Cuirassier
@leftofthepincer
Prince Aly Khan . a scion of the Nizārī Shias; many of you won't know that he was the first Colonel Commandant of the 4ᵗʰ Cavalry - an elite regiment of the Pakistan Army's Armoured Corps. the regiment still retains the title of 'Prince Aly Khan's Own'.
At the installation ceremony, circa 1957.
In May 1960, barely 2 years after his appointment as Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, the Prince would be mortally wounded, when his Lancia sports car crashed into a sedan in France.
in '65, the 4ᵗʰ Cavalry was launched by Anthony Lumb's 4ᵗʰ Armoured Brigade towards Mahmudpura, in a predictable effort to outflank 4 Mountain Division, left of the pincer. it got very close to it's objective - Milestone 32 - albeit at the cost of all but seven of it's tanks.
Six years later, the 'B' Squadron of the Regiment would deploy two tank troops under the 106ᵗʰ Brigade for the capture of Hussainiwala's Qaiser-e-Hind - directly engaging the fortification with HE fire. 3 troopers would be killed in action; one SJ and two TJs would be awarded.
"4ᵗʰ Cavalry pushed forward and by sunset was within two kilometers of the elusive Milestone 32, but there, like a spent and bruised athlete, it collapsed altogether.” Nazir, commandant of the Regiment during this ill-fated dash, was taken PoW. awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat.