Col. J. Desaraj Urs (WW1)



  
Col. Jagirdar Desaraj Urs, CIE ,MVO was born on 12th Nov 1862, son of Puttu Desaraj Urs of Balekere, later adopted by Sardar Desi Devaraj Urs of Bagle.Educated at Royal School, and  London Mission High school., at Mysore. Was Military Attache (1884), attached to 3rd Madras Light Cavalry, served in Burma Campaign (1886), Promoted as Subedar (1888), ADC to Maharaja(1887-94), became Commandant Mysore Imperial Service Lancers (1894-1916), ADC to Maharani (1894 -1902). Married Maharajakumari Krishnajammanni on 20th April 1896. Received India GSM with Burma Clasp (1889), Delhi Durbar medals (1903, 11), Prince of Wales Visit Medal (1906). Maharajkumari Krishnajammanni passed awy on 22nd Nov 1904, due to Tuberculosis, leaving behind a son and three daughters. In her memory, the first Sanatorium was built at Mysore. The Colonel passed away on 8th Oct 1922
                 
MVO
Delhi Durbar 1903
IGSM(Burma Clasp)
Delhi Durbar 1911
Prince of Wales 1906
At the onset of War (World War-I), England declared Egypt as its protectorate , and to safeguard Suez Canal, put up its own forces, and took the help of the State Troops maintained by the various Indian Princes. In 1888 itself, the "Imperial Service Troops" was formed by taking units from the Troops of the Princely States of India and trained by the British Officers. It consisted of men from Princely States of Idar, Kathiawar, Hyderabad, Mysore, Kashmir, Bhavanagar, Patiala, Jodhpur and Bikaner. Monetary, army and material support by all princely states was given to the British. It was named "15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade" and was moved for action in the Middle East area. The fighting component of the brigade was formed from three cavalry regiments, each of four squadrons:
      i. 1st Hyderabad Lancers commanded by Major Mahomed Azmatullah Bahadur with twenty-seven officers (one British) and 533 other ranks,
    ii. Mysore Lancers (including two troops of Bhavnagar Lancers and one troop of Kashmir Lancers) commanded by Regimentdar B. Chamraj Urs Bahadur with thirty-two officers (one British) and 487 other ranks.
  1. Patiala Lancers commanded by Colonel Nand Singh Sardar Bahadur with twenty-six officers and 528 other ranks.
  2. In May 1918 when the Jodhpur Lancers, commanded by Colonel Thakur Pratap Singh Sardar Bahadur, with seven SSOs, which had been serving on the Western Front in France, arrived in the theatre. The final unit assigned to the brigade was the Imperial Service Machine-Gun Squadron formed on 10 June 1918 by amalgamating the three cavalry regiment's machine-gun sections into one unit. Some sources refer to the squadron as the 15th Imperial Service Brigade Machine-Gun Squadron.
The Mysore regiment consisting of 29 officers, 444 non-commissioned officers and men with 526 horses, 49 mules and 132 followers left Bangalore on the 13th October 1914 In November 1914, a convoy 36 ships carried these troops from India, escorted by HMS "Swiftsure" and "Hardinge", on their way to Suez, and reached on 16th November.
Even though the brigade was an Imperial Service unit, the cavalry regiments and brigade headquarters included attached British Indian Army Special Service Officers (SSO), but only as advisors. In 1914, the three cavalry regiments had two SSOs attached, and Colonel J. Desaraj Urs Commander-in-Chief of the Mysore State Forces accompanied the Mysore Lancers as an observer.

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