THE WAR HORSE.

[scinde]

Some years back, I had the pleasure of meeting Trevor Lancelot Perry, a retired Anglo-Indian Colonel of the Indian Army, who had moved to Australia after he left the Army. His earlier regiment was the 3rd Cavalry however, he had the honour of raising the 64th Cavalry ( 1966) which was the last regiment of the post 1947 Indian Army to be called "Cavalry".

During the small number of occasions when we met, we talked on the subjects of Shikar, swords and uniforms etc., but in line with the topic of this thread, he told me that one of the saddest days he remembered, was the occasion when they were all ordered out on parade to shoot their horses, which were by then superfluous to the needs of an armoured corps.

Such is progress.

Colonel Perry died in India whilst attending regimental reunion.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by scinde

Some years back, I had the pleasure of meeting Trevor Lancelot Perry, a retired Anglo-Indian Colonel of the Indian Army, who had moved to Australia after he left the Army. His earlier regiment was the 3rd Cavalry however, he had the honour of raising the 64th Cavalry ( 1966) which was the last regiment of the post 1947 Indian Army to be called "Cavalry".

During the small number of occasions when we met, we talked on the subjects of Shikar, swords and uniforms etc., but in line with the topic of this thread, he told me that one of the saddest days he remembered, was the occasion when they were all ordered out on parade to shoot their horses, which were by then superfluous to the needs of an armoured corps.

Such is progress.

Colonel Perry died in India whilst attending regimental reunion.

Salaams Scinde, That is an incredible vignette and how sad that must have been ..

Wikipedia has his details and I Quote" 64th Cavalry is an armoured regiment which is part of the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. After the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, a number of armoured regiments were raised for the Indian Army, of which 64 Cavalry was the first. However, it was the last to use the epithet of cavalry, all subsequent regiments were named armoured regiments instead. It was raised in Babina on 31 March 1966 by Lt Col Trevor Lancelot Perry, a former Indian Air Force pilot, with a class composition of Sikhs, Jats and Rajputs." Unquote.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[russel]

I don't have much to contribute here, other than to recommend:

The Medieval Warhorse - From Byzantium to the Crusades. Ann Hyland, 1996

Copies can be had fairly cheaply from the usual sources. It has been years since I read it, but I recall being rather impressed by the author's scholarship.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Sounds like an excellent reference...thanks. See https://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Warh.../dp/1856279901

[fernando]

Not so exciting as some fancy paintings but ... the real thing.
A photograph of a cavalry charge by the Moçamedes dragoons against the Cuamatas (Angola) in 1907.

.

[Norman McCormick]

Hi Ibrahiim,
The description of the carnage resulting from the charge of the Sots Greys is both vivid and chilling. I am lucky enough to have a period Heavy Cavalry Troopers sword of the type used by the Greys at Waterloo. To be honest it's not much more than a giant meat cleaver, lighter and more manoeuvrable than first appearances but a big meat chopper none the less so the description seems apt. I attach two more images of valiant horse warriors, the famed Polish Winged Hussars whose greatest moment was the charge that finally broke the Siege of Vienna 1683 and the Light Brigade of Crimea fame whose charge at Russian gun emplacements 1854 was the result of arrogance and mistakes.
Regards,
Norman.