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First formed as the [[Calcutta Volunteer Lancers]] on 22nd August 1872 and then reconstituted on 7th October 1881 as the [[Calcutta Mounted Volunteer Rifles]]. Designated as the [[Calcutta Mounted Rifles]] on 1st October 1886 and then on the 20th May 1887 as the Calcutta Light Horse. On 1st November absorbed the [[Central Bengal Light Horse]] raised on the 27th June 1884.
The '''Calcutta Light Horse''' were an [[auxiliary regiment]] under the Bengal command.


'''Uniform''' - Blue
==Chronology==
*'''1872''' raised as '''Calcutta Volunteer Lancers''' 22nd August<ref name=Jack>Jackson, Major Donovan ''India's Army'' (1940)</ref>
*'''1881''' reconstituted as the '''Calcutta Mounted Volunteer Rifles''' on 7th October<ref name=Jack />
*'''1886''' redesignated '''Calcutta Mounted Rifles''' on 1st October?<ref name=namenote>The 1901 ''Indian Army List'' states that the corps were renamed Calcutta light Horse on 14th September 1886.</ref>
*'''1887''' renamed Calcutta Light Horse on 20th May?<ref name=namenote />
*'''1901''' absorbed [[Central Bengal Light Horse]], 1st November<ref name=Jack />


'''Pacings''' - White
==Details==
*'''Headquarters''' - [[Calcutta]]


'''Badge''' - Eight pointed star with crown, "C.L.H." and the motto in a scroll
===Uniform===
*'''c1901:''' Khaki drill<ref name=IAL>''Indian Army List'' 1st Sept 1901</ref>
*'''c1940:''' Uniform - Blue, Facings - White, Badge - Eight pointed star with crown, "C.L.H." and the motto in a scroll, Motto - Defence not Defiance"<ref name=Jack />
*Images of sun helmet with regimental flash, regimental badges etc <ref name=CLH/>
===Detached companies===
*[[Berhampore]]<ref name=IAL />


'''Motto''' - Defence not Defiance"
== FIBIS Resources ==
[[Category:Auxiliary Regiments]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABZTjOS13y8 Fibis Podcast 'The lure of Indigo - and how the Hills family of East Bengal won three VCs'] FIBIS podcast by Miles Macnair in which he also talks about his ancestors involvment with the Calcutta Light Horse. (Fibis Youtube channel)
*[http://gallery.fibis.org/index.php?/tags/405-calcutta_light_horse Photographs of Calcutta Light Horse - 1936- 1940] Metcalfe and Makin collection on FIBIS Gallery
 
==Regimental History and Journal==
*''Calcutta Light Horse A.F.(I) 1759-1881-1947'', published Gale & Polden Ltd, Aldershot UK 1957. Available at the British Library UIN: BLL01001795325 .
*''Gallop : the journal of the Calcutta Light Horse''. Available at the British Library Vol. 1, no. 1 (Jan. 1932)-v. 4, no. 4 (Aug. 1939) UIN: BLL01012506704. Available at  [[National Army Museum]] 1933-1946 [https://collection.nam.ac.uk/inventory/books/results.php?title=Gallop+Calcutta+Light+Horse&producer=&publisher=&event=&campaign=&associatedName=&unit=&place=&keyword=&typeBooks=42&typeArmyPublications=43&typePeriodicals=44&flag=1 Catalogue entry].
 
==Second World War==
15 members of the Calcutta Light Horse along with 4 members of the [[Calcutta Scottish]], along with 15 members of the Calcutta Light Horse took part in the raid on Axis shipping in 1943 in Goa. The party sailed a barge into Goa harbour and caused the sinking of three German merchantmen. More details.<ref name=CLH>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210310011214/https://arnhemjim.blogspot.com/2012/01/the-reincarnation-of-calcutta-light.html The Reincarnation of the Calcutta Light Horse, A.F.(I.)]  14 January  2012. arnhemjim.blogspot.com, archived.</ref>
 
There is a 1978 book ''Boarding Party'' by James Leasor  which  is based on this incident, which in turn was the basis for the movie
''The Sea Wolves'' starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. (1980). The book was also  published in 1980 with the title ''The Sea Wolves''.  Both books are available online, see below.
==Individuals==
*Col Archie John Pugh CBE, VD was a member of the  Calcutta Light Horse for 33 yrars, including Colonel from 1912 – 1922. He introduced the innovation of camps out of Calcutta - at Sonapur, Dum Dum, Maduhpur, Simultalla and Jasidih - in place of those formerly held on the Maidan.  Coming to India in December 1889, he was enrolled as an attorney at the Calcutta High Court on January 9th 1895, and subsequently became  a member of the Bengal Legislative Council.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210310004538/http://lawfordherry.blogspot.com/2008/09/col-aj-pugh-1871-1923-obituary-21st.html Col AJ Pugh 1871-1923] lawfordherry.blogspot.</ref>
*Maj-Gen Lewis Pugh. As a member of the Calcutta Light Horse, Lewis Pugh commanded the raid on the German ships broadcasting Allied shipping movements from Goa harbour in 1943.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160809135548/http://lawfordherry.blogspot.com/2008/05/maj-general-lewis-pugh-1907-1981.html Maj-Gen Lewis Pugh 1907-1981] lawfordherry.blogspot.</ref>
==External links==
*[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?dscnt=1&dstmp=1419065189894&vid=IAMS_VU2 Searchable British Library Catalogue]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcutta_Light_Horse Calcutta Light Horse] Wikipedia
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Leasor James Leasor] Wikipedia
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sea_Wolves The Sea Wolves] Wikipedia. Movie based on ''Boarding Party''
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140808040343/http://www.saintandrewssociety-sf.org/document/May_2009_SASSF_Newletter.pdf  Page 1 of ''Volume 145, No. 9, May 2009 Newsletter of the Saint Andrew's Society of San Francisco''], now an archived webpage, contains a photograph of members of the Calcutta Light Horse,  with members of the [[Calcutta Scottish]] circa 1916. (More details of the Calcutta Scottish on later pages)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160407114034/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050821/asp/calcutta/story_5128357.asp The legend of a liquor stop (Part 1)] and  [https://web.archive.org/web/20090628075839/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050828/asp/calcutta/story_5136099.asp A tale of heroism untold (Part 2)] ''The Telegraph'' Calcutta, archived webpages.
*[http://www.mail-archive.com/goanet@lists.goanet.org/msg54210.html German Subs in Goa] from Goanet.org
*Search the [https://www.greatwarforum.org The Great War Forum].
*''The Telegraph'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20180627091421/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9605570/Philip-Crosland.html Obituary of Philip Crosland] (1918-2012) archived.  In  October 1938  he joined ''The Statesman'' in Calcutta and  became a member of the Calcutta Light Horse.  During World War 2 he accompanied the [[26th Regiment of Punjab Infantry|2nd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment]] to Sarawak and other parts of  Borneo from May 1941.  He became a Japanese POW April 1942-September 1945. He rejoined the newspaper after the war and worked there until 1967, ultimately becoming general manager.
===Historical books online===
*[https://archive.org/details/boardingparty00leas/mode/2up''Boarding Party''] by James Leasor 1979. Cover has additional title ''Last Action of the Calcutta Light Horse''. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
: Also published as [https://archive.org/details/seawolves00jame ''The Sea Wolves''] 1980. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
==References==
<references />
 
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[[Category:Auxiliary Cavalry Regiments]]

Latest revision as of 03:02, 10 March 2021

The Calcutta Light Horse were an auxiliary regiment under the Bengal command.

Chronology

  • 1872 raised as Calcutta Volunteer Lancers 22nd August[1]
  • 1881 reconstituted as the Calcutta Mounted Volunteer Rifles on 7th October[1]
  • 1886 redesignated Calcutta Mounted Rifles on 1st October?[2]
  • 1887 renamed Calcutta Light Horse on 20th May?[2]
  • 1901 absorbed Central Bengal Light Horse, 1st November[1]

Details

Uniform

  • c1901: Khaki drill[3]
  • c1940: Uniform - Blue, Facings - White, Badge - Eight pointed star with crown, "C.L.H." and the motto in a scroll, Motto - Defence not Defiance"[1]
  • Images of sun helmet with regimental flash, regimental badges etc [4]

Detached companies

FIBIS Resources

Regimental History and Journal

  • Calcutta Light Horse A.F.(I) 1759-1881-1947, published Gale & Polden Ltd, Aldershot UK 1957. Available at the British Library UIN: BLL01001795325 .
  • Gallop : the journal of the Calcutta Light Horse. Available at the British Library Vol. 1, no. 1 (Jan. 1932)-v. 4, no. 4 (Aug. 1939) UIN: BLL01012506704. Available at National Army Museum 1933-1946 Catalogue entry.

Second World War

15 members of the Calcutta Light Horse along with 4 members of the Calcutta Scottish, along with 15 members of the Calcutta Light Horse took part in the raid on Axis shipping in 1943 in Goa. The party sailed a barge into Goa harbour and caused the sinking of three German merchantmen. More details.[4]

There is a 1978 book Boarding Party by James Leasor which is based on this incident, which in turn was the basis for the movie The Sea Wolves starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. (1980). The book was also published in 1980 with the title The Sea Wolves. Both books are available online, see below.

Individuals

  • Col Archie John Pugh CBE, VD was a member of the Calcutta Light Horse for 33 yrars, including Colonel from 1912 – 1922. He introduced the innovation of camps out of Calcutta - at Sonapur, Dum Dum, Maduhpur, Simultalla and Jasidih - in place of those formerly held on the Maidan. Coming to India in December 1889, he was enrolled as an attorney at the Calcutta High Court on January 9th 1895, and subsequently became a member of the Bengal Legislative Council.[5]
  • Maj-Gen Lewis Pugh. As a member of the Calcutta Light Horse, Lewis Pugh commanded the raid on the German ships broadcasting Allied shipping movements from Goa harbour in 1943.[6]

External links

Historical books online

  • Boarding Party by James Leasor 1979. Cover has additional title Last Action of the Calcutta Light Horse. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
Also published as The Sea Wolves 1980. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jackson, Major Donovan India's Army (1940)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The 1901 Indian Army List states that the corps were renamed Calcutta light Horse on 14th September 1886.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Indian Army List 1st Sept 1901
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Reincarnation of the Calcutta Light Horse, A.F.(I.) 14 January 2012. arnhemjim.blogspot.com, archived.
  5. ↑ Col AJ Pugh 1871-1923 lawfordherry.blogspot.
  6. ↑ Maj-Gen Lewis Pugh 1907-1981 lawfordherry.blogspot.

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