Bengal Horse Artillery
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The Bengal Horse Artillery were considered one of the elite regiments of the army.
Chronology
- 1800 raised as the Experimental Brigade of Bengal Horse Artillery
- 1809 2nd and 3rd Troops of Bengal Horse Artillery formed
- 1817 first three Native Troops formed
- 1826 reorganisation of Bengal Horse Artillery into Brigades
- 1861 absorbed into the Royal Artillery
Service
Includes:
- 1803-05 2nd Maratha War
- 1814-16 Gurkha War
- 1817 Siege of Hattress during the Pindari Campaign
- 1823-26 1st Burma War
- 1842 Retreat from Kabul to Gandamak during the 1st Afghan War
History
1st Brigade
This book (on Archive.org) briefly mentions the formation in 1800 of the “experimental brigade”.
Ian Patterson’s page on the history of Artillery Regiments explains that the first troop of the Bengal Horse Artillery was raised in 1800 to accompany the expedition against Napoleon in Egypt that year. Patterson describes the Troop's part in the retreat from Kabul:
- It was during this retreat that all the guns were lost, mainly due to lack of feed for the horses, which rendered them unable to drag the guns of the Battery through the deep snow and rugged mountain passes. One by one the guns were spiked and abandoned. The Captain, two officers and 102 NCO's and men were killed in the retreat, with in one case an entire gun crew perishing rather than desert their charge!
At amalagamation 1st Troop, 1st Brigade became F Battery (Sphinx) Royal Horse Artillery. This link is about a book called Sketch of the History of 'F' Battery Royal Horse Artillery (first published 1905), available through Amazon.co.uk from the FIBIS Shop
This 1858 edition of The Lancet (Google Books) mentions the health of the 2nd Troop, 1st Bengal Horse Artillery in 1851-1853.
2nd Brigade
The 2nd Troop Bengal Horse Artillery was formed on the 4th of August 1809 in Acra (Agra?). Ian Patterson's site (see above) states the majority of the other ranks were European and that the Battery were all mounted to ensure greater manoeuvrability, both unusual during this period. At amalagamation 1st Troop, 2nd Brigade became K (Hondeghem) Battery Royal Horse Artillery.
The Bengal Rocket Troop was raised on 13 September 1816 as a camel mounted unit under the command of Captain (later General) William Samsen Whish. The troop carried a total of 912 six pound rockets, either in buckets on camels, or horse drawn trolleys. It switched back to horses in 1817. It was re-titled 2nd Troop, 2nd Brigade Bengal Horse Artillery in 1826 (see Wikipedia for more details).
3rd Brigade
Another battery was formed as 3rd Troop (later renamed 1st Troop, 3rd Brigade) around 1809. It is now part of L (Néry) Battery RHA (see the L Battery Old Comrades Association for more details).
General information
- Situation 1822 Google Books
Robert's description
In his memoir Forty One Years in India, Lord Roberts described his first encounter with the Bengal Horse Artillery in 1852. The text contains a description of the regiment's uniform.
From Cawnpore I went to Meerut, and there came across, for the first time, the far-famed Bengal Horse Artillery, and made the acquaintance of a set of officers who more than realized my expectations regarding the wearers of the much-coveted jacket, association with whom created in me a fixed resolve to leave no stone unturned in the endeavour
to become a horse gunner. Like the Cavalry and Infantry of the East India Company's service, the Artillery suffered somewhat from the employment of many of its best officers on the staff and in civil appointments ; the officers selected were not seconded or replaced in their regiments. This was the case in a less degree, no doubt, in the Horse Artillery than in the other branches, for its esprit was great, and officers were proud to belong to this corps d'elite. It certainly was a splendid service; the men were
the pick of those recruited by the East India Company, they were of magnificent physique, and their uniform was singularly handsome. The jacket was much the same as that now worn by the Royal Horse Artillery, but instead of the busby they had a brass helmet covered in front with leopard skin, surmounted by a long red plume,which drooped over the back like that of a French Cuirassier. This, with white buckskin breeches and long boots, completed a uniform which was one of the most picturesque and effective I have ever seen on a parade-ground.2
Amalgamation
A list of the destination of each troop at amalgamation with the Royal Horse Artillery in 1861.1 Note that the new brigades underwent many name changes over the following decades.
| Bengal Horse Artillery | Royal Horse Artillery |
|---|---|
| 1st troop, 1st brigade | 2nd Brigade, A Battery |
| 2nd troop, 1st brigade | 2nd Brigade, B Battery |
| 3rd troop, 1st brigade | 2nd Brigade, C Battery |
| 4th troop, 1st brigade | 2nd Brigade, D Battery |
| 5th troop, 1st brigade | 2nd Brigade, E Battery |
| 1st troop, 2nd brigade | 5th Brigade, A Battery |
| 2nd troop, 2nd brigade | 5th Brigade, B Battery |
| 3rd troop, 2nd brigade | 5th Brigade, C Battery |
| 4th troop, 2nd brigade | 5th Brigade, D Battery |
| 1st troop, 3rd brigade | 2nd Brigade, F Battery |
| 2nd troop, 3rd brigade | 2nd Brigade, G Battery |
| 3rd troop, 3rd brigade | 5th Brigade, E Battery |
| 4th troop, 3rd brigade | 5th Brigade, F Battery |
References
- United Service Magazine 1861 Part III, p607
- Roberts, Field Marshal Frederick Lord, Forty One Years in India: From subaltern to commander-in-chief Volume 1 1897, p12
External links
- The Bengal Horse Artillery, 1800-1861 : the 'Red Men' - A Nineteenth Century Corps d'Elite by Basil Perronet Hughes 1971. Available at the British Library and Snippet View Google Books which perhaps some readers can access.
- The Second Maratha Campaign, 1804-1805 : Diary of James Young, Officer, Bengal Horse Artillery, and twice sheriff of Calcutta Published 1990 New Delhi. Available at the British Library and Snippet View Google Books which perhaps some readers can access. A more recent edition has been published by Leonaur Press under the title Galloping Guns, described in this link. More details No Preview Google Books. Available through Amazon from the FIBIS Shop
- From Recruit to Staff Sergeant, by Nathaniel Washington Bancroft published 1885, which is reviewed in this Limited View Google Books link. A 1979 reprint of this book is available at the British Library. It includes his experiences in the Sikh Wars of 1845-1846 and 1848-1849 with the Bengal Horse Artillery. This book is published by Leonaur Press under the title Bancroft of the Bengal Horse Artillery, described in this link. More details No Preview Google Books. Available through Amazon from the FIBIS Shop
- British Napoleonic Artillery 1793-1815 (1): Field Artillery by Chris Henry, page 9 mentions the establishment of the Bengal Horse Artillery.
Historical books online
- Memoir of the Services of the Bengal Artillery: from the Formation of the Corps to the Present Time, with Some Account of its Internal Organization by Captain E. Buckle (1852) Archive.org mentions the festablishment of the Bengal Horse Artillery and service in Egypt in 1801 from page 230
- Eight months' campaign against the Bengal Sepoy Army during the mutiny of 1857 by Colonel George Bourchier, Bengal Horse Artillery 1858 Google Books
- Draw swords! : In the Horse Artillery by George Manville Fenn 1898. Archive.org. An adventure story for younger readers about a young officer in the Bengal Horse Artillery, with 8 illustrations.