Light Dragoons

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The Light Dragoons (LD) is a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment is a light cavalry regiment with a history in the reconnaissance role which dates back to the early eighteenth century. It is currently based in Catterick Garrison North Yorkshire.

History

The 13th Light Dragoons at the Battle of Waterloo
The Light Dragoons receiving the Freedom of the Borough of Barnsley

The regiment was formed in 1992 from the amalgamation of two regiments, the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) and the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars. All of the antecedent regiments had been regiments of "light dragoons" during the 18th and 19th centuries, including the Napoleonic Wars.[1]

B Squadron (The Guards) was the first squadron of the newly formed regiment to do a tour of duty, being sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 1993 on peacekeeping duties. They were followed by C Squadron (The Legion) in November 1993 and later by the other two squadrons in 1994 with the Scimitar their vehicle of choice.[2] Various other tours of duty followed in the Baltic wars. The Light Dragoons also sent units to Iraq during Operation Telic in 2003 and 2005.[3]

Elements of the regiment were deployed on a tour of duty in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 5 with 3 Commando Brigade in 2006 and then with 12 Mechanised Brigade on Operation Herrick 6 in 2007. The regiment also took part in Operation Panther's Claw in 2009.[3]

After returning from its final tour of Afghanistan in 2012, the regiment have since fully converted onto the Jackal platform, resubordinated to 4 Infantry Brigade and moved to a new home in Catterick. They have also been heavily involved in defence engagement in North Africa as well as carrying out operations in Bosnia in 2014.

The Light Dragoons recruit principally in the North East of England (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham) and in South Yorkshire and have strong connections with these areas. For this reason, the regiment is known as England’s Northern Cavalry although as it is now England's only Light Cavalry regiment it is also termed "England's Light Cavalry"[4]

Role

The regiment's role includes scouting for information about the enemy, engaging enemy targets and guiding fast jets. The regiment recently converted to the Jackal armoured fighting vehicles under Army 2020.[5][6]

Colonels-in-chief

Colonels-in-Chief have included:

Alliances

Affiliated yeomanry

Order of precedence

Preceded by Cavalry order of precedence Succeeded by
Royal Tank Regiment

Notes

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References

  • Light Dragoons: The Making of a Regiment By Allan Mallinson . Pen and Sword books . 362 pages . 2006. ISBN 1-84415-448-3

External links

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  9. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 57032. p. 10318. 19 August 2003. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
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