British Army cavalry regiment
Military unit
The
16th The Queen's Lancers
was a
cavalry regiment
of the
British Army
, first raised in 1759. It saw service for two centuries, before being amalgamated with the
5th Royal Irish Lancers
to form the
16th/5th Lancers
in 1922.
History
[
edit
]
Early wars
[
edit
]
The regiment was raised in 1759 by Colonel
John Burgoyne
as the
16th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
, being the second of the new regiments of light
dragoons
; it was also known as
Burgoyne's Light Horse
.
[1]
The regiment was closely involved, undertaking several cavalry charges, in the action leading up to the
capture of the French Garrison of Belle Ile
in April 1761 during the
Seven Years' War
.
[2]
It also made a major contribution to the British victories against the Spaniards at the
Battle of Valencia de Alcantara
in August 1762
[3]
and at the
Battle of Vila Velha
in October 1762 during the
Anglo-Spanish War
.
[4]
In 1766 the regiment was renamed after
Queen Charlotte
as the
2nd (or The Queen's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
, the number being an attempt to create a new numbering system for the light dragoon regiments.
[1]
However, the old system was quickly re-established, with the regiment returning as the
16th (The Queen's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
in 1769.
[1]
The regiment arrived in
New York
in October 1776 for service in the
American Revolutionary War
.
[5]
It was involved in fighting at the
Battle of White Plains
in October 1776,
[5]
the
Battle of Brandywine
in September 1777
[6]
and the
Battle of Germantown
in October 1777
[7]
before seeing more action at the
Battle of Crooked Billet
in May 1778,
[8]
the
Battle of Barren Hill
later that month
[8]
and the
Battle of Monmouth
in June 1778.
[9]
The regiment returned to England in spring 1779.
[10]
The regiment next landed at
Ostend
in April 1793 for service in the
Flanders Campaign
[11]
and was present at the
siege of Valenciennes
in June 1793,
[12]
the
siege of Dunkirk
in August 1793
[13]
and the
siege of Landrecies
in April 1794.
[14]
It also took part in the
Battle of Beaumont
in April 1794, the
Battle of Willems
in May 1794 and the
Battle of Tournay
in later that month
[15]
before returning to England in February 1796.
[16]
The regiment was then based in
Ireland
between autumn 1802 and 1805.
[17]
Napoleonic Wars
[
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]
The regiment were ordered to support
Sir Arthur Wellesley
's Army on the
Iberian Peninsula
and landed at
Lisbon
in April 1809.
[18]
The regiment fought at the
Second Battle of Porto
in May 1809,
[18]
the
Battle of Talavera
in July 1809
[19]
and the
siege of Ciudad Rodrigo
in April 1810.
[20]
The regiment also saw action at the
Battle of Bussaco
in September 1810
[21]
the
Battle of Sabugal
in April 1811
[22]
and the
Battle of Fuentes de Onoro
in May 1811.
[23]
It next fought at the
Battle of Salamanca
in July 1812,
[24]
the
siege of Burgos
in September 1812
[25]
and the
Battle of Vitoria
in June 1813.
[26]
It was next in action at the
siege of San Sebastian
in August 1813
[27]
and having advanced into France, at the
Battle of Nivelle
in November 1813
[27]
and at the
Battle of the Nive
in December 1813.
[28]
It returned home in July 1814.
[29]
The regiment took part in the
Hundred Days
landing at
Ostend
in May 1815.
[30]
It charged with
John Vandeleur
's Cavalry Brigade at the
Battle of Waterloo
in June 1815. After the battle, their commander, Lieutenant-colonel
James Hay
, lay so badly injured that he could not be moved from the field for eight days.
[31]
The regiment had been the sole British cavalry regiment to serve throughout the
Peninsular War
and at the Hundred Days.
[32]
Victorian era
[
edit
]
The regiment was dispatched to Ireland in March 1816 where it was re-designated as a
lancer
regiment in September 1816, becoming the
16th (The Queen's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Lancers)
.
[1]
It returned from Ireland in June 1819.
[33]
The regiment was sent to India in 1822
[34]
and saw action, using
lances
, against the
Marathas
at the
siege of Bharatpur
in January 1826.
[35]
It saw action again at the
capture of Ghuznee
in July 1839 during the
First Anglo-Afghan War
[36]
and at the Battle of Maharajpore in December 1843 during the
Gwalior campaign
. It also took part in the
Battle of Aliwal
in January 1846, when the regiment charged and dispersed a body of Sikhs ten times its size, and also fought at the
Battle of Sobraon
in February 1846 during the
First Anglo-Sikh War
.
[37]
The regiment's title was simplified to the
16th (The Queen's) Lancers
in 1861.
[1]
It served in India between 1865 and 1876 and again between 1890 and 1899.
[37]
20th century
[
edit
]
The regiment landed at
Cape Colony
in January 1900 for service in the
Second Boer War
and took part in the
relief of Kimberley
in February 1900.
[38]
The regiment, which had been based at
The Curragh
at the start of the
First World War
, landed in France as part of the
3rd Cavalry Brigade
in the
1st Cavalry Division
in August 1914 for service on the
Western Front
.
[39]
The regiment was retitled as the
16th The Queen's Lancers
in 1921
[1]
and amalgamated with the
5th Royal Irish Lancers
to form the
16th/5th Lancers
) in 1922.
[1]
Regimental museum
[
edit
]
The regimental collection is held at
The Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum
which is based at
Thoresby Hall
in
Nottinghamshire
.
[40]
Insignia and uniform
[
edit
]
The collar badge of the regiment comprised the figure 16 above a scroll inscribed "Queen's Lancers", over a pair of crossed lances and surmounted by a crown. The lancer full dress cap bore the regimental battle honours and number in silver.
[41]
In its early years as the 16th Light Dragoons, the regiment wore the standard red uniform of this branch of cavalry with black and then royal blue facings. In 1784 the red coat was replaced by a dark blue jacket. From 1816 to 1832 a dark blue lancer uniform was worn, until in December 1832 a scarlet coatee and undress jacket was authorized for all lancer regiments as part of a general policy to make red the national military colour. In 1840 it was ordered that Light Cavalry should revert to the blue uniforms formerly worn. Sir John Vandeleur petitioned that the regiment might be permitted to retain their scarlet coatee and on 2 March 1841, his request was granted.
[42]
The scarlet uniform was worn by the regiment during the First Sikh War and on their return to England in 1846, they remained the only Lancer regiment not to resume the blue jacket of the light cavalry. The unique distinction of scarlet lancer tunic and dark blue
plastron
was retained in full dress until 1914.
[43]
Battle honours
[
edit
]
The regiment's battle honours were as follows:
[1]
- Early Wars
: Beaumont, Willems, Talavera, Fuentes d'Onor, Salamanca, Vittoria, Nive, Peninsula, Waterloo, Bhurtpore, Ghuznee 1839, Afghanistan 1839, Maharajpore, Aliwal, Sobraon, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, South Africa 1900?02.
- The Great War
: Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Messines 1914, Armentieres 1914, Ypres 1914 '15, Gheluvelt, St. Julien, Bellewaarde, Arras 1917, Scarpe 1917, Cambrai 1917, Somme 1918, Amiens, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1914?18.
Victoria Cross
[
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]
Colonel-in-Chief
[
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]
Regimental Colonels
[
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]
Colonels of the Regiment were:
[1]
- 16th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
- 16th (or The Queen's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (1769)
- 16th (The Queen's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Lancers) (1816)
- 16th (or Queen's) Lancers
- 16th (The Queen's) Lancers (1905) then 16th The Queen's Lancers (1921)
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
Mills, T.F.
"16th The Queen's Lancers"
.
regiments.org
. Archived from
the original
on 16 October 2007
. Retrieved
3 October
2007
.
- ^
Cannon, p. 13
- ^
Cannon, p. 17
- ^
Cannon, p. 18
- ^
a
b
Cannon, p. 24
- ^
Cannon, p. 27
- ^
Cannon, p. 28
- ^
a
b
Cannon, p. 29
- ^
Cannon, p. 30
- ^
Cannon, p. 31
- ^
Cannon, p. 34
- ^
Cannon, p. 35
- ^
Cannon, p. 36
- ^
Cannon, p. 38
- ^
Cannon, p. 40
- ^
Cannon, p. 45
- ^
Cannon, p. 46
- ^
a
b
Cannon, p. 47
- ^
Cannon, p. 50
- ^
Cannon, p. 52
- ^
Cannon, p. 55
- ^
Cannon, p. 61
- ^
Cannon, p. 62
- ^
Cannon, p. 67
- ^
Cannon, p. 71
- ^
Cannon, p. 76
- ^
a
b
Cannon, p. 77
- ^
Cannon, p. 78
- ^
Cannon, p. 80
- ^
Cannon, p. 81
- ^
Dalton, p. 87
- ^
Bromley, p. 361
- ^
Cannon, p. 86
- ^
Cannon, p. 87
- ^
Cannon, p. 93
- ^
Cannon, p. 111
- ^
a
b
"16th The Queen's Lancers"
. National Army Museum. Archived from
the original
on 24 August 2016
. Retrieved
31 August
2016
.
- ^
"16th The Queen's Lancers"
. Anglo-Boer War
. Retrieved
31 August
2016
.
- ^
"16th The Queen's Lancers"
. The Long, Long Trail
. Retrieved
31 August
2016
.
- ^
"Charge of the Light Brigade bugle stars at new museum"
. BBC. 26 July 2011
. Retrieved
5 June
2018
.
- ^
Dress Regulations for the Army 1900, Appendix I
. Tuttle. 1970.
ISBN
978-0804807272
.
- ^
Sumner, p. 116
- ^
Carman, p. 172-174
Sources
[
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Further reading
[
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]
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Predecessors
| 1st generation
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2nd generation
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3rd generation
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Victoria Cross
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See also
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