The Queen's Royal Hussars
Encyclopedia
The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish) (QRH) is the senior United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 light cavalry regiment
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...

. It was formed on 1 September 1993 from the amalgamation of The Queen's Own Hussars and The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars. The regiment traces its roots back to 1685 and during the past 320 years has been awarded 172 Battle Honours and 8 Victoria Crosses

History

The Queen's Royal Hussars was formed in Fallingbostel
Bad Fallingbostel
Bad Fallingbostel is the district town of the Heidekreis district in the German state of Lower Saxony. Since 1976 the town has had a state-recognised Kneipp spa and has held the title of Bad since 5 August 2002. It has close ties to Walsrode, a few miles to the west...

 on 1 September 1993 from the amalgamation of The Queen's Own Hussars and The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars.

The Queen's Own Hussars, normally referred to by the abbreviation QOH, was a cavalry regiment
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...

, formed from the amalgamation of 3rd The King's Own Hussars
3rd The King's Own Hussars
The 3rd Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Hussars in 1958.-The Glorious Revolution:...

 and the 7th Queen's Own Hussars
7th Queen's Own Hussars
The 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1690. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Hussars in 1958....

 at Candahar Barracks, Tidworth
Tidworth
Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, 12 miles south of Marlborough, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury and 6 miles east...

 in 1958.

The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, abbreviated as QRIH, was a cavalry regiment
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...

 formed from the amalgamation of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars
4th Queen's Own Hussars
The 4th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958....

 and the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958....

 in Hohne
Hohne
Hohne is a municipality in the state of Lower Saxony in Germany, east of the county town of Celle. It includes the three former parishes of Hohne, Helmerkamp and Spechtshorn...

, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....

 in 1958.

After moving to Catterick in June 1995, the regiment, in January 1996, became the first to be deployed in Challenger 1 tanks to Bosnia with NATO's British-led Implementation Force IFOR
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...

. It spent its time as part of 2nd Canadian Multi National Brigade, and was awarded The Canadian Forces Unit Commendation - the first time that this had been awarded to a foreign unit, and the first overseas commendation received by a British unit since the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. The following year, 1997, the regiment was deployed in the dismounted role to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. The regiment subsequently converted to Challenger 2 tanks, in which an independent tank squadron deployed to Kosovo in 2001, with the entire regiment deploying later that year in the dismounted role.

The regiment is currently based in Sennelager
Sennelager
Sennelager is a village in Germany that forms part of the City of Paderborn. It is notable by the presence of a British army barracks, where the 20th Armoured Brigade are currently situated...

, Germany, where it is the armoured regiment
Armoured regiment (United Kingdom)
The Type 58 armoured regiment is one of two organisations currently provided by cavalry regiments of the British Army, and is a battalion-sized formation equipped with Challenger 2 main battle tanks. It is the descendant of traditional heavy cavalry, intended to provided massed armour for use in a...

 for 20th Armoured Brigade, part of British Forces Germany
British Forces Germany
British Forces Germany , is the name for British Armed Forces service personnel and civilians based in Germany. It was first established following the Second World War as the British Army of the Rhine ....

. The regiment returned at the end of November 2006 from a successful deployment in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 on Operation Telic
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...

 8. In 2008 the Regiment deployed again to Iraq on OP TELIC XIII where is was engaged in various mentoring tasks with Iraqi forces in Basra City, Umm Qasr and Az Zubayr. As the final OP TELIC the QRH were intimately involved in the drawdown from the main British base and spent many hours escorting convoys to and from Kuwait. Whilst the majority of the Regiment were on OP TELIC a large Troop was deployed on OP HERRICK 9 where they worked with the Royal Marines as part of the Armoured Support Group in Viking armoured personnel carriers.

Victoria Cross

  • James Champion
    James Champion
    James Champion VC MSM was an English 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:...

  • Samuel Parkes
    Samuel Parkes (VC)
    Samuel Parkes VC was an English 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...

  • Clement Walker Heneage
    Clement Walker Heneage
    Major Clement Walker Heneage VC was an English 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:...

  • George Hollis
    George Hollis
    George Hollis VC was an English 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:...

  • John Pearson
    John Pearson (VC)
    John Pearson VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...

  • Joseph Ward
    Joseph Ward (VC)
    Joseph Ward VC was born in Kinsale, County Cork, and was an Irish 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....

  • Cornet William Bankes
    William George Hawtry Bankes
    William George Hawtry Bankes VC was an English 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.He was 21 years old, and a Cornet in the 7th Hussars , British Army during the Indian...

      7th Queen's Own Hussars
    7th Queen's Own Hussars
    The 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1690. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Hussars in 1958....

  • Major Charles Fraser
    Charles Fraser (VC)
    Lieutenant General Sir Charles Craufurd Fraser VC KCB was a British 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...

      7th Queen's Own Hussars
    7th Queen's Own Hussars
    The 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1690. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Hussars in 1958....


Organisation

The regiment is a Type 58 Challenger 2 tank regiment (ie: it is equipped with 58 Challenger 2 tanks), which are organised into four Sabre Squadrons.

In addition the regiment also fields a close reconnaissance troop mounted in eight FV107 Scimitar
FV107 Scimitar
FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the British Army. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm gun. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps, Armoured Regiments in the Reconnaissance role...

s, and a large Headquarters Squadron, which supplies ammunition, fuel, and rations and includes specialist technicians, mechanics and artisans, as well as clerical and medical staff.

Museums

The regiment has two museums in England:
  • The Queen's Own Hussars Museum is located at Lord Leycester Hospital
    Lord Leycester hospital
    The Lord Leycester Hospital is a retirement home for ex-Servicemen in Warwick, England, that is located next to the West Gate, on High Street.-Buildings and composition:...

     in Warwick
    Warwick
    Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...

    .
  • The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars Museum is located at The Redoubt Fortress
    Eastbourne Redoubt
    Eastbourne Redoubt is a fort on what is now Royal Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex, England.-History:The Redoubt was built between 1804 and 1810 to support the associated Martello towers in defending against the threat of an invasion by Napoleon. It has defended the Eastbourne coast for nearly 200...

     in Eastbourne
    Eastbourne
    Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...

    .
  • The Blackshaw Museum is located in the Regimental Guard room of Athlone Barracks in Sennelager, Germany.

The Regimental Crest & Cap Badge

  • The Regimental Crest is made up from the Angel Harp of the 8th Hussars and the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, which is placed above the White Horse of Hanover of the 3rd Hussars and the Queen's Own Hussars. These are encircled by the Garter Belt, above which is placed the Queen's Crown.

  • The Regimental Cap Badge is made up from the Angel Harp of the 8th Hussars and the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, superimposed on the Regimental cypher of the Queen's Own Hussars, originally bestowed on the 7th Hussars in 1727; the whole is surmounted by the Queen's crown and a lion, with a scroll underneath giving the Regiment's title in blue and gold.

Privileges & Traditions

In over 300 years of distinguished service the Regiment has gained a number of unique privileges and traditions.

Regimental Colours
  • Garter Blue: The primary colour of the Regiment is garter blue. This dates from 1685 when The Queen Consort's Regiment of Dragoons, later the 3rd Hussars, wore the Queen's livery with Garter Blue feathered hats. It has been in continuous use ever since.
  • Green: The use of green dates from 1748 when it was the facing colour of Princess Anne of Denmark's Regiment of Dragoons, later the 4th Hussars. It has a tenuous association with Ireland, which remains the Regiment's smallest recruiting area. Officers and Senior Ranks wear green jumpers and all ranks wear berets. Officers can be distinguished by their distinctive tent hats (the only item of army headress worn without a cap badge other than with combat uniforms).
  • Yellow: The traditional Light Cavalry
    Light cavalry
    Light cavalry refers to lightly armed and lightly armored troops mounted on horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the riders are heavily armored...

     colour is yellow, which has been used by all of the Regiments predecessors.


The White Horse of Hanover: Ranking second, after the Crown, among the Regiment's military badges, it was bestowed by the first three King Georges to certain regiments for the their part in suppressing the Jacobites. It was first granted, as a special head-dress badge, by King George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....

 to the 3rd King's Own Regiment of Dragoons in 1715 for their part in defeating James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...

 (The Old Pretender).

Crossbelts: At the Battle of Almenar in 1710 the 8th Dragoons pursued the Spanish Cavalry Corps and, equipping themselves with the crossbelts of the enemy, cut down the Spaniards with their own swords. The crossbelts were worn with distinction for many years, and the nickname 'St Georges Crossbelts' was given to the Regiment. Although the crossbelt worn today is based on the original 4th Hussar pattern, the continuing tradition of titling the Regimental Journal 'The Crossbelts' is in recognition of this famous action, as is its use as the nickname for the regimental Polo Team.

The Loyal Toast: After the Jacobite rebellion in 1745, all officers of the army were required to drink the health of the Sovereign in their mess after dinner as a token of loyalty to the King. The King, however, absolved the Regiment from this duty, saying that their loyalty had always been beyond question, and gave the Officers the privilege of never drinking the Loyal Toast in the Officers' Mess and of ignoring the National Anthem when it is played by the band after dinner. This privilege was reaffirmed by the Sovereign prior to the formation of the Regiment in 1993.

Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...

: Winston Churchill, who has been justly described as 'the greatest Hussar of them all', was commissioned into the 4th Hussars in 1895, and later became the Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment from 1941, until the 4th Queen's Own Hussars was amalgamated with the 8th Hussars in 1958, after which he became Colonel-in-Chief of the new regiment, Queen's Own Royal Irish Hussars remaining so until his death in 1965. In recognition of this, The Churchill Cup is awarded to the top-scoring troop in the Regiment's annual gunnery competition. The Commanding Officer's tank is also named 'Churchill'.

The Maid of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

: Every member of the Regiment wears the Maid of Warsaw, the crest of the City of Warsaw, on the left sleeve of his No. 2 (Service) Dress. This honour was awarded to the 7th Hussars by the Commander of the Second Polish Corps in recognition of their valour in support of the Polish Forces during the Italian Campaign in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Traditionally the original crest presented to the Regiment is placed in front of the Commanding Officer on Dinner Nights.

The Fern Leaf: All vehicles in the Regiment display the emblem of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, the Fern Leaf, to commemorate the association of the 3rd Hussars with the 2nd New Zealand Division at the Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...

. This honour was granted by General Lord Freyberg VC
Bernard Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg
Lieutenant-General Bernard Cyril Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg VC, GCMG, KCB, KBE, DSO & Three Bars , was a British-born New Zealand Victoria Cross recipient and soldier who later served as the seventh Governor-General of New Zealand.A veteran of the Mexican Revolution, he became an officer in the...

.

Kettle Drums: By command of King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...

 the silver kettle drums captured by The King's Own Regiment of Dragoons, later the 3rd Hussars, at Dettingen are borne by a drum horse ridden by a Sergeant Kettledrummer - both being additional to the Regimental establishment. The Drums are always carried at the head of the Regiment on ceremonial parades and are, uniquely amongst cavalry regiments, never covered by drum banners, the Battle Honours being engraved directly onto the sides of the drums. In 1772 when Lord Southampton
Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton
Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton was a British statesman and soldier.The second son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy and a grandson of the 2nd Duke of Grafton, FitzRoy joined the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards as an ensign in 1752...

 commanded the Regiment, his wife gave a silver collar to be worn by the Kettledrummer, which is still worn today when parading in full dress with the Drums. The present drum horse is named Alamein and its nickname is Dudley.

REGIMENTAL DAYS: The following are celebrated as battle honour days:
  • Dettingen
    Battle of Dettingen
    The Battle of Dettingen took place on 27 June 1743 at Dettingen in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was the last time that a British monarch personally led his troops into battle...

     27 June
  • Balaclava
    Balaklava
    Balaklava is a former city on the Crimean peninsula and part of the city of Sevastopol which carries a special administrative status in Ukraine. It was a city in its own right until 1957 when it was formally incorporated into the municipal borders of Sevastopol by the Soviet government...

     25 October
  • El Alamein
    El Alamein
    El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...

     2 November


St Patrick's Day is also celebrated.

Alliances

Commonwealth - The Sherbrooke Hussars
Sherbrooke Hussars
The Sherbrooke Hussars is a Primary Reserve armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces.-Sherbrooke Regiment:The Sherbrooke Regiment was initially formed in 1866 as the Sherbrooke Battalion of Infantry, becoming the 53rd Battalion in 1867. The regiment provided volunteers for the 12th Battalion,...

 - Royal Canadian Hussars - 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)
8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)
The 8th Canadian Hussars is one of the longest serving armoured regiments in the Canadian Army. A Squadron being Regular Force served in CFB Gagetown and B, C and HQ Squadrons served in Sussex, Moncton and Sackville...

 - 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment
The 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment is a regiment of the Australian Army and forms part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. The regiment was formed in 1952 though sentimentally traces its lineage to 1860...

 - 3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles)
3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles)
The 3rd/9th Light Horse is a Reserve light cavalry regiment of the Australian Army based in Adelaide...

 - 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse Regiment
4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse
The 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse is a cavalry regiment of the Australian Army. The regiment in its current composition was formed in 1948 when the Citizens Military Force was re-raised after the completion of the demoblisation process following the end of the Second World War and it was...

 - 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment is a parachute infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Sydney. 3 RAR was initially formed in 1945 as the 67th Battalion and has seen active service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, South Vietnam, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq...

 - Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles is an armoured squadron of the New Zealand Army and forms part of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps. The squadron was formed in 1864 and is currently an armoured cavalry unit equipped with NZLAV.- History :...

 - Natal Mounted Rifles
Natal Mounted Rifles
The Natal Mounted Rifles is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit...

 - Umvoti Mounted Rifles
Umvoti Mounted Rifles
The Umvoti Mounted Rifles is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit...

 - The Light Horse Regiment
Light Horse Regiment
The Light Horse Regiment , formerly the Imperial Light Horse , is a reserve unit of the South African Army. The regiment is an armoured car reconnaissance unit...



Non-Commonwealth - 2/4 Regiment Lansiers
2nd/4th Lancers Regiment
The 2nd/4th Lancers Regiment was a cavalry regiment in the Land Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. The regiment was the Armoured Battalion of the 1st Brigade.-External links:* - Only available in Dutch and French...

 - 7eme Regiment de Chasseurs

Affiliated Yeomanry

  • The North Irish Horse
    North Irish Horse
    The North Irish Horse is a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War...



The Regiments Battle honours
El mane
dettigen
balaclava
The Gulf war 1
Battle of the Somme
Battle ypres
luknow
moodkey
salamanka
all of these and can be found on the guidon

Order of precedence

External links

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