The 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards was a British army cavalry regiment, officially raised in January 1686 as Shrewsbury's Regiment of Horse or the Earl of Shrewsbury's Horse. By 1687, it was known as Langsdale's Horse, from 1687 to 1688 as Hamilton's Horse, then from 1688 to 1691 as John Coy's Horse. In 1691, it was given a number and known as the 6th Horse. In 1697 the regiment was known as Arran's Horse and later became Cadogan's Horse. As Coy's Horse, the regiment fought at the

Battle of the Boyne The Battle of the Boyne ( ) took place in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and James's daughter), had acceded to the Crowns of England and Sc ...

. In 1804 it became the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Regiment of Dragoon Guards. In 1922, the regiment was amalgamated with the

6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons The 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1689 as Sir Albert Cunningham's Regiment of Dragoons. One of the regiment's most notable battles was the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. It became ...

to form the 5th/6th Dragoons. Its history and traditions continue today in the

Royal Dragoon Guards The Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG) is a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments: The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dr ...

, an armoured cavalry unit of the British Army.

History

On 1 January 1686, several independent troops of horse raised in response to the 1685

Monmouth Rebellion The Monmouth Rebellion in June 1685 was an attempt to depose James II of England, James II, who in February had succeeded his brother Charles II of England, Charles II as king of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and ...

were formed into the

Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Ireland ...

's Regiment of Horse. It was first commanded by Lord Shrewsbury, with

John Darcy, Lord Conyers John Darcy, Lord Conyers (1659 – 6 January 1689) was an English soldier and one of the two members of the House of Commons of England representing Richmond, Yorkshire, briefly in 1681 and again from 1685 to 1687. The eldest son of Conyers Darcy ...

, as his lieutenant-colonel. After the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...

of 1688, the regiment served in the

Williamite War in Ireland The Williamite War in Ireland took place from March 1689 to October 1691. Fought between Jacobitism, Jacobite supporters of James II of England, James II and those of his successor, William III of England, William III, it resulted in a Williamit ...

, including fighting at the

and the First Siege of Limerick. When the

Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...

ended in 1697, the regiment escaped disbandment by being made part of the Irish military establishment, where it remained until the creation of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in 1801. During the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...

, the unit was commanded by William Cadogan, close aide to the

Duke of Marlborough General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.) was a British army officer and statesman. From a gentry family, he ...

. It was engaged in many of Marlborough's battles and sieges, including Blenheim, Ramillies and Malplaquet; after the

Peace of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaty, peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vac ...

in 1713, it resumed garrison duties in Ireland, where it spent most of the next 80 years. Renamed Second Irish Horse in 1746, it then became 5th Regiment of Dragoon Guards in 1788. On the outbreak of the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

in 1793, it was posted to Flanders where it fought at the April 1794

Battle of Beaumont The Battle of Beaumont on 30 August 1870 was won by Prussia during the Franco-Prussian War. It was fought between the French V Corps under general Pierre Louis Charles de Failly, and IV Corps under general Constantin von Alvensleben, XII C ...

. The unit returned to Ireland and helped suppress the

1798 Irish Rebellion The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (; Ulster-Scots: ''The Turn out'', ''The Hurries'', 1798 Rebellion) was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland. The main organising force ...

, including the battles of

Arklow Arklow ( ; ; ) is a town in County Wicklow on the southeast coast of Ireland. The town is overlooked by Ballymoyle Hill. It was founded by the Vikings in the ninth century. Arklow was the site of one of the Battle of Arklow, bloodiest battles ...

Vinegar Hill Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...

and

Ballinamuck Ballinamuck () is a village in the north of County Longford in the Midlands of Ireland. It is around 15 km north of Longford Town. It was the scene of the Battle of Ballinamuck, where a combined Franco-Irish army aiding the United Irishmen rebe ...

. In 1804, it was retitled 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Regiment of Dragoon Guards after

Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte may refer to: People * Charlotte of the United Kingdom (disambiguation), various princesses ** Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015), granddaughter of King Charles III and only daughter of William, Prince of Wales * Charlott ...

, later simplified to 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards. Private Michael McNamara - 5th Dragoon Guards

Posted to Spain in 1810, it was part of John Le Marchant's brigade during the

Peninsular campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...

. The

Battle of Salamanca The Battle of Salamanca (in French and Spanish known as the Battle of the Arapiles) took place on 22July 1812. An Anglo-Portuguese Army, Anglo-Portuguese army under the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Earl of Wellington (future ...

in July 1812 is considered one of

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

's greatest victories and Le Marchant's attack as the 'single most destructive charge made by a brigade of cavalry in the whole Napoleonic period.' The regiment celebrated 'Salamanca Day' until its dissolution in 1922; the tradition continues among several units of the modern British army. Redesignated heavy cavalry, it was sent to the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

in 1853 and fought in the October 1854

Battle of Balaclava The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–55), an Allied attempt to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russian Empire, Russia's principal naval base on the Bl ...

. The Charge of the Heavy Brigade was a famous action but casualties were relatively light; the Brigade as a whole lost 92 dead and wounded in total, 15 of whom came from the 5th Dragoon Guards. A small detachment joined the 1885 Nile Expedition in 1885 but its next serious action was during the 1899–1902

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, when it fought at the battles of

Elandslaagte Elandslaagte is farming and coal-mining centre some 26 km north-east of Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, Ladysmith. Afrikaans for 'elands flat', it was the scene of the Battle of Elandslaagte, one of the first battles of the Second Anglo-Boer War, o ...

and Ladysmith. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, it formed part of the British Expeditionary Force that landed in France in August 1914. Retitled 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) in 1921, the following year it was amalgamated with the Inniskillings (6th Dragoons), to form 5th/6th Dragoons.

Regimental museum

Enniskillen Cathedral of St. Macartin North Aisle Royal Inniskilling Dragoons Window Detail Insigna 1685-1922 2012 09 17.jpg, Memorial window at

St Macartin's Cathedral, Enniskillen St Macartin's Cathedral, Enniskillen, is one of two cathedral churches in the Diocese of Clogher (the other is St Macartan's Cathedral, Clogher) in the Church of Ireland. It stands on high ground overlooking the town of Enniskillen, County Fer ...

St Mary's Church Eccleston, Old Churchyard - GWGC grave of J Whiston (d 1918).JPG, J Whiston, 5th Dragoon Guards; gravestone,

St Mary's Church, Eccleston St Mary's Church is in the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, Eccleston, Cheshire, England, on the estate of the Duke of Westminster south of Chester. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I Lis ...

The regimental collection is held in the

Cheshire Military Museum The Cheshire Military Museum is a military museum in Chester, Cheshire, England. History The museum has been housed in the former A Block in Chester Castle since 1972. It covers the history of four British Army regiments connected with the Cou ...

Chester Castle Chester Castle is in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. It is sited at the southwest extremity of the area bounded by the city walls. The castle stands on an eminence overlooking the River Dee. In the castle complex are the remaining par ...

List of Colonels

The colonels of the regiment were as follows: Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg,

1686-1687 File:William Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan by Louis Laguerre.jpg, William Cadogan
1703-1712 Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham by Jean Baptiste van Loo.jpg,

Viscount Cobham Viscount Cobham is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created in 1718. Owing to its special remainder, the title has passed through several families. Since 1889, it has been held by members of the Lyttelton family. The barony ...

1744-1745 cardigan.jpg,

Earl of Cardigan Earl of Cardigan is a title in the Peerage of England that was created by Charles II in 1661 for Thomas Brudenell, 1st Baron Brudenell, and the title has been held since 1868 by the Marquesses of Ailesbury. Since that time, it has been used ...

1859-1860 James Yorke Scarlett (1799-1871), British soldier.jpg, Sir James Scarlett
1860-1871 Tom Bridges 1918.jpg, Sir Tom Bridges
1920-1922

1686 Named after Colonel eg Shrewsbury's Horse

*1686:

; resigned in 1687 and joined

William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily () * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg (1817–1890) N ...

in the Dutch Republic; *1687: Marmaduke Langdale, 2nd Baron Langdale; *1687: Richard Hamilton; Irish Catholic, removed from command and jailed in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

31 December 1688; *1688: John Coy; Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment since 1686, experienced veteran with service in France and the

Tangier Garrison The Tangier Garrison was the land force which oversaw the defence of English Tangier between 1661 and 1684 when it was evacuated. It was part of the English Army, the de facto standing army that Charles II of England, Charles II established foll ...

; *1697:

Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran Lieutenant-General Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran (of the second creation), ''de jure'' 3rd Duke of Ormonde (1671–1758) was an Anglo-Irish peer. His uncle Richard was the 1st Earl of Arran of the first creation. The titles were re-create ...

; *1703: William Cadogan, later Earl Cadogan;

Marlborough Marlborough or the Marlborough may refer to: Places Australia * Marlborough, Queensland * Principality of Marlborough, a short-lived micronation in 1993 * Marlborough Highway, Tasmania; Malborough was an historic name for the place at the sou ...

's quartermaster-general and head of intelligence, succeeded him as

Master-General of the Ordnance The Master-General of the Ordnance (MGO) was a very senior British military position from 1415 to 2013 (except 1855–1895 and 1939–1958) with some changes to the name, usually held by a serving general. The Master-General of the Ordnance was ...

in 1722. *1712: George Kellum; in service with the regiment since its formation in 1686; *1717: Robert Napier *1740: Clement Neville *1744: Field Marshall

; *1745: Thomas Wentworth (died November 1747);

1746 2nd Irish Horse

*1747:

Thomas Bligh Lieutenant-General Thomas Bligh (1685–1775) was a British Army officer best known for his service during the Seven Years' War when he led a series of amphibious raids, known as " descents" on the French coastline. Despite initial success in th ...

Cannon p. 37 *1758:

John Waldegrave, 3rd Earl Waldegrave General (United Kingdom), General John Waldegrave, 3rd Earl Waldegrave (28 April 1718 – 22 October 1784) was a British politician and soldier. Career Waldegrave was the youngest son of the James Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldeg ...

*1760: Hon. John Fitzwilliam

1788 5th Regiment of Dragoon Guards

*1789: John Douglas *1790: Thomas Bland; previously served 36 years with the

7th Dragoon Guards The 7th (The Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1688 as Lord Cavendish's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as the 8th Horse in 1694 and the 7th (The Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards for ...

;

1804 5th (the Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Regiment of Dragoon Guards

*1816: Prince Léopold Georg Christian Friedrich of Saxe-Saalfeld-Coburg

1823 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards

*1831: Gen. Sir John Slade; died aged 97 in 1859 and served in the Peninsular War, where contemporaries described him as 'that damned stupid fellow.' *1859: Lt-Gen.

James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan Lieutenant-General James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan (16 October 1797 – 28 March 1868) was a British Army officer who commanded the Light Brigade during the Crimean War, leading its disastrous charge at the Battle of Balacla ...

; commanded the Light Brigade in the Crimean War; *1860: Gen. Hon. Sir James Scarlett; acted as CO of the regiment from 1840, led the Charge of the Heavy Brigade at Balaclava; *1871: Gen. Richard Parker; *1885: Gen. Sir

Thomas Westropp McMahon General (United Kingdom), General Sir Thomas Westropp McMahon, 3rd Baronet, (14 February 1813 – 23 January 1892) was a senior British Army officer. Biography He was born the eldest son of Sir Thomas McMahon, 2nd Baronet, an Army officer who wa ...

*1892: Lt-Gen.

Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, 7th Baron Calthorpe Somerset John Gough-Calthorpe, 7th Baron Calthorpe (23 January 1831 – 16 November 1912), was a British peer, soldier and politician. Calthorpe was the fifth but third surviving son of Frederick Gough, 4th Baron Calthorpe and Lady Charlott ...

*1912: Maj-Gen. Richard Temple Godman *1912: Maj-Gen. William Edward Marsland *1920: Lt-Gen. Sir

George Tom Molesworth Bridges Lieutenant General Sir George Tom Molesworth Bridges (20 August 1871 – 26 November 1939) known as Sir Tom Bridges, was a British Army officer and the 19th Governor of South Australia. Bridges had a distinguished military career, seeing servi ...

*''1922: Regiment amalgamated with

The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons) The 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1689 as Sir Albert Cunningham's Regiment of Dragoons. One of the regiment's most notable battles was the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. It became t ...

to form the 5th/6th Dragoons''

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * * {{British Cavalry Regiments World War I Cavalry regiments of the British Army Dragoon Guards 1685 establishments in England Military units and formations disestablished in 1922 Military units and formations established in 1685 DG5 Regiments of the British Army in the Crimean War Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817)