This unit fought in the western desert for some time during 1942. AFAIK from May to August ?? Does exist any information of their actions and equippement? They had been before in Irak an Syria and afterwards they went again to Irak. Many thanks Eduard
Via Fora - The Duke of Connaght Lancers were a part of 6th Indian Division in Iraq in 1942 as a recce unit with light tanks and carriers mainly - they fluttered about between 6th - 10th Divisions and finally with 8th Indian Div in the desert and stayed with them in Italy - after the Canadians left Italy in Feb '45 - the British 21st Tank Bde became the Tank support for 8th Indian and finished the war with them...Gerry Chester can give you more from that aspect as I was still in Hospital when the 21st TB took over. Cheers
Via Fora - The Duke of Connaght Lancers were a part of 6th Indian Division in Iraq in 1942 as a recce unit with light tanks and carriers mainly - they fluttered about between 6th - 10th Divisions and finally with 8th Indian Div in the desert and stayed with them in Italy - after the Canadians left Italy in Feb '45 - the British 21st Tank Bde became the Tank support for 8th Indian and finished the war with them...Gerry Chester can give you more from that aspect as I was still in Hospital when the 21st TB took over. Cheers Tom, 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse) fought in Italy while Eduard was asking for 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers This is all I could find India was told that no AFVs could be provided before 1942, and was asked to provide a motor brigade instead of the armoured division. This brigade, the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade, was formed by three cavalry regiment: 2nd Royal Lancers, Gerdner's Horse; 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry, Frontier Force; and 18th King Edward VII's Own Cavalry. Equipped with trucks it went overseas to the Western Dessert in January 1941 and at the beginning of April had its first action at Mechili where it suffered severe lossses during Rommel's first advance. 18th Cavalry then formed part of Tobruk garrison. The brigade again suffered grievously at Bir Hacheim at the opening of the Gazala battle in May 1942. After re-organization it went back into the battle a fortnight later at Sollum, where it was joined by the 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers, one of the first two Indian cavalry regiments to be mechanized and now an armoured car regiment. From Sollum the brigade fell back to Mersa Matruh as part of the rearguard. Here it was relieved and the motorized regiments were in due course converted to their proper armoured role in other theaters. Eduard your best chance are war diaries of the unit at Kew. For 1942: Detecting your browser settings
Captain George Charles Garlick 234 A.I. 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers, Indian Armoured Corps Awarded with the Military Cross On the morning of 24 Jun 42 the regiment was surrounded to the north of Conference Cairn. With Capt Garlick’s Sqn acting as advanced guard a route was selected for a break through. An enemy battery was encountered on the Madalena track. Without hesitation Capt Garlick ordered and led a charge on the guns, all of which surrendered. By his quick decision and dash Capt Garlick was not only responsible for the capture of the guns and their German crews, but he enabled the regiment to pass through to safety. [FONT="] [/FONT]
Risaldar Prag Singh 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers, Indian Armoured Corps Awarded with the Military Cross Bel Ahmed – Night 17/18 June 1942 On night 17/18 June 1942 Risaldar Prag Singh commanded the Rear Guard. This officer displayed great coolness and courage of the highest order. When the Main Body had encountered the enemy and were heavily engaged he got his Armd Cars into action under trying conditions and rendered great assistance. Later in the morning when surrounded by enemy he disengaged himself and fought his way through the enemy and got his charge home intact. On 16, 17 June 42 this officer handled his troops with great skill. He maintained constant touch with the enemy and was responsible for invaluable information. The energy, devotion to duty, coolness and calmness displayed by this officer signal him out as a magnificant leader worthy of immediate recognition.
Risaldar Mohd Rafiq Khan 8152 I.O. 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers, Indian Armoured Corps Awarded with the Indian Distinguished Service Medal On 15 Jun 42 this troop leader contacted and reported an enemy column 6 miles south of El Adem and was heavily fired on by Field and A/T guns. He succeeded in getting on to a flank and keeping the enemy under observation. As our own forces were known to be in the area, there was some doubt as to whether the column was friend or foe. Twice Ris Mohd Rafiq Khan was told to verify his previous report. On both occasions he went forward with disregard to his personal safety and under intensive fire to within a few hundred yards of the enemy and his accurate and confirmed report must have been of the utmost value to the higher command.
Risaldar Ranjit Singh 8376 I.O. 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers, Indian Armoured Corps Awarded with the Indian Distinguished Service Medal On 5 Jun 42 this VCO’s trop was in observation of the enemy in the vicinity of Bir Hacheim. Enemy Armd Cars approached and anti tank fire was opened and one of the cars of the troop was hit and immobilised. The troops were ordered to withdraw in the direction of Sqn HQ. Two did so, but Ris Ranjit Singh remained behind and in spite of fire from an enemy anti tank gun directed at his car, made his way on foot to the damaged vehicle, set it on fire and destroyed it. By his cool bravery this VCO prevented a valuable Armd Car and its components falling into enemy hands.
Dafadar Mohd Bashir 1452 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers, Indian Armoured Corps Awarded with the Indian Distinguished Service Medal This NCO was in command of a troop on 16 June 42 when the Germans advanced on El Adem. On the previous night he had acted as a listening post and remained very close to the enemy so that at first light he was able to submit valuable and timely information regarding their movements. In spite of heavy shelling and being in danger of being cut off from the escarpment running west from the El Adem box, he stayed within a thousand yards of the enemy, sending back valuable information. On 12 June 42 when surrounded by the enemy in the morning mist on the Trigh Capuzzo between El Adem and Sidi Razegh he fought his way out to safety and again supplied information of the first importance.
Wooow !!! Many, many thanks for all this information. Great. Sometime ago I even did not know this unit was present during the Gazala battles and retreat to Alamein. It surprises me very much that this regiment does not appear in most of the ORBATs and accounts of the campaign. Of course, it was a little unit but they deserve to be reminded. It is not clear what was their organisation. Armoured cars seems to be present but were they the ubiquous Marmon-Herringtons or IP carriers? Or both or no one...
It is not clear what was their organisation. Armoured cars seems to be present but were they the ubiquous Marmon-Herringtons or IP carriers? Or both or no one... Well I'm afraid that I can't help you with that. Here you have a thread on the another forum in which it was discussed about equipment and organisation of the Indian cavalry regiments in the North Africa but even there you won't find a definite answer. But it still could be interesting for you.
Thanks again Sol, What surprises me the most is that this regiment is not mentioned in any of the books I own regarding this battles. "Crisis in the desert" By Agar-Hamilton "Rommel's greatest victory" by S. Mitcham The attention is focused mainly in Tobruk and its fall. The reaguard movements and the retreat to el Alamein is given very little detail. They also never appear in the Orders of Battle in the books or in the web. Of course the armoured cars of 13th Connaught's Lancers and those from the Guides were not a powerful force, but other armoured cars appear once and again in the texts. Mainly the South africans. Thanks again
Here is a brief summary of the 13th Lancers service in Egypt and the Western Desert: 252nd Indian Armoured Brigade – 1 January 1942 to April 1942 It remained at Kermanshah with the renumbered brigade until April 1942, when it was sent to Egypt to convert to armoured cars. HQ British Troops in Egypt (BTE) – April 1942 to June 1942 It arrived in Egypt in April 1942 and reequipped with Humber Armoured Cars in order to replace the 11th Hussars as the Reconnaissance Regiment of 8th Army. On May 27th, ‘B’ Squadron in Humbers joined the 5th Indian Infantry Division south of Tobruk to the support the division in the Cauldron battle. 3rd Indian Motor Brigade – Attached – June 1942 to August 1942 By early June, the entire regiment was at the front. It served under the 7th Armoured Division and was attached to the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade at Mersa Matruh. It was located in the coastal sector of Mersa Matruh on June 25th. It withdrew to Egypt under command of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade. It remained in Egypt through August, when it was sent to Iran to join the 31st Indian Armoured Division.
I would imagine that they were all Humber Squadrons. By that point, the 8th Army was trying for consistency of equipment, at least for the armoured car regiments.
Thanks David. I asked because I have only ever read of A and B Squadrons. And given the brevity of information about this unit, I wondered if that's all it ever had. But I assume from the above, that you are saying that it had the full compliment of four? Kind Regards, David.
Just to confirm previous information: on 26 August 1942 the 13th Lancers (about to go to Irak from Egypt) had 47 Humber Armoured Cars. Not known if Mark II or III. From PRO record Kew (from old magazine Armoured Car nº 16 by Peter Brown).
