The recipient was an Indian soldier of the Sikh faith holding the rank of Sowar (Trooper) while serving with the 3rd Bengal Cavalry of the Bengal Presidency Army - a famous regiment that in 1901 was re-styled as 3rd Bengal Cavalry (Skinner's Horse)Reference 'The Afghan Campaigns of 1878-1880 (S. H. Shadbolt, 1882)':Quote,3rd REGT. BENGAL CAVALRY.ON the renewal of hostilities in Afghanistan in the autumn of 1879, the 3rd Bengal Cavalry, under the command of Lt.-Colonel Mackenzie, was stationed at Peshawar, whither it had recently been moved from Lucknow. Detailed to Brigadier-General Arbuthnot's Brigade of Major-General Bright's Division, the regiment advanced at the latter end of September, 1879, by successive wings, through the Khyber Pass, and during the succeeding winter was employed in holding various posts extending from Jamrud to Gandamak, keeping open the line of communications, escorting convoys, and taking part in the numerous reconnaissance's and expeditions which were conducted into a wide extent of surrounding territory.On the 26th Dec., 1879, one troop of the regiment formed part of the force under Lt.-Col. Fryer, 6th Dragoon Guards, which was sent out from Jalalabad to obtain information concerning an attack which had been made by a body of Shinwaris two days previously on a post near All Boghan ; and again on the 29th a mixed force under Lt.-Colonel Mackenzie, which included a troop of the 3rd Bengal Cavalry, marched from Jalalabad to Barikab, where it was joined by a squadron of the regiment and other details, and proceeded to visit a cluster of villages some ten miles distant, which were supposed to be sheltering a number of the tribesmen who had been engaged in the attack. Shortly after daybreak on the 30th, the villages of Banda, Kuddi, and Roghani were reached, and surrounded, and ten hostages were carried back by the expeditionary force to Barikab.A party consisting of seventy-five sabres of the regiment and a like detachment of the 6th Dragoon Guards, under the command of Major Cracroft, proceeded from Jalalabad on the 3rd Jan, 1880, on a reconnaissance into the country contiguous to the Lughman Valley. On the 13th idem a hundred sabres of the regiment formed part of a force under Colonel Walker, 12th Foot, which was sent to reinforce Ali Boghan, and assisted in dispersing a large gathering of Mohmands, who had attacked the post on the previous day, and were still threatening it. .Ordered from Gandamak to Kabul on relief by the 17th Bengal Cavalry, the regiment marched for the capital, and arrived at its destination on the 17th Feb., 1880.As part of the column under General Ross which left Kabul in the middle of April, 1880, to effect a junction with the Ghazni Field Force, and returned on the 2nd May, the 3rd Bengal Calvary was engaged in the various operations which were conducted in the Logar and Maidan districts. On the 20th April one squadron accompanied the brigade under Brigadier-General C. Gough which destroyed the towers of the refractory chief, Bahadur Khan. On the 25th idem, at the action of Shekabad, one troop of the regiment was engaged in the direct attack on the enemy's position to the north-west of the camp, and a half troop in the attack delivered on his left.In the middle of June, 1880, the 3rd Bengal Cavalry left Sherpur with Brigadier-General C. Gough's Brigade for Pughman, and for the next six weeks, until the force was recalled to Kabul in view of the evacuation, took part with it in its various operations in the Koh-Daman and surrounding districts. On the 20th June a squadron of the regiment, with other details, under Lt. -Colonel Mackenzie, were sent to support a force under Colonel Norman on the Ghazni road, and drove a body of the enemy from a position it had taken up on the Kotal-i-Takht.As a portion of the Cavalry Brigade of the Kabul-Kandahar F.F., the 3rd Bengal Cavalry took part in the memorable march from Kabul to the relief of Kandahar. On the 31st Aug., 1880, the regiment had the honour of being selected, with the 15th Sikhs and two Horse Artillery guns, for the reconnaissance of the enemy's position ; and advancing two miles beyond the position where the remainder of General Gough's force was halted, drew the enemy's fire upon itself from the strongly entrenched Pir Paimal village, and then fell back, ' admirably handled ' — to quote the words of Sir F. Roberts' despatch — ' by its Commandant, Lt.-Colonel Mackenzie.' In the crowning defeat of the enemy on the following day, the regiment was again engaged, taking part in the pursuit, which was continued till the evening, and pushing beyond the line of Ayub's retreat towards Kakrez. In this engagement the casualties of the regiment were 1 officer and 1 man wounded, the latter mortally ; 2 horses killed, and 1 wounded.After taking part with Brigadier-General Baker's force, in the operations which were conducted against the Achakzai tribe, the regiment marched down to Sibi, from whence it eventually proceeded to Mian Mir.UnquoteFor their collective services during the 'second' Afghanistan War the 3rd Bengal Cavalry were awarded a brace of battle honours, vis:- Kandahar 1880- Afghanistan 1879-18803rd Bengal Cavalry: The origins of the regiment date to 1814, when it was raised at Hansi, India, by Lt.-Col. James Skinner as the 2nd Regiment of Skinner's Horse. The regiment's chronology and name changes were:- 1814 2nd Regiment of Skinner's Horse- 1821 Baddeley's Frontier Horse- 1823 4th (Baddeley's) Local Horse- 1840 4th Irregular Cavalry- 1861 3rd Regiment of Bengal Cavalry- 1901 3rd Bengal Cavalry (Skinner's Horse)- 1903 3rd Skinner's Horse.- 1921 1st/3rd Skinner's Horse.- 1922 1st Duke of York's Own Skinner's HorseThe descendent regiment continues to serve in the Indian Army of 2023, as, 1st Horse (Skinner's Horse) a regiment of the Armoured Corps of the Indian ArmyCondition: About VF