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| THE NINTH (QUEEN’S OWN ROYAL) LANCERS SERVICE IN INDIA DURING THE XIX CENTURY |
The history of the 9th Lancers during the 19th Century is the history of British India. Garrisoned in India, the crown jewel of
the British colonies, from 1841 until 1859, and again from 1875 until 1885, the 9th Lancers took part in more campaigns in India
during this period of time than any other British cavalry regiment.
The 9th Lancers were originally raised in 1715 as Owen Wynne’s Dragoons in response to the Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland.
By the time the Regiment set sail for duty in India in May of 1842, they had been converted to Lancers and had seen service
during the Jacobite Rebellion and the Peninsular War and had been posted to Ireland and South America. They were to remain
in India until 1 May 1859, when they returned to England. During that seventeen year period they were to fight in the last
Mahratta War, the First Sikh War, the Sutlej campaign, the Punjab War and the suppression of the Indian Mutiny. For their
services during their time in India, the 9th Lancers would be awarded the Battle Honours Punniar, Sobraon, Chillianwallah,
Goojerat, Punjaub, Delhi 1857, and Lucknow and earn the sobriquet “The Delhi Spearman”.
The 9th Lancers were to return to India again in January of 1875. For over three years their service was simple garrison duty
at Sialkot in what is now Kashmir. However, in November of 1878, they were to take part in the last large scale Victorian
military campaign on the Indian subcontinent, the Second Afghan War. The Regiment was to serve in Afghanistan until
November of 1880, when it returned to India. For their service in the Second Afghan War, the 9th Lancers were awarded the
additional Battle Honours Charasiah, Kabul 1879, Kandahar 1880 and Afghanistan 1878-1880.
The 9th Lancers returned to England from India in October of 1885, the last time they would see service in India during the
reign of Queen Victoria. They would go on to serve with distinction in the Boer War and would return to India in 1902, but
would not see active service, their time in India being recorded as “uneventful”. In 1906 the regiment would again leave India to
return to South Africa.
The 9th Lancers returned to India in December of 1926 for a very quiet five year period of duty, mostly spent in maneuvers
and ceremonial duties. Returning to England on October 23, 1931, with India being granted its independence in 1947, the 9th
Lancers would never again see service in India.
In 1960 the 9th Lancers were amalgamated with the 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) to form the 9th/12th Royal Lancers
(Prince of Wales’s).
Sources:
9th Queen’s Royal Lancers 1715-1936, Major E. W. Sheppard (1939).
History of the 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers, 1715-1903, Captain F. Reynard (1904).
With the 9th Lancers during the Indian Mutiny, Major O. St. G. Anson (1896).
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Medal Rolls for Sutlej, Punjab ,the Indian Mutiny , MSM and Afghanistan exist on this site as well as a cross referenced roll
which provides entitlement for each of the three earlier campaigns in a single roll.
the British colonies, from 1841 until 1859, and again from 1875 until 1885, the 9th Lancers took part in more campaigns in India
during this period of time than any other British cavalry regiment.
The 9th Lancers were originally raised in 1715 as Owen Wynne’s Dragoons in response to the Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland.
By the time the Regiment set sail for duty in India in May of 1842, they had been converted to Lancers and had seen service
during the Jacobite Rebellion and the Peninsular War and had been posted to Ireland and South America. They were to remain
in India until 1 May 1859, when they returned to England. During that seventeen year period they were to fight in the last
Mahratta War, the First Sikh War, the Sutlej campaign, the Punjab War and the suppression of the Indian Mutiny. For their
services during their time in India, the 9th Lancers would be awarded the Battle Honours Punniar, Sobraon, Chillianwallah,
Goojerat, Punjaub, Delhi 1857, and Lucknow and earn the sobriquet “The Delhi Spearman”.
The 9th Lancers were to return to India again in January of 1875. For over three years their service was simple garrison duty
at Sialkot in what is now Kashmir. However, in November of 1878, they were to take part in the last large scale Victorian
military campaign on the Indian subcontinent, the Second Afghan War. The Regiment was to serve in Afghanistan until
November of 1880, when it returned to India. For their service in the Second Afghan War, the 9th Lancers were awarded the
additional Battle Honours Charasiah, Kabul 1879, Kandahar 1880 and Afghanistan 1878-1880.
The 9th Lancers returned to England from India in October of 1885, the last time they would see service in India during the
reign of Queen Victoria. They would go on to serve with distinction in the Boer War and would return to India in 1902, but
would not see active service, their time in India being recorded as “uneventful”. In 1906 the regiment would again leave India to
return to South Africa.
The 9th Lancers returned to India in December of 1926 for a very quiet five year period of duty, mostly spent in maneuvers
and ceremonial duties. Returning to England on October 23, 1931, with India being granted its independence in 1947, the 9th
Lancers would never again see service in India.
In 1960 the 9th Lancers were amalgamated with the 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) to form the 9th/12th Royal Lancers
(Prince of Wales’s).
Sources:
9th Queen’s Royal Lancers 1715-1936, Major E. W. Sheppard (1939).
History of the 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers, 1715-1903, Captain F. Reynard (1904).
With the 9th Lancers during the Indian Mutiny, Major O. St. G. Anson (1896).
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Medal Rolls for Sutlej, Punjab ,the Indian Mutiny , MSM and Afghanistan exist on this site as well as a cross referenced roll
which provides entitlement for each of the three earlier campaigns in a single roll.
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