| Unit Name: | 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars |
| Dates: | 11 April 1922 – 1 December 1992 |
| Country: |  United Kingdom |
| Branch: | British Army |
| Type: | Line Cavalry |
| Role: | Formation Reconnaissance |
| Size: | Regiment |
| Command Structure: | Royal Armoured Corps |
| Garrison: | Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Colonel Of The Regiment: | Princess Margaret |
| Colonel Of The Regiment Label: | Colonel-in-Chief |
| Motto: | Merebimur (We shall be Worthy) (Latin) |
| Colors: | Blue - Yellow - Red & Blue |
| Colors Label: | Colours |
| Identification Symbol: | NCOs - Royal Crest. All Ranks Assaye and Elephant on belt buckle. |
| Anniversaries: | 21 December Sahagún Day 23 September Assaye Day |
The 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed by the amalgamation of the 15th The King's Hussars and the 19th Royal Hussars in 1922 and, after service in the Second World War, it was amalgamated with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars to form the Light Dragoons in 1992.
The regiment was created, as part of the reduction in cavalry in the aftermath of the First World War, by the amalgamation of the 15th The King's Hussars and the 19th Royal Hussars on 11 April 1922 to form the 15th/19th Hussars.[1] It briefly dropped the 19th numeral from its title in October 1932, becoming the 15th The King's Royal Hussars, before regaining it in December 1933.[1]
The amalgamated regiment formed at Assaye Barracks, Tidworth in 1922 and remained there until January 1924 when it sailed for service in Egypt. The regiment was based at Helmieh, with detachments at Sidi Bishr and Mena Camp, until December 1926 when it moved to Abbassia. The regiment sailed for service in India in 1928 being based as Risalpur. The regiment took part in operations on the North West Frontier during the Redshirt Rebellion of 1930-31. In 1934, the regiment left India, being based at Shorncliffe then based at Tidworth from 1935-1937.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the regiment was based at York, serving as the divisional reconnaissance regiment for the 3rd Infantry Division.[2] The regiment was deployed with the division as part of the British Expeditionary Force, and fought in the Battle of France: it suffered heavy losses during the German advance and, having left all its armour and vehicles behind, took part in the Dunkirk evacuation.[3]
Following the withdrawal, the regiment was assigned to the 3rd Motor Machine Gun Brigade, which was redesignated as the 28th Armoured Brigade and assigned to the 9th Armoured Division.[3] A cadre was detached to form the 23rd Hussars in December 1940.[1] The regiment remained in the United Kingdom until August 1944, when it moved to France to serve as the divisional armoured reconnaissance regiment for the 11th Armoured Division.[3]
The Regiment departed Germany for Belgium in September 1945 and arrived in the Canal Zone in Egypt the following month. The regiment was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division.[4] It subsequently deployed to Palestine in December 1945, returning to Egypt in 1947, before onward transfer to Sudan in November 1947.[5] It was the first cavalry regiment to be stationed in the Sudan since the 21st Lancers fought at the Battle of Omdurman in 1898.[6]
The Regiment moved to Knightsbridge Barracks in Lübeck in October 1949 and to McLeod Barracks in Neumünster in November 1951. It became the recce regiment for 7th Armoured Division and relocated to Combermere Barracks in Wesendorf in March 1953. In June 1954, it deployed to Malaya, with regimental headquarters and one squadron based at Ipoh and the other squadrons at Taiping and Raub, during the Malayan Emergency. In June 1957, a troop was deployed to Muscat during the Jebel Akhdar War. The regiment then joined 39th Infantry Brigade, moving to Lisanelly Camp in Omagh in August 1957 and then became an armoured car training regiment based at Deerbolt Camp near Barnard Castle in May 1959.
The regiment was re-roled as a nuclear escort regiment based at Swinton Barracks in Munster in September 1961 and then moved to Bhurtpore Barracks at Tidworth Camp in January 1968.[5] It returned to West Germany in November 1969, where it joined 11th Infantry Brigade and was based at Wessex Barracks in Bad Fallingbostel. The Regiment (minus 'B' Squadron) had its first operational tour in Northern Ireland in 1971 being based at Long Kesh from August to December 1971, following the introduction of internment of Provisional Irish Republican Army suspects. From January to April 1973, 'A' and 'C' Squadrons were deployed to Northern Ireland and Lance Corporal William Stuart was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry.[7] The Regiment was based at Lisanelly Camp in Omagh in November 1974. It then moved to a recce role, equipped with Scorpion and Fox, for 5th Infantry Brigade based at Aliwal Barracks in Tidworth Camp in May 1976; from there it deployed squadrons for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.[5] During this period, one squadron was deployed to Cyprus, equipped with Ferret Scout Cars, to serve as the resident armoured car squadron.[5]
In September 1977, the regiment was deployed back to Germany, where it was assigned to the 3rd Armoured Division and based at Alanbrooke Barracks in Paderborn: from there it continued to send units to Northern Ireland as part of Operation Banner and undertook guarding duties at the Maze Prison.[5] In November 1984, the main body of the Regiment returned to England as the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment at Bovington Camp in Dorset, although a squadron was again deployed to Cyprus, equipped with Ferret Scout Cars, to serve as the resident armoured car squadron.[5] As part of the post-Cold War defence reforms, the regiment was amalgamated with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars to form the Light Dragoons on 1 December 1992.[1]
The regimental collection is held by the Discovery Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne.[8]
The regiment's battle honours were those of its predecessor regiments plus:[1]
The Commanding Officers have been:[9]
Colonels of the Regiment were:[10]
The following are notable former members of the regiment:
"A" Squadron of the 15th/19th Hussars appears in Episode 4 "Replacements" of the TV miniseries Band of Brothers during the assault on Nuenen.[11]