After the First World War, the number of Indian cavalry regiments was reduced from thirty-nine to twenty-one. However, instead of disbanding the surplus units, it was decided to amalgamate them in pairs. This resulted in renumbering and renaming of the entire cavalry line. The 21st and 23rd Cavalry were amalgamated in 1921 to form 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force). The uniform of PAVO Cavalry was blue with scarlet facings. The new regiment's badge consisted of the Kandahar Star representing the five rivers of the
Punjab. Its class composition was one squadron each of Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs and Dogras. The regiment was mechanised in 1940. During the
Second World War, it initially served in
Syria and
Iran, and then went on to
North Africa, where it fought in the
Battle of Gazala. It then moved to
Burma, where it greatly distinguished itself against the Japanese. In 1946, the regiment was sent to the
Dutch East Indies (
Indonesia) to pacify the country after the surrender of the Japanese. On
Partition of India in 1947, PAVO Cavalry was allotted to
Pakistan. While travelling to Pakistan, the troops witnessed horrific communal violence, including a Sikh mob in
Amritsar publicly abusing and killing captive Muslim women. The regiment was soon engaged in fighting the Indians in
Kashmir. The 11th Cavalry soon joined combat operations in Kashmir. Initially assigned to procure, store, and supply arms, ammunition, and explosives for the Azad Forces—a mix of armed local civilians, ex-servicemen, and Tribal Lashkars from the North-West Frontier Province—the regiment later conducted a successful ambush on a convoy moving from Naushera to Kotli. In addition to seizing numerous trucks and supplies, they captured armoured cars from the
7th Light Cavalry, which had been escorting the convoy. Remarkably, less than three years after fighting side-by-side in the Burma campaign, the two regiments now faced each other as adversaries. In 1956, Pakistan became a republic and all titles pertaining to British royalty were dropped. The regiment's new designation was
11th Cavalry (Frontier Force). During the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, 11th Cavalry took part in Pakistan Army's advance towards
Akhnur in Kashmir. It then fought in the
Battle of Chawinda. In 1971, the regiment again served in the Chhamb Sector of Kashmir. It is the only armoured regiment of Pakistan Army to carry
Battle Honours on its
Regimental Colours for all three wars fought with India. • Delhi 1857 • Lucknow 1857 • Afghanistan 1878–80 • Ahmad Khel 1880 • Kandahar 1880, • Mesopotamia 1915–18 • Kut al Amara 1917 • Baghdad 1917 • Khan Baghdadi 1918 • Sharqat 1918 • Afghanistan 1919 • El Mechili 1941 (Libya) • Halfaya 1941 (Egypt) • Gazala 1941 (Egypt) • Bir Hacheim 1942 (Egypt) • Kohima 1944 (India) • Monywa 1945 (Burma) • Myinmu 1945 (Burma) • Irrawaddy 1945 (Burma) • Meiktilla 1945 (Burma) • Mandalay 1945 (Burma) • Rangoon 1945 (Burma) • Malaya 1945 • Java 1946 (Malaya) Pakistan: •
Kashmir 1948 •
Chhamb 1965 •
Chawinda 1965 •
Chhamb 1971 ==Affiliations & Alliances==