Cap badge of the 9th Lancers, c1900. NAM. 1955-05-5-16Introduction
The unit was initially raised at Bedford by Owen Wynne to oppose the First Jacobite Rebellion of 1715. Initially raised as dragoons or mounted infantry, they became Light Dragoons in 1783 and Lancers in 1816. On the accession of William IV in 1830 the unit was given the prefix ‘Queen’s Royal’ after Adelaide, his queen consort.
Their service in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars took them to Ireland, South America and Spain. Their first Indian posting came in 1843 and they fought in the First and Second Afghan Wars. The Indian Mutiny saw the unit taking part in the captures of Delhi and Lucknow and winning twelve Victoria Crosses, the highest total for a cavalry regiment during the Mutiny.
The First VC of the European War, 1914. Captain Francis Grenfell, 9th Lancers at Audregnies, 24 August 1914.
Oil on canvas by Richard Caton Woodville, 1914.
NAM. 1978-09-22In 1896 David Campbell, an officer in the regiment, won the Grand National on his horse Soarer. The unit fought as cavalry in the Boer War and during the early months of the First World War. Less than a month into the First World War, Captain Francis Grenfell of the regiment won the Victoria Cross and on 7 September 1914 the unit also took part in the war’s last battle between two lancer units. Like almost all other cavalry units, from 1915 to 1918 its troops served on dismounted duties in the trenches of the Western Front.
Garrisoned in Ireland during its War of Independence, it then began to mechanise in 1936. The regiment covered the retreat to Dunkirk in 1940 before fighting at El Alamein and in Italy. The post-war period saw them stationed in Scotland, Germany and England before finally merging with the 12th (Prince of Wales’s) Royal Lancers in 1960.
Key facts
Motto:
- 'Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum' (meaning 'We Do Not Retreat')
Nickname:
- The Delhi Spearmen (for their actions during the Indian Mutiny)
Titles to date:
- Owen Wynne’s Regiment of Dragoons
- 9th Regiment of Dragoons
- 9th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
- 9th (or Queen’s Royal) Lancers
- 9th (The Queen’s Royal) Lancers
- 9th (Queen’s Royal) Lancers
- 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers
- 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s)
Find out more
Regimental Museum
Regimental Merchandise
National Army Museum Collection
3 March 2012, 8.26pm
Brilliant - I'm so pleased to
Brilliant - I'm so pleased to see this website indexing all the units, and with so much additional information, too.
As a footnote, (and not a criticism), the link is broken here:
Visit the website of the Regimental Museum of the 9th/12th Lancers. When you click on it, it just leads to a 'page not found' at Derby County Council's website. However, if you paste it into a blank browser page heading and click 'enter', it comes up with http://www.armymuseums.org.uk/museums/0000000007-9th-12th-Royal-Lancers-..., which is right, (I think). As I don't understand why this should happen, I'll leave it to you.
Thanks for all your hard work at the National Army Museum, and the cheery monthly e-mail newsletters,
Linda Walton.
5 March 2012, 11.00am
Thanks for your comment,
Thanks for your comment, Linda. We've now updated our link to the regimental museum's new website.
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