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The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish) (QRH) is a British
armoured regiment Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or ...
. It was formed on 1 September 1993 from the amalgamation of the
Queen's Own Hussars The Queen's Own Hussars (QOH), was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed from the amalgamation of the 3rd The King's Own Hussars and the 7th Queen's Own Hussars at Candahar Barracks, Tidworth in 1958. The regiment served in Aden and Nor ...
and the
Queen's Royal Irish Hussars The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, abbreviated as QRIH, was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed from the amalgamation of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars and the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958. The regiment saw active service against ...
. The regiment and its antecedents have been awarded 172
Battle Honours 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 ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...
and eight
Victoria Crosses The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
. The regiment was based in
Sennelager Sennelager is a village in Germany that forms part of the City of Paderborn. It is notable for its association with the military since the 19th century. Location Sennelager lies around 5 km north of Paderborn city centre in the west of the ...
, Germany, until 2019 when it was relocated to
Tidworth Camp Tidworth Camp is a military installation at Tidworth in Wiltshire, England. It forms part of the Tidworth, Netheravon and Bulford (TidNBul) Garrison. History The Camp was established when the War Office acquired a 19th-century mansion – Tedw ...
, England. It is the
armoured regiment Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or ...
for 20th Armoured Brigade Combat Team.


History

The Queen's Royal Hussars was formed in
Fallingbostel Bad Fallingbostel (Northern Low Saxon: ''Bad Fambossel'') is the district town (''Kreisstadt'') 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 ...
on 1 September 1993 from the amalgamation of the
Queen's Own Hussars The Queen's Own Hussars (QOH), was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed from the amalgamation of the 3rd The King's Own Hussars and the 7th Queen's Own Hussars at Candahar Barracks, Tidworth in 1958. The regiment served in Aden and Nor ...
and the
Queen's Royal Irish Hussars The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, abbreviated as QRIH, was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed from the amalgamation of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars and the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958. The regiment saw active service against ...
. Home Headquarters was formed shortly thereafter at
Regent's Park Barracks The Regent's Park Barracks, commonly known as the Albany Street Barracks, is a British Army barracks located on Albany Street, London, near Regent's Park. History The barracks were constructed in 1820-1821 as cavalry barracks for the Life Guard ...
in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
where it remains today. After the amalgamation, the regiment became the cavalry of the following areas: Northern Ireland,
Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...
,
Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...
,
West Midlands West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
,
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, and
Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
. For a short time the regiment maintained a regimental band formed by the amalgamation of the two former regiment's bands, designated as the Band of the Queen's Royal Hussars. However, following a reorganisation of the Army Music, the band was amalgamated with the Bands of the
King's Royal Hussars The King's Royal Hussars (KRH) is a Royal Armoured Corps regiment of the British Army formed in 1992. Based at Tidworth it serves as the armoured regiment of the 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team (ABCT). Under Army 2020 Refine, it is intended to e ...
and
Light Dragoons The Light Dragoons (LD) is a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment has a light cavalry role and specialises in mounted and dismounted reconnaissance. The Light Dragoons recruit mainly in Northern England, from the counties of Northu ...
to form the Band of the Hussars and Light Dragoons on 1 September 1994, part of the new
Corps of Army Music The Royal Corps of Army Music (RCAM, widely known by its former acronym CAMUS) is a Corps of the British Army dedicated to the provision and promotion of military music. History The formation of the Corps of Army Music was triggered by a defen ...
. The Queen's Own Hussars, normally referred to by the abbreviation QOH, was a
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 ...
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 ...
, formed from the amalgamation of
3rd The King's Own Hussars The 3rd (The King's Own) Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, including the First and the Second World Wars, before being amalgamated with the 7th Queen's Own Hussars, to ...
and the
7th Queen's Own Hussars The 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1689. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in ...
at Candahar Barracks,
Tidworth Tidworth is a garrison town and civil parish in south-east Wiltshire, England, on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain. Lying on both sides of the A338 about north of the A303 primary route, the town is approximately west of Andover, south o ...
in 1958. The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, abbreviated as QRIH, was a
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 ...
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 ...
formed from the amalgamation of the
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, including the First World War and the Second World War. It amalgamated with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, to ...
and the
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 including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces ...
in
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. It should not be confused with the British Army camp of Hohne (German: ...
,
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
in 1958. The regiment, in January 1996, became the first to be deployed in
Challenger 1 The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 is a British main battle tank (MBT) used by the British Army from 1983 to 2001, when it was superseded by the Challenger 2. It is also currently used by the Royal Jordanian Army as its main battle tank, after heavy m ...
tanks to Bosnia with
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
's British-led Implementation Force
IFOR The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename ''Operation Joint Endeavour''. Background NATO ...
. In August 1996 the regiment deployed to Northern Ireland on
Operation Banner Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007, as part of the Troubles. It was the longest continuous deployment in British military history. The British Army was initial ...
and then moved to Athlone Barracks at
Sennelager Sennelager is a village in Germany that forms part of the City of Paderborn. It is notable for its association with the military since the 19th century. Location Sennelager lies around 5 km north of Paderborn city centre in the west of the ...
as armoured regiment for 20th Armoured Brigade in January 1998. An independent tank squadron deployed to Kosovo in 2001, with the rest of the regiment deploying later that year in the dismounted role. December 2003 saw the regiment deploy once again, this time to Iraq on
Operation Telic Operation Telic (Op TELIC) was the codename under which all of the United Kingdom's 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 ...
3. The regiment saw its first
Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...
awarded to Lance corporal Christopher Balmforth of B Squadron for his actions during an ambush in
Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...
. April 2006 saw the regiment deploy once again to
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
on Operation Telic 8 and December 2008 saw the regiment deployed to Iraq on Operation Telic 13. As the final Operation Telic The Queen's Royal Hussars were intimately involved in the drawdown from the main British base and spent many hours escorting convoys to and from Kuwait. In 2011 the regiment deployed on
Operation Herrick Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assis ...
15 as a ground holding Battle Group to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
in the infantry role: they worked with the
Afghan National Police The Afghan National Police (ANP; ps, د افغانستان ملي پولیس; prs, پلیس ملی افغانستان), is the national police force of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, serving as a single law enforcement agency all across ...
handing over control of checkpoints. On return from Afghanistan in 2012 the regiment was called on to support the security for the London Olympic Games. The remainder of the year was used to return to the armoured role. 2013 saw C Squadron training with 5 Rifles on Exercise Bavarian Charger, mounted on Challenger 2. The Queen's Royal Hussars Battlegroup, comprising sub-units from 5 Rifles and 1 PWRR deployed on Exercise Prairie Thunder 2 between July and August 2013. In June 2014, the regiment deployed C Squadron to Operation Herrick 20 in Afghanistan, as the Warthog Group. This role involved crewing
Warthog ''Phacochoerus'' is a genus in the family Suidae, commonly known as warthogs (pronounced ''wart-hog''). They are pigs who live in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa. The two species were formerly cons ...
armoured tracked vehicles and operating with dismounted infantry from 5 RIFLES to disrupt insurgents in Helmand during the draw down of British troops from Camp Bastion. They were the last British combat units on the ground in Helmand. The regiment moved to Tidworth with 20 Armoured Infantry Brigade, forming the senior of three Type 56 heavy armoured regiments of British Army's Reactive Force, in 2019.


Organisation

The regiment is equipped with 56
Challenger 2 The FV4034 Challenger 2 (MOD designation "CR2") is a third generation British main battle tank (MBT) in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. It was designed and built by the British company Vickers Defence Systems (now known as ...
tanks. In addition the Regiment also fields a squadron with a close reconnaissance troop mounted in eight
FV107 Scimitar The FV107 Scimitar is an armoured tracked military reconnaissance vehicle (sometimes classed as a light tank) used by the British Army. It was manufactured by Alvis in Coventry. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion, but mounts a high-veloci ...
s. *HQ Squadron *A Squadron (The Devil's Children) *B (Balaklava) Squadron (reformed as a command and reconnaissance squadron in October 2020, previously an armoured squadron) *C Squadron (Fighting C) *D Squadron (The Black Pig)


Victoria Cross

Holders of the Victoria Cross included: *
James Champion James Champion VC MSM (1834 – 4 May 1904) 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 Champion ...
(
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 including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces ...
) * Samuel Parkes ( 4th Queen's Own Light Dragoons) * Clement Walker Heneage (
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 including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces ...
) * George Hollis (
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 including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces ...
) * John Pearson (
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 including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces ...
) *
Joseph Ward Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, (26 April 1856 – 8 July 1930) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 17th prime minister of New Zealand from 1906 to 1912 and from 1928 to 1930. He was a dominant figure in the Liberal and Unit ...
(
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 including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces ...
) * Cornet William Bankes (
7th Queen's Own Hussars The 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1689. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in ...
) * Major Charles Fraser (
7th Queen's Own Hussars The 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1689. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in ...
)


Colonels-in-Chief

* 1993–2002:
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...
* 2002–2021: F.M. The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, KG KT OM GCVO GBE AK QSO


Regimental Colonels

Colonels of the regiment have been: * 1993–1999: Maj-Gen. Richard Edward Barron, CB * 1999–2004: Maj-Gen. David John Malcolm Jenkins, CBE * 2004–2009: Maj-Gen.
Arthur Denaro Major General Arthur George Denaro (born 23 March 1948) is a former British Army officer. He led his regiment, the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, during the Gulf War and later became Commandant of Sandhurst. He commanded the 5th Infantry Divisi ...
CBE * 2009–2014: Brig Andrew Bellamy * 2014–Present: Lt-Gen Sir Tom Beckett KCB CBE


Commanding Officers

Regimental Commanding Officers included: * 1993–1994:
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
Andrew N. Bellamy * 1994–1996: Lt Col Nigel Q. W. Beer * 1996–1998: Lt Col Nicholas G. Smith * 1998–2000: Lt Col Christopher H. Vernon * 2000–2002: Lt Col David J. L. Swann * 2002–2004: Lt Col Andrew C. Cuthbert * 2004–2007: Lt Col David H. Labouchere * 2007–2009: Lt Col Christopher M. B. Coles * 2009–2012: Lt Col Ian S. Mortimer * 2012–2014: Lt Col James R. Howard * 2014–2017: Lt Col Alexander J. H. Porter * 2017–2019: Lt Col Nicholas D. G. Cowley * 2019–2022: Lt Col James T. Shann * 2022–present: Lt Col Stephen Wilson


Museums

The regiment had two museums: *The Queen's Own Hussars Museum was located at
Lord Leycester Hospital The Lord Leycester Hospital (often known simply as the Lord Leycester) is one of the best preserved examples of medieval courtyard architecture in England and is a charity supporting ex-servicemen. It is located in Warwick, England, next to th ...
in
Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...
until it closed. *The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars Museum was located at The Redoubt Fortress in
Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...
until it closed. A new regimental museum is due to open at 1 Trinity Mews, Warwick in Spring 2022.


The Regimental Crest & Cap Badge

The crest and cap badge are as follows: * 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 White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
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

The regiment has gained a number of unique privileges and traditions: ;Badges and Symbols The White Horse of Hanover: Ranking second, after the Crown, among the regiment's military badges, it was bestowed by the first three Georges to certain regiments for their part in suppressing the Jacobites. It was first granted, as a special head-dress badge, by King
George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George I of Antioch (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgor ...
to The 3rd The King's Own Regiment of Dragoons in 1715 for their part in defeating
James Francis Edward Stuart James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs, was the son of King James II and VII of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his second wife, Mary of Modena. He was Prince of Wales from ...
(The Old Pretender). Crossbelts: At the
Battle of Almenar The Battle of Almenar also referred to as Almenara was a battle in the Iberian theatre of the War of the Spanish Succession. In June 1710, the Bourbon-Spanish army of Phillip V crossed into Catalonia in an attempt to capture Balaguer; an All ...
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. The Maid of Warsaw: Every member of the regiment wears the Maid of Warsaw, the coat of arms of the
City of Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
, 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 or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. 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, the fern leaf, to commemorate the association of The 3rd Hussars with the
2nd New Zealand Division The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry Division (military), division of the New Zealand Army, New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the World War II, Second World War. The division was ...
at the
Battle of El Alamein There were two battles of El Alamein in World War II, both fought in 1942. The Battles occurred in North Africa, in Egypt, in and around an area named after a railway stop called El Alamein. * First Battle of El Alamein: 1–27 July 1942 * Secon ...
where the regiment lost all but five tanks breaching the German line. This honour was granted by General Lord Freyberg VC. Kettle Drums: By command of King
George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) * ...
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 Baron Southampton, of Southampton in the County of Southampton, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1780 for the soldier and politician Charles FitzRoy. He was the third son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy, second son of Charl ...
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. ;Other traditions Winston Churchill:
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
, who has been described as 'the greatest Hussar of them all', was commissioned into the
4th 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, including the First World War and the Second World War. It amalgamated with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, to f ...
in 1895, and later became the colonel 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 of the new regiment, Queen's 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'. ;Regimental Colours The colours are as follows: *''Garter Blue'': The primary colour of the regiment is garter blue. This dates from 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 an association with Ireland, which remains a recruiting area for the regiment. Officers and senior ranks wear green jumpers and all ranks wear green berets. Officers can be distinguished by their distinctive tent hats (the only item of army headdress worn without a cap badge other than with combat uniforms). *''Yellow'': The traditional
Light Cavalry Light cavalry comprised lightly armed and armored cavalry troops mounted on fast horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the mounted riders (and sometimes the warhorses) were heavily armored. The purpose of light cavalry was primarily rai ...
colour is yellow, which has been used by all of the regiment's predecessors. ;Regimental song The lyrics of the song go:
I'm a soldier in the King's Army.
I'm a galloping Queen's Hussar.
I've sailed the ocean wide and blue.
I'm a chap who knows a thing or two.
Been in many a tight corner.
Shown the enemy who we are.
I can ride a horse.
Go on a spree, or sing a comic song.
And that denotes a Queen's Hussar.


The Regimental Pipes and Drums

The Pipes and Drums were inherited from the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars. There has been no formal adoption of pipe music by the regiment, but the pipe tunes have become very much a part of regimental parades, the following tunes have become part of the regiment's music. * Killaloe Composed by Robert Martin in 1887 as part of the show "Miss Esmeralda". *
The Minstrel Boy "The Minstrel Boy" is an Irish song written by Thomas Moore (1779–1852) and published as part of his ''Irish Melodies''. Moore himself came to be nicknamed "The Minstrel Boy", and indeed it is the title of Leonard Strong's 1937 biography of ...
The original words were composed by Thomas Moore, set to an old traditional Irish air originally named "The Moreen". *
Highland Cathedral "Highland Cathedral" ( gd, Cathair-eaglais na Gàidhealtachd) is a popular melody for the Great Highland Bagpipe. This melody was composed by German musicians Ulrich Roever and Michael KorbSt Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...
Played by the Irish Pipes at the battle of Fontenoy in 1745, though it has long been a popular patriotic Irish song.


Regimental days

The following are celebrated as battle honour days: * Dettingen 27 June * Balaclava 25 October *
El Alamein El Alamein ( ar, العلمين, translit=al-ʿAlamayn, lit=the two flags, ) is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Arab's Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. , it had ...
2 November
St Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...
is also celebrated.


Lineage


Alliances

Commonwealth * –
The Sherbrooke Hussars , colors = , march = "Regimental March of the Sherbrooke Hussars" , notable_commanders = , anniversaries = , battles = First World WarSecon ...
* – Royal Canadian Hussars * –
8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) , colors = , colors_label = , march = "The 8th Hussars" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles ...
* – 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry) * –
3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles) The 3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles) (3/9 SAMR) is a Reserve light cavalry regiment of the Australian Army based in Smithfield, South Australia. Part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC), the regiment is attached to ...
* – 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse Regiment * –
3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) is a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Kapyong Lines, Townsville as part of the 3rd Brigade. 3 RAR traces its lineage to 1945 and has seen operational serv ...
* –
Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles (QAMR) is an armoured regiment of the New Zealand Army and forms part of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps. The regiment was formed in 1864 and is currently an armoured cavalry unit equipped with NZLAV. Hist ...
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Queen Nandi Mounted Rifles The Queen Nandi Mounted Rifles (formerly the Natal Mounted Rifles) is an reserve armoured regiment of the South African Army. History Origin The original and accepted parent unit of the Natal Mounted Rifles is the Royal Durban Rangers which wa ...
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Umvoti Mounted Rifles The Umvoti Mounted Rifles (named after the Umvoti River) is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It ...
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Johannesburg Light Horse Regiment The Johannesburg Light Horse Regiment (formerly the Light Horse Regiment), is a reserve armoured car reconnaissance unit of the South African Army. History Anglo Boer War The Imperial Light Horse was raised by the British in Johannesburg ...
Non-Commonwealth * – 2/4 Regiment Lansiers * – 7eme Regiment de Chasseurs * – ArmdBn 203 (Bonds of Friendship)


Affiliated Yeomanry

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The Royal Wessex Yeomanry The Royal Wessex Yeomanry (RWxY) is a Reserve armoured regiment of the British Army Reserve consisting of five squadrons. Formerly part of 43 (Wessex) Brigade, the regiment joined 3rd (UK) Division in July 2014, to provide armoured (main battle ...
* The North Irish Horse


Order of precedence


References


Further reading

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External links


The Queen's Royal Hussars - British Army Website

The Queen's Royal Hussars Regimental Association Website

Eastbourne Redoubt Fortress Military Museum

Information
from
Culture24 Culture24, originally the 24 Hour Museum, is a British charity which publishes websites, ''Culture24'', ''Museum Crush'' and ''Show Me'', about visual culture and heritage in the United Kingdom, as well as supplying data and support services to ...

4th(Queen's Own )Hussars, 8th(King's Royal Irish) Hussars Victoria Crosses
{{Authority control Cavalry regiments of the British Army Hussars Hussar regiments of the British Army Military units and formations established in 1993 Royal Armoured Corps Regiments of the British Army Irish regiments of the British Army 1993 establishments in the United Kingdom Irish regiments