15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars

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15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
Badge of 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
Active11 April 1922 – 1 December 1992
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeLine Cavalry
RoleFormation Reconnaissance
SizeRegiment
Part ofRoyal Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQFenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne
Motto(s)Merebimur (We shall be Worthy) (Latin)
ColoursBlue - Yellow - Red & Blue
Anniversaries21 December Sahagún Day
23 September Assaye Day
Commanders
Colonel-in-ChiefPrincess Margaret
Insignia
Identification
symbol		NCOs - Royal Crest. All Ranks Assaye and Elephant on belt buckle.

The 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed by the amalgamation of the 15th The King's Hussars and the 19th Royal Hussars in 1922 and, after service in the Second World War, it was amalgamated with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars to form the Light Dragoons in 1992.

History

Second World War

Covenanter tanks of 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars on parade at Wellingborough for inspection by Alexander Cadogan, 1 November 1941
A Cromwell tank of 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars advances through the rubble of Uedem, 28 February 1945

The regiment was created, as part of the reduction in cavalry in the aftermath of the First World War, by the amalgamation of the 15th The King's Hussars and the 19th Royal Hussars on 11 April 1922 to form the 15th/19th Hussars.[1] It briefly dropped the 19th numeral from its title in October 1932, becoming the 15th The King's Royal Hussars, before regaining it in December 1933.[1]

At the outbreak of the

3rd Infantry Division.[2] The regiment was deployed with the division as part of the British Expeditionary Force, and fought in the Battle of France: it suffered heavy losses during the German advance and, having left all its armour and vehicles behind, took part in the Dunkirk evacuation.[3]

Following the withdrawal, the regiment was assigned to the 3rd Motor Machine Gun Brigade, which was redesignated as the 28th Armoured Brigade and assigned to the 9th Armoured Division.[3] A cadre was detached to form the 23rd Hussars in December 1940.[1] The regiment remained in the United Kingdom until August 1944, when it moved to France to serve as the divisional armoured reconnaissance regiment for the 11th Armoured Division.[3]

Post war

The Regiment departed Germany for Belgium in September 1945 and arrived in the

Muscat during the Jebel Akhdar War.[5] The regiment then joined 39th Infantry Brigade, moving to Lisanelly Camp in Omagh in August 1957 and then became an armoured car training regiment based at Deerbolt Camp near Barnard Castle in May 1959.[5]

The regiment was re-roled as a nuclear escort regiment based at Swinton Barracks in

11th Infantry Brigade and was based at Wessex Barracks in Bad Fallingbostel.[5] The Regiment (minus 'B' Squadron) had its first operational tour in Northern Ireland in 1971 being based at Long Kesh from August to December 1971, following the introduction of internment of Provisional Irish Republican Army suspects.[5] From January to April 1973, 'A' and 'C' Squadrons were deployed to Northern Ireland and Lance Corporal William Stuart was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry.[4][6] The Regiment was based at Lisanelly Camp in Omagh in November 1974.[5] It then moved to a recce role, equipped with Scorpion and Fox, for 5th Infantry Brigade based at Aliwal Barracks in Tidworth Camp in May 1976; from there it deployed squadrons for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.[5] During this period, one squadron was deployed to Cyprus, equipped with Ferret Scout Cars, to serve as the resident armoured car squadron.[5]

In September 1977, the regiment was deployed back to Germany, where it was assigned to the

3rd Armoured Division and based at Alanbrooke Barracks in Paderborn: from there it continued to send units to Northern Ireland as part of Operation Banner and undertook guarding duties at the Maze Prison.[5] In November 1984, the main body of the Regiment returned to England as the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment at Bovington Camp in Dorset, although a squadron was again deployed to Cyprus, equipped with Ferret Scout Cars, to serve as the resident armoured car squadron.[5] As part of the post-Cold War defence reforms, the regiment was amalgamated with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars to form the Light Dragoons on 1 December 1992.[1]

Regimental museum

The regimental collection is held by the Discovery Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne.[7]

Battle honours

The regiment's battle honours were those of its predecessor regiments plus:[1]

  • The Second World War: Withdrawal to Escaut, Seine 1944, Hechtel, Nederrijn, Venraij, Rhineland, Hochwald, Rhine, Ibbenburen, Aller, North-West Europe 1940 '44-45

Commanding Officers

The Commanding Officers have been:[8]

  • 1959–1961: Lt.-Col. J. Michael Barton
  • 1961–1963: Lt.-Col. A. George Lewis
  • 1963–1965: Lt.-Col. Peter Hodgson
  • 1965–1968: Lt.-Col. John R.D. Sharpe
  • 1968–1970: Lt.-Col. John C.F. Inglis
  • 1970–1973: Lt.-Col. J. Simon F. Murray
  • 1973–1976: Lt.-Col. Richard A. Coxwell-Rogers
  • 1976–1978: Lt.-Col. Rupert H.G. McCarthy
  • 1978–1980: Lt.-Col. C. Anthony G. Wells
  • 1980–1983: Lt.-Col. James S. Knox
  • 1983–1985: Lt.-Col. Peter V. Hervey
  • 1985–1988: Lt.-Col. D. Stewart Balmain
  • 1988–1991: Lt.-Col. Tresham D. Gregg
  • 1991–1992: Lt.-Col. Christopher H. Braithwaite

Colonels-in-Chief

Regimental Colonels

Colonels of the Regiment were:[9]

  • 1922–1931: Gen. Sir
    15th Hussars
    )
  • 1922–1925: F.M. Sir
    19th Hussars
    )
  • 1931–1944: Brig-Gen. Anthony Courage, DSO, MC
  • 1944–1947: F.M. Sir Philip Walhouse Chetwode, Bt., 1st Baron Chetwode, GCB, OM, GCSI, KCMG, DSO
  • 1947–1957: Brig. Sir Henry Robert Kincaid Floyd, Bt., CB, CBE
  • 1957–1964: Maj-Gen. Sir
    William Robert Norris Hinde
    , KBE, CB, DSO
  • 1964–1970: Col. Anthony Donnithorne Taylor, DSO, MC
  • 1970–1978: Maj-Gen. Francis Brian Wyldbore-Smith, CB, DSO, OBE
  • 1978–1983: Lt-Col. Peter Hodgson
  • 1983–1988: Brig. John Rowe Dutton Sharpe, CBE
  • 1988–1992: Lt-Col. Richard Annesley Coxwell-Rogers, DL
  • 1992: Regiment amalgamated with
    The Light Dragoons

Notable soldiers

The following are notable former members of the regiment:

In popular culture

"A" Squadron of the 15th/19th Hussars appears in Episode 4 "Replacements" of the TV miniseries Band of Brothers during the assault on Nuenen.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  2. ^ Joslen, pp. 43–4
  3. ^ a b c "15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars". National Army Museum. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  4. ^
    ISBN 1-85563-004-4
    .
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars". British Army units1945 on. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Supplement to the London Gazette, 18th September 1973" (PDF). The London Gazette: 11116.
  7. ^ "Charge! The story of England's Northern Cavalry". Light Dragoons. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Regiments and Commanding Officers, 1960 - Colin Mackie" (PDF). p. 281959. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  9. ^ "15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Band of Brothers, Episode 4". Watch Series. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.

Sources

  • Joslen, Lieutenant-Colonel H.F. (1960). Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945. London: HM Stationery Office.
    ISBN 1-84342-474-6
    .
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