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 |