The 27th Lancers was a British Army

cavalry regiment Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating a ...

from 1941 to 1945.

History

The regiment was raised in June 1941 from a cadre of personnel taken from the

12th Royal Lancers The 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army first formed in 1715. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. The regiment survived the immediate post-war ...

. It was assigned to the

11th Armoured Division The 11th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army which was created in March 1941 during the Second World War. The division was formed in response to the unanticipated success of the German panzer divisions. The 11th Armou ...

as the divisional reconnaissance regiment. It was later withdrawn and held under command of GHQ. The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H18869

The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H18869

In 1943, it was shipped to Egypt; in 1944 it moved to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, where it served as an independent reconnaissance regiment for the

Allied Force Headquarters Allied Force Headquarters (AFHQ) was the headquarters that controlled all Allied operational forces in the Mediterranean theatre of World War II from August 1942 until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945. AFHQ was established in the Un ...

, and finished the war in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, where it was disbanded in August 1945. Some personnel were transferred to the 12th Lancers. (In a film made in 1936 (''

The Charge of the Light Brigade The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to s ...

''), there was a fictional regiment called the 27th Lancers.)

References

* Cavalry regiments of the British Army Military units and formations established in 1941 Lancers 027 27th Lancers officers {{UK-mil-unit-stub