2022-12-21 Wed

The Poona Horse is an armoured unit of the Indian Army's Armoured Corps. The regiment, formerly known as The Poona Horse, was established as a regular cavalry unit in the East India Company's army of the Bombay Presidency. It was created by combining the Poona Auxiliary Horse and the 3rd Regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry, both of which were founded in 1820. The second unit was integrated into the regular troops in about 1860, and the two regiments ultimately became the 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse and the 33rd Queen Victoria's Light Cavalry.

These were combined in 1921 to form the current regiment, whose combat honours reflect the action in the Great War as well as conflicts in China, Persia, and Ethiopia in addition to the three Afghan wars. The regiment distinguished itself in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani Wars, and in each of both conflicts, one officer was given India's highest bravery honour, the Param Vir Chakra.

Department of Posts released a commemorative stamp on the bicentenary of the Poona Horse, an armoured regiment of the Indian Army on 11th February 2017.

Image Courtesy: stampsofindia.com