Bikaner Camel Corps
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bikaner Camel Corps was a military unit from India that fought for the allies in World War I and World War II.
The Corps was founded (and reportedly led) by Maharaja Ganga Singh as the Ganga Risala in the Indian state of Bikaner, which had had a camel regiment since 1465. Since the Corps's formation it has fought in China in 1900, in Somaliland in 1902-1904, in Egypt in WWI and in the Middle East in WWII. During WWII the Corps was supported by the camel mounted Bijay Battery, which became a mule team battery.
After India's Independence the Bikaner Camel Corps was merged with camel troops from Jaisalmer in 1951 to become the Ganga Jaisalmer Risala and joined the Grenadiers as the 13th battalion. It took part in the actions to foil Pakistani raiders in the Bikaner and Jaisalmer regions during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
After 1975 all of the Indian Military Camel Corps, including the Ganga Jaisalmer Risala were disbanded. A brief attempt was made to resurrect them but the plan never bore fruition. The Ganga Risala still survives though as a part of the Border Security Force, retaining the name Bikaner Camel Corps. [1]
[edit] Sources
 |
This article about the Military of India is a stub. See the Indian military history task force for article coordination. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
