18th King Edward's Own Cavalry
| 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1921-present |
| Country | India |
| Allegiance |
 British India India
|
| Branch |
British Indian Army Indian Army |
| Type | Cavalry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Part of | Indian Cavalry Corps |
| Patron | King Edward VII |
| Engagements |
Gwalior Campaign First Anglo-Sikh War Third Ango-Burmese War 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War World War I Second Mohmand Campaign World War II |
| Battle honours |
Punniar Moodkee Ferozeshah Sobraon Egypt 1882 Tel-El-Kebir Punjab Frontier |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment |
Walter Cowan |
The 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry was a regular cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of the 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry and the 7th Hariana Lancers. These regiments served the British Crown from before the Indian Mutiny to World War II.
In World War II the regiment was mechanised in December 1940 and attached to the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade which as initially part of the 31st Indian Armoured Division. The brigade was sent to Egypt and the Western Desert Campaign and was attached to a number of different formations including the 2nd Armoured Division, 7th Armoured Division and the 9th Australian Division who they were with at the Siege of Tobruk. It also supplied men for the Indian Long Range Squadron. The brigade was later overrun by the Italians during the Battle of Gazala and took some days to reform.
The brigade formation was:
However the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade part of the desert war was over. On 30 June the brigade was ordered to hand over 50% its vehicles to the 8th Army. The brigade was dispersed in July, initially allotted to the defence of the Delta then ordered to perform guard duties however it was reformed in August. It travelled overland to Sahneh in Persia via Baghdad, again under the command of 31st Indian Armoured Division where it remained until late November, when they moved to Shaibah, seven miles 7 miles (11 km) from Basra. From here the regiment returned to India in January 1943 and the brigade was reconstituted as the 43rd Indian Infantry Brigade (Lorried) at Shaibah at the end of January 1943.
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Wikipedia