| 1st Duke of York's Own Lancers (Skinner's Horse) | |
|---|---|
Skinner's Horse party, folio from 'Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi’, an album by Sir Thomas Metcalfe, 1843. |
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| Active | 1803 - 1946, and to date |
| Country | India |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom (till 1947) India (post 1947) |
| Branch | British Indian Army (till 1947) Indian Army (post 1947) |
| Type | Cavalry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Nickname | Yellow Boys |
| Engagements | First Afghan War Battle of Ghazni Battle of Jellalabad Battle of Kabul (1842) Bhurtpore1842 First Sikh War Battle of Moodkee Battle of Ferozeshah Battle of Aliwal Battle of Sobraon Second Sikh War Battle of Ramnagar Battle of Chillianwallah Battle of Gujrat Second Afghan War Kandahar 1878 - 80 Afghanistan1878 Boxer Rebellion Battle of Peking World War I France and Flanders Defence of Gumboz World War II East African Campaign Battle of Keren Amba Alagi Western Desert Campaign Agordat Abyssinia Senio Flood Bank Italian Campaign |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment |
George VI of the United Kingdom 1937 - 1950 |
| Notable commanders |
Jmes Skinner |
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.
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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 Rebellion and participated in the Battle of Peking.
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 Division. 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.[1] A detachment of the regiment was tasked to guard the post at Gumboz.
After World War I, the British Indian Army was scaled down. On May 18, 1921, two regiments were amalgamated at Sialkot with the new title of the 1st Duke of York’s Own Skinner’s Horse.[1] 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.[1]
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.[1]
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 Sudan, 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.[1]. 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).
The regiment was switched to tanks in 1946, receiving the Stuart tank, 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.[2]
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.
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