The 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) was a cavalry regiment of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

. It was first raised in 1685 by the Earl of Peterborough as the Earl of Peterborough's Regiment of Horse by merging four existing troops of horse. Renamed several times, it was designated the Queen's Regiment of Dragoon Guards in 1746 as it evolved into a dragoon unit. (Dragoons described a force of highly mobile mounted infantry equipped with lighter, faster horses and carrying firearms) and later named the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) in 1767 to reflect the custom of its soldiers riding only bay horses. The regiment served as horse cavalry until 1937, when it was mechanised with light tanks. The regiment became part of the

Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the component of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 Tank and the Scimitar Reconnaissance Vehicle. It includes most of the ...

in 1939. After service in the First and Second World Wars, the regiment amalgamated with the 1st King's Dragoon Guards in 1959 to form the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.

History

Early history

The regiment was raised in 1685 as the Earl of Peterborough's Regiment of Horse when

James II James II may refer to: * James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade * James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier * James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily * James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...

expanded his army after the Monmouth rebellion.

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

was a Catholic who remained loyal to James and was replaced by Edward Villiers on 31 December 1688. During the Nine Years' War, it served as Villiers Regiment in Ireland between 1689 and 1681, fighting in the battles of the Boyne and Aughrim. At Aughrim, it was ordered to cross a bog under heavy fire, prompting French general the Marquis de St Ruth to shout "It is madness, but no matter, the more that cross the more we shall kill;" he was decapitated by a cannonball shortly thereafter. When the Treaty of Limerick ended the war in Ireland in October 1691, the regiment returned to England.Richards, p. 27 Brigadier-General Richard Leveson became Colonel on 19 January 1694 and as Leveson's Regiment of Horse it was based in Flanders until the Treaty of Ryswick ended the war in 1697. It escaped disbandment by being placed on the Irish establishment; Leveson died in March 1699 and Daniel Harvey took over as Colonel. During the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phili ...

Harveys Regiment moved to Portugal in March 1704 to support the Allied campaign in the Iberian Peninsula. In July 1710 it fought at the Battle of Almenar but in December was overwhelmed by superior forces at Brihuega, the survivors being taken prisoner. In recognition of its involvement in suppressing the 1715 Jacobite rising it changed names to The Princess of Wales's Own Regiment of Horse and after Caroline of Wales became Queen in 1727 The Queen's Own Regiment of Horse. After the 1745 Jacobite rising it changed titles again to The Queen's Regiment of Dragoon Guards in 1746 then 2nd (The Queen's) Regiment of Dragoon Guards in 1751. During the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754– ...

, it fought at Corbach and Warburg in July 1760 and then captured several French regiments at the Battle of Wilhelmsthal in June 1762. After starting to ride on bay horses, the regiment were renamed as the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) in 1767. In an incident during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spai ...

, a single squadron of the regiment, under Major Robert Craufurd, attacked and defeated a unit of 150 French troops; the regiment was not present at the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armies of the Seventh C ...

.Richards, p. 28 The regiment next saw action when a squadron under Major Piercy Smith charged the rebels at the capture of Lucknow in March 1858 during the

Indian Rebellion The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...

.Richards, p. 29 It suffered heavy losses in an action at Leeukop in March 1902 during the

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

First World War

The Battle of the Somme, July-november 1916 Q4239

The regiment, which had been was stationed at

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alde ...

at the start of the war, landed in France as part of the 1st Cavalry Brigade in the 1st Cavalry Division, part of the Expeditionary Force, in August 1914 for service on the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

. The regiment took part in the

Great Retreat The Great Retreat (), also known as the retreat from Mons, was the long withdrawal to the River Marne in August and September 1914 by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French Fifth Army. The Franco-British forces on the Western Fro ...

in August 1914, the

Battle of Le Cateau The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on the Western Front during the First World War on 26 August 1914. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French Fifth Army had retreated after their defeats at the Battle of Charleroi (21–23 Aug ...

in August 1914, the

First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne was a battle of the First World War fought from 5 to 12 September 1914. It was fought in a collection of skirmishes around the Marne River Valley. It resulted in an Entente victory against the German armies in the ...

in September 1914, the

Battle of Messines Battle of Messines may refer to: *Battle of Messines (1914) *Battle of Messines (1917) The Battle of Messines (7–14 June 1917) was an attack by the British Second Army (General Sir Herbert Plumer), on the Western Front, near the village of ...

in October 1914, the First Battle of Ypres in October 1914, the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

in Autumn 1916, the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917, the Battle of the Scarpe in August 1918 and in the final advance of Autumn 1918.

Inter-war

The regiment was renamed the Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) in 1921. The regiment served as horse cavalry until 1937, when it was mechanised with light tanks. The regiment became part of the

in 1939.

Second World War

Sherman tanks of the Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) advance through the Gabes Gap, Tunisia, 7 April 1943

At the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, in September 1939, the regiment was in England, assigned to the 2nd Light Armoured Brigade (serving alongside the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers and the 10th Royal Hussars) of the 1st Armoured Division. In May 1940, the Bays went to France and was heavily engaged on the Somme during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

. In mid June, with the collapse of French resistance, the regiment was evacuated to England through the port of Brest. The regiment was deployed to the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

in November 1941, equipped initially with the Crusader tank, and took part in the

Battle of Gazala The Battle of Gazala (near the village of ) was fought during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to ...

in May 1942, where its men were in action for 19 days, a record for an armoured regiment in the Western Desert. The regiment also took part in the

First Battle of El Alamein The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert campaign of the Second World War, fought in Egypt between Axis (German and Italian) forces of the Panzer Army Africa—which included the under Field Mars ...

in July 1942, the

Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented ...

in October 1942, the Battle of the Mareth Line in March 1943 and the

Tunisia Campaign The Tunisian campaign (also known as the Battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces from 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943. The ...

in May 1943. The regiment was deployed on the Italian Front in May 1944: its men took part in the Battle of the Argenta Gap in April 1945 during the final offensive of the Italian Campaign.

Post war

After the war, the regiment remained in northern Italy, at Pegi on the River Isonzo, and then moved to Egypt in June 1947 before returning to Dale Barracks in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

in October 1947. The regiment moved on to Bad Fallingbostel in Germany in 1949, before returning to Tidworth Camp in September 1954 and then deploying to

Aqaba Aqaba (, also ; ar, العقبة, al-ʿAqaba, al-ʿAgaba, ) is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba. Situated in southernmost Jordan, Aqaba is the administrative centre of the Aqaba Gove ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Ri ...

later in the year. It deployed to

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Su ...

in February 1956 and then returned to Perham Down in August 1957 before transferring to Northampton Barracks in

Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog August Library and for having the largest ...

in 1958. The regiment amalgamated with the 1st King's Dragoon Guards in 1959 to form the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.

Regimental museum

The regimental collection is displayed at Firing Line: Cardiff Castle Museum of the Welsh Soldier in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

Battle honours

The regiment's battle honours were as follows: *''Early Wars'': Warburg, Willems, Lucknow, South Africa 1901-02 *''The Great War'': Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Messines 1914, Armentières 1914, Ypres 1914 '15, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Somme 1916 '18, Flers-Courcelette, Arras 1917, Scarpe 1917, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Rosières, Amiens, Albert 1918, Hindenburg Line, St. Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1914-18 *''The Second World War'': Somme 1940, Withdrawal to Seine, North-West Europe 1940, Msus, Gazala, Bir el Aslagh, Cauldron, Knightsbridge, Via Balbia, Mersa Matruh, El Alamein, Tebaga Gap, El Hamma, El Kourzia, Djebel Kournine, Tunis, Creteville Pass, North Africa 1941–43, Coriano, Carpineta, Lamone Crossing, Defence of Lamone Bridgehead, Rimini Line, Ceriano Ridge, Cesena, Argenta Gap, Italy 1944-45

Regimental Colonels

Regimental colonels have included: ;The Earl of Peterborough's Regiment of Horse (1685); Villiers (1689); Leveson's (1694); Harveys (1699); *1685–1688: Col. Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough, KG *1688–1694: Brig-Gen. Hon. Edward Villiers *1694–1699: Brig-Gen Richard Leveson *1699–1712: Gen. Daniel Harvey *1712–1715: Col. John Bland ;The Princess of Wales's Own Regiment of Horse - (1715) *1715–1726: Col.

Thomas Pitt, 1st Earl of Londonderry Thomas Innes Pitt, 1st Earl of Londonderry (c. 1688 – 12 September 1729) was a British Army officer, speculator and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons, House of Commons from 1713 to 1728. He served as Governor of the Leewar ...

*1726–1733: F.M.

John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll Field Marshal John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, 1st Duke of Greenwich, (10 October 1680 – 4 October 1743), styled Lord Lorne from 1680 to 1703, was a Scottish nobleman and senior commander in the British Army. He served on the continen ...

, KG, KT ;The Queen's Own Regiment of Horse - (1727) *1733–1740: Gen. William Evans *1740–1749: Gen. John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, KG, KB ;The Queen's Regiment of Dragoon Guards - (1746) *1749–1753: F.M. Sir John Ligonier, KB ;2nd (The Queen's) Regiment of Dragoon Guards - (1751) *1753–1757: Maj-Gen. Hon. William Herbert *1757–1759: Lt-Gen. Lord George Sackville *1759–1773: Gen. John Waldegrave, 3rd Earl Waldegrave ;2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) - (1767) *1773–1807: F.M.

George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend Field Marshal George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend, PC (28 February 172414 September 1807), known as The Viscount Townshend from 1764 to 1787, was a British soldier and politician. After serving at the Battle of Dettingen during the War of ...

*1807–1821: Lt-Gen. Sir

Charles Cregan Craufurd Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

, GCB *1821–1831: Gen. William Loftus *1831–1837: Gen. Sir James Hay, KCH *1837–1853: Gen. Sir

Thomas Gage Montresor Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

, KCH, KC *1853–1873: Gen. Hon. Henry Frederick Compton Cavendish *1873–1874: Gen. Sir

Henry Dalrymple White General Sir Henry Dalrymple White (5 July 1820 – 27 March 1886) was a senior British Army officer. Military career Born the son of Vice-Admiral Sir John White,''The Annual Register'', 1845, p. 268 White was commissioned into the 6th (Innisk ...

, KCB *1874–1881: Gen. Alexander Low, CB *1881–1894: Gen. Sir Charles Pyndar Beauchamp Walker, KCB *1894–1921: Gen. Sir

William Henry Seymour General Sir William Henry Seymour (1829 – 20 June 1921) was a senior British Army officer. Military career Seymour was commissioned in 1847. He saw action in the Crimean War in 1854 and in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and then served as Inspe ...

, KCB ;The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) - (1921) *1921–1930: Lt-Gen. Sir Hew Dalrymple Fanshawe, KCB, KCMG *1930–1945: Lt-Gen. Sir

Antony Ernest Wentworth Harman Lieutenant-General Sir Antony Ernest Wentworth Harman (21 April 1872 – 26 September 1961) was an Anglo-Irish British Army officer who commanded 1st Division. Military career Harman was commissioned into the Limerick City Artillery (Southe ...

, KCB, DSO *1945–1954: Brig. James Joseph Kingstone, CBE, DSO, MC *1954–1959: Col.

George William Charles Draffen Brigadier George William Charles Draffen (12 May 1899 – 17 February 1986) was a British Army officer who saw action during the Second World War. Military career Draffen was confirmed as a lieutenant in the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) on ...

, DSO

Footnotes

References

Sources

External links

Regimental museum
{{Use British English, date=November 2010 Cavalry regiments of the British Army Dragoon Guards 002 Dragoon Guards 1685 establishments in England Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) DG2 Military units and formations established in 1685 Military units and formations disestablished in 1959