Central India Horse ( 21st King George V ' s Own Horse ) The Central India Horse ( 21st King George V ' s Own Horse ) was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army . They were formed at the start of the Mutiny of 1857 and served in the Great War and World War II . Formation . The regiment was founded as two irregular cavalry regiments in 1857 , at the outset of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 by Henry Otway Mayne , and was known initially as Mayne ' s Horse and the 2nd regiment which was known as Beatson ' s Horse They were based at the town of Guna , in the state of Gwalior and Augar in central India . In 1860 Mayne ' s Horse was renamed the 1st Regiment Central India Horse , and Beatson ' s Horse was renamed the 2nd Regiment Central India Horse . In 1860 the officer commanding the Central India Horse was made the British political officer for the small states of Raghugarh , Khaniadhana ( after 1888 ) , Paron , Garha , Umri , and Bhadaura , which were made a separate charge from that of the Resident of Gwalior . This arrangement was abolished in 1896 , when these states were again placed under the resident , with the officer commanding at Guna continuing to act as ex - officio assistant to the Resident , with very limited powers . Both Regiments would serve together in the Second Afghan War . Twentieth century . During the Kitchener reorganisation of the Indian Army of 1903 , the 1st Regiment became the 38th Regiment Central India Horse , and the 2nd regiment became the 39th Regiment Central India Horse . In 1906 , the regiments were renamed the 38th and 39th Prince of Wales ' s Own Central India Horse , and in 1910 the 38th and 39th King George ' s Own Central India Horse . The Great War . During the Great War the 38th King George ' s Own Central India Horse was part of the 5th ( Mhow ) Cavalry Brigade in the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division the brigade consisted of the ; It later in 1918 , joined the 10th Cavalry Brigade , in the 4th Cavalry Division for the Sinai and Palestine Campaign . and the 39th King George ' s Own Central India Horse remained in India stationed in Poona . Amalgamation . In 1921 , the two regiments were amalgamated into the 38th / 39th Cavalry , which was renamed the 38th / 39th King George ' s Own Light Cavalry ( 1922 ) , The Central India Horse ( 21st King George ' s Own Horse ) ( 1923 ) , and The Central India Horse ( 21st King George V ' s Own Horse ) ( 1937 ) . World War II . During World War II the Central India Horse , equipped with Light Tanks and Indian Pattern Carriers , was the divisional reconnaissance regiment for the 4th Indian Division . While attached to the 4th Indian Division they were involved in the Western Desert Campaign , the East African Campaign , the Tunisia Campaign and the Italian Campaign . It was during the Italian Campaign that two members of the Regiment were posthumously awarded the George Cross : Ditto Ram and St . John Graham Young attached from the Royal Tank Regiment . Notice of the award was published in the " London Gazette " on 20 July 1945 . Young had been leading a night patrol on 23 July 1944 , when he and his men found themselves in any enemy minefield . He received the full force of a mine explosion , severely injuring both legs . Despite his wounds , his encouragement enabled the majority of his men to reach safety . One of them , Sowar Ditto Ram , was also posthumously awarded the GC for his actions in the same incident . On March 20 , 1942 Captain Arthur Sandeman of the Central India Horse was on secondment to the Burma Frontier Force . He led a 60 man mounted patrol in a cavalry charge against Japanese infantry near Toungoo airfield in central Burma . Most of the patrol ( including Sandeman ) were killed in what was probably the last cavalry charge by a force under the command of the British crown . Independence . Upon India ' s independence , the Central India Horse ( 21st King George V ' s Own Horse ) was allocated to India , although a Muslim Punjabi squadron was transferred to the 19th King George V ' s Own Lancers in exchange for its Jat squadron . When India became a republic in 1950 , the regiment was renamed The Central India Horse which is one of the decorated regiment of Indian Army . The Central India Horse is now a tank regiment of the Indian Army . External links . Follow this link to view the uniforms of the late 19th Century