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15th The King's Hussars

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15th The King's Hussars
Badge of 15th The King's Hussars
Active1759–1922
CountryKingdom of Great Britain(1759–1800)
United Kingdom(1801–1922)
BranchBritish Army
TypeLine cavalry
SizeRegiment
Nickname(s)Eliott's Light Horse
The Tabs[1]
Motto(s)Merebimur(We shall be Worthy) (Latin)
ColoursBlue - Yellow - Red and Blue
AnniversariesSahagúnDay (21 December)
Commanders
Notable
commanders		George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield
Lieutenant GeneralJames Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan
GeneralLord Robert Manners
Insignia
Identification
symbol		NCOs - Royal Crest

The15th The King's Hussarswas acavalry regimentin theBritish Army.First raised in 1759, it saw service over two centuries, including theFirst World War,before being amalgamated with the19th Royal Hussarsinto the15th/19th The King's Royal Hussarsin 1922.

History

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Early wars

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A 1760 painting of a private of the 15th Light Dragoons byDavid Morier
15th Kings Light Dragoon button

The regiment was raised in theLondonarea byGeorge Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron HeathfieldasElliots Light Horseas the first of the new regiments of lightdragoonsin 1759.[2]It was renamed the15th Regiment of (Light) Dragoonsin 1760.[2]The regiment landed inBremenin June 1760 for service in theSeven Years' War.[3]The regiment were largely responsible for the victory, suffering 125 of the 186 allied casualties at theBattle of Emsdorfin July 1760. Lieutenant ColonelWilliam Erskine,commanding the regiment, presentedKing George IIIwith 16 colours captured by his regiment after the battle.[4]During the battle the French commander, Major-General Christian-Sigismund von Glaubitz, was taken prisoner.[5]The regiment charged the French rear guard twice at theBattle of Wilhelmsthalin June 1762[6]and then returned home in July 1763.[7]In 1766 it was renamed for King George III as the1st (or The King's Royal) Regiment of Light Dragoons,the number being an attempt to create a new numbering system for the light dragoon regiments.[2]However, the old system was quickly re-established, with the regiment returning as the15th (The King's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoonsin 1769.[2]

The regiment landed atOstendin May 1793 for service in theFlanders Campaignand fought at theBattle of Famarsin May 1793.[8]It formed part of the besieging force at theSiege of Valenciennesin June 1793[8]and formed part of the covering force at theSiege of Dunkirkin August 1793[9]and at theSiege of Landreciesin April 1794.[10]It undertook successful charges at theBattle of Villers-en-Cauchiesin April 1794[11]and at theBattle of Willemsin May 1794[12]and was present, but not actively engaged, at theBattle of Tournaylater in May 1794.[13]The regiment returned to England in December 1795[14]and was next in action at theBattle of Alkmaarin October 1799 during theAnglo-Russian invasion of Holland.[14]

Napoleonic Wars

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The regiment was reconstituted as a hussar regiment in 1807 as the15th (The King's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars).[2]It landed atCorunnain November 1808 for service in thePeninsular War[15]and defeated two regiments of French cavalry at theBattle of Sahagúnin December 1808.[16]At the battle two French lieutenant colonels were captured and the French1st Provisional Chasseurs à cheval,who lost many men captured, ceased to exist as a viable regiment.[17]However, the commanding officer of the 15th Hussars, ColonelColquhoun Grant,was wounded in the battle.[18]The regiment embarked at Corunna for their journey home in January 1809.[19]

The regiment were ordered to supportSir Arthur Wellesley's Army on theIberian Peninsulaand landed atLisbonin February 1813.[20]It took part in theBattle of Moralesin June 1813[21]and theBattle of Vitorialater in the month.[22]It then pursued the French Army into France and supported the infantry at theBattle of Orthezin February 1814[23]and at theBattle of Toulousein April 1814.[24]It returned to England in July 1814.[25]The regiment was recalled for theHundred Daysand landed atOstendin May 1815:[26]it took part in a charge at theBattle of Waterlooin June 1815[27]and returned to England in May 1816.[28]

Peterloo

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Main article:Peterloo Massacre
Louis Nolan,an officer of the 15th Hussars who gained notoriety as the bearer of the ill-fated order precipitating theCharge of the Light Brigade
Officer of the 15th King's Hussars mounted on his Charger, c.1830

The regiment played a pivotal role in the notoriousPeterloo Massacrein August 1819, when a 60,000 strong crowd calling for democratic reform were charged by the Yeomanry. Panic from the crowd was interpreted as an attack on the Yeomanry and the Hussars (led by Lieutenant Colonel Guy L'Estrange) were ordered in. The charge resulted in 15 fatalities and as many as 600 injured.[29]

Victorian era

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The title of the regiment was simplified in 1861 to the15th (The King's) Hussars.[2]It was stationed inIrelandbetween July 1824 and May 1827[30]and between April 1834 and May 1837.[31]It was then stationed inIndiabetween spring 1840 and 1854.[32]The regiment returned to India in 1867 and moved on toAfghanistanin 1878 for service in theSecond Anglo-Afghan Warbefore being deployed toSouth Africain January 1881 for service in theFirst Boer War.[32]

First World War

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The regiment, which was stationed atLongmoorat the start of theFirst World War,landed atRouenin France on 18 August 1914: the squadrons were attached to different infantry divisions to form the divisional reconnaissance element: A Squadron was attached to3rd Division,B Squadron was attached to2nd Divisionand C Squadron was attached to1st Division.On 14 April 1915, the squadrons returned to regimental control and the regiment was placed under the command of the9th Cavalry Brigadein the1st Cavalry Division.[33]The regiment remained on theWestern Frontthroughout the war. It participated in most of the major actions where cavalry were used as a mounted mobile force. They were also used as dismounted troops and served effectively as infantry.[34] On 11 November 1918, orders were received that the 1st Cavalry Division would lead the advance of the Second Army into Germany, by 6 December 1918, having passed throughNamur,the division secured the Rhine bridgehead atCologne.[34]

Post war

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After service in the First World War, the regiment, retitled as the15th The King's Hussarsin 1921[2]was amalgamated with the19th Royal Hussarsinto the15th/19th The King's Royal Hussarsin 1922.[2]

Regimental museum

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The regimental collection is held by theDiscovery MuseuminNewcastle upon Tyne.[35]

Battle honours

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The regiment was awarded the following battle honours:[2]

  • Early wars:Emsdorf, Villers-en-Cauchies, Willems, Egmont-op-Zee, Sahagun, Vittoria, Peninsula, Waterloo, Afghanistan 1878-80
  • The Great War:Mons, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Ypres 1914 '15, Langemarck 1914, Gheluvelt, Nonne Bosschen, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Somme 1916 '18, Flers-Courcelette, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Rosières, Amiens, Albert 1918, Bapaume 1918, Hindenburg Line, St. Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1914-18

Victoria Cross

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Charles Ernest Garforth V.C.

Regimental Colonels

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Colonels of the regiment were:[2]

William Newton's Regiment of Dragoons (ranked as 15th Dragoons)
  • 1715–1718: Col. William Newton
  • 1718 Regiment disbanded
Duke of Kingston's Regiment of Light Horse(ranked as 10th Horse)
15th Light Horse, orDuke of Cumberland's Dragoons(1748)
15th (or Light) Regiment of Dragoons (1759)
15th (The King's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (1769)
15th (The King's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars) (1807)
15th (The King's) Hussars (1861)

See also

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References

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  1. ^Burnham, Robert; McGuigan, Ron (2010).The British Army against Napoleon.Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Frontline Books. pp. 122–123.ISBN978-1-84832-562-3.
  2. ^abcdefghijMills, T.F."15th The King's Hussars".regiments.org.Archived fromthe originalon 15 April 2007.Retrieved5 April2007.
  3. ^Cannon, p. 18
  4. ^Savory, p. 227
  5. ^Cannon, p. 21
  6. ^Cannon, p. 29
  7. ^Cannon, p. 32
  8. ^abCannon, p. 38
  9. ^Cannon, p. 40
  10. ^Cannon, p. 42
  11. ^Cannon, p. 44
  12. ^Cannon, p. 55
  13. ^Cannon, p. 61
  14. ^abCannon, p. 65
  15. ^Cannon, p. 73
  16. ^Cannon, p. 75
  17. ^Fletcher, p. 95
  18. ^Cannon, p. 77
  19. ^Cannon, p. 79
  20. ^Cannon, p. 82
  21. ^Cannon, p. 83
  22. ^Cannon, p. 85
  23. ^Cannon, p. 91
  24. ^Cannon, p. 97
  25. ^Cannon, p. 98
  26. ^Cannon, p. 99
  27. ^Cannon, p. 100
  28. ^Cannon, p. 103
  29. ^Reid, p. 175–181
  30. ^Cannon, p. 106
  31. ^Cannon, p. 107
  32. ^ab"15th The King's Hussars".British Cavalry Regiments.Retrieved29 August2016.
  33. ^Baker, Chris."The Hussars".The Long, Long Trail.Retrieved27 August2016.
  34. ^abBaker, Chris."The 1st Cavalry Division, Order of Battle".The Long Long Trail. The British Army in the Great War of 1914–1918 (website).Retrieved11 July2008.
  35. ^"Charge! The story of England's Northern Cavalry".Light Dragoons.Retrieved2 June2018.

Sources

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Further reading

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