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.
- Uniform - Khaki
- Motto - "Non Sibi Sed Patriae"
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: Catalogue reference for 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
Manipur Expedition 1891
See Manipur
Medals were awarded for this expedition. A list of medals awarded may be found in Through Fifty Years. A History of the Surma Valley Light Horse by William Henry Sydney Wood 1930.[1]
External Links
- 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: Surma Valley Light Horse, Assam, 1905 National Army Museum. NAM 1965-05-86-42. Click on further Search results for (mainly) further items for Surma Valley Light Horse.
- 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
- Long Service Medals of Second Lieutenant J. E. Aird, Surma Valley Light Horse, a Tea Planter & Manager of the Deundi Estate, Sylhet.[2]
Historical books online
- Bengal and Assam, Behar and Orissa: their history, people, commerce and industrial resources, page 433 by Somerset Playne , J W Bond 1917 Archive.org
References
- ↑ webbllangarron 1890-91 Manipur (NE Frontier of British India) Victorian Wars Forum 08 August 2012, now an archived webpage.
- ↑ Pair: Second Lieutenant J. E. Aird, Surma Valley Light Horse 17th & 18th May 2016. dnw.co.uk archived. He is mentioned in the book Recollections of a Tea Planter, by W. M. Fraser. 25th September 2008 dnw.co.uk, archived, also refers to a trophy inscribed, ‘S.V.L.H. Volley Firing Competition 1904, won by “G” Troop Team’.