until 1928. Some other armies retained lance-armed cavalry units for ceremonial purposes only. The Polish cavalry did not discard the lance as a weapon until 1934 or 1937 and continued to use it for training and ceremonial purposes until the outbreak of World War II. Current lancer units Some modern armored cavalry units are still designated as lancer regiments for historical and ceremonial reasons. There are examples in the armies of Spain (the King's Lancers Troop of the Royal Guard's Escort Squadron and the Bourbon's Lancers Group of the 11th Cavalry Regiment), United Kingdom (Royal Lancers), India (2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) and 20th Lancers), Belgium, Portugal (2nd Lancers Regiment), Pakistan, Italy (5th Lancieri di Novara, 6th Lancieri di Aosta, 8th Lancieri di Montebello), Australia (12th/16th Hunter River Lancers, 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers), Argentina (2nd Tank Cavalry Regiment "General Paz's Lancers"), and Chile (5th Cavalry Regiment "Lancers"). Although not classified as lancers, the Brazilian Army's Dragões da Independência (1st Guards Regiment) and the elite soldiers of the Colombian National Army are called Lanceros. The Portuguese National Republican Guard horse squadrons carry lances on mounted parades, as do many cavalry regiments in South America such as Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. The modern Italian Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) parade detachments armed with the lances carried as combat weapons until 1920. See also Demi-lancer Chevau-léger Polish cavalry Cataphract Companion cavalry Notes References Sources Barbero, Alessandro, The Battle; A New History of Waterloo, Walker & Co., New York 2005, External links Cavalry Tactics and Combat in the Napoleonic Wars: Lancers ! Cavalry Polish cavalry 18th- and 19th-century warrior types