62 Cavalry (India)

The 62nd Cavalry is an Armoured Regiment of the Indian Army and was raised by Lt Col RS Butalia on 31 Mar 1957 at Ambala Cantonment. Drawn from the existing cavalry regiments of the time, the 62nd Cavalry is recruited from the Sikh, Jat and Dogra communities.

The Regiment was born as the first Armoured Regiment to be raised in Independent India and was the First Indian Armoured Regiment to be raised entirely on Tanks. In its ninth year, the 62nd Cavalry took part in the 1965 War against Pakistan. The regiment, equipped with obsolete Sherman tanks fought modern Pakistani Patton tanks and outgunned and out-tanked them. The Regiment was honoured by President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy during its silver Jubilee when he presented a Guidon to them on 31 March 1981.

The Regiment celebrated its Golden Jubilee with a mounted parade reviewed by the Chief of Army Staff on 31 March 2006. During the parade the COAS bestowed the Regiment with a Standard in recognition of its achievements. The celebrations were attended by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt. Amarinder Singh, in recognition of the services rendered by 62nd Cavalry personnel who hail from Punjab apart from Lt Gen GD Singh, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (P&S), the Colonel of the Regiment of 62 CAVALRY.