Indian cavalry in the Palestine campaign

[Eran Tearosh]

British, Australian & New-Zealand mounted troops were trained as mounted infantry. British Yeomanry remained equipped (Sabre) and trained also as cavalry. During 1918 the Australian Light Horse were also equipped with a Sabre and trained accordingly, and during the Megiddo offensive they were categorized as cavalry (Of course, still able to operate as mounted infantry, if required). 

 

I'm less familiar with Indian mounted forces. Some are called 'Horse' (The Deccan Horse for example, etc.) and others are 'Lancers'.

Were the Indians 'Horse' units also trained as mounted infantry? Were they equipped with a Sabre?

What is the definition of the 'Lancer' units?  Were they mounted infantry? If so, how can one use a lance effectively on ground? As cavalry, were their shock tactics similar to those using Sabres?  

 

Eran    

[Stuart24]

As I understand it...  They were trained as mounted infantry, but like the Yeomanry (and later the Australians and New Zealanders) were armed as cavalry.  'Horse' I believe is a throw-back to how Indian units were traditionally equipped and trained - as light cavalry but not fitting into the traditional British Army categories of 'Light Dragoon', 'Hussar', etc.  Therefore a new category was create for them.  By 1914, this was really an obsolete distinction, but (as with retaining 'Riflemen', 'Fusiliers', 'Grenadiers' etc among the infantry) the Army does like it's traditional arbitrary variations.  Lancers did have lances, but would leave them in the buckets of their saddles when they dismounted to fight on foot.

 

I hope that helps

Cheers

Stuart

 

 

[rolt968]

If I remember rightly quite a lot of the Indian lancer regiments became lancers quite late - in the later 19th century. I'm not sure it wasn't fashion as much military thinking. (The British 21 Lancers only became lancers in 1897.)

 

One or two Indian lancer regiments dropped the lancer part of their title if it would cause confusion with a British lancer regiment with the same number which was based in India.

 

RM

[Steven Broomfield]

37 minutes ago, rolt968 said:

 (The British 21 Lancers only became lancers in 1897.)

 

 

Out of interest, that was because there were 5 Lancer regiments (5th, 9th, 12th, 16th and 17th) but 13 Hussar regiments (3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st) - the junior regiment of Hussars was converted to Lancers so they could be paired.

[MaureenE]

There is a history to the Poona Horse in Palestine

https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.237929/2015.237929.The-Poona#page/n163/mode/2up 

page 138 The Poona Horse, 17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry Volume II: 1914-1931 by H. C. Wylly 1933

There is reference to the Poona Horse and Deccan Horse being armed with lances on page 143, and page 146 refers  to "bloody swords and lances" on the trampled ground.

 

This regiment had many changes of name

• 1817 raised as The Auxillary Horse 
• 1818 became The Poona Auxiliary Horse
• 1847 became The Poona Irregular Horse
• 1861 became 1st Regiment of Poona Horse
• 1862 became The Poona Horse
• 1885 became 4th Bombay Cavalry (Poona Horse)
• 1890 became 4th (Prince Albert Victor's Own) Bombay Cavalry (Poona Horse)
• 1903 became 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse
• 1921 became 33rd/34th Cavalry
• 1922 became 17th Queen Victoria's Own Poona Horse
• 1927 became The Poona Horse (17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry)
• 1947 allocated to India on Partition
• 1950 became The Poona Horse (17 Horse)

For Indian Army Cavalry regiments see

https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Category:Indian_Army_Cavalry_Regiments

There names changed over times, but the most common term seems to be Horse, although some do have Lancers in their names.

 

Cheers

Maureen

 

[rolt968]

19 hours ago, Steven Broomfield said:

 

Out of interest, that was because there were 5 Lancer regiments (5th, 9th, 12th, 16th and 17th) but 13 Hussar regiments (3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st) - the junior regiment of Hussars was converted to Lancers so they could be paired.

 

Thank you.

I didn't know that. Very interesting.

RM

[Steven Broomfield]

Incidentally (and I could be wrong) but I think all Indian cavalry regiments carried the lance. All British cavalry regiments on the Indian establishment also had one (of four, rather than three as in the British service) squadron equipped with the lance. This would not have applied to the Yeomanry regiments in Palestine, and I doubt any British regiment joining an Indian formation in Palestine would have been so equipped.

[Gareth Davies]

When the 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) went from France to Palestine they took their lances with them and, according to their Regimental history, after a few attacks by the Turks on EEF outposts, "the readiness of the 2nd Lancers to use the lance......soon convinced the Turks of the advisability of keeping within their own wire".   And yes, I believe that all Indian Cavalry in the EEF did indeed carry the lance.  I have never read of Yeomen in Palestine carrying the lance.