14th King's Hussars
Encyclopedia
The 14th King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment
in the British Army
, first raised in 1715. It saw service for two centuries, before being amalgamated into the 14th/20th Hussars in 1922.
The regiment was raised in 1715 as a dragoon
regiment
, named for its first colonel as James Dormer's Regiment of Dragoons, and ranked as the 14th Dragoons. In 1751 it was formally renamed as the 14th Regiment of Dragoons. It became a light dragoon regiment in 1776, as the 14th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons, and was renamed for Princess Frederica
in 1798 as the 14th (The Duchess of York's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons.
The regiment went to join Wellington
's Army in the Iberian Peninsula
in 1808 following time spent in England. The regiment gained the battle honour
Douro in May 1809 having been spared the retreat to Corunna
in the same year; the only regiment having been spared this retreat. Hard action at the Talavera in 1809 followed with smaller actions at Barquilla and on the Coa river during 1810. The regiment also saw action at Fuentes d'Onoro
in 1811. The following year was a very busy one for the 14th having fought at Villagarcia
and Salamanca
as well as covering the sieges at Badajoz
and at Ciudad Rodrigo
where Lieutenant-Colonel Talbot, along with 34 of his men, was killed.
During the Battle of Vitoria
in 1813 the regiment captured a silver chamberpot belonging to King Joseph Bonaparte
, brother of the Emperor Napoleon
, which resulted in the regimental nickname of "The Emperor's Chambermaids". Minor actions in the Pyrenees followed, and supporting roles took them into France itself. The regiment went back to England at the end of the Peninsula War, but had to find two squadrons to send to North America. In North America the role of the regiment was limited in that they had arrived without their horses, although they did take part in the Battle of New Orleans
on 8 January 1815. Due to the action in North America the regiment took no part in the Waterloo Campaign.
They were renamed in 1830, to mark the coronation of William IV
as the 14th (The King's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons. The title was simplified in 1861 to the 14th (King's) Hussars. After service in the First World War, the regiment retitled as the 14th King's Hussars in 1921, and was amalgamated with the 20th Hussars
to form the 14th/20th Hussars the following year.
Cavalry regiments of the British Army
There are currently nine regular cavalry regiments of the British Army, with two tank regiments provided by the Royal Tank Regiment, traditionally classed alongside the cavalry, for a total of eleven regiments. Of these, five serve as armoured regiments, and five as formation reconnaissance...
in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, first raised in 1715. It saw service for two centuries, before being amalgamated into the 14th/20th Hussars in 1922.
The regiment was raised in 1715 as a dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
, named for its first colonel as James Dormer's Regiment of Dragoons, and ranked as the 14th Dragoons. In 1751 it was formally renamed as the 14th Regiment of Dragoons. It became a light dragoon regiment in 1776, as the 14th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons, and was renamed for Princess Frederica
Frederica Charlotte of Prussia
Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia was the only daughter of Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia, later King Frederick William II and his first wife and double first cousin Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
in 1798 as the 14th (The Duchess of York's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons.
The regiment went to join Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
's Army in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
in 1808 following time spent in England. The regiment gained the battle honour
Battle honour
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 , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
Douro in May 1809 having been spared the retreat to Corunna
Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
in the same year; the only regiment having been spared this retreat. Hard action at the Talavera in 1809 followed with smaller actions at Barquilla and on the Coa river during 1810. The regiment also saw action at Fuentes d'Onoro
Battle of Fuentes de Onoro
In the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro , the British-Portuguese Army under Viscount Wellington checked an attempt by the French Army of Portugal under Marshal André Masséna to relieve the besieged city of Almeida.-Background:...
in 1811. The following year was a very busy one for the 14th having fought at Villagarcia
Battle of Villagarcia
In the Battle of Villagarcia on 11 April 1812, British cavalry commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton routed a French cavalry force led by General de Brigade Charles Lallemand at the village of Villagarcia in the Peninsular War...
and Salamanca
Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca saw Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish armies under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on July 22, 1812 during the Peninsular War....
as well as covering the sieges at Badajoz
Battle of Badajoz (1812)
In the Battle of Badajoz , the Anglo-Portuguese Army, under the Earl of Wellington, besieged Badajoz, Spain and forced the surrender of the French garrison....
and at Ciudad Rodrigo
Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo
In the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, the Duke of Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army seized the city from its French garrison under Brigadier General Baron Barrié on January 20, 1812 after a siege that started on January 7...
where Lieutenant-Colonel Talbot, along with 34 of his men, was killed.
During the Battle of Vitoria
Battle of Vitoria
At the Battle of Vitoria an allied British, Portuguese, and Spanish army under General the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, leading to eventual victory in the Peninsular War.-Background:In July 1812, after...
in 1813 the regiment captured a silver chamberpot belonging to King Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
, brother of the Emperor Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, which resulted in the regimental nickname of "The Emperor's Chambermaids". Minor actions in the Pyrenees followed, and supporting roles took them into France itself. The regiment went back to England at the end of the Peninsula War, but had to find two squadrons to send to North America. In North America the role of the regiment was limited in that they had arrived without their horses, although they did take part in the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
on 8 January 1815. Due to the action in North America the regiment took no part in the Waterloo Campaign.
They were renamed in 1830, to mark the coronation of William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
as the 14th (The King's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons. The title was simplified in 1861 to the 14th (King's) Hussars. After service in the First World War, the regiment retitled as the 14th King's Hussars in 1921, and was amalgamated with the 20th Hussars
20th Hussars
The 20th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. In 1922 it was amalgamated with the 14th Hussars to form the 14th/20th Hussars, later the 14th/20th King's Hussars.-History of the 20th Hussars:...
to form the 14th/20th Hussars the following year.
Battle honours
- Douro, Talavera, Fuentes d'Onor, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Orthes, Peninsula, Chillianwallah, Goojerat, Punjaub, Persia, Central India, Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1900-02
- The Great War: Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1915-18, Persia 1918