The 20th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

. After service in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

it was amalgamated with the 14th King's Hussars to form the 14th/20th King's Hussars in 1922.

History

Early wars

The regiment was originally raised in

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

by the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

as the 2nd Bengal European Light Cavalry in 1858, for service in the response to the Indian Rebellion. It was renamed the 2nd Bengal European Cavalry in 1859 and in 1862, while based in

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

, it was transferred to the British Army and renamed the 20th Regiment of Hussars. It became the 20th Hussars in 1877. The regiment remained on the North West Frontier and participated in the Ambela Campaign in autumn 1863 and the Hazara Expedition in October 1868 before moving to England in 1872. The regiment was based in Ireland from 1879 to 1884. Battle of Tofrek

The regiment was sent to

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

as part of the

Suakin Expedition The Suakin Expedition was either of two British-Indian military expeditions, led by Major-General Sir Gerald Graham, to Suakin in Sudan, with the intention of destroying the power of the Sudanese military commander Osman Digna and his troops dur ...

in February 1885 and took part in the

Battle of Tofrek The Battle of Tofrek was fought on 22 March 1885 some 5 miles inland from the port of Suakin on the Red Sea coast of Sudan. A contingent of some 3,000 troops from the British and Indian Suakin Expedition#Second expedition, "Suakin Field Force" le ...

in March 1885 and the Battle of Ginnis in December 1885. It also took part in the Battle of Gemeizeh in December 1888 during the

Mahdist War The Mahdist War (; 1881–1899) was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese, led by Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah, who had proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" of Islam (the "Guided One"), and the forces of the Khedivate of Egypt, initially, and later th ...

when it made a series of charges against the enemy. In this battle, three of the swords of the 20th Hussars broke short, an incident which later caused debate in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

. It undertook another successful charge at the Battle of Toski in August 1889. After their return to England in 1890, the regiment was awarded the battle honour "Suakin 1885" for its services in Egypt and also the battle honour "Vimiera" in respect of the earlier services of its predecessor regiment, the 20th Light Dragoons. The regiment returned to India in 1895.

20th century

The regiment was not deployed to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

until December 1901 for service in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

and therefore only took part in the final drives against the Boer commandos in spring 1902. The regiment was based in Ireland again from 1908 to 1911. The regiment, which was based in

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

at the start of the

, landed in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

as part of the 5th Cavalry Brigade in the 2nd Cavalry Division in August 1914 for service on the

. The regiment saw action at the

Battle of Mons The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force (World War I), British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies of World W ...

in August 1914 and both the

First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne or known in France as the Miracle on the Marne () was a battle of the First World War fought from the 5th to the 12th September 1914. The German army invaded France with a plan for winning the war in 40 days by oc ...

and the

First Battle of the Aisne The First Battle of the Aisne () was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army (led by Alexander von Kluck) and the Second Army (led by Karl von Bülow) as they retreated after the First Battle of the ...

in September 1914. It went on fight at the

First Battle of Ypres The First Battle of Ypres (, , – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. The battle was part of the First Battle of Flanders, in which German A ...

in October 1914, the Battle of Arras in April 1917 and the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. It later took part in the

German spring offensive The German spring offensive, also known as ''Kaiserschlacht'' ("Kaiser's Battle") or the Ludendorff offensive, was a series of German Empire, German attacks along the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First Wor ...

in 1918, the Battle of Amiens in August 1918 and the final push as the war drew to a close. A nationalist uprising in Turkey caused the allies to send troops to

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

. The regiment was deployed to the

İzmit İzmit () is a municipality and the capital Districts of Turkey, district of Kocaeli Province, Turkey. Its area is 480 km2, and its population is 376,056 (2022). The capital of Kocaeli Province, it is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea ...

peninsula in 1920 as part of a formation under General Sir Edmund Ironside's command. The regiment charged Turkish positions in July near the village of Gebze and successfully routed the enemy. Although mounted action did take place in

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, this was the last regimental charge ever made by British cavalry. The regiment suffered one casualty, although several horses were also wounded. The regiment was amalgamated in 1922 with the 14th King's Hussars to form the 14th/20th King's Hussars.

Regimental museum

The Museum of the 14th/20th King's Hussars was in the

Museum of Lancashire The Museum of Lancashire is a museum with several historic collections in Preston, Lancashire, Preston in Lancashire, England. The museum, which is based in the old Sessions House, is a Grade II listed building. History Construction of the cour ...

in Preston until it closed in 2016.

Battle honours

The regiment's battle honours were as follows: *''Early wars'': Vimiera, Peninsula, Suakin 1885, South Africa 1901-02 *''The Great War'': Mons, Retreat from Mons; Marne 1914; Aisne 1914; Messines 1914;

Ypres 1914 Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...

, 1915; Neuve Chapelle; St. Julien; Bellewaarde; Arras 1917; Scarpe 1917; Cambrai 1917, 1918; Somme 1918; Saint-Quentin; Lys;

Hazebrouck Hazebrouck (, , , ) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France. It was a small market town in Flanders until it became an important railway junction in the 1860s. West Flemish was the usual language until 1880, when French was taught ...

;

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

; Albert 1918; Bapaume 1918; Hindenburg Line; St. Quentin Canal; Beaurevoir; Sambre, France and Flanders 1914–18

Regimental Colonels

Colonels of the Regiment were: 2nd Bengal European Light Cavalry *1858–1862: Lt-Gen. Thomas Shubrick 20th Regiment of Hussars (1862) *1862–1870: Lt-Gen. Charles Montauban Carmichael, CB *1870–1883: Gen. Michael William Smith 20th Hussars *1883–1891: Lt-Gen. Richard Knox *1891–1910: Lt-Gen. Sir Roger William Henry Palmer, Bt *1910–1920: Maj-Gen. Hugh Sutlej Gough, CB, CMG *1920–1922: Gen. Sir George De Symons Barrow, GCB, KCMG (to 14th/20th Hussars) *''1921 disbanded'' *''1922: one squadron re-formed and amalgamated with 14th King's Hussars, to form the 14th/20th Hussars''

References

Sources

* * * * {{British Cavalry Regiments World War I Cavalry regiments of the British Army Hussar regiments of the British Army H20 Military units and formations disestablished in 1922 Military units and formations established in 1862 1862 establishments in the United Kingdom