Calcutta Light Horse

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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.