Major
Thakur
Dalpat SINGH
Cavalry
Died: 23rd September 1918 - Age: 25

Commemorated:

1. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.135
2. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour44D GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Family :

Thakur Dalpat Singh of Bankora came from a Rajput noble family and was born in November 1892. He was the only child of Col Hari Singh Shekhawat, who was a jagirdar and a well-known polo player, who guided and encouraged his son to join the army.

He was a descendant of the Chauban Raja Prithwi Raj of Delhi.

The title of Thakur is a title of a Rajput Chief or feudal lord.

Dalpat was the son of Thakur Hari Singh of Deoli, Jodhpur, who was aide to Sir Pertab Singh.

Sir Pertab Singh (1845–1922) was the Maharaja of Idar between 1902 and 1911. a fine soldier, he served on the staff of Sir William Lockhart during the Tirah expedition of 1897–98, during which OE Henry Singleton Pennell won his Victoria Cross. His son, Narpat Singh (W&b 1906–11) was in Blackwater with Dalpat.

Education & Career :

He attended Wargrave School between 1907 and 1911 before going to Eastbourne College.

Dalpat was sent to Eastbourne by Sir Pertab Singh along with his own son, Narpat Singh.

He won 1st XI cricket colours (an opening bat, he scored four centuries for the College and ended the 1911 season with an average of 61). He also played rugby for the First XV, winning 2nd XV colours, and was awarded his First running strings, winning both the mile race and the steeplechase.

He was also an outstanding polo player.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: Jodhpur Lancers 

Action : Palestine 

Palestine is a generic term to cover actions in the region now consisting of Sinai, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Aden and involved operations against the Turks. Once the security of the Suez Canal was assured in 1915 the focus shifted to the area now within the post 1967 borders of Israel. In 1917 there were three battles at Gaza, which enabled the capture of Jerusalem in December. In 1918 the campaign continued north into the Jordan Valley then towards Damascus. The Armistice with Turkey was signed on the 31st October 1918.

Dalpat was commissioned on 13 October 1913 and appointed to the Jodhpur Lancers on 25 October 1914. initially he served as scout officer and adjutant with the regiment in France before being appointed squadron commander.

Sir Pertab met Dalpat in France and reputedly was angry at his English manners and at the degree to which he had forgotten his rajput greetings etc. the Lancers were stationed in a reserve trench near Festubert and took part in a dismounted attack on 21 December. Most of 1915 was spent training, wiring and laying light railways. by July 1916 the Lancers were in reserve behind Gommecourt during the battle of the somme and on 1 December 1917 they fought a dismounted action near Cambrai, attacking a farm on Villers ridge. in 1918 Dalpat attained the rank of major and was acting commanding officer of the Jodhpores. One source, american historian the late DeWitt C Ellinwood, claims that he married a French girl, to sir Pratap’s annoyance.

by July 1918 the Jodhpur Lancers were in the Jordan Valley guarding a bridgehead over the Jordan. already they were celebrated as the ‘Jo Hokums’, which literally means ‘as you command’, for their reckless courage and discipline in following orders, however dangerous. the Jodphur Lancers arrived in Egypt in early 1918, a part of the 15th impe- rial service Cavalry brigade, 5th Cavalry Division, Desert Mounted Corps. after three months of training near Cairo they moved into the Jordan Valley guarding a bridgehead over the Jordan. there, in more familiar ter- rain at last, they would cover themselves with glory. indeed, bored with the trenches of France and itching for some real cav- alry fighting, they showed their mettle in their very first action, at abu tulul in the Jordan Valley on 14 July. two squadrons of the Lancers led by Major thakur Dalpat singh attacked a large body of turks on a ridge, spearing many and capturing many more. the Eastbourne-educated Dalpat outpaced his troop and, accompanied only by his trumpeter, attacked a machine-gun emplacement, killing and scattering the crew and capturing the commander of the 11th turkish regiment. For this he was awarded the Military Cross.

Yet, it was only the beginning. the Commander-in-Chief, Egypt Expeditionary Force, Sir Edmund Allenby’s historic offensive into Palestine and Syria began on 19 September 1918.

Four days later the Jodphur Lancers with the Mysore and Hyderabad Lancers, moved into position to capture strategic Haifa. This charming coastal town, now in israel, was strongly defended and easily defensible, commanded as it is by Mount Carmel in the south-west and protected by the river Kishon in the north-east.

At 1400hrs on 23 september the battle began. under heavy turkish machine-gun fire, negotiating quicksand on the banks of the Kishon which they had to cross on the one hand and the not-so-gentle slopes of Carmel on the other, the Jodphur Lancers charged into Haifa. this charge at Haifa is described by many as the most remarkable cavalry action ever in the history of the war and, as historian Charles Chevenix trench remarks in his book, The Indian Army and the King’s Enemies: ‘Only the Jo Hukums could have done it.’ that day the Jo Hukums had to be restrained as they galloped through the streets of Haifa, even after all the machine-gun posts had fallen, towards the placid and unknowing Mediterranean, spearing and butchering the unfortunate turks who crossed their path, civilians even, for they had seen too many of their brothers fall.

And among the dead was their beloved commander, Major Thakur Dalpat Singh. the Jodphur Lancers lost three killed and 34 wounded.

They captured 689 turks [1352 according to another source], 17 field guns and 11 machine guns.‘it was per- haps the most extraordinary feat of Cavalry, on that scale, in that or any other war. Probably no other regiment but the ‘Jo Hokums’ would have been crazy enough to try it.’

the action was mentioned in General allenby’s despatch of 31 October 1918: ‘the Jodhpur Lancers charged through the defile and, riding over the enemy’s machine guns, galloped into the town [Haifa] where a number of turks were speared in the streets. Colonel [actually Major] Dalpat singh MC fell, gallantly leading the charge’. He was critically injured with machine gun bullets in his spine and died that night on an operating table. He was cremated the next day with full honours in an olive grove facing the sea. His death is recorded on the Commonwealth War Dead Memorial at Heliopolis (Port Tewfik).

Detail :

Major Thakur Dalpat Singh MC led the battle and became famous thereafter as the “Hero of Haifa.” He lost his life on the battlefield leading a few horsemen who defeated the Ottoman forces armed with machine guns.

Citations & Commemorations :

  His Military Cross was recorded in the London Gazette of 29 november 1918 with the following citation:

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. This officer, accompanied only by his trumpeter, charged an entrenched machine gun killing and scattering the crew and capturing the gun. At the same time he captured the commandant of a regiment and another officer."

He was not the only one decorated that day. in all the Lancers received six indian Orders of Merit and seven Distinguished service Medals for their success at abu tulul.

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Rajputana No. 2800 E.C.Unknown

Initiated
Passed
Raised
5th June 1913
12th June 1913
-
 

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2020-05-20 13:10:05