Being a military veteran, I was pleasantly surprised to be gifted Jodhpur Lancers written by Michael Creese with a life-long interest in military history and uniforms by my Punjabi niece’s Malayali husband and both made an excellent couple! Michael Creese’s doctoral thesis is also based on Indian officers in four Indian cavalry regiments drawing material from Britain and India and he has his own rare collection of model soldiers of strong Indian contingent. He spent extensive time in Jodhpur meeting Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodhpur, descendants, and former members of the regiment reminiscing about legendary Jodhpur Lancers. Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Marwar-Jodhpur has written a moving Foreword of the beautifully illustrated pictures in the book. Jodhpur Lancers in its more than 70 years of existence took part in many glorious battles in Afghanistan, China, France, and Haifa in Palestine, Syria, and Basra encapsulating the thousand years of warrior and martial traditions of the Rathore Rajput clan of Marwar famed and feared as ‘‘Invincible in Battle’ that no less than the PM of India himself some years back bowed his head at the memorial of Major Thakur Dalpat Singh, the commanding officer of Jodhpur Lancers revered a Hero of Haifa. The whole book is fascinating with excellent nostalgic cavalry days’ pictures of horsemen with their horses and lances charging over the enemy positions and rightly dedicated to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Sardar Risala/ Jodhpur Lancers 1889 to 1951 ‘RAN BANKA RATHORE!’- (THE RATHORE-INVINCIBLE IN BATTLE!).
The content of the book spreads over to Foreword by Maharaja Gaj Singh II, Acknowledgements by the author, and Introduction by Major JD Shebbeare, The Poona Horse with stunning original photographs of Rajput sowar (cavalryman) holding upright his lance mounted on his sturdy horse, a full page spread captured cannon adoring Maherangarh Fort, A Trumpet banner, elegant photo of HH Gaj Singh II and watercolor painting of handsome Sir Pratap Singh by Major Alfred, 1911. There may be very few people alive today who witnessed cavalry charge and only the President Bodyguard and 61 Cavalry carry the tradition of horse-mounted sowar! The regiments that still exist like Poona Horse are mounted in armored cars and tanks and the charge of Jodhpur Lancers at Haifa in 1918 in World War 1 was one of the very last great cavalry charges in military history of all times. The British nicknamed Jodhpur Lancers, ‘JO HUKAM’- ‘As You Order’; the unquestioning loyalty of the Lancers to their Maharaja was unrivaled. And yes, to appreciate the story of Jodhpur Lancers, one must first understand the proud warrior Rajput race stretching to the southwest of Delhi in the Thar Desert stretching as far as the border with Pakistan. The Rajputs were brave hardy warriors representing the quintessence of all the admirable martial traits making war honourable and gentlemanly.
‘The Sardar Risala’ later known as Jodhpur Lancers officially came into being in 1889 but traces its lineage to 1212 when Raja Rao Shinajee of Marwar formed a personal bodyguard that fought in the Battle of Panipat in 1526 against great Mughal emperor Babur and 1544 led by Maldev in 1544 was defeated by the Afghans under Sher Shah Suri in the Battle of Sammel. In 1787 the Rathores facing Marathas under Scindia and trained by French General Benoit de Boigne compelled them in the Marwar region to defeat.
In 1818 in a treaty Maharaja Man Singh agreed to 1500 cavalrymen to the British which did good service. Before independence, a fourth of India’s population was under princely states that extended to half of India’s total area, who maintained state forces varying in size and effectiveness supporting the British Raj.
Sir Pratap Singh, the third son of Maharaja Takhat Singh, the ruler of the Princely State of Jodhpur in northwestern India was then Regent of Jodhpur, embraced the Imperial Service scheme and whole-heartedly and formed the Sardar Risala in Jodhpur in 1889 and General Frederick Roberts, C-in-C in India, visiting Jodhpur praised immensely cavalry and Rathores to whom Izzat (honor) of the Rajput was dearer than life and their loyalty and self-sacrifice was exemplary. Troops from state forces fought in the Great Mutiny called the First War of Independence later by us. State forces fought for the Britishers in the North-West Frontier and China and in the First Photo Credits to end the Western Front. In the Second World War, State Forces fought with regulars in the Western Desert, Italy, and Burma winning over 200 awards.
The book has 7 Chapters, an Epilogue, 7 Appendices, and Notes, a Bibliography, and Photo Credits to the end making interesting nostalgic ‘Jo Hukam’ Jodhpur Lancers.
Chapter 1 highlights ‘The Early Years’ of Jodhpur Lancers so deeply linked with Sir Pratap Singh- born in 1845, an expert horseman, and enthusiastic sportsman excelling in polo and pig-sticking. Sir Pratap Singh is regarded as the father of the modern Jodhpur who in the words of Philip Mason was, ’brave, courteous, dignified, handsome and manly’ and the chapter faces his imposing photo beside many Rajput nobles, barracks of the Jodhpur Lancers, the Ratanada Palace Ground with polo players in action, the Jodhpur Polo Teams of 1897 and 1925, followed by the Jodhpur Lancers performing Guard of Honour to Lord Curzon, 1902, the Lancers on parade during Lord Minto’s visit to Jodhpur, 1908, Imperial Service Troops waiting for the arrival of Viceroy,1916 in full spread pages.
Chapter 2 covers ’The Jodhpurs in China when the first multinational force in history comprising troops from France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Japan, Russia, and the US taking part in invaded China overseeing to take over opium trade, conversion and stopping the massacre of the Chinese to Christianity and develop strong commercial links taking part in Boxer rebellion. There are striking photos of Sir Pratap Singh, and Lancer’s Chinese cannon trophies along with brief stories of the two Imperial Durbars held in Delhi in 1903 and 1911 marking the apogee of the British Raj in India.
Facing Chapter 3 is the photo of Sir Pratap Singh in France, 1914 with General Jaffre, C-in-C France on the Western Front and General Haig, Commander of British Expeditionary Force during the WW1 covers Jodhpur Lancers. There is a photo of Sir Pratap Singh with Maharaja of Ratlam and General Rimington at the Western Front. On Sir Pratap Singh’s initiative, the Jodhpur Lancers were the only Imperial Service Cavalry regiment to serve in France. There is an impressive full-spread photo of King Albert (Belgium), King George V of Great Britain accompanying Sir Pratap Singh, the Prince of Wales, and Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner. The conditions facing Jodhpur Lancers in France were far removed from the hot and dusty Rajasthan. The trenches were in a very bad state, half full of water and many men had to stand in them to their thighs in intense cold, and soldiers in the frontline fared well. On 21 December dismounted lancers as part of the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade due to lack of preliminary reconnaissance failed in a failed attack suffering some causalities including many with frozen feet. Sir Pratap Singh and Maharaja were mentioned in dispatches and most of 1915 were spent on training, holding trenches, and dismounted and mounted training that was very useful later in Palestine in 1918 while back home families faced plague and famine while lancers took part in numerous skirmishes against Germans and overall experience of both Indian and British cavalry in trench warfare in appalling waterlogging and constant shelling conditions in France was frustrating.
Chapter 4, ‘The Finest Hour: Palestine, 1918’ is again flanked on the left side with a towering photo of Sir Pratap Singh who at the age of 69 in 1914 remained throughout the war with Jodhpur Lancers. In Oct 1914 Turkey with cash offers from Germany declared war on Great Britain and France posing a threat to the Suez Canal, a vital trade link connecting Great Britain with India and beyond attacked defended posts and strong points in Palestine along the canal. In 1918 Indian cavalry regiments were transferred to Egypt from France forming part of Desert Mounted Corps consisting of 4 and 5 Cavalry Divisions. Jodhpur Lancers joined Mysore and Hyderabad Lancers and were involved in many successful patrol actions as part of the impending September offensive to destroy Turkish forces in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon in a surprised offensive astride main communication line between the Turkish 7th and 6th Armies and Damascus. The Jodhpur Lancers proved their mettle in their very first action at Abu Tulul on 14 July. The chapter carries on two sets of overspread pages of pictures of Jodhpur Lancers moving through Haifa, Jodhpur Lancers action map of Abu Tulul Operation and so also of Maj Thakur Dalpat Singh, and 2/Lt Kanwar Sagat Singh, MC s/o Sir Pratap Singh.
The other Shaitan Singh. While we all know Major Shaitan Singh (13 Kumaon) of 1962 Rezang La Battle fame, Risaldar Shaitan Singh of Jodhpur Lancers attacked a large group of 50 Turks killing a great number and capturing 14 of them. He shot 2 men with his revolver when one of the prisoners tried to shoot him, the bullet going through his horse’s jaw. Shaitan’s revolver was empty but he was able to knock the Turk to the ground with his weighted stick. After a Dafadar was shot by a prisoner who picked up a rifle, no quarter was given and more Turks were killed by Jodhpur Lancers and Risaldar Shaitan Singh was awarded the Indian Order of Merit for his gallant action.
Chapter 5. Capture of Haifa by Jodhpur Lancers was an event unprecedented in war. The Turkish infantry and artillery had well-fortified positions in Haifa. On 17 Sept Jodhpur Lancers bivouacked in an orange grove secure from enemy ground and air observation and Turkish defenses were severely punished by artillery fire and the 5th Cavalry Division was ordered to capture strategic Haifa and Acre ports urgently needed to shorten army’s supply lines through the Mediterranean Sea to Sinai via Suez Canal. The Jodhpur Lancers were ordered to launch a mounted attack to capture Haifa while the Mysore Lancers squadron operated along Mount Carmel rising steeply to a height of about 200 feet behind the town. There was a narrow gap between the town and River Kishon merging with the sea making the ground around very soft and soggy with steep banks making Turkish positions formidable with steep hills and impassable river. The Jodhpur Lancers undaunted advanced towards enemy positions under heavy enemy artillery and machine gun fire. Nearing the river with its steep banks the two scouts were swallowed up by quicksand and Major Dalpat Singh was fatally wounded. B Squadron despite concentrated enemy fire bringing down a number of the Lancer’s horses, charged through fearlessly capturing two machine guns and two camel guns opening defile for B and D Squadrons capturing 4 howitzers and 2 machine guns and with some casualties in men and horses, the fight was practically over. Capturing 2 German officers, 23 Turkish officers, 10 field guns, and 10 machine guns at the cost of Major Dalpat Singh’s life and 2sowars, 5 officers, and 29 other ranks wounded, 60 horses killed and 83 wounded giving the intensity of cavalry charge and capture of Haifa on 23 Sept 1918 by the Jodhpur Lancers was a magnificent and unique victory in military history and commented. The chapter is illustrated with maps of Haifa, the late Major Dalpat Singh, Hero of Haifa buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Haifa. It is inexplicable that Jodhpur Lancers did not receive many awards and greater recognition. Being sick, before the Haifa Battle, Sir Pratap Singh never forgave himself and deeply grieved over Major Dalpat Singh’s death. After the war was over, myths and legends grew around the great fight of Haifa ending up in Aleppo and Damascus. The Memorial at Teen Moorti (There statues) built in 1922 commemorates Indian soldiers of the three princely states, Mysore, and Hyderabad looking over present-day heavy traffic swirling around all day.
Chapters 6 & 7. After the Great War, there was some relaxed life, polo, and realization cavalrymen charging stirrup to stirrup days were over and slowly horses were being replaced with tanks and armored cars. The Jodhpur Lancers provided escorts and ceremonial guards to Viceroys, commander-in-chiefs, and other dignitaries. Lieutenant Colonel Thakur Pratap Singh retired in 1925 at the age of 62 after 41 years of service with the unit; 18 of them in command. He was granted King’s Commission besides awards of OBE (1st Class) and CBE. All Annual Reports of Jodhpur Lancers praised its administration, training, and combat effectiveness that led to its selection for the Second World War. Maharaja Umaid Singh after the death of his elder brother Maharaja Sumer Singh inherited a progressive kingdom with efficient administration and in 1947 bequeathed to India as a model state. He was an ace pilot, and polo player and developed Jodhpur as an international airport. In the 7th Chapter, the Second World War is discussed. While Maharaja offered the HM King services of Jodhpur State Forces in the war effort as unflinching loyalty to His Person, however, Jodhpur Lancers for no fault of their own were to play in Second World War as days of Cavalry charges were over and in 1941 Jodhpur Lancers exchanged their horses with armored cars and became 25 Division’s Reconnaissance Regiment. As the division was moving to Burma, the terrain was considered unsuitable for armored cars, the Jodhpur Lancers ended up moving to Middle-East and the regiment left for Risalpur on the North West Frontier under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thakur Bahadur Singh OBI. The mechanization of the regiment at Risalpur carried training, driving, and maintenance of vehicles/armored cars. While Jodhpur Lancers were proud to be selected for mechanization, they were very sad to lose their much-loved horses. The Regiment returned home in 1946 for a victory parade through the streets of Jodhpur to a tumultuous welcome.
Finally and sadly, the Epilogue covers its bureaucratic amalgamation with the Indian Army in the 1950s where against many odds Jodhpur Lancers could retain a small slice of its nostalgic past and Battle Cry ‘Ran Banka Rathore’ with the Indian Army followed by 7 appendices giving details of its manpower, rank structure pay & allowances, Commanding Officers and Officers of the Jodhpur Lancers (1915), Roll of Honours, Honours & Awards, the Uniforms of the Jodhpur Lancers., full page spread photo of officers of Jodhpur Lancers, Notes and Bibliography & photo credits. Overall, it’s valuable and most enjoyable reading the Jodhpur Lancers history.