Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons)

Cap badge of the 1st Dragoons, c1963. NAM. 1991-08-262-1

Introduction

In 1660 Charles II was restored to the British throne and a year later he raised army units to garrison Tangier, a new English possession which he had gained as part of his wife's dowry.

One of these regiments was a single troop raised from cavalry veterans of the Parliamentary army, soon expanded to four troops and ranked as the 1st Dragoons and then the King's Own Royal Regiment of Dragoons after Charles himself. The regiment only returned to England in 1684, upon which it was merged with another three troops and transferred to a mounted infantry role.

A year later it helped crush the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion, before service in Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and in Germany, capturing the standard of the Black Musketeers at Dettingen in 1743.

Captain Clark of the 1st Dragoons captured this eagle standard from the French 105th Line Infantry Regiment at Waterloo in 1815.
NAM. 1971-10-24-3

It returned to Germany in 1760 and Portugal in 1809 and captured the eagle of the French 105th Line Infantry Regiment at Waterloo, now on display in the Changing the World, 1784-1904 gallery. It then took part in the Charge of the Heavy Brigade at Balaklava during the Crimean War before serving in the Boer War and on the Western Front of the First World War.

The regiment was stationed in India, Palestine and Egypt during the inter-war period, becoming a mechanised unit shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1940 it joined the Royal Armoured Corps and the following year re-deployed to North Africa, fighting at El Alamein in 1941. It then took part in D-Day and ended the war as part of the force which liberated Copenhagen in May 1945.

Already the oldest line cavalry unit in the British Army, it was promoted to guards status in 1969 when it was amalgamated with the Royal Horse Guards (The Blues), to form the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons).

Key facts

Motto

• 'Spectemur Agendo' (meaning 'Let Us Be Judged By Our Deeds')

Nicknames:

• Tangier Cuirassiers (after their original posting)
• The Bird Catchers (after their capture of a French eagle standard at Waterloo)

Titles to date:

• The Tangier Horse
• The King’s Own Royal Regiment of Dragoons
• The Royal Regiment of Dragoons
• 1st (Royal) Regiment of Dragoons
• 1st (Royal) Dragoons
• 1st The Royal Dragoons
• The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons)
• The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons)
• Household Cavalry Regiment

Find out more

Regimental Museum

• Visit the website of the Household Cavalry Museum

Regimental Merchandise

• Visit the Household Cavalry Museum Shop
• Visit the National Army Museum Shop
• Visit the National Army Museum Print Shop

National Army Museum Collection

• Search our online collection for objects relating to this unit.
• Search our online inventory for books and publications relating to this unit
• Search our online inventory for other types of object relating to this unit