917. The tanks went first followed by the infantry, achieving initial success, but the advantage was lost and the enemy counter-attacked with high explosive shells and gas.

Map of Kildare Trench

The Germans, having reoccupied Gouzeaucourt, Gauche Wood and Villiers-Guislain, the cavalry were expected to drive them out again. Brigade HQ, at Epéhy and Peiziere, was about 15 miles to the southwest of Cambrai, commanded by Brigadier Neil Haig. The objective for the brigade was to recapture Villiers-Guislain Ridge; the main attack carried out by the Inniskillings and a subsidiary attack by the 2nd Lancers. The Inniskillings advanced northeast up the Linnet Valley; the 2nd planned to take Willows Road but a recce found that this was inadvisable so they changed their route to take them east towards Kildare Lane. The regiment was accompanied by one squadron of the Inniskillings and a 2-gun section of 11th Machine Gun Squadron.

Captain Whitworth’s Charger

The Inniskillings headed up Linnet Valley, getting as far as the Beet Factory, but were forced to retire back to Peiziere. They had suffered 100 casualties. The 2nd Lancers set off from Epéhy under heavy artillery fire at 9 am on 1 Dec. They had arrived at Epéhy without swords and lances, but were re-issued with them just before they set off on this attack. C Squadron, leading the advance, was commanded by Major Knowles. The formation adopted was column of squadrons in line of Troop columns extended. They moved forward at the gallop but came under machine-gun fire from Kildare Trench as well as from enemy outposts on their flanks. They also negotiated three lines of barbed wire, 18 inches high. As they came to the German position Lieutenant Broadway killed two men with his sword and was confronted by an officer who pretended to surrender by holding his left hand up, but concealed a pistol in his right. The German shot Broadway dead but in turn was killed by a trooper’s lance.

The Germans occupying the trench were of the 418th Regiment, around 50 to 100 men. Fifteen of them were killed by sword or lance and 20 to 30 by rifle or machine-gun fire. Two prisoners were captured and 3 light machine-guns. The commanding officer of the 2nd Lancers, Lt-Col H H F Turner had been killed in the charge, just after crossing the first belt of wire. The horses had to be kept in the captured trench, but only those of C Squadron and the Inniskilling squadron. The rest had to be taken back to Peizieres, although under heavy fire once more. So the position was now held by 200 men of the 2nd Lancers and 36 men of the Inniskillings. The horses, numbering 169, impeded movement in the trench, some of them being wounded.

They managed to get in touch with the King’s Liverpool Regiment in the 155th Brigade, who were holding the road from L’empire, south of Kildare. Captain D E Whitworth was awarded the Military Cross for making his way, twice, through a heavy barrage to make contact with the brigade.This contact helped with casualty evacuation and their eventual withdrawal. The squadron of Inniskillings held a part of the tench at the north end, Kildare Post, and a sap head, but it was surrounded and became the scene of bombing and counter-bombing activity. The discovery of a supply of ammunition and bombs greatly helped.

Gobind Singh VC

Germans were also moving into positions at the other end, near Little Priel Farm so Major Salkeld took his mounted squadron out to distract them while Major Knowles, who was now in command, organised the defences of both sides of the trench. Salkeld’s men suffered 4 killed and 6 wounded before returning to the trench. Major Knowles had few options. Further advance was almost impossible as the main part of the Inniskillings had been forced to retire from the Beet factory. The 2nd Lancers had been in a precarious position for two hours so Knowles called for volunteers to take a message to Brigade HQ at Epéhy. Two men were chosen, Gobind Singh and Jot Ram. They were given identical messages and sent off at the same time on horseback. Jot Ram was soon killed but Gobind Singh survived, although his horse was killed after a quarter of a mile. He lay low for a while until he was able to crawl or run at a quieter moment. He reached Epéhy, two miles away, and delivered his message to an astonished Brigadier.

He volunteered to take a message back, and again had his horse shot. However, he reached Kildare trench to get his message through. An hour later it was necessary to send another message, and again he volunteered. The Adjutant was reluctant but Gobind persuaded him by insisting that he knew the best route. He rode off while an artillery barrage was in progress, but there was a sudden lull and it seemed that he would be OK. Then, as they watched, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. But this time his horse was cut in two, although Gobind survived and carried on, running just out of range of enemy fire. On reaching HQ he again volunteered to return to Kildare but was told that he had done enough. He was recommended for a VC.

Orders to withdraw from Kildare were received from the General commanding 155th Infantry Brigade. The withdrawal was difficult as the horses had to be led, one at a time from the only exit to the trench at the southern end. Major Knowles and others were wounded in the withdrawal. The final casualty figures for the 2nd Lancers were: British officers; two killed, one wounded and one missing. Indian officers; one killed, one wounded and one missing. Other ranks; 5 killed, 42 wounded, and 48 missing. The Inniskilling squadron lost one OR killed, 5 wounded and 5 missing. The Machine-Gun squadron lost 2 men killed, one Indian officer wounded, 9 men wounded, and one man missing. The high number of missing men is explained either by their capture, or having been killed without a visible body to count.

Meggido 19 - 25 Sep 1918

The regiment left France in February 1918 to join the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.

Charge at El Alfulah

They were placed in the 10th Cavalry Brigade in the 4th Division of the Desert Mounted Corps. Experienced British troops had been removed from the Middle East front to reinforce the army in France. To make up for this loss of manpower, Allenby received Indian troops from the Western Front. The planned offensive had to wait until these troops had assembled in Palestine. They fought in the battle of Meggido in Allenby’s strategic effort to encircle the Ottoman army in the Judean Hills. The advance from the south, close to the coast, was a surprise to the Turks and a fierce battle took place at Sharon. The infantry had created a gap and the mounted cavalry moved forward, supported by armoured cars. The 4th Cavalry Division covered 70 miles in 34 hours with the loss of only 26 horses.

The 10th Cavalry Brigade consisted of the 2nd Lancers, 1/1st Q O Dorset Yeomanry, 38th Central India Horse and 17th Machine Gun Squadron. The 2nd Lancers were commanded by Captain Douglas Davison. The regiment made a charge which resulted in the defeat of the Turks at El Afulah, and later on at Beisan. The successful action resulted in the capture of 100 Germans, aircraft, trucks and railway stock. The capture of Beisan was especially valuable as it blocked the escape of the Turks from the Jordan valley. Following the success in Palestine the regiment were in General Harry Chauvel’s pursuit to Damascus along the Pilgrims Road via Deraa.