Chris Boonzaier Posted September 16, 2005 Share Posted September 16, 2005 I have stopped and started on this group for ages, have never got a foot further than step one when it comes to research.I have the DSO group to Vern Coaker, commander of Skinners Horse in the 1920s, DSO for North Western Frontier 1919, apparently he was detached from his unit at the time.A researcher had a peak in the archives for me, nada, zip, zilch... not a sausage to be found.The only hope I have as I see it is to try and contact the regiment.Is it an Indian or Pakistani Regt nowdays? Is there anyone who can suggest a way of going about it? I understand the Indian army has kept many traditions taken over from the brits, would a regimental museum be one of them?Thanks to anyone who can help.BestChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted September 16, 2005 Share Posted September 16, 2005 Skinner's went to India, see:http://www.regiments.org/regiments/southasia/cav/1903-03.htmhttp://www.regiments.org/regiments/southasia/cav/1921-01.htmBut you probably won't get much out of the regiments. They do have a museum, but it is totally off-limits to normal humans, Indian or foreign. They will answer no queries, as a violation of security restrictions.Coaker, per Jan 1919 IAL:Major Verne Arthur Coaker, Indian Unattached List (3rd Horse)4 Jan 1878 born22 Jan 1898 commissioned 30 March 1899 appointed to the Indian Army1 Sep 1915 promoted to major1 June 1917 appointed Remount Purchasing Officer, Baluchistan and Sind1 Oct 1918 appointed a squadron commander in 3rd Horse but on detached duty (remount)Qualified at a school of musketryPassed course of transport instructionQualified Hindi (obligatory)Will check regimental histories etc. Amazed your researcher could find nothing. But some just don't care. Had I later IALs I could do MUCH better for you!Have you tried a quick search in the online London Gazette?Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted September 16, 2005 Author Share Posted September 16, 2005 I found this...Commandants of the 1st Duke of York"s Own Lancers(Skinners Horse)Col. James Skinner C.B. From 10-3-1803 to 4-12-1841Major L.H. Smith From 5-12-1841 to 9-12-1849Col. Crawford T. Chamberlain From 10-11-1849 to 4-8-1867Col. W.R.E. Alexander From 5-8-1867 to 31-3-1876Col. R. Jenkins From 1-4-1876 to 9-9-1880Col. A.R. Chapman From 10-9-1880 to 9-9-1887Col. R. Morris From 10-9-1887 to 9-9-1894Col. R.F. Gartside-Tipping C.B. From 10-9-1894 to 9-9-1901Col. C.H. Hayes From 10-9-1901 to 31-3-1907Col. C. Davis From 1-4-1907 to 31-3-1912Col. C. Bailey From 1-4-1912 to 4-12-1914Col. G. Holland Pryor M.V.O., D.S.O. From 5-12-1914 to 6-7-1916Lt. Col. F.D. Russell From 7-7-1916 to 8-7-1920Lt. Col. E.C.W. Conway-Gordon C.I.E From 17-4-1921 to 28-5-1924Lt. Col. V.A. Coaker D.S.O. From 23-5-1924 to 8-4-1927(The Regiment was amalgamated with the 3rd Skinner"sHorse on 1st May 1921 and became the 1st Duke of York"sOwn Skinner"s Horse).This tablet has been erected byLieut Stanley E. Skinner, 1st Duke of York"s Own LancersGrandson of the late Colonel James Skinner C.B.by whom the Regiment was raised and this Church was built,in memory of the visit to this Churchon September ??th of His Royal Highness The Prince of WalesColonel in chief of Skinner"s Horsewhen I finally get to delhiI want to go to the church and take a photo of the tablet.I have the book "Hindu Horsemen" by an officer in the regt, and apparently there is one called "sworn to die"I think he got the DSO while detached from the regt. In the gazette he is listed as 3rd Skinners horse, but he is not listed with the regt as having recieved the award on their strength for NWF 1919, so probably detached and not for combat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted September 16, 2005 Share Posted September 16, 2005 I think I have a photo somewhere, let me look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 From St. James' Church in Delhi . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 More . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Col. James Skinner, CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Memorial 1 -Not as detailed as we'd like, sorry -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Another memorial, detail lacking.Shall try to try again next time (December?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Oh, and the church from the outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted September 25, 2005 Author Share Posted September 25, 2005 Super, thanks !!There is a regt history caled "Sworn to Die" wheich i have not been able to find... do you have any idea where i could find a copy and is it any good?ThanksChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 Oh, yes, I forgot.M. A. R. Skinner, Sworn to Die (New Delhi: Lancer International, 1984)Have it right here. Fairly chatty, as is usual for a regimental history written by a military officer who has no training as a historian, whose love of "his" (in this case, really "his") regiment transcends his skill as a researcher or writer. Often seems to be as interested in sports as he is in operations; it is that sort of regimental history. Covers from 1921 (The Great Amalgamation) through 1945 (with a few notes only on post-1945 regimental activities). There is no useful index, as is common for such things, but there is a brief index, which is fairly unusual. Will dig out mentions to Coaker later.The regiment sells these through the IAC Centre at Ahmednagar, so you have to be fairly secretive in finding someone who knows someone, etc. The last I heard, their stock was running down with no plans to reprint. While a few are very nice, the overall quality of anything out of Lancer has been dropping like a rock.Other regimental histories:H, Roberts, A Short History of the 1st Duke or York's Own Lancers (Skinner's Horse) 1803-1908 (Lucknow: Indian Daily Telegraph, 1908)Christopher Rothero, Skinner's Horse (Maiden: Almark Publishing Co., Ltd., 1979)None of these histories are easy to fine and will often set you back the price of a nice 2nd Sikh War medal to the regiment. Look on abebooks.com? Some plans are underway for regimental histories (as well as Army Lists) to start coming out on CD-ROM, once copyright questions can get resolved. Cross your fingers.St. James' Church sells low-quality printings of two books on Skinner, but that is even further from what you seek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulsterman Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 (edited) Damn-Almost a year too late. Col. Gray was a very good friend of my Dad. He once leant me his ENTIRE Skinner's Horse library and gave me a turban wrap when I was a kiddie. He would have known. See here:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...0/16/db1601.xmlStill, his wife might have some of his stuff. The Regiment might respond to a letter invoking his name. Edited September 27, 2005 by Ulsterman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted September 27, 2005 Author Share Posted September 27, 2005 That article gave me a chuckle indeed! Riding...polo... pig sticking... I spent big money indeed on a book by an officer of the regt and it more or less goes like this... Chapter 1-20 Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking... damned war..Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Ah... what a life it must have been back then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted September 27, 2005 Author Share Posted September 27, 2005 He once leant me his ENTIRE Skinner's Horse library and gave me a turban wrap when I was a kiddie. Didnt you want to show how it was worn, once way back when? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 That article gave me a chuckle indeed! Riding...polo... pig sticking... I spent big money indeed on a book by an officer of the regt and it more or less goes like this... Chapter 1-20 Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking... damned war..Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Ah... what a life it must have been back then...This is pretty much the Way it Was. There as a standing joke in the Indian Army (infantry regiments only):Two regimental officers meet in the mess. After the third whiskey, one officer tells the other: "Old boy, I got a cat, a tom."The second replies: "First rate, what did you name him?The first replies: "Indian Cavalry."Ther second asks: "Why?"The first answers: "Because all he is does is eat, sleep, drink, and [fornicate]."Enough said?The joke has survived partition and can still be heard recgarding the Armoured Coirps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulsterman Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 Didnt you want to show how it was worn, once way back when? ;-)Indeed-damned camera But oh, I wish I'd kept the badges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 That article gave me a chuckle indeed! Riding...polo... pig sticking... I spent big money indeed on a book by an officer of the regt and it more or less goes like this... Chapter 1-20 Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking... damned war..Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Riding...polo... pig sticking...Ah... what a life it must have been back then...Funny! That sounds exactly like Volume I of the Central India Horse regimental history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Lancer does not seem to have a website, but I found the following contact information:CAPT BHARAT VERMA LANCER INTERNATIONAL B-3 GULMOHAR PARK NEW DELHI 110 049 INDE Tel: (011) 664933 Fax: 6862077 It also might be worth keeping an eye on eBay.Abebooks is listing a copy, but at $137 U.S.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Marketing isn't Lancer's strong suit (neither is edition or quality of produiction). I think the bookshop on the Bharat Rakshak site has some of their books for sale. Most were done in TINY print runs, so abebooks may be the sole source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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