Lumsden's Horse
Encyclopedia
Lumsden's Horse was the name given to the Indian Mounted Infantry Corps, which was formed in Calcutta in 1899 by Lt Colonel Dugald Mactavish Lumsden of the Assam Valley Light Horse
. The new corps was raised from volunteers from various existing Indian regiments, including the Assam Valley Light Horse. Colonel Lumsden contributed 50,000 rupees.
The Corps left Calcutta 250 strong in February 1900 to take part in the Second Boer War
, under the command of Field Marshal Lord Roberts
. The Corps took part in the march to Bloemfontein, the occupation of Johannesburg
and Pretoria
, the pursuit of de Wet, and the Barberton & De Kaap campaigns against the Boers.
Lord Curzon, Viceroy and Governor General of India placed a memorial tablet in St.Paul's Cathedral, Calcutta
. It lists those of the Corps who died in action and in sickness.
This unit should not be confused with another horse regiment, the famous Guides Cavalry, which was also founded by a Lumsden, whose surname was eventually added to that regimental title too: Queen Victoria's Own Guides Cavalry (Lumsden's).
Assam Valley Light Horse
The Assam Valley Light Horse was raised in 1891 and formed part of the Cavalry Reserve in the British Indian Army. The regimental headquarters was at Dibrugarh in Assam...
. The new corps was raised from volunteers from various existing Indian regiments, including the Assam Valley Light Horse. Colonel Lumsden contributed 50,000 rupees.
The Corps left Calcutta 250 strong in February 1900 to take part in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, under the command of Field Marshal Lord Roberts
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
. The Corps took part in the march to Bloemfontein, the occupation of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, the pursuit of de Wet, and the Barberton & De Kaap campaigns against the Boers.
Lord Curzon, Viceroy and Governor General of India placed a memorial tablet in St.Paul's Cathedral, Calcutta
St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata
St. Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral of the Church of North India - a united church which is part of the Anglican Communion - in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is the seat of the Diocese of Calcutta, and the incumbent bishop is the Rt. Revd...
. It lists those of the Corps who died in action and in sickness.
This unit should not be confused with another horse regiment, the famous Guides Cavalry, which was also founded by a Lumsden, whose surname was eventually added to that regimental title too: Queen Victoria's Own Guides Cavalry (Lumsden's).