Skinner's Horse

1st Horse (Skinner's Horse)
Skinner's Horse party, folio from 'Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi’, an album by Sir Thomas Metcalfe, 1843.
Active	1803–present
Country	India
Allegiance	British India (till 1947)  India (post 1947)
Branch	British Indian Army (till 1947) Indian Army (post 1947)
Type	Cavalry
Size	Regiment
Nickname(s)	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	James Skinner

The 1st Horse (Skinner's Horse) is a cavalry regiment of the Indian Army, which served in the British Indian Army before independence. The regiment 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. It was later renamed the 1st Bengal Lancers. The regiment became (and remains) one of the seniormost cavalry regiments of the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army.

A second regiment of Indian Cavalry was raised by Colonel James Skinner in 1814, which became the 3rd Skinner's Horse. On the reduction of the Indian Army in 1922, 1st and 3rd Regiments were amalgamated and became Skinner's Horse (1st Duke of York's Own Cavalry) and later the 1st Duke of York's Own Lancers (Skinner's Horse) until Indian independence.

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. In 1842 a detachment of the regiment lost 108 men out of 180 engaged in a clash at Kandahar. The 1st Skinner's Horse remained loyal during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, seeing service in the Ravi River district and distinguishing itself at Chichawatni.

It was the first Indian Army regiment sent overseas during the Boxer Rebellion and participated in the Battle of Peking. During this campaign the regiment clashed with Tartar cavalry and served alongside United States units - the first occasion where British Indian and US troops served together