19th Royal Hussars
Encyclopedia
The 19th Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment
of the British Army
, created in 1857 and amalgamated to form the 15th/19th Hussars in 1922.
by the British East India Company
in 1857 as the 1st Bengal European Light Cavalry, for service in the Indian Mutiny. During the Mutiny, a lieutenant of the regiment, Hugh Henry Gough
, received the Victoria Cross
.
As with all other "European" units of the Company, they were placed under the command of the Crown
in 1858, and subsequently formally moved into the British Army in 1862 when they were designated as hussars as the 19th Hussars. At this time, the regiment was authorised to inherit the battle honour
s of the disbanded 19th Light Dragoons
. The 19th Hussars saw service in the 1882 Egyptian expedition, fighting at Tel el Kebir, and in the 1884-5 expedition to the Sudan at the Battle of Abu Klea
. During the South African War they fought in the relief of Ladysmith
. The regiment was titled 19th (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) Hussars after Alexandra, Princess of Wales. In 1908, when Alexandra became Queen Consort, the name changed to 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars.
, 5th and 6th Infantry Divisions as divisional cavalry squadrons; all three divisions moved to France with the British Expeditionary Force, and saw action in the Battle of Le Cateau
, the Retreat from Mons, the Battle of the Marne
, the Battle of the Aisne
and the Battle of Armentieres
.
The regiment was brought together again in April 1915, and attached to the 1st Cavalry Division, with whom it would serve for the remainder of the war. It saw action at the Second Battle of Ypres
, gaining battle honours for the Battle of St Julien and the Battle of Frezenberg. In 1916, the 19th fought at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette
, part of the Battle of the Somme. In 1917 it served at the Battle of Cambrai, and in 1918 at the Battle of Amiens and the Pursuit to Mons.
The regiment was retitled 19th Royal Hussars (Queen Alexandra's Own) in 1921 and shortly thereafter disbanded as part of the post-War reduction in forces. A cadre was briefly resurrected in 1922 in order to amalgamate with the 15th The King's Hussars
, to form the 15th/19th Hussars.
Cavalry regiments of the British Army
There are currently nine regular cavalry regiments of the British Army, with two tank regiments provided by the Royal Tank Regiment, traditionally classed alongside the cavalry, for a total of eleven regiments. Of these, five serve as armoured regiments, and five as formation reconnaissance...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, created in 1857 and amalgamated to form the 15th/19th Hussars in 1922.
History
The regiment was originally raised in BengalBengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
by the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in 1857 as the 1st Bengal European Light Cavalry, for service in the Indian Mutiny. During the Mutiny, a lieutenant of the regiment, Hugh Henry Gough
Hugh Henry Gough
General Sir Hugh Henry Gough VC, GCB was born in Calcutta, India and was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:He was 23 years old, and a lieutenant in the...
, received the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
.
As with all other "European" units of the Company, they were placed under the command of the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
in 1858, and subsequently formally moved into the British Army in 1862 when they were designated as hussars as the 19th Hussars. At this time, the regiment was authorised to inherit the battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s of the disbanded 19th Light Dragoons
19th Light Dragoons
The 19th Light Dragoons was a cavalry regiment of the British Army created in 1781 for service in British India. The regiment served in India until 1806, and in North America during the War of 1812, and was disbanded in Britain in 1821.-Formation:...
. The 19th Hussars saw service in the 1882 Egyptian expedition, fighting at Tel el Kebir, and in the 1884-5 expedition to the Sudan at the Battle of Abu Klea
Battle of Abu Klea
The Battle of Abu Klea took place between the dates of 16 and 18 January 1885, at Abu Klea, Sudan, between the British Desert Column and Mahdist forces encamped near Abu Klea...
. During the South African War they fought in the relief of Ladysmith
Siege of Ladysmith
The Siege of Ladysmith was a protracted engagement in the Second Boer War, taking place between 30 October 1899 and 28 February 1900 at Ladysmith, Natal.-Background:...
. The regiment was titled 19th (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) Hussars after Alexandra, Princess of Wales. In 1908, when Alexandra became Queen Consort, the name changed to 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars.
First World War
With the outbreak of the First World War, the regiment was split up, with squadrons attached to the 4th4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
, 5th and 6th Infantry Divisions as divisional cavalry squadrons; all three divisions moved to France with the British Expeditionary Force, and saw action in the Battle of Le Cateau
Battle of Le Cateau
The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on 26 August 1914, after the British, French and Belgians retreated from the Battle of Mons and had set up defensive positions in a fighting withdrawal against the German advance at Le Cateau-Cambrésis....
, the Retreat from Mons, the Battle of the Marne
Battle of the Marne
There were two Battles of the Marne, taking place near the Marne River in Marne, France during World War I:* First Battle of the Marne * Second Battle of the Marne...
, the Battle of the Aisne
First Battle of the Aisne
The First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army & Second Army as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September 1914...
and the Battle of Armentieres
Battle of Armentières
This battle was part of Race to Sea campaign. During this battle the British successfully held the line in their sector, against repeated German assaults.To the south it merged into the battle of La Bassée, to the north into the battle of Messines....
.
The regiment was brought together again in April 1915, and attached to the 1st Cavalry Division, with whom it would serve for the remainder of the war. It saw action at the Second Battle of Ypres
Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War and the first time a former colonial force pushed back a major European power on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St...
, gaining battle honours for the Battle of St Julien and the Battle of Frezenberg. In 1916, the 19th fought at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette
Battle of Flers-Courcelette
The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, was a battle within the Franco-British Somme Offensive which took place in the summer and autumn of 1916. Launched on the 15th of September 1916 the battle went on for one week. Flers-Courcelette began with the overall objective of cutting a hole in the German...
, part of the Battle of the Somme. In 1917 it served at the Battle of Cambrai, and in 1918 at the Battle of Amiens and the Pursuit to Mons.
The regiment was retitled 19th Royal Hussars (Queen Alexandra's Own) in 1921 and shortly thereafter disbanded as part of the post-War reduction in forces. A cadre was briefly resurrected in 1922 in order to amalgamate with the 15th The King's Hussars
15th The King's Hussars
The 15th The King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. First raised in 1759, it saw service over two centuries, before being amalgamated into the 15th/19th Hussars in 1922.-Formation:...
, to form the 15th/19th Hussars.
Battle Honours
- Mysore, Seringapatam, Assaye, Niagara, Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt 1882 '84, Abu Klea, Nile 1884-85, Defence of Ladysmith, South Africa 1899-1902
- The Great War: Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Armentières 1914, Ypres 1915, 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