The regiments
Regimental titles are as given by the Army List.
Please note that this page is work in progress.
Governor-General’s Bodyguard
1st Duke of York’s Own Lancers (Skinner’s Horse)
2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse)
Made up of HQ and A (Hindi Mussulman), B (Rajput), C (Sikh) and D (Jat) Squadrons.
Went to France as part of 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade. Arrived at Marseilles 14 December 1914. First entered the trenches of the Festubert-Givenchy sector, dismounted, 11 January 1915. War diary exists, covering time in France.
3rd Skinner’s Horse
Went to France as part of 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade. Arrived at Marseilles 15 December 1914. First entered the trenches of the Festubert-Givenchy sector, dismounted, 13 January 1915. War diary exists, covering time in France. Left from Marseilles 7 July 1916 and returned to India. Went to Rawalpindi.
4th Cavalry
Began to mobilise at Bareilly 9 August 1914 as Divisional Trops for 7th (Meerut) Division. Arrived at Marseilles 12 October 1914. Concentrated at Locon 31 October. Left France from Marseilles 11 November 1915 and landed at Alexandria in Egypt six days later. On 23 November moved to Suez and embarked again. Landed at Basra for service in Mesopotamia 11 December 1915. Was then placed under orders of 6th Indian Cavalry Brigade. Returned to India and came under 1st (Peshawar) Brigade in November 1917. A squadron mobilised with 16th Indian Division in May 1919. War diary exists, covering time in theatres of war.
5th Cavalry
6th King Edward’s Own Cavalry
7th Hariana Lancers
Began to mobilise at Poona 16 February 1915. Sailed from Bombay on 1 March 1915. Began to land at Basra seven days later for service in Mesopotamia. War diary exists, covering time in theatre of war.
8th Cavalry
9th Hodson’s Horse
10th Duke of Cambridge’s Own Lancers (Hodson’s Horse)
11th King Edward’s Own Lancers (Probyn’s Horse)
12th Cavalry
13th Duke of Connaught’s Lancers (Watson’s Horse)
14th Murray’s Jat Lancers
15th Lancers (Cureton’s Multanis)
16th Cavalry
17th Cavalry
18th King George’s Own Lancers
19th Lancers (Fane’s Horse)
20th Deccan Horse
21st Prince Albert Victor’s Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) (Daly’s Horse)
22nd Sam Brown’s Cavalry (Frontier Force)
23rd Cavalry (Frontier Force)
25th Cavalry (Frontier Force)
26th King George’s Own Light Cavalry
27th Light Cavalry
28th Light Cavalry
29th Lancers (Deccan Horse)
30th Lancers (Gordon’s Horse)
31st Duke of Connaught’s Own Lancers
32nd Lancers
33rd Queen Victoria’s Own Light Cavalry
Went to Mesopotamia as part of 6th Cavalry Brigade. Began to land at Basra 3 December 1914. War diary exists, covering time in theatre of war. Left on ship “Torilla” 6 October 1916 and landed at Karachi five days later. Moved to Mooltan and then remained in India.
34th Prince Albert Victor’s Own Poona Horse
35th Scinde Horse
36th Jacob’s Horse
37th Lancers (Baluch Horse)
38th King George’s Own Central India Horse
39th King George’s Own Central India Horse
Aden Troop
Queen Victoria’s Own Corps of Guides (Frontier Force) (Lumsden’s)
Remained in India (although providing many drafts for units in theatres of war) until 8 October 1917, when sailing from Karachi for service in Mesopotamia. Detachments later served in Persia and Trans-Caspia. Good published history freely available online.
In addition to the listed regiments.
The princely states of Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Mysore, and Patiala each raised a regiment of lancers. They came under command of the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade, made up of three of the regiments at any one time. The brigade saw service in Egypt and Palestine. In 1918, it joined 5th Cavalry Division and was titled as the 15th (Imperial Service) Indian Cavalry Brigade.
The 1st Patiala “Rajindra” Lancers joined the 14th Indian Division in Mespotamia in 1918.