Ajay Kumar at 06:03, 18 August 2023

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{{Short description|British Army cavalry regiment}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=21st Lancers (Empress of India's)
| image= 21stLancersbadge.png
|caption=
|dates=1858–1921/1922
|country= {{flag|British India}} (1858–1862)<br>{{flag|United Kingdom}} (1862–1922)
|allegiance=
|branch=
|type=Cavalry
|role=
|size=
|command_structure=
|current_commander=
|garrison=
|ceremonial_chief=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors= Dark blue uniform with French grey facings, white plume
|colors_label= Colours
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=[[Mahdist War]]<br>[[World War I|First World War]]<br>[[North-West Frontier Province (1901–55)|North-West Frontier]]
|notable_commanders=
|anniversaries=
}}

The '''21st Lancers (Empress of India's)''' was a [[Cavalry regiments of the British Army|cavalry regiment]] of the [[British Army]], raised in 1858 and amalgamated with the [[17th Lancers]] in 1922 to form the [[17th/21st Lancers]]. Perhaps its most famous engagement was the [[Battle of Omdurman]], where [[Winston Churchill]] (then an officer of the [[4th Queen's Own Hussars|4th Hussars]]), rode with the unit.

==History==
[[File:General Kitchener and the Anglo-egyptian Nile Campaign, 1898 HU93862.jpg|thumb|The 21st Lancers aboard a [[Nile]] steamer connecting the [[Egyptian National Railways|Egyptian railway]] at [[Asyut]] with the newly built [[Sudan Military Railroad|Sudanese system]] during the 1898 campaign of the [[Mahdist War]].]]
[[File:RCWoodvilleJr 21Lancers Omdurman.jpg|thumb|The charge of the 21st Lancers in the [[Battle of Omdurman]], 2 September 1898]]

===Formation===
The regiment was originally raised in [[Bengal]] by the [[East India Company]] in 1858 as the '''3rd Bengal European Light Cavalry''', for service in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion]].<ref name="regiments.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/cav/D21b(L).htm |title=21st Lancers |publisher=regiments.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222005619/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/cav/D21b%28L%29.htm |archive-date=22 December 2007}}</ref> As with all other "European" units of the Company, it was placed under the command of the British Crown in 1858, and formally moved into the British Army in 1862, when it was designated as a [[hussar]] regiment and titled the '''21st Regiment of Hussars'''.<ref name="regiments.org"/> A detachment saw service in the 1884–5 expedition to the Sudan, with the Light Camel Regiment. In 1897 it was re-designated as a [[lancer]] regiment, becoming the '''21st Lancers'''.<ref name="regiments.org"/> The Indian origin of the regiment was commemorated in its "French grey" facings - this distinctive light blue/grey shade having previously been the uniform colour of the East India Company's eight regiments of Bengal Native Cavalry.<ref>Chant, p. 59</ref>

===Mahdist War===
[[File:Winston Churchill in uniform, 1898.jpg|thumb|left|Lt Winston Churchill 1898]]
In 1898 the regiment served in [[Sudan]] during the [[Mahdist War]], as the only British cavalry unit involved. It was there that the full regiment charged with lances in the classic cavalry style during the [[Battle of Omdurman]] in September 1898. Of less than 400 men involved in the charge 70 were killed and wounded<ref name=pakenham>Pakenhan, p. 11-14</ref> and the regiment won three [[Victoria Cross]]es. These three were Private [[Thomas Byrne (VC)|Thomas Byrne]],<ref name="ReferenceA">{{London Gazette|issue=27023|page=6688|date=15 November 1898}}</ref> Lieutenant [[Raymond de Montmorency]]<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and Captain [[Paul Aloysius Kenna|Paul Kenna]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> This spectacular encounter earned considerable public attention and praise for the regiment, though it was also criticized as a costly and unnecessary anachronism - since the 2,000 Dervish spearmen dispersed by the 21st Lancers could have been destroyed by rifle fire with few if any British losses.<ref name=pakenham/> [[Winston Churchill]] (then an officer of the [[4th Queen's Own Hussars|4th Hussars]]), rode with the unit.<ref>Jenkins, p. 40</ref>

"Omdurman" was the regiment's only battle honour, giving rise to the satirical regimental motto of "thou shalt not kill."<ref>Raugh, p.93</ref> That same year, the regiment was given the title '''21st (Empress of India's) Lancers''', taking the name from [[Queen Victoria]] who was the [[Emperor of India|Empress of India]].<ref name="regiments.org"/>

===Service in Ireland and India===
[[File:The Mall (16332985845).jpg|thumb|A troop from the 21st Lancers passing [[Marlborough House]], circa 1911]]
The regiment was moved to [[Dublin]] in 1899, and served in Ireland for several years. In 1912 it was again posted to India. The 21st Lancers did not see service on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] during the [[First World War]], being the only regular cavalry regiment of the British Army to spend the duration of the war in India. The regiment did however see action on the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–55)|North-West Frontier]] during 1915–16, with one trooper, [[Charles Hull (VC)|Charles Hull]], receiving the Victoria Cross.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29496|page=2349|date=3 March 1916}}</ref> A single squadron made up of reservists served in France in 1916–17, attached to [[XIV Corps (United Kingdom)|XIV Corps]].<ref name="greatwar">{{cite web|url=http://www.1914-1918.net/lancers.htm|title= The Lancers|publisher=The Long, Long Trail|access-date=8 September 2016}}</ref>

===Disbandment===
The regiment was retitled '''21st Lancers (Empress of India's)''' in 1921 and shortly thereafter disbanded as part of the post-War reduction in forces, though a cadre was briefly resurrected in 1922 in order to amalgamate with the [[17th Lancers]], to form the [[17th/21st Lancers]].<ref name="regiments.org"/>

==Regimental museum==
The regimental collection is held at [[The Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum]] which is based at [[Thoresby Hall]] in [[Nottinghamshire]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-14295666|title=Charge of the Light Brigade bugle stars at new museum|publisher=BBC|date=26 July 2011|access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref>

==Victoria Crosses==
*[[John Berryman (VC)|John Berryman]], Sergeant - Crimean War, 25 October 1854
*[[John Farrell (VC)|John Farrell]], Sergeant - Crimean War, 25 October 1854
*[[Thomas Byrne (VC)|Thomas Byrne]], Private - [[Sudan Campaign]], 2 September 1898
*[[Raymond de Montmorency]], Lieutenant - [[Sudan Campaign]], 2 September 1898
*[[Paul Aloysius Kenna]], Captain - [[Sudan Campaign]], 2 September 1898
*[[Charles Hull (VC)|Charles Hull]], Private - First World War, 5 September 1915

==Regimental Colonels==
Colonels of the regiment were:<ref name= regiments.org/>
;3rd Bengal European Light Cavalry
*1858–1862: Lt-Gen. William Pattle, CB
;21st Regiment of Hussars (1852)
''Transferred to British Army, 1852''
*1862–1865: Lt-Gen. Sir John Bennett Hearsey, KCB
*1865–1880: Gen. [[William Parlby]]
;21st Hussars (1877)
*1880–1882: Gen. Hon. [[James William Bosville Macdonald]], CB
*1882–1886: Gen. Sir [[Charles John Foster]], KCB
*1886–1902: Gen. Sir [[Robert White (British Army officer)|Robert White]], KCB
;21st (Empress of India's) Lancers (1898)
*1902–1909: Maj-Gen. Sir [[Alexander James Hardy Elliot]], KCB<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27483|date=17 October 1902|page=6569}}</ref>
*1909–1916: Maj-Gen. [[Frederick William Benson|Sir Frederick William Benson]], KCB
*1916–1919: Maj-Gen. Arthur Henry Taylor
*1919–1921: Gen. Hon. Sir [[Herbert Alexander Lawrence]], GCB (to [[17th/21st Lancers]])
*''1921: Disbanded''
*''1922: Reformed and amalgamated with [[17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own)]] to form the [[17th/21st Lancers]]''

==See also==
*[[British cavalry during the First World War]]
*[[21st Light Dragoons]]
*[[White mutiny]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book|last=Chant|first=Christopher|title=The Handbook of British Regiments|publisher=Routledge Revivals|year=2013|isbn=978-0415710763}}
*{{cite book|last=Jenkins|first=Roy|author-link=Roy Jenkins|title=Churchill: A Biography|publisher=Farrar, Straus & Giroux|year=2001|isbn=978-0-374-12354-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/churchillbiograp00jenk}}
*{{cite book|last=Pakenham|first=Thomas|title=The Scramble for Africa|publisher=Abacus|year=1992|isbn=0-349-10449-2}}
*{{cite book|last= Raugh|first= Harold E.|title=The Victorians at War, 1815-1914: An Encyclopedia of British Military History|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2004|isbn=978-1576079256 }}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Dutton|first=Roy|author-link=Roy Dutton|title=Forgotten Heroes: The Charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman|publisher=Infodial|year=2012|isbn=978-0-9556554-5-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Brighton|first=Terry|author-link=Terry Brighton|title=The Last Charge: the 21st Lancers and the Battle of Omdurman|publisher=Marlborough: Crowood|year= 1998|isbn= 1-86126-189-6}}

{{Royal Lancers}}
{{British Cavalry Regiments World War I}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

[[Category:Cavalry regiments of the British Army]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1858]]
[[Category:Cavalry regiments of the British Army in World War I|L21]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1922]]
[[Category:1858 establishments in India]]

21st Lancers - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 06:03, 18 August 2023