Queen's Royal Lancers

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Queen's Royal Lancers
Cap badge
Active25 June 1993 (25 June 1993)–2 May 2015 (2015-05-03)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeLine Cavalry
RoleFormation Reconnaissance
SizeOne regiment
Part ofRoyal Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQRHQ - Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham
Regiment - Catterick
Nickname(s)The Death or Glory Boys
Motto(s)Death or Glory
MarchQuick - Stable Jacket
Slow - Omdurman
EngagementsBattle of the Boyne
War of the Spanish Succession
American Revolution
Napoleonic Wars
Crimean War
*Battle of Balaclava
Indian Mutiny
Mahdist War
South Africa
World War I
World War II
Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
Commanders
Current
commander
None (regiment defunct)
Colonel-in-ChiefHM The Queen
Colonel of
the Regiment
Major-General Patrick Marriott CB CBE
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash
AbbreviationQRL

The Queen's Royal Lancers (QRL) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1993 and amalgamated with the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) on 2 May 2015 to form the Royal Lancers.

History[edit]

Queen's Royal Lancers providing security for Operation Eagle's Summit
Queen's Royal Lancers, in Helmand Province of Afghanistan, 2008.

The regiment was formed in 1993 by the amalgamation of the 16th/5th Queen's Royal Lancers with the 17th/21st Lancers.[1]

From its formation, the regiment served in the armoured role with first Challenger 1, then Challenger 2. However, in 2005, as part of the re-organisation of the army, the regiment started converting to the formation reconnaissance role, re-equipping with the Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicle.[1]

As part of the Army 2020 reforms intended to reduce the size of the British Army in line with the Strategic Defence and Security Review, it was announced that the 9th/12th Royal Lancers would amalgamate with the Queen's Royal Lancers to form a single regiment, the Royal Lancers, on 2 May 2015.[2]

Organisation[edit]

The regiment was organised into four squadrons, each of which perpetuates one of the antecedent regiments:

Regimental museum[edit]

The Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum is based at Thoresby Hall in Nottinghamshire.[3]

Traditions[edit]

The regiment's nickname, the 'Death or Glory Boys', came from their cap badge and was known as "the motto".[4] This was the combined cap badges of the two antecedent regiments, and features a pair of crossed lances, from the 16th/5th Queen's Royal Lancers, together with a skull and crossbones, below which is a ribbon containing the words 'Or Glory'. This comes from the 17th/21st Lancers, and was the cap badge of the 17th Lancers (the original 'Death or Glory Boys').[1]

Battle honours[edit]

The battle honours are:
16th/5th battle honours[5]

Combined honours before amalgamation of 16th and 5th Lancers:

After amalgamation of 16th and 5th Lancers:

  • Second World War: Kasserine, Fondouk, Kairouan, Bordj, Djebel Kournine, Tunis, Gromballa, Bou Ficha, North Africa 1942-43, Cassino II, Liri Valley, Monte Piccolo, Capture of Perugia, Arezzo, Advance to Florence, Argenta Gap, Traghetto, Italy 1944-45
  • Wadi al Batin, Gulf 1991

17th/21st battle honours[6]

Combined honours before amalgamation of 17th and 21st Lancers:

  • Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman, Sevastopol, Central India, South Africa 1879, Khartoum, South Africa 1900-02
  • First World War: Festubert, Somme 1916 '18, Morval, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Avre, Hazebrouck, Amiens, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1914-18, N.W. Frontier India 1915 '16

After amalgamation of 17th and 21st Lancers:

  • Second World War: Tebourba Gap, Bou Arada, Kasserine, Thala, Fondouk, El Kourzia, Tunis, Hammam Lif, North Africa 1942-43, Cassino II, Monte Piccolo, Capture of Perugia, Advance to Florence, Argenta Gap, Fossa Cembalina, Italy 1944-45

Queen's Royal Lancers

After amalgamation of 16th/5th Lancers and the 17th/21st Lancers into the Queens' Royal Lancers:

  • Al Basrah, Iraq 2003[7]

Alliances[edit]

Affiliated Yeomanry[edit]

Colonel-in-Chief[edit]

Regimental Colonels[edit]

Colonels of the regiment were:[8]

  • 1993–1995: Maj-Gen. Alastair Wesley Dennis, CB, OBE (ex 16/5 Lancers)
  • 1995–2001: Lt-Gen. Sir Richard Swinburn, KCB
  • 2001–2006: Brig. William James Hurrell, CBE
  • 2006-2011: Maj-Gen. Andrew Cumming
  • 2011-2015: Maj-Gen. Patrick Marriott, CB CBE

Commanding Officers[edit]

Regimental Commanding Officers included:[9]

  • 1993–1994: Lieutenant Colonel Robert A. McKenzie Johnston
  • 1994–1996: Lt Col Alick I. Finlayson
  • 1996–1998: Lt Col Rudi N. Wertheim
  • 1998–2000: Lt Col Patrick Claude Marriott
  • 2000–2002: Lt Col James Rupert Everard
  • 2002–2004: Lt Col Charles S. Fattorini
  • 2004–2006: Lt Col Andrew G. Hughes
  • 2006–2008: Lt Col Richard B. Nixon-Eckersall
  • 2008–2011: Lt Col Martin Todd
  • 2011–2013: Lt Col Nigel J. Best
  • 2013–2015: Lt Col Julian N. E. Buczacki

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Queen's Royal Lancers: History". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Amalgamation". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Charge of the Light Brigade bugle stars at new museum". BBC. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Queen's Royal Lancers Gift Shop". Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. QRL Motto (Cap badge of The Queen's Royal Lancers).
  5. ^ "16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 20 December 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  6. ^ "17th/21st Lancers". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Battle Honour Awards (Operation Telic)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 10 November 2005. col. 21WS–22WS. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  8. ^ "The Queen's Royal Lancers". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 26 December 2005. Retrieved 11 February 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ Regiments and Commanding Officers, 1960–.

External links[edit]