8th King George's Own Light Cavalry - Amalgamation

Amalgamation

In 1922, the two regiments were amalgamated to form the 8th King George’s Own Light Cavalry, inheriting in the process, the traditions and rich heritages of two cultures. After India attained independence, the regiment was renamed as the 8th Light Cavalry.

The 1st Regiment Madras Native Cavalry, in its infancy, saw action in Burma and Afghanistan, where it earned the Battle Honours AVA and AFGHANISTAN, indicative of its magnificent performance in both these theatres of war.

Then came the Great War and the 26th King George’s Own Light Cavalry was moved to South Yemen as part of the Aden Field Force, where, keeping in the traditions of the regiment, it performed brilliantly.

During this war, 30th Lancers saw action in France where, though being a cavalry regiment, it received a good taste of trench warfare. It then went on to extinguish the embers of an Arab rebellion in Iraq, before going into action in Persia.

By this time, the regiment had earned 12 Battle Honours. With a meritorious history of over a century, it became befitting for King George – V, Colonel of one of the regiments to become the Colonel-in-Chief of the amalgamated regiment. Field Marshal, Lord Chetwode became the first Colonel of the Regiment in 1936.

It is Lord Chetwode’s immortal shibboleth – “The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next. Our own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time”, which became the credo not only for the regiment, but for the entire officer corps of the Indian Army and is etched in main hall of the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun.