5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse
Encyclopedia
The 5 Horse is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army
. Previously, it was known as the 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse, which was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army
. It was formed in 1921 by amalgamation of the 11th King Edward's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse) and 12th Cavalry.
. Captain Wale was killed in action on 1 March 1858, while leading the regiment in the pursuit of mutineers, and was replaced by Major Dighton Probyn, VC. In 1860 the regiment was dispatched to China
to take part in the Second Opium War
. They participated in the advance on Peking and returned to India in 1861 with a good reputation. The regiment saw service in the Second Afghan War of 1878-80 and then took part in the Black Mountains Expedition, went to Chitral and formed part of the Malakand Field Force. During the First World War, the regiment served in Mesopotamia
.
(Ethiopia
) and served in the Second Afghan War of 1878-80. During the First World War, it fought in the Mesopotamian Campaign
.
's plumes. Its class composition was one squadron each of Punjabi Muslims, Sikh
s and Dogra
s. The regiment was mechanised in 1940. During the Second World War, the regiment served with great distinction in Burma. On the Partition of India
in 1947, Probyn's Horse was allotted to Pakistan. In 1956, Pakistan became a republic and all titles pertaining to British royalty were dropped. The regiment's new designation was 5 Horse, although informally, it continues to be known as the Probyn's Horse. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
, 5 Horse fought in the Battle of Khem Karan.
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
. Previously, it was known as the 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse, which was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army
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...
. It was formed in 1921 by amalgamation of the 11th King Edward's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse) and 12th Cavalry.
11th King Edward's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse)
The 11th King Edward's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse) was raised on 1 August 1857 by Captain Frederick Wale during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 and served at LucknowLucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
. Captain Wale was killed in action on 1 March 1858, while leading the regiment in the pursuit of mutineers, and was replaced by Major Dighton Probyn, VC. In 1860 the regiment was dispatched to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to take part in the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
. They participated in the advance on Peking and returned to India in 1861 with a good reputation. The regiment saw service in the Second Afghan War of 1878-80 and then took part in the Black Mountains Expedition, went to Chitral and formed part of the Malakand Field Force. During the First World War, the regiment served in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
.
- 1857 Wale's Horse
- 1857 1st Sikh Irregular Cavalry
- 1858 1st Sikh Irregular Cavalry (Probyn's Horse)
- 1861 11th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
- 1864 11th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry (Lancers)
- 1874 11th Regiment of Bengal Lancers
- 1876 11th (Prince of Wales’s Own) Regiment of Bengal Lancers
- 1901 11th (Prince of Wales’s Own) Bengal Lancers
- 1903 11th Prince of Wales’s Own Lancers
- 1904 11th Prince of Wales’s Own Lancers (Probyn’s Horse)
- 1906 11th King Edward’s Own Lancers (Probyn’s Horse)
12th Cavalry
The 12th Cavalry was also raised during the Mutiny of 1857, by Captain PR Hockin in October 1857. It formed part of the 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia1868 Expedition to Abyssinia
The British 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia was a punitive expedition carried out by armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire...
(Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
) and served in the Second Afghan War of 1878-80. During the First World War, it fought in the Mesopotamian Campaign
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
.
- 1857 2nd Sikh Irregular Cavalry
- 1861 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
- 1901 12th Bengal Cavalry
- 1903 12th Cavalry
Probyn's Horse (5th King Edward VII's Own Lancers)
After the First World War, the number of Indian cavalry regiments was reduced from thirty-nine to twenty-one. However, instead of disbanding the surplus units, it was decided to amalgamate them in pairs. This resulted in renumbering and renaming of the entire cavalry line. The 11th King Edward’s Own Lancers (Probyn’s Horse) and 12th Cavalry were amalgamated at Meerut on 28 August 1921 to form 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse. The uniform of Probyn's Horse was blue with scarlet facings. The new regiment's badge consisted of the Prince of WalesPrince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
's plumes. Its class composition was one squadron each of Punjabi Muslims, 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"...
s and Dogra
Dogra
The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. Being a diversified group, the Dogras include both Savarnas such as Brahmins, Rajputs and Non-savarnas. The Dogras also incluide merchant castes such as Mahajans...
s. The regiment was mechanised in 1940. During the Second World War, the regiment served with great distinction in Burma. On the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947, Probyn's Horse was allotted to Pakistan. In 1956, Pakistan became a republic and all titles pertaining to British royalty were dropped. The regiment's new designation was 5 Horse, although informally, it continues to be known as the Probyn's Horse. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
, 5 Horse fought in the Battle of Khem Karan.
- 1921 11th/12th Probyn's Horse (amalgamation)
- 1922 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse
- 1927 Probyn's Horse (5th King Edward's Own Lancers)
- 1937 Probyn's Horse (5th King Edward VII's Own Lancers)
- 1956 5 Horse
Battle Honours
Lucknow, Taku Forts, Pekin 1860, Abyssinia, Ali Masjid, Peiwar Kotal, Charasiah, Kabul 1879, Afghanistan 1878–80, Chitral, Malakand, Punjab Frontier, Mesopotamia 1915-18, Meiktila, Capture of Meiktila, Defence of Meiktila, Taungtha, Rangoon Road, Pyawbwe, Pyinmana, Toungoo, Pegu 1945, Burma 1942–45, Khem Karan 1965.Further reading
- Boyle, Maj CA. (1929). The History of Probyn's Horse (5th King Edward's Own Lancers). Aldershot: Gale & Polden.
- Maxwell, Capt EL. (1941). A History of the XI King Edward's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse). Guilford: AC Curtis Ltd.
- Mylne, Maj MH. (1945). An Account of the Operations in Burma carried out by Probyn’s Horse during February, March & April 1945.
- Kempton, C. (1996). A Register of Titles of the Units of the H.E.I.C. & Indian Armies 1666-1947. Bristol: British Empire & Commonwealth Museum. ISBN 978-0953017409
- Gaylor, John. (1991). Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903- 1991. Stroud: Spellmount Publishers Ltd. ISBN 978-0946771981
- Cardew, FG. (1903). A Sketch of the Services of the Bengal Native Army to the Year 1895. Calcutta: Military Department.
- Harris, RG, and Warner, C. (1979). Bengal Cavalry Regiments 1857–1914. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-308-9.
- Elliott, Maj Gen JG. (1968). The Frontier 1839-1947: The Story of the North-West Frontier of India. London: Cassell.
- Kirby, Maj Gen S Woodburn. (1965). The War against Japan, volume 4 (The Reconquest of Burma). London: HMSO.
- Lucas, Sir Charles. (1926). The Empire at War, volume 5. London: Oxford University Press.
- Trench, CC. (1988). The Indian Army and the King’s Enemies, 1900-1947. London: Thames and Hudson.