Light Dragoons

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=The Light Dragoons


caption=Cap badge of the Light Dragoons
dates=1 December 1992-
country=United Kingdom
branch=Army
type=Line Cavalry
command_structure=Royal Armoured Corps
role=Formation Reconnaissance
size= One regiment
current_commander=
garrison= RHQ - Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Regiment - Swanton Morley
ceremonial_chief=HM King Abdullah II of Jordan
ceremonial_chief_label=Colonel-in-Chief
colonel_of_the_regiment= Lt-General Sir Roderick Alexander Cordy-Simpson, KBE CB
nickname=
motto= "Viret in aeternum" (It Flourishes Forever);
"Merebimur" (We shall be Worthy) (Latin)
colors=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Tactical Recognition Flash
identification_symbol_2=NCOs - Royal Crest
From 15th/19th King's Royal Hussars
ORs - South Africa flash
From 13th/18th Royal Hussars
identification_symbol_2_label=Arm Badge
identification_symbol_4=LD
identification_symbol_4_label=Abbreviation
march=Quick - "Balaklava"
Slow - "Denmark"
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=

The Light Dragoons (LD) is a cavalry regiment in the British Army.

Formation

It was formed in 1992 from the amalgamation of two regiments, becoming the first dragoon regiment in the British Army for over twenty years:

* 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)
* 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars

Present day

The Light Dragoons are a Formation reconnaissance regiment with a history in the reconnaissance role which dates back to the early 18th Century. Currently based in Robertson Barracks Swanton Morley, Norfolk, formerly RAF Swanton Morley they are commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Angus Watson MBE.

They are highly experienced operationally with 14 tours of the Balkans during the 1990’s. They have deployed twice to Iraq on Operation TELIC in 2003 and 2005.

C Squadron Deployed on a 6 month operational tour of duty in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on Operation HERRICK 5 with 3 Commando Brigade , Royal Marines.

In April 2007 the majority of the Regiment including elements of HQ Squadron, B Squadron complete and specialists from D Squadron were deployed for a six month tour in Afghanistan with 12 Mechanised Brigade on Operation HERRICK 6.

The Light Dragoons recruit principally in the North East of England (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham) and in South Yorkshire and have strong connections with these areas. For this important reason, the Regiment is known as England’s Northern Cavalry., [http://www.army.mod.uk/ld/the_regiment_today/index.htm]

Formation reconnaissance

Formation Reconnaissance: The Role

By means of Formation Reconnaissance (FR), commanders at brigade and divisional level are able to gain accurate and timely information from the battlefield.

Operating up to fifty miles ahead of the main body, the FR taskforce identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy’s defences, or locates the main thrust of his attack. FR soldiers achieve this either by advancing into contact with the enemy and probing his positions, or by establishing a matrix of covert observation posts which can identify, assess and report the enemy threat.

Information thus gained gives the commander the battlefield intelligence he requires to plan the battle ahead, allowing him to concentrate force against the enemy’s weakest point or to best counter an attack.

A Formation Reconnaissance Regiment, is equipped with the Scimitar. They also use other vehicles in this class, such as the Sultan command and control vehicle and the Samaritan field ambulance. The organisation is 3 Squadrons (A , B , C) , each of 12 FV107 Scimitar and 4 FV103 Spartan , D Squadron has experts in demolitions, sniping, controlling fast jets (JTAC) and using the FGM 148 Javelin anti tank missile system.

Vehicles

The Light Dragoons are equipped with the family of Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) vehicles. Although they have been in service with the British Army for some 30 years, they are very capable, fast, manoeuvrable and well protected. The main recce vehicle is the Scimitar which is armed with a 30mm cannon and a machine gun and uses a very efficient thermal imaging sight for gathering information and target acquisition.

The Spartan is used as an armoured personnel carrier and is crewed by recce soldiers who are experts in demolitions, sniping, controlling fast jets and the Javelin anti-tank missile system.

The Sultan is a command vehicle equipped with a state of the art communications system for controlling the battle. [http://www.army.mod.uk/ld/role_equipment/index.htm]

*Scimitar
*Length 4.9m
*Height 2.1m
*Width 2.24m
*Ground Clearance 0.35m
*Combat weight 8,070kg
*Main armament 1 x 30mm L21 Rarden cannon
*Secondary armament Coaxial 7.62mm GPMG, Smoke grenades
*Ammunition carried 160 rounds of 30mm, 3,000 rounds of 7.62mm
*Engine Cummins BTA 5.9 diesel engine developing 190hp.
*Maximum speed 80 kph

*Spartan
*Width 2.24m;
*Weight 8.17 tonnes;
*Max Road Speed 80.5kph;
*Engine Cummins BTA 5.9 diesel enine;
*Crew Commander, driver and 5 crew;
*Armament 302mm machine gun.

*Sultan

Nicknames

*A Squadron "The Empire"
*B Squadron "The Guards"
*C Squadron "The Legion"
*D Squadron "The Enemy"

Operational honours

During service in Afghanistan the following members of the regiment were Mentioned in Despatches (MID):

*Sergeant Michael WILKINSON
*Lieutenant Nicholas William David BINNINGTON
*Major John GODFREY

Colonels-in-chief

* HRH The Princess of Wales (1992–1996)
* HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1997–2002)
* HM The King of Jordan (2003–)

The Light Dragoons is one of only two regiments in the British Army to have a foreign monarch as its Colonel-in-Chief (the other being the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires). HM King Abdullah served in the 13th/18th Royal Hussars, one of the antecedents of the Light Dragoons.

The dragoons were traditionally soldiers trained to fight on foot, but transport themselves on horseback. In other words, they moved as cavalry but fought as infantry.

Alliances

*CAN - The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal)
*CAN - The South Alberta Light Horse
*AUS - 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
*IND - 1st Horse (Skinner's Horse)
*PAK - 6th Lancers
*PAK - 19th Lancers
*MAS - 2nd Royal Armoured Regiment
*RN - HMS "Northumberland
*FRA - 4e Chasseurs d'Afrique

Affiliated Yeomanry

* The Northumberland Hussars
* The Queen's Own Yorkshire Yeomanry

References

*Light Dragoons: The Making of a Regiment By Allan Mallinson . Pen and Sword books . 362 pages . 2006. ISBN 1844154483

External Websites

*http://www.army.mod.uk/ld/the_regiment_today/index.htm
*http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/16/wdragoons16.xml .Retrieved 30th March 2008

Order of Precedence

Navbox
name = British Army Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps Regiments
title = British Army Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps Regiments


list1 =

Life Guards • Blues and Royals • Household Cavalry Regiment • Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment • 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards • Royal Scots Dragoon Guards • Royal Dragoon Guards • Queen's Royal Hussars • 9th/12th Royal Lancers • King's Royal Hussars • Light Dragoons • Queen's Royal Lancers • 1st Royal Tank Regiment• 2nd Royal Tank Regiment • Royal Yeomanry • Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry • Royal Wessex Yeomanry• Queen's Own Yeomanry