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10th Royal Hussars

This article is about the British 10th Hussars. For the German unit, see10th (Magdeburg) Hussars.

The10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)was acavalry regimentof theBritish Armyraised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including theFirst World WarandSecond World Warbut then amalgamated with the11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)to form theRoyal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)in October 1969.

10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)
Badge of the 10th Royal Hussars
Active1715–1969
CountryKingdom of Great Britain(1715–1800)
United Kingdom(1801–1969)
BranchBritish Army
TypeCavalry
RoleLine cavalry
Size1 Regiment
Nickname(s)Baker's Light Bobs,The Chainy 10th,The Shiny 10th
Motto(s)Ich Dien(I Serve)
March(Quick) The Merry Month Of May
AnniversariesEl Alamein(23 Oct)
Commanders
Notable
commanders		John Vaughan
Reginald Barnes

History

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Early history

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10th Hussars, 1793, byGeorge Stubbs;the regiment was known at this time for its elaborate and expensive uniforms

The regiment was formed atHertfordin 1715 asGore's Regiment of Dragoons,one of 16 raised in response to the1715 Jacobite rising.[1]The Rising ended before the unit was ready for action; while most of these temporary formations were disbanded in 1718, Gore's remained in being and spent the next 25 years on garrison duty, primarily in theWest Country.[2]It first saw active service during the1745 rising,at theBattle of Falkirk Muirin January 1746[3]and theBattle of Cullodenin April.[4]As part of the reforms enacted by theDuke of Cumberland,it was retitled the10th Regiment of Dragoonsin 1751.[1]

During the 1756 to 1763Seven Years' War,it took part in the June 1758Raid on St Malo,[5]followed by the battles ofMindenin August 1759,[6]Warburgin July 1760 andKloster Kampenin October, where the commanding officer, ColonelWilliam Pitt,was badly wounded and taken prisoner.[7]It then fought in the Allied victory atVillinghausenin July 1761, which forced the French onto the defensive and ultimately led to theTreaty of Paris in 1763.[8]

In 1779, the light troop was detached to form the19th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons;in 1783, it became the10th (Prince of Wales's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoonsin honour of the futureKing George IV.[1]As a result of its connection with the Prince of Wales, the regiment became known for elaborate and expensive uniforms and the high personal income required to be an officer.[9]In June 1794,Beau Brummell,an arbiter of men's fashion inRegencyLondon, was given a commission ascornetbut resigned in 1795 when it moved from London toManchester.[10]

Napoleonic Wars

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The 10th Hussars at thebattle of Benaventein 1808

In 1806, the regiment was again re-designated, this time becoming ahussarregiment as the10th (Prince of Wales's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars),[1]and sailed forCorunnain Spain in November 1808.[11]The regiment saw action at theBattle of Sahagúnin December 1808[12]and theBattle of Benaventelater in December 1808 during thePeninsular War.[12]At Benavente the regiment captured GeneralCharles Lefebvre-Desnouettes,the French cavalry commander.[13]The regiment then took part in theBattle of Corunnain January 1809 before returning to England.[14]

In 1813, having landed once more in Spain, the regiment fought at theBattle of Moralesin June 1813.[15]During the battle the regiment destroyed the 16th French Dragoons betweenToroandZamora,taking around 260 prisoners.[16]The regiment also fought at theBattle of Vitorialater in the month while still in Spain[17]and then, having advanced into France, fought at theBattle of Orthezin February 1814[18]and theBattle of Toulousein April 1814.[19]As part of the6th Cavalry Brigade,the regiment charged the French cavalry and infantry at theBattle of Waterlooin June 1815.[20]

The 10th (Prince of Wales' Own) Royal Hussars were stationed at Mhow from 1902 to 1906 when several of their Officers and Men died. This plaque has been installed atChrist Church, Mhowin their honour.

Victorian era

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The Prince of Walesdressed as Colonel of the 10th Hussars, 1860s
The 10th (The Prince of Wales's Own) Royal Regiment of Hussars, 1860s
Photograph of imprisoned John Boyle O'Reilly, 1866

The regiment was sent toIndiain 1846 and then saw action at theSiege of Sevastopolin winter 1854 and at theBattle of Eupatoriain February 1855 during theCrimean War.[13]In 1861, it was renamed the10th (The Prince of Wales's Own) Royal Hussars.[1]The regiment saw action at theBattle of Ali Masjidin November 1878 during theSecond Anglo-Afghan War[21]and at theFirst and Second Battles of El Tebin February 1884 during theMahdist War.[22]

Men of the 10th Hussars with Nordenfelt 5 barrel machine gun, 1887

With the outbreak of theSecond Boer War,the regiment sailed forSouth Africain November 1899. After fighting atColesberg,the regiment participated in therelief of Kimberleyin February 1900.[23]It was also involved at theBattle of Diamond Hillin June 1900.[23]Following the end of the war in 1902 they went to India. Almost 375 officers and men leftCape Townon the SSLake Manitobain September 1902,[24]arriving atBombaythe following month and was then stationed atMhowinBombay Presidency.[25]

The regiment was next deployed in action on theNorth-West Frontierin 1909.[13]

The First World War

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The regiment, which was based atPotchefstroominSouth Africaat the start of the war, returned to the UK and then landed atOstendwith the6th Cavalry Brigadein the3rd Cavalry Divisionin October 1914 as part of theBritish Expeditionary Forcefor service on theWestern Front.[26]

Inter-war

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After the war the regiment saw brief service in Ireland. On 22 June 1921 it provided the royal escort forKing George Vwhen he opened the firstParliament of Northern Ireland.Two days later the train carrying the detachment back to the south was mined, killing and wounding twenty-four hussars and eighty of their horses.[27]The regiment returned to the UK in 1921 and was retitled the10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own).[1]Deploying to Egypt in 1929 and India in 1930, the regiment returned to the UK in 1936 and began the process of mechanisation.[1]It was assigned to the2nd Armoured Brigadeof the1st Armoured Divisionin 1939. At the same time, it became part of theRoyal Armoured Corps.[1]

The Second World War

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With the outbreak of war, the 1st Armoured Division deployed to France. It fought in northern France and Belgium, returning to England without any vehicles in June 1940. In December 1940, a group of personnel was detached to form the cadre of the23rd Hussars.[1]In November 1941, the regiment deployed to North Africa with the 2nd Armoured Brigade, joining7th Armoured Division.Now equipped withCrusadertanks, it saw action inOperation Crusader,at theBattle of Alam el Halfain August 1942 and at theSecond Battle of El Alameinin October 1942. At El Alamein the regiment captured GeneralWilhelm Ritter von Thoma,the German Deputy Commander.[13]The regiment then fought both as an armoured unit and as dismounted infantry during theItalian Campaignin 1944 and 1945.[13]

Post-war

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10th Royal Hussars monument at theNational Memorial Arboretum

The regiment was deployed toLübeckinGermanyas an armoured regiment in theBritish Army of the Rhinein 1946.[28]It moved to Epsom Barracks inIserlohnin 1948 and then returned to the UK in July 1953.[28]It then deployed toAqabainJordanin February 1956 in operations in support of the Jordanian Government: 19 members of the regiment were killed in an air crash at El Quweira in April 1957.[29]After returning to the UK again in July 1957, the regiment moved to Swinton Barracks inMunsterin July 1959 and then transferred to Barker Barracks inPaderbornin June 1960.[28]It returned home again in March 1964 and then deployed toAdenin August 1964 during theAden Emergency.[28]The regiment moved to York Barracks in Munster in September 1965 and after returning home in September 1969, amalgamated with the11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)to form theRoyal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)in October 1969.[1]

Regimental museum

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The regimental collection is held byHorsePower: The Museum of the King's Royal Hussarswhich is based atPeninsula BarracksinWinchester.[30]

Battle honours

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The regiment's battle honours were as follows:[1]

  • Early wars:Warburg, Peninsula, Waterloo, Sevastopol, Ali Masjid, Afghanistan 1878–79, Egypt 1884, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, South Africa 1899-1902
  • The Great War:Ypres 1914 '15, Langemarck 1914, Gheluvelt, Nonne Bosschen, Frezenberg, Loos, Arras 1917 '18, Scarpe 1917, Somme 1918, St. Quentin, Avre, Amiens, Drocourt-Quéant, Hindenburg Line, Beaurevoir, Cambrai 1918, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1914-18
  • The Second World War:Somme 1940, North-West Europe 1940, Saunnu, Gazala, Bir el Aslagh, Alam el Halfa, El Alamein, El Hamma, El Kourzia, Djebel Kournine, Tunis, North Africa 1942–43, Coriano, Santarcangelo, Cosina Canal Crossing, Senio Pocket, Cesena, Valli di Commacchio, Argenta Gap, Italy 1944-45

Uniform

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The regiment wore standard red dragoon coats with "deep yellow"facingsuntil the dark blue uniform and crested helmet of light dragoon was authorized in 1784. Hussar dress was adopted through a series of separate measures, culminating with the introduction of abusbyin 1809. Until 1914 the entire regiment wore dark blue hussar uniform forfull dresswith a red busby bag, yellow braiding, white plume and yellow stripes on their riding breeches. Officers had a distinctive pattern of criss-crossed gilt metal decoration on their pouch-belts, which gave the regiment its nickname of "The Chainy 10th".[31]

Regimental band

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The regimental band dates back to as early as 1786. In the 1850s, the band served with the regiment inIndiaand then inAfghanistan.On the occasion of the Coronation Durbar in December 1911, when KingGeorge Vvisited India, trumpeters of the regiment were granted permission to wear the royal livery. When the regiment moved toBloemfontein,the band became very popular with the public. The band also accompanied the regiment in India during the 1920s and 30s. It was one of the first bands to visit troops in France after theD-Day landings.The band then served with the hussars inWest Germanyduring theCold War.In 1961 it was paraded for the last time, with the last Drum Horse of the 10th Royal Hussars. When the regiment returned toTidworthto amalgamate with the 11th Hussars in 1969, to form The Royal Hussars, the two regimental bands were merged.[32][33]

Victoria Crosses

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Commanding Officers

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The Commanding Officers have been:[34]

Colonels-in-Chief

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Regimental Colonels

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Colonels of the Regiment were:[1]

Humphrey Gore's Regiment of Dragoons
10th Regiment of Dragoons (1751)
10th (Prince of Wales's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (1783)
10th (The Prince of Wales's Own) Royal Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars) (1811)
10th (Prince of Wales's Own Royal) Hussars (1861)
10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)(1921)

Alliances

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Notable former members

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References

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  1. ^abcdefghijkl"10th Hussars".Regiments.org. Archived fromthe originalon 6 January 2007.Retrieved18 August2016.
  2. ^Griffin, Charles."10th Dragoons".British Empire.Retrieved13 February2019.
  3. ^Cannon, p. 16
  4. ^Cannon, p. 18
  5. ^Cannon, p. 22
  6. ^Cannon, p. 24
  7. ^Cannon, pp. 25-26
  8. ^Cannon, p. 28
  9. ^Doran, John (1857).Miscellaneous Works, Volume I: Habits and Men, Beau Brummell.Richard Bentley. p. 379.
  10. ^"No. 13677".The London Gazette.24–28 June 1794. p. 619.
  11. ^Cannon, p. 36
  12. ^abCannon, p. 37
  13. ^abcde"10th Hussars".National Army Museum. Archived fromthe originalon 2016-08-21.Retrieved18 August2016.
  14. ^Cannon, p. 42
  15. ^Cannon, p. 45
  16. ^Wellesley, Arthur(1838).The Dispatches of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington, During His Various Campaigns in India, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, the Low Countries, and France: From 1799 to 1818. Compiled from Official and Authentic Documents.J. Murray. pp. 416–7.
  17. ^Cannon, p. 50
  18. ^Cannon, p. 57
  19. ^Cannon, p. 60
  20. ^Cannon, p. 65
  21. ^"Battle of Kabul 1879".British Battles.Retrieved18 August2016.
  22. ^"The Battle of El Teb".British Battles.Retrieved18 August2016.
  23. ^ab"10th Hussars".Anglo-Boer War.Retrieved18 August2016.
  24. ^"The Army in South Africa - Troops returning home".The Times.No. 36884. London. 27 September 1902. p. 10.
  25. ^"Naval & Military intelligence - The Army in India".The Times.No. 36896. London. 11 October 1902. p. 12.
  26. ^"The 10th Hussars".The Long, Long Trail.Retrieved18 August2016.
  27. ^Bennett, Richard.The Black and Tans.p. 180.ISBN978-1-86227-098-5.
  28. ^abcd"10th Hussars".British Army units 1945 on.Retrieved18 August2016.
  29. ^Knight, Tom."10th Royal Hussars: Aqaba 1956-57".The XRH Club.Retrieved18 August2016.
  30. ^"The museum".Horsepower. Archived fromthe originalon 7 June 2016.Retrieved29 July2016.
  31. ^Carman, W.Y.Richard Simkin's Uniforms of the British Army. The Cavalry Regiments.pp. 133–140.ISBN978-0-906671-13-9.
  32. ^"HorsePower – The Regimental Band of the 10th Royal Hussars (PWO)".Horsepowermuseum.co.uk.Retrieved2020-03-29.
  33. ^"Regimental Music - The King's Royal Hussars".Krh.org.uk. Archived fromthe originalon 2020-03-29.Retrieved2020-03-29.
  34. ^"Regiments and Commanding Officers, 1960 - Colin Mackie"(PDF).p. 25.Retrieved4 February2021.

Sources

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