The 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry was a military regiment of the British Indian Army which existed from the year 1857 to 1921. After the year 1921, it was unified with the 11th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry (11th Prince of Wales`s Own Lancers) to form the 5th King Edward`s Own Probyn`s Horse unit. The former 12th Regiment was included the Bengal Army, which was the military force of Bengal Presidency and among the three principal Presidency Armies in British India. The British Presidency Armies belonged to the British East India Company until the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The Government of India Act 1858, which was authorized after the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, reassigned the authority of the 3 Presidency Armies to the British Empire in India. In the year 1903, the 3 separate presidency armies were united to form the combined British Indian Army. After Indian independence, the army unit became a part of the modern Indian Army. The 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry was also known as the 2nd Sikh Irregular Cavalry and later as 12th Cavalry regiment.
History of 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
In October 1857, the 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry was established as 2nd Sikh Irregular Cavalry by Captain P R Hockin for service during the Sepoy Mutiny 1857. The army unit was raised as a part of the Expedition to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1868. Later the regiment took part in the Second Afghan War from the year 1878 to 1880. The 12th Cavalry also participated in the conquest to Mesopotamia during the First World War.
After the culmination of the First World War, the British Indian army reduced the number of cavalry regiments from 39 units to 21 units, by merging different military regiments together in pairs, rather than just dismissing the surplus regiments. As an outcome, the total cavalry line was renamed and renumbered. The 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry was unified with the 11th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry (11th King Edward`s Own Lancers Probyn`s Horse) regiment on 28 August 1921 at Meerut. Both the regiments were united to raise the 5th King Edward`s Own Probyn`s Horse regiment. This military unit was later re-designated as the Probyn`s Horse (5th King Edward`s Own Lancers) in 1927 and as Probyn`s Horse (5th King Edward VII`s Own Lancers) in the year 1937. The formal uniform of this Probyn`s Horse unit was blue with scarlet facings.
Designations of 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry
The unit of 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry of the British Indian Army held a number of designations through out its armed service. These are mentioned below-
* 2nd Sikh Irregular Cavalry - 1857
* 12th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry - 1861
* 12th Bengal Cavalry - 1901
* 12th Cavalry - 1903
* 5th King Edward`s Own Probyn`s Horse (with 11th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry) - 1921
