13th/18th Royal Hussars

The 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.

Formation

On 9 September 1922, the 13th/18th Hussars was formed by amalgamation of the 13th Hussars and the 18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own). In December 1935, it became known as the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own). It transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps in April 1939.

World War Two

During the Second World War, it served as the reconnaissance regiment of the 1st Infantry Division in the Battle of France, and with 27th Armoured Brigade (later transferred to 8th Armoured Brigade) in the Battle of Normandy, where it was equipped with Sherman DD tanks.

Cold War

The regiment were the garrisoned regiment at Long Kesh at the introduction of Internment in 1971 by the then British Government, which saw the internment of IRA suspects without trial. The remnants of the "Kesh" were still existent at the site of HMP Maze until its demise.

The regiment were the first to introduce Armoured Fighting Vehicles proper to Northern Ireland, with the introduction of the CVR(W) Fox armoured car in 1977.

After this tour, the regiment was stationed at Wimbish (Saffron Walden) equipped with the Fox until 1982, when they were stationed in the North-West German town of Herford, becoming part of 1st British Corps (1BR). Here they were equipped with CVR(T), Scimitar, Spartan, and Sultan and in 1983 were re-equipped with the LRATGW system, Swingfire which was vehicle mounted on CVR(T) Striker. During this period, in 1985, the regiment posted a composite squadron (B Squadron) back at HMP Maze as part of the roulement tours of the time.

In December 1986, the regiment returned to the United Kingdom, to the Hampshire garrison of Tidworth, where they formed part of the AMF(L) force. From here the regiment also posted three squadrons on UN peace-keeping tours to Cyprus in 1987, 1989 and 1990.

The regiment's final posting was as the Corps Reconnaissance Regiment, again as part of 1(BR) Corps in the German Town of Wolfenbuttel, close to what used to be the inner-German border with East Germany.

Present

With collapse of the Eastern-Bloc, the threat from Eastern Europe diminished in the eyes of the politicians and in the early 1990s, the then British government introduced a measure designed to streamline the armed forces, called "Options for Change". This programme saw many leave the forces on a mass "redundancy" package, and this in turn led to the amalgamation of several units within the British army.

On 1 December 1992, the regiment amalgamated with the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars to form The Light Dragoons.

Their motto remains "Viret et aertenum" - May Their Name Flourish Forever, and "Pro rege, Pro lege, Pro patria conamour" - For King, For Justice, for Country we fight.

Battle honours

Combined battle honours of 13th and 18th Hussars:

The Second World War: Dyle, Withdrawal to Escaut, Ypres-Comines Canal, Normandy Landing, Breville, Caen, Bourguébus Ridge, Mont Pincon, St. Pierre La Vielle, Geilenkirchen, Roer, Rhineland, Waal Flats, Goch, Rhine, Bremen, North-West Europe 1940 '44-45

References

* [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/cav/D13-18h.htm Regiments.org – 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)]