The 23rd Light Dragoons was a
cavalry regiment of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
which existed several times.
1st existence
It was created in 1781 as the 23rd Regiment of (Light) Dragoons by
Sir John Burgoyne, Bt. at
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
but renumbered in 1786 as the
19th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons.
2nd existence
It was re-raised in 1794 by
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
William Fullarton
Colonel William Fullarton of Fullarton (12 January 1754 – 13 February 1808) was a Scottish soldier, statesman, agriculturalist and author. He sat in the House of Commons between 1779 and 1803.
Early life
He was born on 12 January 1754 the on ...
but disbanded a short time later in 1802.
3rd existence
It was reformed a third time on 10 March 1803 by re-numbering the 26th Light Dragoons, and served in Spain, Egypt and at Waterloo, before being disbanded at
Radipole Barracks on 24 November 1817. The 26th Light Dragoons had been raised in 1795 by Major-General
Russell Manners.
Notable officers who served in the regiment include
Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby
Major General Hon. Sir Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby (6 July 178311 January 1837) was an Anglo-Irish military officer.
Early life and education
Ponsonby was the second of three sons of Frederick Ponsonby, Viscount Dungannon (who succeeded as ...
,
Sir William Payne-Gallwey, 1st Baronet
General Sir William Payne-Gallwey, 1st Baronet (1759 – 16 April 1831) was a British soldier and Governor of the Leeward Islands. He was the youngest son of Ralph Payne by his second spouse Margaret née Gallwey, of St. Kitts, West Indies. He ...
,
Joseph Muter
Sir Joseph Muter (178023October 1840) was a British Army officer who fought in the Peninsular War and led the Inniskilling Dragoons at the Battle of Waterloo on 18June 1815. In 1816, following the inheritance of the Kirkside estate from his aunt ...
and
Henry Fane.
Battle Honours
Battle honours were:
[
Talavera, Peninsula, ]Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, Waterloo
Regimental Colonels
Colonels of the regiment were:
References
{{reflist
Cavalry regiments of the British Army
Dragoon regiments of the British Army
Dragoons
Light Dragoons