EthanMarko2 at 02:18, 8 May 2025

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{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| dates = 31 January 1842 – 1921
| country = {{flag|British India|23px}}
| allegiance = [[British Crown]]
| branch = {{army|British India|23px}}
| type = [[Cavalry]]
| role =
| size = [[Regiment]]
| command_structure =
| garrison =
| garrison_label =
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| march =
| mascot =
| anniversaries =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles = [[Gwalior campaign]]<br>[[First Anglo-Sikh War]]<br>[[Anglo-Egyptian War]]<br>[[First World War]]
:[[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]]
:[[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]]
| decorations =
| battle_honours = See [[#Battle honours|below]]
| battle_honours_label =
| disbanded =
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}}
The '''6th King Edward's Own Cavalry''' was a [[cavalry]] [[regiment]] in the [[Bengal Army]] (1842–1895) and the [[British Indian Army]] (1895–1921) until it was amalgamated with the [[7th Hariana Lancers]] to form the [[18th King Edward's Own Cavalry]].

==History==
[[Image:Shri Sir Nripendra Narayan, Maharaja of Cooch Behar.jpg|thumb|300px|Shri Sir Nripendra Narayan, Maharaja of Cooch Behar (1862-1911); seen here in 1896 in the dismounted review order uniform of a [[Major (rank)|Major]] of the 6th (Prince of Wales's) Bengal Cavalry]]
The 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry was raised at [[Fatehgarh]] in 1842 by Lt W H Ryves as the 8th Regiment of Bengal Irregular Cavalry.<ref>Chris. Kempton: ''A Register of Titles of the Units of the H.E.I.C. & Indian Armies 1666-1947''</ref><ref>John Gaylor: ''Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903- 1991.''</ref>

Their first action was in 1843 during the [[Gwalior campaign]] in central India for which they earned the battle honour ''[[Punniar]]''.

In 1845 they were involved in the [[First Anglo-Sikh War]] and participated in the ''[[Battle of Mudki|Battle of Moodkee]]'', the ''[[Battle of Ferozeshah]]'' and the ''[[Battle of Sobraon]]''.

They were next in action in [[Egypt]] during the [[1882 Anglo-Egyptian War]] where they were awarded the battle honours ''[[Egypt 1882]]'' as a theatre honour and for the ''[[Battle of Tel-El-Kebir]]''. It was while on service in Egypt that [[khaki]] was worn by all ranks for the first time.<ref>Bengal Cavalry Regiments 1857–1914 By R. G. Harris, Christopher Warner</ref>

During [[World War I]] they were part of the [[2nd (Sialkot) Cavalry Brigade]], [[1st Indian Cavalry Division]] which arrived in France in November 1914. They were involved in the [[First Battle of Ypres]] and other actions on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] but notably in the German [[Retreat to the Hindenburg Line]] and the [[Battle of Cambrai (1917)|Battle of Cambrai]].<ref>{{cite web | title=The 1st Indian Cavalry Division in 1914-1918 | url=http://www.1914-1918.net/1cavdiv_indian.htm | last=Baker | first=Chris | publisher=The Long, Long Trail | access-date=6 July 2008 }}</ref>

The brigade formation was:
* [[17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers]]
* 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry
* [[19th Lancers (Fane's Horse)]]
* Brigade Signal Troop

They moved to Egypt in March 1918 and were transferred to [[22nd Mounted Brigade]]. They took part in [[Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby|Allenby]]'s campaign in Palestine.

The regiment then spent the period 1919–20 in West Asia on occupation duties. It returned to India in October 1920, landing at [[Bombay]] from where it took a train to [[Ferozepore]] which it reached on 15 October 1920.

In 1921, the regiment was amalgamated with the [[7th Hariana Lancers]] to form the '''6th/7th Cavalry'''. This was quickly changed in 1922 to '''[[18th King Edward's Own Cavalry]]'''.<ref name=Mills18KEOC>{{cite web|url=http://regiments.org/regiments/southasia/cav/1921-18.htm |title=18th King Edward VII's Own Cavalry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills |access-date=2015-07-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070420083053/http://regiments.org/regiments/southasia/cav/1921-18.htm |archive-date=20 April 2007 |df=dmy }}</ref>

==Regimental titles==
The regiment underwent a number of changed in title until amalgamation in 1921:<ref name=Mills6KEOC>{{cite web|url=http://regiments.org/regiments/southasia/cav/1903-06.htm |title=6th King Edward's Own Cavalry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills |access-date=2015-07-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816203300/http://regiments.org/regiments/southasia/cav/1903-06.htm |archive-date=16 August 2007 |df=dmy }}</ref>
* 1842{{snd}}8th Irregular Cavalry
* 1861{{snd}}6th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
* 1883{{snd}}6th (The [[Prince of Wales]]'s) Bengal Cavalry
* 1901{{snd}}6th (Prince of Wales's) Bengal Cavalry
* 1903{{snd}}6th Prince of Wales's Cavalry
* 1906{{snd}}6th [[King Edward VII|King Edward]]'s Own Cavalry

==Battle honours==
The regiment was awarded the following [[battle honours]]:<ref name=Mills6KEOC/>
:[[Punniar]], [[Battle of Mudki|Moodkee]], [[Battle of Ferozeshah|Ferozeshah]], [[Battle of Sobraon|Sobraon]], [[Egypt 1882]], [[Battle of Tel el-Kebir|Tel-el-Kebir]], Punjab Frontier
Battle honours for the [[First World War]] were awarded in 1926 to the successor regiment. These included:
:[[Somme 1916]], [[Battle of Morval|Morval]], [[Cambrai 1917]], [[France and Flanders 1914–18]], [[Battle of Megiddo (1918)|Megiddo]], [[Battle of Sharon|Sharon]], [[Capture of Damascus (1918)|Damascus]], [[Palestine 1918]]
for the service of the 6th Cavalry.<ref name=Mills18KEOC/>

==See also==

*[[7th Hariana Lancers]]
*[[18th King Edward's Own Cavalry]]{{snd}}successor regiment
*[[Bengal Army]]
*[[The Great Game]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|refs=}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book
| last = Becke | first = Major A.F.
| year = 1936
| title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2A. The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42-56)
| publisher = His Majesty's Stationery Office
| location = London
| isbn = 1-871167-12-4
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Gaylor | first = John
| year = 1996
| edition = 2nd
| title = Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–1991
| publisher = Parapress
| location = Tunbridge Wells
| isbn = 1-898594-41-4
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Perry | first = F.W.
| year = 1993
| title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions
| publisher = Ray Westlake Military Books
| location = Newport
| isbn = 1-871167-23-X
}}

==External links==
*{{cite web|url=http://regiments.org/regiments/southasia/cav/1903-06.htm |title=6th King Edward's Own Cavalry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills |access-date=2015-07-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816203300/http://regiments.org/regiments/southasia/cav/1903-06.htm |archive-date=16 August 2007 |df=dmy }}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_cav/1_ind_cav_div.htm |title=1st Indian Cavalry Division on ''The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918'' by PB Chappell |access-date=2008-05-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517085204/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_cav/1_ind_cav_div.htm |archive-date=17 May 2008 |df=dmy }}

{{British Indian Army Cavalry Regiments 1903 - 1946}}

[[Category:British Indian Army cavalry regiments]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1842]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1921]]
[[Category:Honourable East India Company regiments]]
[[Category:1842 establishments in British India]]

6th King Edward's Own Cavalry - Revision history

EthanMarko2 at 02:18, 8 May 2025