The Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) is an Armoured 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 ...

based in

Bulford Camp Bulford Camp is a military camp on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. Established in 1897, the site continues in use as a large British Army base. The camp is close to the village of Bulford and is about north-east of the town of Amesb ...

in Wiltshire. It is the brother regiment of the

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army tasked primarily with ceremonial duties. Part of the Household Division, it is classed as a regiment of guards, and carries out mounted (and some dismounte ...

(HCMR) based at Hyde Park Barracks in London - both regiments together form the Household Cavalry (HCav). The Household Cavalry Regiment was formed in 1992, under the

Options for Change Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in summer 1990 after the end of the Cold War. Until this point, UK military strategy had been almost entirely focused on defending Western Europe against the Soviet Armed Forces ...

reforms, by the union of The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals in order to preserve the distinct identities of the regiments. A precedent for the Household Cavalry Regiment has previously been set by the Household Cavalry Composite Regiment - active during the Anglo-Egyptian War, the Second Boer War and latterly during both the First and Second World Wars. The HCR is part of the Household Cavalry, rather than the

Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the armoured arm of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 and the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle. It includes most of the Ar ...

(RAC), which encompasses all other armoured and cavalry regiments of the British Army.

History

The Household Cavalry Regiment was established as part of the

defence review in 1992.

Former Yugoslavia

The House Cavalry Regiment's squadrons served in the

Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...

on rotations over a nine-year period. Deployments to the Former Republic of Yugoslavia included tours by A and D Squadrons in 1995 and C Squadron in 1999 and 2003. They were largely based at

Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is the tr ...

, headquarters of the Multi-National Division (South-West), for which the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...

were responsible. In 1997 two squadrons from the regiment were awarded the Wilkinson Sword of Peace for their work in "returning the lives of members of the severely damaged community of Banja Luka to conditions approaching normality, in which the seeds of long-standing peace might grow." In 1999 D Squadron provided the brigade reconnaissance squadron for 4th Armoured Brigade for the occupation of

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

on Operation Agricola 1.

Fire Brigades Union strike

In 2002, Household Cavalry Regiment soldiers crewed fire appliances during the Fire Brigades Union strike. In 2003, exceptionally, the regiment was tasked at short notice to provide additional armed security at Heathrow Airport, in response to a specific threat.

Iraq

D Squadron deployed in their function as the Formation Reconnaissance Squadron for

16 Air Assault Brigade 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, known simply as 16 Air Assault Brigade from 1999–2021, is a formation of the British Army predominantly based in Colchester, Essex. It makes up the Air Assault Task Force, a battlegroup held at high readines ...

during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The squadron led the brigade main body into Iraq before conducting a wide range of tasks, including around the Rumalayah oil fields. The squadron was unfortunate to be involved in a friendly-fire incident involving a US A-10 Thunderbolt. Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull was killed in the incident. In a separate incident, Lieutenant Alex Tweedie and Lance Corporal Karl Shearer died when their Scimitar over-turned into an irrigation canal. The squadron received various decorations for its service: Trooper Chris Finney was awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational Courage, gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, ...

for his actions during the A-10 incident, Major Richard Taylor received the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

, Corporal of Horse Mick Flynn received the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for his actions in a battle with Iraqi armour, and Corporal of Horse Glynn Bell was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

for his actions shortly before the end of the tour. In April 2004, A and C Squadrons deployed during Operation Telic 4 and in June 2007, A and C Squadrons again returned to Iraq during Operation Telic 10.

Afghanistan

During Operation Herrick 4, D Squadron deployed as the Formation Reconnaissance Squadron for 16 Air Assault Brigade in April 2006. C Squadron deployed with 52nd Infantry Brigade during Operation Herrick 7 in October 2007 and saw action at the

Battle of Musa Qala The Battle of Musa Qala (also Qaleh or Qal'eh) was a British-led military action in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, launched by the Afghan National Army and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) against the Taliban on 7 De ...

to recover the town of Musa Qala from the

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

. D Squadron again deployed with 16 Air Assault Brigade, initially around Musa Qala, then east of Girishk during Operation Herrick 8 in April 2008. A, B and C Squadrons deployed on Operation Herrick 11 in 2009, A and B Squadron with 11 Light Brigade Headquarters based out of Camp Bastion and C Squadron as the Battle Group North West Manoeuvre Group, initially based in Musa Q’aleh District Centre and subsequently elsewhere in the Battle Group area of operations. There was another deployment again by D Squadron in late 2010 on Operation Herrick 13 and finally, B squadron deployed with 1st Mechanised Brigade Operation Herrick 18 in April 2013.

Recent deployments

Household Cavalry Regiment on Ex Iron Scout 3 on Salisbury Plain

The Household Cavalry Regiment contributed to security at the London Olympic Games in 2012 and flood relief in the local area during 2014. The regiment moved from Combermere Barracks to the new, specialist build barracks, Powle Lines, in

in May 2019.

Role

In 2014, the Household Cavalry Regiment was re-designated from a Brigade Reconnaissance Regiment to Armoured Cavalry as part of the Army 2020 reforms. The Household Cavalry Regiment's task is to provide timely and accurate information and intelligence to the Brigade Commander in order to enable decision-making. To fulfil this function, the Household Cavalry Regiment conducts surveillance and reconnaissance activities, mounted or dismounted, in all weathers by day or night. The regiment's vehicles enable information-gathering to be conducted whilst mobile, at pace, and whilst under fire. The change in designation from Brigade Reconnaissance Regiment to Armoured Cavalry reflects the evolving role of the Household Cavalry Regiment in preparation for Ajax (Scout SV). The Household Cavalry Regiment is under the command of

1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team The 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team is a formation of the British Army, currently headquartered in Delhi Barracks, Tidworth Camp, Wiltshire, as part of the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division. History As part of the Future Soldier ...

, based at

Tidworth Camp Tidworth Camp is a military installation at Tidworth in Wiltshire, England. It forms part of the Tidworth, Netheravon and Bulford (TidNBul) Garrison. History The Camp was established when the War Office acquired a 19th-century mansion – Te ...

in Wiltshire.

Equipment

*Ajax: The Household Cavalry Regiment is converting to Ajax (Scout SV) - the British Army's first new Armoured Fighting Vehicle platform in a generation. Ajax will replace the Warrior by 2029.

Commanding Officers

Regimental Commanding Officers included:Regiments and Commanding Officers, 1960–
* 1992–1994: Lieutenant Colonel P. Simon W. F. Falkner * 1994–1996: Lt Col William R. Rollo * 1996–1998: Lt Col Barney W. B. White-Spunner * 1998–2001: Lt Col Patrick J. Tabor * 2001–2003: Lt Col Marck C. Van Der Lande * 2003–2005: Lt Col Charles B. B. Clee * 2005–2008: Lt Col Edward Alexander Smyth-Osbourne * 2008–2011: Lt Col Henry R. D. Fullerton * 2011–2013: Lt Col James P. Eyre * 2013–2016: Lt Col Denis James * 2016–2018: Lt Col Edward P. W. Hayward * 2018–2020: Lt Col Mark S. P. Berry * 2020–2022: Lt Col Anthony E. Gilham * 2022–2023: Lt Col Roland J. Spiller * 2023–Present: Lt Col Mathew H. J. Woodward

References

External links

Household Cavalry website

Household Cavalry on British Army website
{{The British Army Military units and formations established in 1992 Cavalry regiments of the British Army Guards regiments Household Cavalry Windsor Castle 1992 establishments in the United Kingdom