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11th Hussars

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For other uses, see11th Hussars (disambiguation).

11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)
Badge of the 11th Hussars
Active1715–1969
CountryKingdom of Great Britain(1715–1800)
United Kingdom(1801–1969)
BranchBritish Army
TypeCavalry
RoleLine cavalry
SizeRegiment
Nickname(s)The Cherry Pickers,The Cherrybums,from which the more genteelCherubims
Motto(s)Treu und Fest(Loyal and Sure)
AnniversariesBalaclava(25 October)
Commanders
Notable
commanders		James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan

The11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)was acavalry regimentof theBritish Armyestablished in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including theFirst World WarandSecond World Warbut then amalgamated with the10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales' Own)to form theRoyal Hussarsin 1969.

History

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Formation to end 18th century

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A 1750 painting of a private of the 11th Dragoons byDavid Morier

The regiment was formed atColchesterin July 1715 byPhilip HoneywoodasHoneywood's Regiment of Dragoons,one of 16 raised in response to the1715 Jacobite rising.It fought in theBattle of Prestonthat ended the revolt in England and while many of these formations were disbanded in 1718, Honeywood's remained in being.[1]

During theJacobite rising of 1745,the regiment took part in the December 1745Clifton Moor Skirmish,allegedly the last military engagement on English soil, as well asBattle of Cullodenin April 1746, often cited as the last pitched battle on British soil.[2]After 1751, regiments were numbered, rather than being named after the current Colonel, and it became the11th Regiment of Dragoons.[3]

When theSeven Years' Warbroke out in 1756, the regiment took part in the 1758 raids onSt MaloandCherbourg.[4]Attempting to divert French forces fromHanover,they failed to achieve this aim and the regiment was shipped to Germany in May 1760 as part of theMarquess of Granby's cavalry corps, winning its firstbattle honourin July atWarburg.[5]It was also present in the Allied victory atVillinghausenin July 1761, which forced the French onto the defensive and ultimately led to theTreaty of Paris in 1763.[6]

In 1755, each dragoon regiment added a reconnaissance or 'light' troop; in February 1779, these were detached, that from the 11th helping form the19th Light Dragoons,which in 1862 became the19th Royal Hussars.[3]While dragoons had previously been mounted infantry, as part of a tactical rethink, the 11th was re-designated in 1783 as 'light cavalry' and became the11th Regiment of Light Dragoons.[3]

During theFrench Revolutionary Wars,two squadrons of the 11th Light Dragoons took part in the Duke of York'sLow Countries campaign in 1793-95,including the action atFamarsand the sieges ofValenciennesandLandrecies.[7]It was also involved in theAnglo-Russian invasion of Holland,including the October 1799 battles ofAlkmaarandCastricum.[8]

The 19th century

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Charge of the Light Brigade,October 1854; 11th Hussars, second line, left flank
Officer of the 11th Hussars, ca 1856, in distinctive 'cherry-picker' colours

With the exception of a short spell inEgyptduring the victorious campaign of 1801, the regiment did not see active service again until it was sent toPortugalin April 1811, where it joined thePeninsular Warcampaign.[8]In August, a ten-man piquet was surprised and captured atSan Martín de Trevejoin Spain, an incident that may have given rise to the regiment's nickname,The Cherry Pickers,which tradition associates with a mishap occurring in the vicinity of a cherry orchard.[9]It fought atBadajozin April 1812 and theBattle of Salamancain July 1812 before returning to Britain.[10]During the campaign of 1815, it was part ofVandeleur's 4th Cavalry Brigade, fighting atQuatre BrasandWaterloo.[9]

The 11th Hussars on the 1884Nile Expedition

In 1819, the regiment moved to India, where it remained until 1836.[11]It was deployed at theSiege of Bharatpurbetween 1825 and 1826.[12]Shortly before returning to Britain, theEarl of Cardiganbecame lieutenant-colonel; embarked on a series of changes, which were intended to increase regimental prestige but resulted in a number of highly publicised disputes, including the so-called 'Black Bottle' affair.[13]

In 1840, the 11th Light Dragoons served as escort toPrince Alberton his arrival in England to marry Queen Victoria. She appointed Prince Albertcolonel of the regiment.[3]and granted them the title11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars.Prince Albert's interests included military tactics and equipment and he helped design the regiment's new uniforms.[14]By coincidence, the ornate Hussar uniform included crimson or "cherry" coloured trousers, unique among British regiments and worn ever since in most orders of uniform other than combat and working dress.[15]

The regiment served in theCrimean War,as part of theLight Brigadecommanded by Cardigan, now a Major General and fought at theBattle of Almain September 1854.[16]It was also involved in theCharge of the Light Brigadein October 1854; due to miscommunication, Cardigan led the brigade against unbroken and more numerous Russian forces and while able to withdraw to its starting position, it suffered heavy losses as a result.[17]

The 11th lost three officers and 55 men in the debacle,[18]while Lieutenant Dunn was awarded theVictoria Crossfor rescuing two members of his troop.[19]Edward Woodhamof the 11th Hussars later acted as chairman of the organising committee for the 21st Anniversary dinner held atAlexandra Palacefor survivors of the Charge.[20][21]The regiment was renamed the11th (or Prince Albert's Own) Hussarsin 1861.[3]A detachment took part in the 1884Nile Expeditionand during theSecond Boer War,it participated in the February 1900Relief of Ladysmith.[22]

In 1911 Prince Albert's great-grandsonCrown Prince Wilhelm of Prussiabecamecolonel-in-chiefof the regiment.[23]He was removed in October 1914 following the outbreak of the First World War.[24]

The First World War

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11th Hussars machine gun section,Zillebekewinter 1914–1915

The regiment landed in France as part of the1st Cavalry Brigadein the1st Cavalry Divisionin August 1914 for service on theWestern Frontwith theBritish Expeditionary Force.[25]The regiment took part in theGreat Retreatand the regiment, working with the2nd Dragoon Guards,conducted a cavalry charge which led to the capture of eightgunsatNéryin September 1914.[9]In an action during theBattle of Messinesin October 1914 a squadron from the regiment endured a heavy German bombardment that left many of its soldiers buried in a trench while another squadron from the regiment used a vantage point at the top of a building to train amachine gunon the Germans.[9]At theSecond Battle of Ypresin April 1915 the regiment, working with theDurham Light Infantryand9th Lancers,held the village ofHoogedespite being under attack from the German forces using poison gas.[9]In spring 1918 the commanding officer of the regiment Colonel Rowland Anderson led a bayonet assault atSailly-Laurettewhich, taking the Germans by surprise, led to them being completely repulsed.[9]

The inter-war years

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The regiment was renamed the11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)in 1921;[3]it became the first British cavalry regiment to becomemechanizedin 1928 and it became involved in suppressing theArab revoltinPalestinein 1936.[9]

The Second World War

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Men of the 11th Hussars with theirMorris CS9armoured car, taking a halt while on patrol near the Libyan frontier, Egypt, July 1940

The regiment, which had been located inEgyptwhen the war started, deployed as part of the divisional troops of the7th Armoured Divisionand conducted raids on Italian positions inItalian Libyausing armoured cars during theWestern Desert Campaign.It capturedFort Capuzzoin June 1940[26]and, in an ambush east ofBardia,captured General Lastucci, the Engineer-in-Chief of theItalian Tenth Army.[27]

Following theItalian invasion of Egyptin September 1940, the regiment took part in the BritishcounterattackcalledOperation Compass,launched against Italian forces first in Egypt, then Libya. It was part of anad hoccombat unit calledCombeforce,commanded by Lieutenant-ColonelJohn Combe,that cut the retreating Tenth Army off and led to their surrender at theBattle of Beda Fommin February 1941.[28]The regiment fought at theSecond Battle of El Alameinin October 1942. The regiment took part in theAllied invasion of Italyin September 1943 and, after theNormandy landingsin June 1944, took part in theNorth-West Europe Campaign.[29]

Post-war

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11th Hussars monument at theNational Memorial Arboretum

The regiment was posted to Wavell Barracks inBerlinin 1945 and, after tours at various locations inLower SaxonyincludingJever,Delmenhorst,OsnabrückandWesendorf,it returned home in March 1953.[30]It deployed toJohor BahruinMalayain July 1953 during theMalayan Emergency.[30]After returning home, it moved toHadrian's Campin Carlisle as an Armoured Basic Training Unit in August 1956, then to Lisanelly Barracks inOmaghback into the armoured reconnaissance role in August 1959, and then deployed toAdenin November 1960 shortly before theAden Emergency.[30]It returned to England in November 1961 and then moved to Haig Barracks inHohnein October 1962 where, after becoming the first regiment to useChieftaintanks in regular service in 1967, it remained until returning home again in January 1969.[30]The regiment was amalgamated with the10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own),to form theRoyal Hussarson 25 October 1969.[3]

Regimental museum

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The regimental collection is held byHorsePower: The Museum of the King's Royal Hussarswhich is based atPeninsula BarracksinWinchester.[31]

Notable members

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Battle honours

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The battle honours of the regiment were as follows:[3]

Commanding Officers

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The Commanding Officers have been:[32]

  • 1958–1961: Lt.-Col. J. Anthony N. Crankshaw
  • 1961–1963: Lt.-Col. Philip D.S. Lauder
  • 1963–1965: Lt.-Col. Richard D. Sutton
  • 1965–1966: Lt.-Col. Thomas A. Hall
  • 1966–1968: Lt.-Col. Peter M. Hamer
  • 1968–1969: Lt.-Col. Clive H. Robertson

Colonels—with other names for the regiment

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The colonels of the regiment were as follows (theKerrfamily provided the colonels for two-thirds of the regiment's first century):[3]

11th Regiment of Dragoons (1751)

A royal warrant provided that in future regiments would not be known by their colonels' names, but by their "number or rank" on 1 July 1751

11th Regiment of Light Dragoons (1783)
11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars (1840)
11th (or Prince Albert's Own) Hussars (1861)
11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) (1921)

See also

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References

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  1. ^"British Army; 11th Dragoons".The Seven Years War.Retrieved17 February2019.
  2. ^Cannon, p. 8
  3. ^abcdefghi"11th Hussars".Regiments.org. Archived fromthe originalon 4 January 2007.Retrieved18 August2016.
  4. ^Cannon, p. 13
  5. ^British Army; 11th Dragoons
  6. ^Cannon, p. 16
  7. ^Cannon, pp. 22–24
  8. ^abCannon, p. 32
  9. ^abcdefgLuscombe, Stephen; Griffin, Charles."11th Light Dragoons".British Empire.Retrieved17 February2019.
  10. ^Cannon, pp. 50–51
  11. ^Cannon, p. 71
  12. ^Creighton, James Norman (1830).Narrative of the Siege and Capture of Bhurtpore(PDF).Allen & Co, London.Retrieved8 July2024.
  13. ^Woodham Smith, Cecil (1953).The Reason Why: The Story of the Fatal Charge of the Light Brigade(1987 ed.). Penguin. pp.63–66.ISBN978-0-14-001278-1.
  14. ^Stewart, Jules."Prince Albert and reform of the Victorian army".Military History.Retrieved18 February2019.
  15. ^"Dress: The uniform of the regiment".King's Royal Hussars.Retrieved18 August2016.
  16. ^"The Battle of the Alma".British Battles.Retrieved26 August2016.
  17. ^David, Saul (1997).The Homicidal Earl: the Life of Lord Cardigan.Little Brown. pp. 420–424.ISBN978-0-316-64165-4.
  18. ^"Battle of Balaclava".British Battles.Retrieved17 February2019.
  19. ^ab"No. 21971".The London Gazette.24 February 1857. p. 655.
  20. ^"Michael Julien's Family History".Archivedfrom the original on 30 June 2010.Retrieved22 September2009.
  21. ^"The Balaclava Banquet at Alexandra Palace"(PDF).Illustrated London News. 30 October 1875.Retrieved18 August2016.
  22. ^"11th Hussars".Anglo-Boer War.Retrieved19 August2016.
  23. ^"No. 28494".The London Gazette.16 May 1911. p. 3734.
  24. ^"The Crown Prince of Prussia".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).House of Lords. 21 December 1915.
  25. ^"The Hussars".Retrieved19 August2016.
  26. ^Playfair, pp. 113, 118
  27. ^"Report on operations of 16 June 1940".War diaries of the 11th Hussars.Retrieved20 August2016.
  28. ^Macksey p. 135
  29. ^"11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)".National Army Museum. Archived fromthe originalon 7 February 2016.Retrieved20 August2016.
  30. ^abcd"11th Hussars".British Army units 1945 on.Retrieved20 August2016.
  31. ^"The museum".Horsepower. Archived fromthe originalon 7 June 2016.Retrieved29 July2016.
  32. ^"Regiments and Commanding Officers, 1960 - Colin Mackie"(PDF).p. 25.Retrieved4 February2021.

Sources

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