1st Duke of York's Own Skinner's Horse
Encyclopedia
The 1st Duke of York's Own Lancers (Skinner's Horse) was a unit of the British Indian Army
from 1922 to independence and thereafter a unit of the Indian Army
.
Its foundation was when it was raised in 1803 as Skinner’s Horse by James Skinner
(Sikander Sahib) as an irregular cavalry
regiment in the service of the East India Company
, the regiment became (and remains) one of the seniormost cavalry regiments of the Armoured Corps
of the Indian Army
.
There were two regiments of Indian Cavalry raised by Colonel James Skinner in 1803. They became the 1st Bengal Lancers and the 3rd Skinner's Horse
. On the reduction of the Indian Army in 1922, they were amalgamated and became Skinner's Horse (1st Duke of York's Own Cavalry). The old 1st Lancers wore yellow uniforms (unique in the world) and the old 3rd wore blue. Each regiment had the full-dress (mounted) long 'Kurta
' worn with a turban
and cummerbund
, also a full-dress (dis-mounted) or levee, dress. These were not in general use after 1914 but could still be worn by officers on special assignments (e.g. as an aide-de-camp
). The mess jacket and waistcoat of the old 1st Bengal Lancers was adopted by the 1922 regiment of Skinner's Horse and was the cold weather mess dress until 1939. All six of these uniforms are in the collection of the National Army Museum
at Sandhurst
.
and participated in the Battle of Peking
.
. The brigade received orders to mobilise on October 24, 1914.
The regiment was in France till August 1916. It saw extensive action in many parts of France. It was awarded the battle honours France and Flanders for its fine performance. It was sent to Mesopotamia as a part of the 7th Meerut Cavalry Brigade Headquarters. The regiment was then ordered back to India where it concentrated in Rawalpindi in August, 1916 for operations in Afghanistan.
A detachment of the regiment was tasked to guard the post at Gumboz.
with the new title of the 1st Duke of York’s Own Skinner’s Horse. The 1st Duke of York's Own Lancers which had been only Muslims and the 3rd Skinner's Horse
consisted of one squadron each of Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs and Rangars (Muslim Rajputs). After the amalgamation, the regiment would only consist of only three Squadrons: Rajputs, Rangars and Jats. The Sikh
Squadron, which had been part of the 3rd Skinner's Horse for 72 years, was disbanded.
Each of the squadrons was equipped with one Hotchkiss gun
and with .303 Short Magazine Lee Enfield rifles. The machine gun troops of the Headquarters Squadron were equipped with the .303 Vickers machine gun
. The regiment acquired the status of a regular force of the British Indian Army and was equipped with the latest weapons which helped in later campaigns across the globe.
, formed part of Gazelle Force. During the rest of the war the regiment was attached variously to the 4th Indian Infantry Division; the British 10th Armoured Division
, the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade
and the 10th Indian Infantry Division. The regiment fought in East Africa
, North Africa
and Italy
and was awarded battle honours for Agordat, Keren, Amba-Alagi, Abyssinia, Senio Flood Bank and Italy.. The senior Pakistani politician Sardar Shaukat Hayat Khan
(1915-1998), who served with Skinner's Horse in Sudan/Africa during the Second World War, has written a brief but memorable account of the regiment's service there, in his memoirs, "The Nation that Lost its Soul" (Lahore
: Jang Pubs, 1995).
, and a year later Churchills
. In 1947 with Indian Independence the regiment became part of the Indian Army Armoured Corps
. The first Indian commander was Lt Col RM Bilimoria, and the regiment was stationed at Ahmadnagar
. The regiment took part in the Hyderabad Police Action in 1948, following which action it stopped the use of Stuart tanks. The Churchill tank remained in use until 1957, after which the regiment was equipped with Sherman Mk IV's
. Eight years later in 1965 the regiment converted to the T-54 and then to the T-55. In 1979 the regiment converted to the T-72
tank.
James Skinner
(who raised the regiment) built St. James' Church, Delhi
. In 2003, a special service was held there to commemorate the bicentenary of the regiment.
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
from 1922 to independence and thereafter a unit of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
.
Its foundation was when it was raised in 1803 as Skinner’s Horse by James Skinner
James Skinner (soldier)
James Skinner CB was an Anglo-Indian military adventurer in India, who became known as Sikandar Sahib later in life, and most known for two cavalry regiments he raised for the British, later known as 1st Skinner's Horse and 3rd Skinner's Horse at Hansi in 1803, which still are a part of the...
(Sikander Sahib) as an irregular cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiment in the service of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, the regiment became (and remains) one of the seniormost cavalry regiments of the Armoured Corps
Indian Army Armoured Corps
The Indian Army Armoured Corps is one of the combat arms of the Indian Army. Formed in 1947 from two-thirds of the personnel and assets of the Raj's Indian Armoured Corps. It currently consists of 63 armoured regiments, including the president's bodyguards. The naming of the regiments varies...
of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
.
There were two regiments of Indian Cavalry raised by Colonel James Skinner in 1803. They became the 1st Bengal Lancers and the 3rd Skinner's Horse
3rd Skinner's Horse
The 3rd Skinner's Horse was originally raised at Hansi by Lt.-Col. James Skinner as the 2nd Regiment of Skinner’s Horse in 1814, the various changes and amalgamations are listed below.*1814 2nd Regiment of Skinner's Horse*1821 Baddeley’s Frontier Horse...
. On the reduction of the Indian Army in 1922, they were amalgamated and became Skinner's Horse (1st Duke of York's Own Cavalry). The old 1st Lancers wore yellow uniforms (unique in the world) and the old 3rd wore blue. Each regiment had the full-dress (mounted) long 'Kurta
Kurta
A kurta is a traditional item of clothing worn in Afghanistan, Pakistan , Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. It is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, and is worn by both men and women...
' worn with a turban
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
and cummerbund
Cummerbund
A cummerbund is a broad waist sash, usually pleated, which is often worn with single-breasted dinner jackets . The cummerbund was first adopted by British military officers in colonial India as an alternative to a waistcoat, and later spread to civilian use...
, also a full-dress (dis-mounted) or levee, dress. These were not in general use after 1914 but could still be worn by officers on special assignments (e.g. as an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
). The mess jacket and waistcoat of the old 1st Bengal Lancers was adopted by the 1922 regiment of Skinner's Horse and was the cold weather mess dress until 1939. All six of these uniforms are in the collection of the National Army Museum
National Army Museum
The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, England adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the "Chelsea Pensioners". The National Army Museum is open to the public every day of the year from 10.00am to 5.30pm,...
at Sandhurst
Sandhurst
Sandhurst is a small town and civil parish in England of 7,966 homes and 20,803 inhabitants , primarily domiciliary in nature with a few light industries...
.
Early history
After formation in 1803 the regiment was involved in a number of the campaigns on the Asian sub-continent, notably the First Afghan War, the Second Afghan War, the First Sikh War and the Second Sikh War. It was first regiment sent overseas during the Boxer RebellionBoxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
and participated in the Battle of Peking
Battle of Peking
The Battle of Peking, or the Relief of Peking, was the battle on 14–15 August 1900 in which a multi-national force relieved the siege of foreign legations in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion...
.
World War I
The regiment was at Meerut when the First World War broke out. The regiment was a part of the 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Indian Cavalry Division2nd Indian Cavalry Division
The 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was a regular division of the British Indian Army during World War I.-History:The division sailed for France from Bombay on October 16, 1914, under the command of Major General G A Cookson. During the war the division would serve in the trenches as infantry...
. The brigade received orders to mobilise on October 24, 1914.
The regiment was in France till August 1916. It saw extensive action in many parts of France. It was awarded the battle honours France and Flanders for its fine performance. It was sent to Mesopotamia as a part of the 7th Meerut Cavalry Brigade Headquarters. The regiment was then ordered back to India where it concentrated in Rawalpindi in August, 1916 for operations in Afghanistan.
A detachment of the regiment was tasked to guard the post at Gumboz.
Between the wars
After World War I, the British Indian Army was scaled down. On May 18, 1921, two regiments were amalgamated at SialkotSialkot
Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...
with the new title of the 1st Duke of York’s Own Skinner’s Horse. The 1st Duke of York's Own Lancers which had been only Muslims and the 3rd Skinner's Horse
3rd Skinner's Horse
The 3rd Skinner's Horse was originally raised at Hansi by Lt.-Col. James Skinner as the 2nd Regiment of Skinner’s Horse in 1814, the various changes and amalgamations are listed below.*1814 2nd Regiment of Skinner's Horse*1821 Baddeley’s Frontier Horse...
consisted of one squadron each of Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs and Rangars (Muslim Rajputs). After the amalgamation, the regiment would only consist of only three Squadrons: Rajputs, Rangars and Jats. The Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
Squadron, which had been part of the 3rd Skinner's Horse for 72 years, was disbanded.
Each of the squadrons was equipped with one Hotchkiss gun
Hotchkiss gun
The Hotchkiss gun can refer to different products of the Hotchkiss arms company starting in the late 19th century. It usually refers to the 1.65-inch light mountain gun; there was also a 3-inch Hotchkiss gun...
and with .303 Short Magazine Lee Enfield rifles. The machine gun troops of the Headquarters Squadron were equipped with the .303 Vickers machine gun
Vickers machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled .303 inch machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army...
. The regiment acquired the status of a regular force of the British Indian Army and was equipped with the latest weapons which helped in later campaigns across the globe.
World War II
At the beginning of World War II the regiment was still mounted, but was quickly converted to act as a mechanised reconnaissance regiment and was attached to the 5th Indian Division and when the division was sent to the SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, formed part of Gazelle Force. During the rest of the war the regiment was attached variously to the 4th Indian Infantry Division; the British 10th Armoured Division
British 10th Armoured Division
The 10th Armoured Division was a British Army armoured division active from 1941-44 and 1956-57. It was formed from the 1st Cavalry Division, a 1st Line Yeomanry unit. The 1st Cavalry Division had been serving in Palestine...
, the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade
3rd Indian Motor Brigade
The 3rd Indian Motor Brigade was a unit of the Indian Army during World War II, formed in 1940. In its short history one of its regiments would be involved in the siege of Tobruk and the brigade was twice overrun during the Western Desert Campaign by units of the Afrika Corps and the Italian...
and the 10th Indian Infantry Division. The regiment fought in East Africa
East African Campaign (World War II)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
, North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
and Italy
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
and was awarded battle honours for Agordat, Keren, Amba-Alagi, Abyssinia, Senio Flood Bank and Italy.. The senior Pakistani politician Sardar Shaukat Hayat Khan
Shaukat Hayat Khan
Shaukat Hayat Khan was a prominent Muslim League movement worker and political leader, who worked closely with the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in the Punjab.-Background:...
(1915-1998), who served with Skinner's Horse in Sudan/Africa during the Second World War, has written a brief but memorable account of the regiment's service there, in his memoirs, "The Nation that Lost its Soul" (Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
: Jang Pubs, 1995).
Post World War II
The regiment was switched to tanks in 1946, receiving the Stuart tankStuart tank
The M3 Stuart, formally Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II and supplied to British and Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war—and used thereafter by U.S...
, and a year later Churchills
Churchill tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV was a heavy British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war...
. In 1947 with Indian Independence the regiment became part of the Indian Army Armoured Corps
Indian Army Armoured Corps
The Indian Army Armoured Corps is one of the combat arms of the Indian Army. Formed in 1947 from two-thirds of the personnel and assets of the Raj's Indian Armoured Corps. It currently consists of 63 armoured regiments, including the president's bodyguards. The naming of the regiments varies...
. The first Indian commander was Lt Col RM Bilimoria, and the regiment was stationed at Ahmadnagar
Ahmadnagar
Ahmadnagar is located in Gujranwala DistricTt, Punjab, Pakistan.-References:...
. The regiment took part in the Hyderabad Police Action in 1948, following which action it stopped the use of Stuart tanks. The Churchill tank remained in use until 1957, after which the regiment was equipped with Sherman Mk IV's
M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
. Eight years later in 1965 the regiment converted to the T-54 and then to the T-55. In 1979 the regiment converted to the T-72
T-72
The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1970. It is developed directly from Obyekt-172, and shares parallel features with the T-64A...
tank.
James Skinner
James Skinner (soldier)
James Skinner CB was an Anglo-Indian military adventurer in India, who became known as Sikandar Sahib later in life, and most known for two cavalry regiments he raised for the British, later known as 1st Skinner's Horse and 3rd Skinner's Horse at Hansi in 1803, which still are a part of the...
(who raised the regiment) built St. James' Church, Delhi
St. James' Church, Delhi
St. James' is an Anglican church in Delhi, India, built in 1836 by Colonel James Skinner. It is one of the oldest churches in the city, and part of the Church of North India Diocese of Delhi ....
. In 2003, a special service was held there to commemorate the bicentenary of the regiment.
Name Changes
Like all regiments of the Indian Army, the 1st Duke of York’s Own Lancers (Skinner’s Horse) underwent many name changes in their history.- 1823 1st (Skinner’s) Local Horse
- 1840 1st Irregular Cavalry (Skinner’s Horse)
- 1861 1st Regt. of Bengal Cavalry
- 1896 1st Regt. of Bengal Lancers
- 1899 1st (The Duke of York’s Own) Regiment of Bengal Lancers
- 1901 1st (Duke of York’s Own) Bengal Lancers (Skinner’s Horse)
- 1903 1st Duke of York’s Own Lancers (Skinner’s Horse).
- 1921 1st Duke of York's Own Skinner's Horse.
- 1947 1st Horse (Skinner's Horse)
Further reading
- Sikandar Sahib by Denis Holman
- Skinner's Horse by Christopher Rothero
- Sworn to Die by Lt-Col M A R Skinner
- A Short History of the 1st Duke of York's Own Lancers (Skinner's Horse),(1803 - 1908) by Major H Roberts
- Skinner's Horse, by Philip Mason. Harpercollins. 1980. ISBN 0-06-013036-9.