The Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) is an Armoured 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 ...

based in

Bulford Camp Bulford Camp is a military camp on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. Established in 1897, the site continues in use as a large British Army base. The camp is close to the village of Bulford and is about northeast of the town of Amesbury. ...

in Wiltshire. It is the brother regiment of the

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army tasked primarily with ceremonial duties. Part of the Household Division, it is classed as a regiment of guards, and carries out mounted (and some dismount ...

(HCMR) based at Hyde Park Barracks in London - both regiments together form the

Household Cavalry The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment sta ...

(HCav). The Household Cavalry was formed in 1992, under the

Options for Change Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in summer 1990 after the end of the Cold War. Until this point, UK military strategy had been almost entirely focused on defending Western Europe against the Soviet Armed Forces, ...

reforms, by the union of The Life Guards and the

Blues and Royals The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) (RHG/D) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry Regiment. The Colonel of the Regiment is Anne, Princess Royal. It is the second-most senior regiment in ...

in order to preserve the distinct identities of the regiments. A precedent for the Household Cavalry Regiment has previously been set by the

Household Cavalry Composite Regiment The Household Cavalry Composite Regiment was a temporary, wartime-only, cavalry regiment of the British Army consisting of personnel drawn from the 1st Life Guards, 2nd Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards. It was active in 1882 for service in the ...

- active during the Anglo-Egyptian War, the Second Boer War and latterly during both the First and Second World Wars. The HCR is part of the

, rather than the

Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the component of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 Tank and the Scimitar Reconnaissance Vehicle. It includes most of the A ...

(RAC), which encompasses all other armoured and cavalry regiments of the British Army. It serves as the 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade's Formation Reconnaissance regiment and hence is equipped with the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) family of vehicles, including the

Scimitar A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different ...

, and is considered, for operational purposes, as part of the RAC.

History

The Household Cavalry Regiment was established as part of the

defence review in 1992.

Former Yugoslavia

The House Cavalry Regiment's squadrons served in the

Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...

on rotations over a nine-year period. Deployments to the

Former Republic of Yugoslavia Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yug ...

included tours by A and D Squadrons in 1995 and C Squadron in 1999 and 2003. They were largely based at

Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...

, headquarters of the Multi-National Division (South-West), for which the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...

were responsible. In 1997 two squadrons from the regiment were awarded the

Wilkinson Sword of Peace The Firmin Sword of Peace (previously known as the Wilkinson Sword of Peace) is an award given to units of the British Armed Forces for activities above and beyond the unit's normal role that improve relations with the community, either within the U ...

for their work in "returning the lives of members of the severely damaged community of Banja Luka to conditions approaching normality, in which the seeds of long-standing peace might grow." In 1999 D Squadron provided the brigade reconnaissance squadron for 4th Armoured Brigade for the occupation of

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

on Operation Agricola 1.

Fire Brigades Union strike

In 2002, Household Cavalry Regiment soldiers crewed fire appliances during the Fire Brigades Union strike. In 2003, exceptionally, the regiment was tasked at short notice to provide additional armed security at Heathrow Airport, in response to a specific threat.

Iraq

D Squadron deployed in their function as the Formation Reconnaissance Squadron for

16 Air Assault Brigade 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, from 1999 to 2021 16 Air Assault Brigade, is a formation of the British Army based in Colchester in the county of Essex. It is the Army's rapid response airborne formation and is the only brigade in the Britis ...

during the

2003 invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...

. The squadron led the brigade main body into Iraq before conducting a wide range of tasks, including around the Rumalayah oil fields. The squadron was unfortunate to be involved in a friendly-fire incident involving a US

A-10 Thunderbolt The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republic ...

. Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull was killed in the incident. In a separate incident, Lieutenant Alex Tweedie and Lance Corporal Karl Shearer died when the Scimitar over-turned into an irrigation canal. The squadron received various decorations for its service: Trooper Chris Finney was awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

for his actions during the A-10 incident, Major Richard Taylor received the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

, Corporal of Horse Mick Flynn received the

Conspicuous Gallantry Cross The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) is a second level military decoration of the British Armed Forces. Created in 1993 and first awarded in 1995, it was instituted after a review of the British honours system to remove distinctions of rank in ...

for his actions in a battle with Iraqi armour, and Corporal of Horse Glynn Bell was awarded the

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 ...

for his actions shortly before the end of the tour. In April 2004, A and C Squadrons deployed during

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 ...

4 and in June 2007, A and C Squadrons again returned to Iraq during Operation Telic 10.

Afghanistan

During

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 Ass ...

4, D Squadron deployed as the Formation Reconnaissance Squadron for 16 Air Assault Brigade in April 2006. C Squadron deployed with 52nd Infantry Brigade during Operation Herrick 7 in October 2007 and saw action at the

Battle of Musa Qala The Battle of Musa Qala (also Qaleh or Qal'eh) was a British-led military action in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, launched by the Afghan National Army and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) against the Taliban on 7 D ...

to recover the town of

Musa Qala ; "Fortress of Moses") is a town and the district centre of Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It is located at and at an altitude of 1,043 m in the valley of Musa Qala River in the central western part of the district. Its pop ...

from the

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

. D Squadron again deployed with 16 Air Assault Brigade, initially around Musa Qala, then east of

Girishk Grishk ( ps, ګرِشک, translit=Grishk; fa, گِرِشک, translit=Gereshk), also spelled Gereshk, is a town in Grishk District of Helmand province, geographically located along the Helmand River in Afghanistan, some northwest of Kandahar, a ...

during Operation Herrick 8 in April 2008. A, B and C Squadrons deployed on Operation Herrick 11 in 2009, A and B Squadron with 11 Light Brigade Headquarters based out of Camp Bastion and C Squadron as the Battle Group North West Manoeuvre Group, initially based in Musa Q’aleh District Centre and subsequently elsewhere in the Battle Group area of operations. There was another deployment again by D Squadron in late 2010 on Operation Herrick 13 and finally, B squadron deployed with 1st Mechanised Brigade Operation Herrick 18 in April 2013.

Recent deployments

The Household Cavalry Regiment contributed to security at the London Olympic Games in 2012 and flood relief in the local area during 2014. RAF Chinook Extracting Troops in Afghanistan MOD 45155516

RAF Chinook Extracting Troops in Afghanistan MOD 45155516

The regiment moved from

Combermere Barracks Combermere Barracks, Windsor, is a British military installation from Windsor Castle. History The original barracks, known as Clewer Barracks, were designed to accommodate the Royal Horse Guards and were built at Clewer Park between 1796 and 1 ...

to the new, specialist build barracks, Powle Lines, in

in May 2019.

Role

Armoured Cavalry - successor role to Brigade Reconnaissance Regiment

In 2014, the Household Cavalry Regiment was re-designated from a Brigade Reconnaissance Regiment to Armoured Cavalry as part of the Army 2020 reforms. The Household Cavalry Regiment's task is to provide timely and accurate information and intelligence to the Brigade Commander in order to enable decision-making. To fulfil this function, the Household Cavalry Regiment conducts surveillance and reconnaissance activities, mounted or dismounted, in all weathers by day or night. The regiment's vehicles enable information-gathering to be conducted whilst mobile, at pace, and whilst under fire. The change in designation from Brigade Reconnaissance Regiment to Armoured Cavalry reflects the evolving role of the Household Cavalry Regiment in preparation for

Scout SV The Ajax, formerly known as the Scout SV (Specialist Vehicle), is a group of armoured fighting vehicles being developed by General Dynamics UK for the British Army. The Ajax is a development of the ASCOD armoured fighting vehicles used by the ...

. The Household Cavalry Regiment is under the command of 1 Armoured Infantry Brigade, based at

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 – Ted ...

in Wiltshire.

Equipment

Scout SV Specialist Vehicle MOD 45157765

*Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked): The Household Cavalry Regiment, like the other Armoured Cavalry Regiments, continues to be equipped with the

Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked), abbreviated CVR(T), is a family of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) developed in the 1960s and is in service with the British Army and others throughout the world. They are small, highly mobile, air ...

series of vehicles, first employed in the 1970s. *Ajax: In due course, the Household Cavalry Regiment will convert to

Ajax (Scout SV) The Ajax, formerly known as the Scout SV (Specialist Vehicle), is a group of armoured fighting vehicles being developed by General Dynamics UK for the British Army. The Ajax is a development of the ASCOD armoured fighting vehicles used by the ...

- the British Army's first new Armoured Fighting Vehicle platform in a generation. Ajax will replace a number of CVR(T) variants, particularly Scimitar.

Commanding Officers

Regimental Commanding Officers included:Regiments and Commanding Officers, 1960–
* 1992–1994:

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 ...

P. Simon W. F. Falkner * 1994–1996: Lt Col William R. Rollo * 1996–1998: Lt Col Barney W. B. White-Spunner * 1998–2001: Lt Col Patrick J. Tabor * 2001–2003: Lt Col Marck C. Van Der Lande * 2003–2005: Lt Col Charles B. B. Clee * 2005–2008: Lt Col Edward Alexander Smyth-Osbourne * 2008–2011: Lt Col Henry R. D. Fullerton * 2011–2013: Lt Col James P. Eyre * 2013–2016: Lt Col Denis James * 2016–2018: Lt Col Edward P. W. Hayward * 2018–2020: Lt Col Mark S. P. Berry * 2020–Present: Lt Col Anthony Gilham

References

External links

Household Cavalry

Household Cavalry Foundation
{{The British Army Military units and formations established in 1992 Cavalry regiments of the British Army Guards regiments Household Cavalry Windsor Castle 1992 establishments in the United Kingdom