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{{Short description|Indian Army regiment}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 42nd Armoured Regiment
| image =
| caption =
| dates = 1918 - 1921 1941 - 1943 1981 - present
| country = {{flag icon|British India}} [[Indian Empire]] 1918-1921, 1941-43 {{flag icon|India}} [[India]] 1981-present
| allegiance = India
| branch = {{army|British India|23px}} [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
| type = [[Armour]]
| role =
| size = Regiment
| command_structure =
| equipment = 
| Past Commanders =
| ceremonial_chief =
| colonel_of_the_regiment = Brig Navraj Dhillon<ref>{{cite web|url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2020/223002.pdf|title=Gazette of India No 45|date=2020-11-07|access-date=2020-11-24}}</ref>
| notable_commanders = 
| identification_symbol = 42 Armd Regt
| identification_symbol_label = Abbreviation

| nickname = Bayalees
| patron =
| motto = कर्म, शौर्य और विजय ''Karma, Shaurya aur Vijay'' (Action, Courage and Victory)
| colors = French Grey, Maroon and Black
| march =
| mascot =
| battles =
| anniversaries =
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
}}
'''42nd Armoured Regiment''' is an [[Armoured warfare|armoured]] [[regiment]] of the [[Indian Army Armoured Corps]] of the '''[[Indian Army]]'''.<ref name="Nath2009">{{cite book|last=Nath|first=Ashok|title=Izzat: historical records and iconography of Indian cavalry regiments, 1750-2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sGQeQwAACAAJ|year=2009|publisher=Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, United Service Institution of India|isbn=978-81-902097-7-9|pages=280, 589–590}}</ref>

==Formation==
The current regiment was raised with an "all India class" composition at [[Babina, Uttar Pradesh|Babina]] on 1 January 1981 by Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Ranjit Talwar (formerly of [[18th King Edward's Own Cavalry|18 Cavalry]]). The first Colonel of Regiment was Lieutenant General G. S. Klair, [[AVSM]].<ref name="Nath2009"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1981/O-0961-1981-0039-42655.pdf|title=Gazette of India No 39|date=1981-09-26|access-date=2020-12-09}}</ref>

The regiment has served in many different locations, but mostly across Northern India locations like [[Ambala]], [[Jalandhar]], [[Lucknow]], [[Babina, Uttar Pradesh|Babina]], [[Barmer, Rajasthan|Barmer]] and [[Amritsar]].

Prior to [[World War II]], regiments of similar names existed.
==42nd Cavalry Regiment (1918-1921)==
During [[World War I]], a regiment named the "42nd Cavalry Regiment" was raised at [[Baleli, India|Baleli]] by Maj Percy Henry Mitchell Taylor of the [[32nd Lancers]].<ref name="Nath2009a">Nath (2009), pg 281.</ref> The Regiment was raised from a squadron from [[4th Horse (Hodson's Horse)|10th Lancers (Hodson's Horse)]] and the [[14th Prince of Wales's Own Scinde Horse #35th Scinde Horse|35th Scinde Horse]]. The ethnic composition was as follows:-<ref name="Nath2009a"/><ref>{{cite book|last=India|first=Army Headquarters|title= The Quarterly Indian Army List, July 1919|date=1919|publisher=Superintendent, Government Printing, Calcutta, India}}</ref>
* [[Pathans]] - half squadron.
* [[Sikhs]] - one and three quarter squadrons.
* [[Punjabi Muslims]] - one and a quarter squadrons.
* [[Dogra]]s and Hindustani Muslims – a quarter squadron each.

The cap badge of the 42nd Cavalry Regiment was the Roman numeral "XLII", surmounted by a crown with a scroll below bearing the word "CAVALRY". The shoulder title was a numeral "42" atop the word "CAVALRY" curved concavely. The regiment was disbanded shortly afterwards in 1921.<ref name="Nath2009a"/>

==42nd Cavalry, Indian Armoured Corps (1941-1944)==
When the Indian Cavalry was converted into the Indian Armoured Corps in 1941, seven new armoured regiments were raised, numbered 42nd to 48th. The regiment was thus re-raised after 20 years as 42nd Cavalry, Indian Armoured Corps in April 1941. The regiment was equipped with [[Daimler armoured car|Daimler]] and [[Humber armoured car|Humber]] [[armored car (military)|armoured cars]]. After raising, the regiment moved to Piska Camp, [[Ranchi]] where it was converted in February 1942 into a training unit for [[Viceroy's Commissioned Officer|VCOs]] and [[Non-commissioned officer|NCOs]].<ref name="Nath2009b">Nath (2009), pg 495.</ref>

The initial levy of 200 ''sowars'' (soldiers), along with the Commanding Officer, Risaldar Major and two British Officers came from [[3rd Cavalry Regiment (India)|3 Cavalry]] and an attempt to rename the unit as the 2nd Regiment, 3rd Cavalry was not accepted.<ref name="Nath2009b"/> In February 1944, the regiment was disbanded, and the armoured cars handed over to the [[8th King George V's Own Light Cavalry]].<ref name="Nath2009b"/>

While no specimen of a cap badge of the 42nd Cavalry is available today, two patterns are known to have been in use:<ref name="Nath2009b"/>
* Crossed sabres with Roman numeral "XLII" on the crossing with a scroll below bearing the word "CAVALRY".
* Roman numeral "XLII" over a scroll below bearing the word "CAVALRY". This has been recorded from headstones of the war dead of the 42nd Cavalry.
==Equipment==
The regiment was equipped with the [[T-54/T-55|T-55]] tanks with a 100 mm gun at the time of its raising. This was subsequently upgunned to a 105 mm gun. The regiment is presently equipped with [[T-90]] tanks.<ref name="42 Armoured Regiment - Indian Army Postal Cover">{{cite web |url=https://www.philamart.com/Listing/Details/2993513/42-Armoured-RegimentIndian-Army-Postal-Cover-APO|title=42 Armoured Regiment - Indian Army Postal Cover |access-date=2020-12-09}}</ref> One of the decommissioned T-55 tanks had been preserved in the memorial park of [[La Martinière College, Lucknow]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hindustantimes.com/lucknow/la-martiniere-college-lucknow-gets-russian-origin-t55-battle-tank/story-3E5MWmuBpnuivLVPz5TqeP.html|title= La Martiniere College Lucknow gets Russian origin T55 battle tank|date=2017-09-14|access-date=2020-12-09}}</ref>
==Operations==
B squadron of the regiment has participated in [[Indian Army operations in Jammu and Kashmir|Operation Rakshak]] I. The regiment was also pressed into service during [[Operation Brasstacks|Operation Trident]], [[Kargil War|Operation Vijay]] and [[2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff|Operation Parakram]].<ref name="42 Armoured Regiment - Indian Army Postal Cover"/>
==Achievements==
*The Regiment had the honour of participating in the [[Delhi Republic Day parade|Republic Day]] parade in 1989.
*Captain JK Singh successfully scaled [[Abi Gamin]] in 1980.
*Captain JIS Hassanwalia represented the [[Services Sports Control Board| Services team]] in [[tennis]].<ref name="42 Armoured Regiment - Indian Army Postal Cover"/>
==Regimental insignia==
[[File:Felicitation Ceremony Southern Command Indian Army Bhopal (22).jpg|thumb|right|305x305px|Soldier of the 42 Armoured Regiment in 'ceremonial uniform' (extreme right)]]
The [[cap badge]] consists of a pair of crossed sabres, on the crossing of which is placed the lower hull of a T-55 tank facing ahead, with numeral 42 placed above. The numerals are topped with a mailed right handed gauntlet and a scroll at the base with the Regimental Motto in [[Devanagari]] script.<ref name="Nath2009"/>

The shoulder title is in brass and consists of the numeral 42 topped by a right-handed mailed gauntlet.<ref name="Nath2009"/>

The regimental colours are French Grey, Maroon and Black - French Grey signifies courage, Maroon represents valour and Black signifies the Armoured Corps sense of duty.<ref name="42 Armoured Regiment - Indian Army Postal Cover"/>

The motto of the regiment = कर्म, शौर्य और विजय (Karma, Shaurya aur Vijay) is derived from the annals of the [[Bhagavad Gita]] and translates to ‘Action, Courage and Victory’.<ref name="42 Armoured Regiment - Indian Army Postal Cover"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Indian Army Armoured Corps}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

[[Category:Armoured and cavalry regiments of the Indian Army from 1947]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1981]]

42nd Armoured Regiment India - Revision history

WikiDwarf at 07:35, 21 June 2023