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Indian Army
Princely India

The President's Body Guards

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The president's Body Guard, at the Republic Day Parade in New DelhiRaised in 1773 at Benares as the 'Governer's Troops of Mogals' the President's Body Guard as it was than known, saw active service all over the Indian peninsula as well as in Egypt 1801, Java 1811, and Burma 1824-26 and again in 1886.
During the Great War of 1914-18, its personnel served in the Middle East and Mesopotamia. In 1944 after mechanisation the Corpse was trained as paratroopers to form part of the 44 Indian Airborne Division.

The PBG today is a small body of men, comprising three officers, 14 JCOs and 161 troopers backed by administrative support personnel : an establishment which has not changed much in the last century. Equipped with armoured cars, its men are also trained for operational duties, both as task men and airborne troops, in addition to there ceremonial role. Troopers of the Body Guard are recruited from Jats, Sikhs and Rajputs in equal share. The physical standards are exacting with six feet being the minimum height for a trooper. The mounts of the PBG are Bay in colour, except for the Regimenta.

Trumpter, who traditionally is always mounted on a Grey Charger. In the Indian Army only the horse of the PBG are permitted to wear full manes, like their counterparts of the Household Cavalry in Britain. In addition to its own standards the PBG also carries The President Personal Standard on a parade. It is the only regiment in the Indian Army privileged to carry two standards, on ceremonial occasions. Honed to perfection in diverse skills, the PBG personnel have proved their worth in battle as well as in mounted to tourneys and equestrian skills Risaldar Major Milkha Singh won the first Gold Medal for India in the Asian three day Equestrian Event in 1982. Officers of the regiment have traditionally being excellent Polo players, and it is no coincidence that sum of India's highest ranking Polo players have worn the blue and maroom colors of the PBG regiment which was responsible for the survival of the Polo in country in the after madh of indepence and partition.

The first Comdt. Col. Gobind Singh of the Jodhpur Lancers was an excellent player. He was handpicked by the Governor General Lord Louis Mount batten to take over The Body Guard and revive the sport. Thus it came to be the Delhi Polo Club was resuscitated in 1949 with General K. M. Cariappa, OBC, the C - in - C as President, and the Commandant of the PBG as Hony. Secretary. IN 1983 the club came to be known as the President's Estate Polo Club with the COAS as President and the army officers of the PBG as ex-officio office bearers. The PBG was thus the cradles of Polo in Independent India and played a substantial role in fostering the sport from the difficult time after partitions right uptill the present day when Indian Polo has finally sufficiently matured and come into its own.


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