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Light Dragoons

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The Light Dragoons
Cap badge of the Light Dragoons
Active1 December 1992–
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
BranchBritish Army
TypeLine cavalry
RoleLight Cavalry
SizeRegiment
403 personnel[1]
Part ofRoyal Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQRHQ –Newcastle upon Tyne
Regiment – Catterick Garrison
Nickname(s)"England's Northern Cavalry"
Motto(s)Viret in aeternum(It Flourishes Forever)
Merebimur(We shall be Worthy)
MarchQuick –Balaklava
Slow –Denmark
Commanders
Colonel-in-ChiefThe King of Jordan
Colonel of
the Regiment		Brig Angus Watson
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash
Arm BadgeNCOs – Royal Crest
From 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars
ORs – South Africa flash
From 13th/18th Royal Hussars
AbbreviationLD

TheLight Dragoons(LD) is acavalry regimentin theBritish Army.The regiment has alight cavalryrole and specialises in mounted and dismountedreconnaissance.The Light Dragoons recruit mainly in Northern England, fromCounty Durham,Northumberland,Tyne and Wear,South Yorkshireand theEast Riding of Yorkshire.For this reason, the regiment is known as "England's Northern Cavalry".[2]It is currently based inCatterick Garrison,North Yorkshire.

Background

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The term 'Light Dragoons' has a much earlier history. The British Army experimented with light cavalry in the 1740s, prompted by the French creation ofhussarregiments. However, it was not until the 1750s that the British converted somedragoonregiments into light cavalry, these regiments being officially designated 'Light Dragoons'. All British light cavalry regiments (numbered 7th and upwards) were titled Light Dragoons until 1806–1807, when four were re-classified as 'Hussars'. From 1816 more Light Dragoon regiments were reclassified aslancersorhussars,a tendency that continued[3]until the13th Light Dragoonsbecame the13th Hussarsin 1861.[4]

History

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Early history

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The regiment was formed in 1992 at Haig Barracks inHohnefrom the amalgamation of tworegiments,the13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)and the15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars.All of the antecedent regiments had been regiments of "lightdragoons"during the 18th and 19th centuries, including theNapoleonic Wars.[5]

B Squadron (The Guards) was the first squadron of the newly formed regiment to undertake a tour of duty; sent toBosnia and Herzegovinain May 1993 onpeacekeeping duties.They were followed by C Squadron (The Legion) in November 1993 and later by A and D squadrons in 1994. In total the regiment performed 13 operational tours of Bosnia, leading them to be described in 2001 by the Chief of Defence Staff,GeneralSir Charles Guthrieas "the best regiment in the army at present: consistently the best officered, best recruited and all round most effective".[6]For all of those initial tours the Light Dragoons deployed onCombat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked).[7]

In July 2003, The Light Dragoons sent units to Iraq onOperation Telic2, followed by Operation Telic 6 in May 2005.[8]Here the Regiment assisted with post-conflict stabilisation, training the police force, and fighting in the counter-insurgency operations.[9]

In October 2006, elements of the regiment were deployed on a tour of duty inHelmand Province,AfghanistanonOperation Herrick5 with3 Commando Brigade.This was followed by Operation Herrick 6 in April 2007 with12 Mechanised Brigade.[10]The regiment deployed as a battle group on Operation Herrick 10 in April 2009 and took part inOperation Panther's Clawin the summer of 2009.[8]The regiment's last deployment to Afghanistan was on Operation Herrick 16 in April 2012.[10]Here it provided the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, Formation Reconnaissance and mentoring teams for local forces.[9][11]

In 2014, soldiers from The Light Dragoons deployed toBosniaonOperation Althea;providing a mobile reconnaissance capability for the EU forces ahead of the Bosnian elections.[12]

Deployments since 2015

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In 2015, the Light Dragoons subordinated to4th Infantry Brigadeand moved to a new home at Gaza Barracks inCatterick Garrison.[10]

In March 2017, A Squadron (The Empire) deployed to Poland on Op Cabrit as part of the NATOEnhanced Forward Presence.They were followed by B Squadron (The Guards) in October 2017 and C Squadron (The Legion) in April 2020.[13][14][15]

The Light Dragoons deployed a platoon toAfghanistanin 2018 onOp Toral.[16]

In December 2020, The Light Dragoons deployed toMalionOperation Newcombe,as part of the UK's contribution to theUN's peacekeeping force. Here they formed the Long Range Reconnaissance Group, conducting patrols of up to 1500 km in length, in order to provide intelligence to theUNforces.[17][18][19]

Light Dragoons on patrol in Mali

Operational Role

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The Light Dragoon's primary role isFormation Reconnaissance;a varied job that primarily involves operating ahead of the main fighting force, often in enemy or unknown territory in order to find key information on the local area and any enemy within it. With this information the Light Dragoons are expected to inform the main fighting force behind them, strike opportune targets or interact with the local population to build relations, gather more intelligence and aid local planning and development.[20]

The regiment is now equipped withJackal armoured fighting vehicles.The Light Dragoons is paired with theQueen's Own Yeomanry,anArmy Reservelight cavalryregiment.[21]

The Light Dragoons divides into the following structure:[22]

Regimental museum

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TheNewcastleDiscovery Museumincludes the regimental museum of the Light Dragoons and theNorthumberland Hussars.[23]

Colonels-in-chief

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Colonels-in-Chief have been:

Regimental colonels

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Colonels of the Regimenthave been:[28]

Commanding officers

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Commanding Officers have included:[31]

  • 1992–1993:Lt ColAndrew Richard Evelyn De Cardonnel Stewart,CB, CBE
  • 1993–1996: Lt Col Robert I. Webb-Bowen
  • 1996–1997: Lt Col Timothy J. Checketts
  • 1997–1999: Lt ColDavid John Rutherford-Jones,CB
  • 1999–2002: Lt Col Simon R. Levey
  • 2002–2004: Lt Col David R. Amos, KCVS
  • 2004–2006: Lt ColRobin C. Matthews
  • 2006–2009: Lt Col H. Angus Watson, MBE
  • 2009–2011: Lt Col Angus G. C. Fair, DSO, OBE
  • 2011–2013: Lt Col Samuel J. Plant, MBE
  • 2013–2016: Lt Col James M. Senior
  • 2016–2019: Lt Col Benjamin M. J. Cossens
  • 2019–2021: Lt Col Thomas R. M. Robinson, OBE
  • 2021–present: Lt Col Jonathan Harris

Lineage

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1881Childers Reforms 1922 Amalgamations 1990Options for Change- today
13th Hussars 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) Light Dragoons
18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars
15th (The King's) Hussars 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars

Alliances

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Affiliated yeomanry

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Order of precedence

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Preceded by British Army order of precedence Succeeded by

Notes

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  1. ^"Army – Question for Ministry of Defence".p. 1.Retrieved14 December2020.
  2. ^"Hundreds gather in Barnsley to welcome the Light Dragoons".army.mod.uk. 14 November 2012.Retrieved3 May2014.
  3. ^Haythornthwaite, P.J. (1989)Wellington's Military Machine,Spellmount, Staplehurst, Kent, pp. 18-20
  4. ^"13th Hussars".Regiments.org. Archived fromthe originalon 5 March 2007.Retrieved25 August2016.
  5. ^"Hussars"(PDF).Retrieved3 May2014.
  6. ^Mallison, Allan (2006).The Light Dragoons(2006 ed.). Pen and Sword. p. 321.ISBN9781473815971.Retrieved5 July2021.
  7. ^"British units deployed to Bosnia".Britain's small wars. Archived fromthe originalon 20 April 2014.Retrieved3 May2014.
  8. ^ab"Light Dragoons".British Empire.Retrieved3 May2014.
  9. ^ab"History".lightdragoons.org.uk.Light Dragoons Association.Retrieved2 July2021.
  10. ^abc"Light Dragoons".British Army units 1945 on.Retrieved29 July2016.
  11. ^"Brigade Reconnaissance Force".eliteukforces.info.Elite UK Forces.Retrieved2 July2021.
  12. ^"Light Dragoons deploy to Bosnia ahead of autumn elections".GOV.UK.GOV.Retrieved5 July2021.
  13. ^"Op CABRIT ~ Light Dragoons Exercise In Poland".Joint Forces News.11 May 2020.Retrieved5 July2021.
  14. ^"Historic First for Light Dragoons".army.mod.uk.MOD.Retrieved5 July2021.
  15. ^"History".lightdragoons.org.uk.Light Dragoons Association.Retrieved5 July2021.
  16. ^"Light Dragoons".army.mod.uk.Retrieved5 July2021.
  17. ^Brown, Larisa."Islamists melt into Mali desert as British troops advance".thetimes.The Times.Retrieved5 July2021.
  18. ^"The world's 'most dangerous peacekeeping mission'".BBC News.Retrieved5 July2021.
  19. ^"300 British troops deploy to Mali on UN Peacekeeping Mission".GOV.UK.UK GOV.Retrieved5 July2021.
  20. ^LD History."Light Dragoons".army.mod.uk.British Army.Retrieved2 July2021.
  21. ^LD History."Queen's Own Yeomanry".army.mod.uk.MOD.Retrieved2 July2021.
  22. ^Mallinson, Allan (11 June 2012).Light Dragoons: The Making of a Regiment.Pen and Sword.ISBN9781473815971.Retrieved2 July2021.
  23. ^"Charge! The story of England's Northern Cavalry".Light Dragoons.Retrieved2 June2018.
  24. ^"History".Light Dragoons Regimental Association.Retrieved3 May2014.
  25. ^"HRH The Princess Margaret".British Empire.Retrieved3 May2014.
  26. ^"No. 57032".The London Gazette(Supplement). 19 August 2003. p. 10318.
  27. ^"New Royal Colonels appointed".British Monarchy.Retrieved3 May2014.
  28. ^"The Light Dragoons".regiments.org. Archived from the original on 2 February 2008.Retrieved27 July2017.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  29. ^"No. 52563".The London Gazette(Supplement). 15 June 1991. p. 5.
  30. ^"Court Circular: Monday 17 January, 2022"– via thetimes.co.uk.
  31. ^Regiments and Commanding Officers, 1960–.

References

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  • Light Dragoons: The Making of a Regiment By Allan Mallinson. Pen and Sword books. 362 pages. 2006.ISBN1-84415-448-3
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