The Guides Cavalry (10th Queen Victoria's Own Frontier Force)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=10th Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force)
abbreviation=


caption=
dates= 1846 - 1947
country=British India
allegiance=British Crown
branch= British Indian Army
type= Cavalry
role=
size= Regiment
command_structure=Indian Cavalry Corps
equipment=
Past Commanders=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
notable_commanders=Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Burnett Lumsden
Major General Sir Robert Bellew Adams VC KCB
Brigadier Arthur George Hammond VC, KCB, DSO

identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_2=
nickname=The Guides
patron=
motto= Rough & Ready
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=Second Sikh War
Indian Mutiny
Second Afghan War
World War I
World war II
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=Multan
Gujrat
Punjab
Delhi-1857
Ali Masjid
Kabul-1879
Afghanistan.1878-80
Chitral
Malakand
Punjab Frontier
Khan Baghdadi
Sharquat
Mesopotamia.1917-18
North West Frontier
India-1915
Bir Hacheim
Minqar Qaim
Deir el Shein
North Africa. 1940-43. The The Guides Cavalry (10th Queen Victoria's Own Frontier Force) was a regular cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It could trace its formation back to the Corps of Guides. They would see service in the Indian Mutiny of 1857 and on the North-West Frontier Province and in both the Great War and World War II.

Formation

In December 1846 at Peshawar Harry Burnett Lumsden raised what was to become the Corps of Guides. They started as a troop of cavalry and two companies of infantry.cite web|title=defencejournal|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/jun99/guides-cavalry.htm] They were part of the force employed in the Second Sikh War where they gained their first battle honours in the Siege of Multan and the Battle of Gujrat.

Mutiny of 1857

In March 1857, when the mutiny started Lumsden was on a special mission at Kandahar. His fellow officer Henry Daly set off in May and marched the Guides to Delhi to join the Delhi Field Force on the hills outside of the city.Having marched 500 miles in twenty two days they arrived on the morning of June 9. The Guides were in action the same day and by evening all of the Guides officers had been wounded. They were awarded the battle honour Delhi following this action.

In 1876, Queen Victoria awarded the Guides by making them a royal regiment. They were granted the use of the Royal Cypher and became The Queen's Own Corps of Guides.

econd Afghan War

The Guides were next called for service during the Second Afghan War in 1879. The Emir of Afghanistan had signed the The Treaty of Gandamak and had agreed that a british evnoywould be accepted in Kabul. The envoy selected was Sir Louis Cavagnari who was escorted by Lieutenant W.R.P. Hamilton V.C. and 76 Guides 25 of them from the cavalry.What followed next started the Second Afghan War. The Residency was attacked and the four Europeans killed, the Afghans offered quarter to the Guides under a Sikh Jemadar, saying that they had no quarrel with the Indians.The Guides chose to fight on and the residency finally fell twelve hours later its defenders dead, surrounded by 600 dead Afghans. The Guides were awarded the battle honours kabul and Ali Masjid for their action during the second Afghan War.

Following the Second Afghan War the Guides were involved in a number of actions along the North West Frontier including the Battle of Hazara in 1891 the Battle of Chitral in 1895, the Battle of Malakand Pass and the Battle of Chakdara in 1897.

The Kitchener reorginisation of the Indian Army in 1903 did not effect the Guides but in 1906, the Cavalry became Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides (Frontier Force) (Lumsden's ) Cavalry.

World War I

During the Great War the Guides remained in India for service along the frontier until November 1917 when they were sent to join the 11th Indian Cavalry Brigade in Mesopotamia Campaign and were involved in the actions at Sharqat and Khan Baghdadi. [cite web|title=british empire|url=http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/corpsofguides/corpsofguides.htm]

After the armistice, was signed the Regiment remained in Persia to counter any threat from the Bolsheviks, they only returned to India in 1921.

Between the Wars

The Guides Cavalry was one of the cavalry regiments which was not effected by the reform of the Indian cavalry corps after the war. Up to now the Corps of Guides had been an independent body, but now the Infantry was to become part of the 12th Frontier Force Regiment and the cavalry was transferred to the Indian Cavalry Corps and re named as the 10th Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force). [ Indian Army Order No. 6344/1/A/1 dated 16th November 1921]

World War II

The Regiment returned to Persia and Mesopotamia (now Iraq), during the Second World War this time they were equipped with the Indian wheeled carrier and 15 cwt trucks. [cite web|title=British Empire|url=http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/corpsofguides/corpsofguides.htm] In March 1942, they were moved to Egypt and covered the Eighth Army's desert flank during the withdrawal to El Alamein. [cite web|title=British Empire|url=http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/corpsofguides/corpsofguides.htm] They returned to Iraq in September 1942 and then onto India in November 1943 where they were converted to an armoured-car role and based at Kohat on the North West Frontier. [cite web|title=British Empire|url=http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/corpsofguides/corpsofguides.htm]

They received their first tanks in November 1945 when they were re-equipped with Stuart tanks and they were issued with the Churchill tanks in 1946 for service with the 2nd Armoured Brigade. [cite web|title=British Empire|url=http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/corpsofguides/corpsofguides.htm]

After the British withdrawal from India the Regiment became part of the Pakistan Army and was renamed the Guides Cavlary (Frontier Force).

Further Reading

:'The story of the Guides' by Col G J Younghusband. (MacMillan & Co. Ltd., London, 1908):'The history of the Guides 1846-1922 Vol I' Anon. (Gate and Polden Ltd., Aldershot, 1938):'The history of the Guides 1922-1947 Vol II' by Lieut General Sir George MacMunn KCB KCSI DSO. (Gale & Polden Ltd., Aldershot 1950)

Changes to Title

:Pre- 1903 Queen's Own Corps of Guides, Punjab Frontier Force:1904 Queens Own Corps of Guides (Lumsden's):1911 Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides (Frontier Force) Lumsden's) Cavalry:1921 Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides (Frontier Force) Lumsden's) Cavalry:1922 10th Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force):1927 The Guides Cavalry (10th Queen Victoria's Own Frontier Force)

References