Cap badge of the 19th Royal Hussars, 1896-1922.
NAM. 2008-10-18-16Introduction
The first use of the numeral 19 for a British Army line cavalry regiment was in 1786, when the 23rd Light Dragoons was renumbered. This unit had been raised in 1781 as the first ever British cavalry unit to operate in India, where it fought against Tipu Sultan and Dhoondia Wao and served under Arthur Wellesley at Assaye.
It then served on garrison duties in India before being sent to Canada to fight in the War of 1812, becoming the 19th Lancers in 1816 and finally being disbanded in 1821.
The second unit to bear the numeral was the 19th Hussars, which was the title taken by the five-year-old 1st Bengal European Light Cavalry when it moved from the East India Company to the British Army in 1862 – it was also allowed to keep the battle honours of the 19th Lancers.
The 19th Hussars formed up in front of the Great Pyramid at Giza, c1882.
NAM. 1982-07-98-5This unit then fought in Egypt and Sudan in the 1880s and at the relief of Ladysmith during the Boer War – one of its colonels during this time was John French, better known for his generalship during the First World War.
It was sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force in 1914, fighting at Mons and the Marne. It served on the Western Front for the rest of World War One and was disbanded in 1921.
The 19th Hussars was re-formed the following year as a cadre or central core of officers, which was then immediately merged with the 15th The Kings Hussars.
Key facts
Nickname:
- The Dumpies (East India Company cavalry regiments waived the minimum height requirement of British Army cavalry units)
Titles to date:
- 23rd Regiment of Light Dragoons
- 19th Regiment of Light Dragoons
- 19th Regiment of Light Dragoons (Lancers)
- 19th Hussars
- 19th (Alexandra, Princess of Wales' Own)
- 19th Royal Hussars (Queen Alexandra's Own) Hussars
- 19th (Queen Alexandra’s Own Royal) Hussars
- 15th/19th The Kings Royal Hussars
- Light Dragoons
Find out more
Regimental Museum
Regimental Merchandise
National Army Museum Collection
Add your comment
Please note: By submitting a comment you are agreeing to the terms laid out in the National Army Museum's Rules for User Comments. Any views expressed in user comments do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of the National Army Museum or its staff.