The Poona Horse

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 17th Queen Victoria's Own Poona Horse


caption=
dates= 1817 - 1947 British India
1947 - present Indian Army
country=British India
allegiance=Great Britain
branch=British Indian Army
type=Cavalry
role=
size= Regiment
command_structure= Indian Cavalry Corps
current_commander=
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=Ponna Horse
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=Battle Of Koregaum
First Afghan War
Battle of Kandahar-1842
Battle of Ghunzee-1842
Battle of Kabul-1842
Battle of Meanee-1843
Battle of Hyderabad-1843
Persian Conlfict
Battle Of Kooshab-1856
Indian Mutiny
Battle of Sindwaha-1858
Abyssinia 1867-68
Second Afghan War 1879-80
Battle of Girishk
Battle of Maiwand
Battle of Kandahar-1880
China
Boxer Rebellion
Battle of Peking-1900
World War I
First Battle of Ypres-1914
Battle of Givenchy
Battle of La Basse-1914
Battle of Armentiers-1914
Battle of the Somme-1916
Battle of Flers-Courselette-1916
Battle of Cambrai-1917
Battle of Shaiba
Battle of Ctesiphon
Capture of Damascus
Third Afghan War
World War II
First Battle of El Alamein
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=

The Poona Horse (17th Queen Victoria's Own) was a regular British Indian Army Cavalry regiment 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. Previously it was a cavalry regiment and now it is upgraded as a mechanized regiment.

History

In accordance with the article VI of The Treaty of Poona between the British Governor-General of India Lord Hastings and Baji Rao II of the Peshwas, a cavalry regiment was raised on 15 June, 1817. As per the treaty the force would be maintained by the Peshwa and was supposed to be permanently stationed in the territory of Peshwas. The interesting part of the treaty was that the force could have been used against the Peshwa by the British when necessary. The regiment was raised under the order of Mountstuart Elphinstone the Governor of Bombay.

The two Regiments that would go onto 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.

: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 15th July 1817 as a result of the treaty between the HEIC 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, as part of the 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade. They were brigaded with the 7th Dragoon Guards and the 20th Deccan Horse.cite web|title=bharat-rakshak|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ARMY/Regiments2/Poona%20Horse.pdf] The Brigade was dispatched to France and fought on the Western Front their first action being the First Battle of Ypres.

France

On November 2 1914 the regiment was sent to reinforce the 2nd Gurkhas in the Neuve Chapplle sector on arrival they discovered that the Gurkhas defences had been breached and overrun. The Poona Horse was asked to recapture the position. The Regiment launched a counter attack 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,Battle of La Basse,Battle of Armentiers,Battle of the Somme-1916,Battle of Flers-Courselette,Battle of Cambrai-1917.In February 1918, the Poona Horse and all the other Indian Cavalry Regiments in France, was deplyoed to Palestine 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 force also consisted of the 4th Cavalry Division,the Australian Mounted Division and the Anzac Mounted Division.

On September 19, 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, 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 European seated inside the Risaldar Major Hamir Singh, believing him to be a spy, demanded his surrender. The European turned out to be Colonel TE Lawrence. “El Aurens” was not amused.

At 1015hrs on the morning of October 1, 1918, the Regiment entered Damascus and after the rest of the Brigade. The Regiment was ordered to take Rayak and then march onto Aleppo, which they reached on October 25 just prior to the Armistice was signed on October 30 in Mudros Harbour, abroad the battleship HMS|Agamemnon|1906|6.

Mesopotamia

The 33rd Queen Victoria's Own had remained in India during the war but they were sent into Mesopotamia to counter Turkish advances and to protact the oil fields they would be 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 Cavalry Brigade was posted to Risalpur they were brigaded with the,
1st Lancers and “M” Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. On May 6 1919, they received the infomation that the Afghan Army had attacked the outpost at Landi Khanna,North of the Khyber Pass, 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. This change was promulgated under Indian Army Order No 1257 of November 22 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'sOwn Poona Horse..The Regiments new orginisation was now three sabre squadrons and a headquarters squadron, which would contain all the specialists, i.e, machine gunners, signalers etc, into 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 mechinised. This situation did not last long and just after the start of the war the regiment was mechinised.The Headqarters Squadron now had a mortar troop, signals troop, 'B' echelon administrative troop and light Aid Detachment for forward vehicle recovery and repair. While the sabre Squadrons each now comprised of 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 mechinised they become the Divisional reconnaissance regiment for the 6th Indian Division and deployed to Iraq.In 1942 the regiment was order to the middle east to join the British Eighth Army. In the closing stages of the First Battle of El Alamein, the Poona Horse was the guard force for General Claude Auchinleck,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 on garrison duties and were still there in May 1945 when Germany surrendered.The Regiment returmed to India and in October 1945 and were issued their first tanks the Stuart MK IV

Post Independence

Post Independence the Regiment was part of the 1st Armoured Division (India)and participated in Operation Ablaze and Operation Nepal.The division consisted of the 9th Armoured Brigade and 43rd Lorried Infantry Bridge. The Armiured Brigade consisted of the;
16th Cavalry, Hodson's Horse and the Poona Horse equipped with upgunned Sherman tanks and Centurion tanks.

Victoria Cross

Members of the Regiment awarded the Victoria Cross.

:Lieutenant Arthur Thomas Moore 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry. On February 18 1957:Lieutenant Frank Alexander de Pass 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse. On 24 November 1914

Param Vir Chakra

Since independence two members of the regiment have been awarded the Param Vir Chakra.Lt. Colonel Ardeshir Tarapore and 2nd Lt.Arun Khetarpal.

References

External links

* [http://www.members.tripod.com/~Glosters/IAcavalry1.htm Uniforms of the late 19th century]