Late in 1917, Gen Allenby’s Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) smashed the Ottoman defences and captured Gaza, and then captured Jerusalem just before Christmas.

Gen Allenby launched his long-delayed attack on 19 September 1918. The campaign has been called the Battle of Megiddo. The Turks were taken by surprise when the British attacked Meggido in a sudden storm.

From there it was decided to march off to Damascus. Two separate Allied columns marched towards Damascus. The first approached from Galilee composed of mainly cavalry, both Indian and Australian while the other column travelled along the Hejaz Railway northwards composed of Indian Cavalry and the ad hoc militia following T.E. Lawrence. Australian Light Horse troops marched unopposed into Damascus on 1 October 1918. The war in Palestine was over.

3rd (Lahore) Indian Division and the 7th (Meerut) Indian Division, both pre-war divisions, participated in the Palestine Campaign and as part of the Palestine Occupation Force. The 1st and 2nd Mounted Divisions, both formed in Egypt in 1918 also served with the Palestine Occupation Force before they were broken up in 1920-21.

The 4th and 5th Indian Mounted Divisions were under the Desert Mounted Corps for exploitation.

The 5th Cavalry Division (Desert Mounted Corps) was assigned the task of capturing Haifa and Acre after several earlier attempts were stopped by strong rearguard positions. A squadron of Mysore Lancers, 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade and a squadron of Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 14th Cavalry Brigade formed the initial attack on an Austrian artillery battery before moving forward with the Jodhpur Lancers and a light car patrol, to attack the main German rearguard position and capture the town.

On 23 September 1918, the Jodhpur and Mysore Lancers of the 15th Imperial Service Brigade were ordered to capture Haifa.

The Jodhpur Lancers charged the Ottoman position, crossing the Acre railway line, but came under machine gun and artillery fire. The charge was further obstructed by quicksand on the river banks, so they manoeuvred to the left onto the lower slopes of Mount Carmel. The regiment secured the position capturing 30 prisoner, two machine guns, two camel guns and opening up an access route into Haifa. The Jodhpur Lancers continued their charge into the town surprising the defenders. Those Mysore Lancers who had been giving fire support to the attacking regiment, mounted and followed them into the town.

Here is an extract from The Story of the Jodhpur Lancers 1885-1952 by Brig MS Jodha.

“On the night of July 13/14, the Jodhpur Lancers moved from divisional reserve into the portion which included the bridgeheads of Mahadat, Hajla and Henu on the River Jordan, relieving Brigadier-General Godwin’s 10 Cavalry Brigade.

“On 14 July, and ‘A’ Squadron of Jodhpur under Captain Panai Singh and Major Reynolds as SSO, crossed at Henu and another Squadron of Mysore Lancers crossed Hajla bridgehead. In the early hours of the morning ‘A’ Squadron of Jodhpur Lancers, after crossing Sangsters Ford of the Wadi El Rameh, was reconnoitering forward when it made contact with the enemy.

“This squadron of Jodhpur Lancers kept working around the enemy’s flank, but it could not leave the crossings over Wadi El Rameh unguarded. The enemy appeared to be about 300 strong and was shelling the crossings and rear areas with four camel guns (77mm) and two 4.2-inch guns.

“At 1210 hours a combined charge was to be carried out on a given signal. The Jodhpur Lancers charged with 125 men (five troops) and Mysore Lancers charged with six troops (also about 125 men). The Mysore Lancers and Sherwood Rangers advanced, at the same time being ably supported by the two squadrons of the Jodhpur and Hyderabad machine gun section which did great damage to the enemy.

“The advance of the Jodhpur Lancers, less two squadrons, was made in line of troop columns up the Wadi Jorfe. On reaching open ground, deployment was made in echelon in extended troops, and the high ground in front was galloped. On reaching here the two squadrons right shouldered and galloped down the left bank of the Wadi Rameh where they rallied.

“Here the toughest fight took place and many individual fine acts took place and much of the enemy was killed and captured and the machine gun section with the help of Hotchkiss guns did great execution.

“On that day, the Jodhpur Lancers won many honours.

“The enemy retreated hurriedly to their original position in the foothill caves of Wadi Rameh, the Hyderabad Lancers following them up and remaining in touch until 1930 hours when they withdrew into reserve west of the Jordan. Jodhpur Lancers and Mysore Lancers each then kept three squadrons across the river to picket the enemy.”

Together, the two regiments captured 1,350 German and Ottoman prisoners, including two German officers, 35 Ottoman officers, 17 artillery guns and 11 machine guns. Their own casualties amounted to eight dead and 34 wounded. Sixty horses were killed and another 83 wounded.

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The Jaipur-based cavalry regiment is being converted into a regular armoured regiment on the basis of a recommendation made by the Lt Gen DB Shekatkar Committee in a report on sharpening the army’s combat edge and trimming its revenue expenditure.

Three independent squadrons of which are extensions of Central India Horse, 7th Light Cavalry and 63 Cavalry, are being amalgamated under the headquarters of the 61st Cavalry to form the new tank unit.

Two horse squadrons of 61 Cavalry in Delhi will continue to be looked after by Commandant of 61 Cavalry, especially their equestrian training.

The regiment’s 300-odd horses (200 in Jaipur and around 100 with a squadron of 61st Cavalry in Delhi) will become part of a new equestrian node, he said.

61 Cavalry, steeped in tradition and sporting history, has not taken part in any operation during the past 25 years. Its main occupation was to breed and maintain horses for ceremonial purposes and equestrian sports. In the field of sports, however, the regiment accounts for one Padma Shri, 10 Arjuna Awards, 11 Asian Games medals and a raft of representations at the Polo World Cup and international equestrian competitions. It has been a part of the annual Republic Day parade for several decades.

The President’s Bodyguard, also a horse-mounted unit, has a well-defined role to perform ceremonial duties for the country’s President.

Rich History

The conversion of Indian cavalry regiments to armoured regiments began on 14 April 1938, with The Scinde Horse parading its horses for the last time. 82 years later the last horse cavalry regiment is converting to T-72 tanks.

A number of other horsed cavalry regiments which were remnants of the States Forces maintained by the erstwhile princely rulers were amalgamated to form 61 Cavalry in 1953. These were the Gwalior Lancers, Jodhpur/Kachhawa Horse, Mysore Lancers and ‘B’ Squadron, 2nd Patiala Lancers.

The Mysore Lancers and Jodhpur Lancers had fought together as part of the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade in Egypt, Sinai and Palestine during the First World War.

On 23rd September 1918 the two regiments joined forces through a brilliant manoeuvre to capture the strategic port of Haifa after a great charge on Turkish positions in the face of withering artillery and machine-gun fire. This was a rare instance of cavalry taking a fortified town at the gallop.

The striking Teen Murti Memorial in New Delhi, incidentally, was constructed during the British Raj to commemorate the heroic role played by the Hyderabad, Jodhpur and Mysore Lancers during the legendary Battle of Haifa.

The Poona Horse was selected to remain horsed while the rest of the cavalry was mechanised. Just after the start of World War II, the Poona Horse was also mechanised. In 1942, the regiment was ordered 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. Thereafter, they were 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 returned to India in October 1945 and were issued their first tanks, the Stuart MK IV. Later it was equipped with upgunned Sherman tanks and Centurion tanks.

Criticism

Those who have been critical of the conversion say that it is a short-sighted step that will destroy a glorious historical tradition. The purists contend this will “demolish the special character and historical legacy” of the 61 Cavalry.

Many senior cavalry veterans feel that 61 Cavalry was much more than just a regiment. It was a symbol of cavalry traditions, heritage, culture, and legacy and, therefore, needed to continue as such.

Comments

The 12-lakh strong Army currently has around 1,100 Russian-origin T-90S main-battle tanks as well as 124 indigenous ‘Arjun’ and 2,400 older T-72 tanks in its over 65 armoured regiments. Each armoured regiment typically has three squadrons of 14 tanks each under it.

With additional T-90S and Arjun tanks in the pipeline, the Army wants to raise new armoured regiments.

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