Surma Valley Light Horse

Formed as the Sylhet Volunteer Rifle Corps on 22nd October 1880 and later became the Cachar and Sylhet Mounted Rifles on the 6th April 1883. Designated Surma Valley Light Horse 13th August 1886.

The headquarters was at Silchar

The regiment consisted mainly of tea planters from the area.

British Library holdings

Nineteenth annual report of the Surma Valley Light Horse, 1901-1902.
Through Fifty Years. A history of the Surma Valley Light Horse by William Henry Sydney Wood . 1930
Experiences in Chittagong Riots - April 1930: account by Alexander Burnett, tea planter and trooper in the Surma Valley Light Horse, of the rioting in Chittagong and the Armoury Raid, 1930. Mss Eur C806

Assam Valley Light Horse from Koi-hai.com has items on the Surma Valley Light Horse including the death of former Commandant, Lieutenant Colonel Eden Currie Showers, in South Africa in 1900 where he was 2nd in command of Lumsden's Horse
Photographs of the Surma Valley Light Horse from Hussards-photos.com (scroll down)
Photograph, late 1930’s from Shangrilajournals.com
Dr T d’O Partridge, Civil Surgeon of Cachar was Commandant of the Lakimpur Rifles 1882-84 and served for ten years in the Surma Valley Light Horse, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. His war services included the Chin Lushai Expedition 1889-90. Obituary BMJ June 5,1897
Medals to the Indian Volunteers (Scroll down) Qcmilitaria.com
This button was identified as Surma Valley Light Horse in item 30 from the British Button Society
Photograph of a memorial inscription (flick.com) mentions Charles Thorp Jessop, commandant of the Surma Valley Light Horse, died 2 July 1915 aged 56