The Royal Dragoon Guards

History of The Royal Dragoon Guards

The Royal Dragoon Guards was formed on 1 August 1992, as a result of the amalgamation of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. Both of these were in turn the result of earlier amalgamations in the 1920's. The Royal Dragoon Guards now carries with it the traditions and history of four of the finest Regiments of the British Cavalry, the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, the 5th Dragoon Guards, the 7th Dragoon Guards and the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons. All four were raised between 1685 and 1689, during the protracted contest between James II and William of Orange for the English throne.

Both the 4th and 5th Dragoon Guards were formed in 1685 from Troops of Horse raised by James II to defend London from the invasion. The Regiments were originally known as Arran's Horse and Shrewsbury's Horse, taking the names from their Commanding Officers, as was the custom in those times. In the event, these Regiments, together with the rest of James's Army, refused to support him and he fled to France, abandoning the throne to William of Orange. The next year, however, still claiming the throne, he landed in Ireland. Only Carrickfergus, Londonderry and Enniskillen held out against him. The town of Enniskillen raised three Regiments from Protestants who had taken refuge there. One of these was Conyngham's Dragoons, which became the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons. On 11th June 1690, King William himself landed at Carrickfergus with a Protestant Army, which included both the 4th and 5th Dragoon Guards, and on the 1st July that year, all three Regiments fought side by side at the Battle of the Boyne. James was defeated and returned to France.

Back in England in 1688, Lord Devonshire raised six Troops of Horse to mark his support for the new Protestant King. Devonshire's Horse, as they were known, became the 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards. Within a few years they were to find themselves, together with the 5th Dragoon Guards, embarked for Holland and Marlborough's famous campaigns; both Regiments earning honours side by side at Blenheim, Malplaquet, Ramillies and Oudenarde, as well as the celebrated cavalry action at Elixem in 1705 where the 5th Dragoon Guards captured Standards from the Bavarian Horse Grenadiers.

In 1720, King George I conferred the Colonelcy of the 7th Dragoon Guards on Colonel John Ligonier. His influence was profound, and during his twenty nine year tenure, the Regiment was to reach a peak of discipline and training. It was at this time they acquired the nickname 'The Black Horse', and together with the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, took part in the 1742 campaign in the War of the Austrian Succession, gaining further honours; Dettingen and Fontenoy. At Dettingen, Cornet Richardson of the 7th received thirty seven wounds whilst defending the Regimental Standard. This Standard, the oldest surviving in the Army, is held by this Museum. Little more than ten years later, the 6th and the 7th again found themselves marching side by side, this time through Paderborn to the Battle of Warburg, where both Regiments took part in the famous Cavalry Charge which won the day over the French for the Allied Forces under the Marquis of Granby.

All the while our two senior Regiments the 4th and 5th , were languishing in Ireland, clocking up a total of some one hundred and eighty years of joint service in that country. However, their moment was shortly to come. Both played a major role in Wellington's Peninsula campaign and gained honours including Salamanca, where the 5th Dragoon Guards captured the Staff of the Drum Major of the French 66th Infantry Regiment. This Staff is still carried today on parades by the Senior Regimental WO2. Colonel Sir William Ponsonby, who commanded the Regiment at Salamanca, was later killed whilst leading the Union Brigade charge at Waterloo. The Inniskillings, who took part in this charge, were so praised by the Duke of Wellington that a statue ofan Inniskilling Dragoon was erected on the Wellington Memorial in Hyde Park.

In 1854, the 4th, 5th and the 6th, who had last fought together at the Boyne, rode together in the charge of the Heavy Brigade at Balaclava. In this action, eight hundred men, commanded by General James York-Scarlett, himself a past Commanding Officer of the 5th Dragoon Guards, utterly routed nearly three thousand five hundred of the Tsar's finest Cavalry, with minimal loss to themselves, and so demoralised the Russian horseman that they did not dare to follow up the subsequent disaster to the Light Brigade later that same day.

After the Crimean War came several years of service at home and in India for all our parent Regiments. The peace time routine was broken briefly for the 4th and the 7th when in 1882, they took part in the short, but spectacularly successful campaign to defeat the forces of Arabi Pasha in Egypt. The campaign culminated in the battle Tel El Kebir when an Egyptian Force of thirty eight thousand men and sixty guns were defeated with the loss of only fifty seven all ranks killed; the 4th and the 7th Dragoon Guards escaping without a single casualty.

Such one sided success was not to be repeated, however, during the Boer War of 1899-1902, the 5th Dragoon Guards formed part of the force besieged at Ladysmith, whilst the 6th Inniskillings and the 7th 'Black Horse' earned their spurs in innumerable skirmishes and many long patrols over the Veldt. Two Officers serving at that time were later to achieve world fame, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Baden-Powell, who commanded the 5th Dragoon Guards, was to put his South African experience to good use as the founder of the Boy Scout Movement, while Captain L E G Oates, of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, became a legend of self sacrifice when, as a member of Scott's ill-fated Antarctic Expedition of 1912, he chose to sacrifice himself rather than impede the progress of his comrades.

Both the 4th and the 5th Dragoon Guards saw action from the outset of the First World War. Indeed history allows C Squadron, the 4th Dragoon Guards the honour of the first action by the British Army in the War, with Corporal Thomas firing the first shot and Captain Hornby the first officer to draw blood with his sword. Only a few days later the Commanding Officer of the 5th Dragoon Guards, Lieutenant Colonel G K Ansell, was killed in action at Nery. By October of that year both the Inniskillings and the 7th had arrived in France from India. All four Regiments spent the greater part of the next four years acting in the dismounted role, but the last weeks of the War found both the 5th Dragoon Guards and the 7th Dragoon Guards in action again on horseback; the 5th capturing or killing over seven hundred German troops when they attacked a troop train at Harbonniers, and the 7th claiming the last cavalry action of the War when they captured the town of Lessines.

In 1922, the large reductions in strength of the Army brought about widespread amalgamation of cavalry regiments. The 4th Royal Irish were combined with the 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards to form the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards, while the 5th and 6th amalgamated to form, initially the 5th/6th Dragoons, but in 1927 this was changed to the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. In the mid-1930s the title 'Royal' was awarded to both Regiments. 1938 brought about mechanisation for both Regiments, both initially equipped with 4.5 ton two-man MK2 Light Tanks.

Only one year after mechanisation came mobilisation and the start of World War 2. The two Regiments were the first armoured units to be deployed to France in support of the British Expeditionary Force, fighting side-by-side in the desperate but gallant withdrawal to Dunkirk. Both Regiments spent the next four years training and re-equipping with heavier tanks in preparation for the Normandy landings. In 1940 a cadre of men from both Regiments was formed which was to be the nucleus of a newly raised Cavalry Regiment, the 22nd Dragoons. The 22nd Dragoons were disbanded after the war. On D-Day, the specially prepared waterproofed tanks of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards (DD Tanks) were the first tanks ashore. As part of the Eighth Armoured Brigade, the 4th/7th were the first armour to cross the River Seine and led the rescue column to Arnhem. The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (the Skins) for their part were in almost continuous action from Normandy to the end of the War, taking part in the successful action to capture S-Hertogenbosch and the breakout from the Rhine bridgehead.

After the war, the 4th/7th were dispatched to Palestine to help in the peace keeping operations. The Skins completed tours in Korea and the Suez Canal. Since the mid 1950s, both Regiments have served in the Middle East, Aden, England, Germany, Northern Ireland and Cyprus. The Royal Dragoon Guards, by then equipped with the Scimitar MkII CVR(T), were stationed in Germany upon amalgamation, before returning to Tidworth, England. They were soon posted back to Germany upon during their stay in Münster, the 2nd Gulf War had started. Having served tours in conflicts, including the Operation Telic (2003 Iraq War) and the War in Afghanistan (Operation Herrick), The Royal Dragoon Guards, now a multi-role armoured cavalry regiment, continue to this day their 300-year tradition of service.

The Regiment recruits exclusively in Northern Ireland and Yorkshire areas.

Royal Dragoon Guards Museum:
www.rdgmuseum.org.uk/

The RDGs have a heritage spanning 329 years. Thats 91 years before the US declaration of Independence and 113 years before the creation of the UK Parliament. Making this fine Regiment one of the oldest in the British Army. It is currently 5th on the Cavalry Order of Precedence, the 1st is the Life Guards (354 years), 2nd is The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) (364 years), 3rd is 1st The Queen' Dragoon Guards (329 years) and 4th is the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (The Carabiners and Greys) (329 years) as of 2014. The Regiments artifacts are shared with other museums:

The Royal Tank Museum - Bovington, Wiltshire, England
The Royal Dragoon Guards Museum - York, England
The Inniskilling Museum - Enniskillen, Northern ireland
The Imperial War Museum


The Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment - HRH Prince of Wales KG, KT, GCB

Colonel of the Regiment - Brigadier (Retd) E. J. Torrens-Spence CBE, LM

Regimental Motto: Quis Separabit - "who shall separate us"

Royal Dragoon Guards Quick March: "Fare Thee Well Inniskilling" By The Regimental Bands of The 14th/20th King's Hussars and The Royal Hussars
Royal Dragoon Guards Slow March: 4th Dragoon Guards and 7th Dragoon Guards Slow march By The Regimental Bands of The 14th/20th King's Hussars and The Royal Hussars

4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Regimental Call by The Regimental Bands of The 14th/20th King's Hussars and The Royal Hussars
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Quick Marck: St. Patrick's Day By The Regimental Bands of The 14th/20th King's Hussars and The Royal Hussars
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Slow March: 4th Dragoon Guards and 7th Dragoon Guards Slow Marches By The Regimental Bands of The 14th/20th King's Hussars and The Royal Hussars

5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards Regimental Call By The Regimental Bands of The 14th/20th King's Hussars and The Royal
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards Quick March: Fare Thee Well Inniskilling By The Regimental Bands of The 14th/20th King's Hussars and The Royal Hussars
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards Slow march: The Soldiers Chorus By The Regimental Bands of The 14th/20th King's Hussars and The Royal Hussars

Though only The Royal Dragoon Guards quick and slow marches are available on iTunes, all of the marches are available on the "Passing of The Regiments" CD.

Abbreviations:
4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards (4thDG)
5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards (5thDG)
6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons (6th Dragoons)
7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards (7thDG)
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards (4th/7thRDG)
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (VDG)*
22nd Dragoons (22ndDGNS)
The Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG)

*Note: I want to make the distinction between the 5th Princess Charlotte of Wales's Dragoon Guards (5thDG) and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (5DG) by using the Roman Numeral for 5 (V). Though Officially the abbreviation for the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was 5DG and should be recognized as such.


Previous names of the Regiments (regiment title, date and latest title):
The Earl of Arran's Horse (6th Horse) - 1685 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
The Earl of Arran's Horse (5th Horse) - 1687 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
The Earl of Selkirk's Horse - 1688 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
Godfrey's Horse - 1688 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
Langston's Horse - 1693 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
Jocelyn's Horse - 1713 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
Davenport's Horse (Prince of Wales's own Regiment of Horse) - 1715 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
Wynne's Horse - 1719 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
Pearce's horse - 1732 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
Tyrawley's Horse - 1739 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
John Brown's Horse - 1743 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
1st Horse (Irish establishment) - 1746 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards - 1788 - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards - 1921

The Earl of Devonshire's Horse (10th Horse) - 1688 - 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards
Schomberg's Horse - 1690 - 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards
Leinster's Horse (8th Horse) - 1692 - 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards
Schomberg's Horse - 1693 - 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards
Harwich's Horse - 1711 - 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards
Sybourg's Horse - 1713 - 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards
Ligonier's Horse - 1720 - 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards
4th Horse (Irish Establishment) - 1746 - 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards
7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards - 1921

Earl of Shrewsbury's Horse - 1685 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
Langdale's Horse -  1687 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
Hamilton's Horse - 1687 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
Coy's Horse - 1688 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
Earl of Arran's Horse (6th Horse) - 1697 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
Cadogan's Horse - 1703 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
Kellum's Horse - 1712 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
Naper's horse - 1717 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
Neville's Horse - 1740 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
Cobham's Horse - 1744 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
wentworth's Horse - 1745 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
2nd Irish Horse - 1746 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
2nd Regiment of Irish Horse - 1751 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
5th Dragoon Guards - 1788 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards - 1804 - 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards
5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) - 1921

Cunningham's Regiment of Dragoons - 1689 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
Echlin's Dragoons - 1692 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
Dairymple's Dragoons - 1715 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
Earl of Stair's Dragoons - 1715 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
Cadogan's Dragoons - 1734 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
Earl of Stair's Dragoons - 1743 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
Earl of Rothes's Dragoons - 1745 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
Leslie's Dragoons - 1745 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
Cholmondeley's Dragoons - 1750 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
6th Inniskilling Regiment of Dragoons - 1751 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
6th Regiment of Dragoons - 1758 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
6th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Dragoons - 1815 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons - 1861 - The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)
The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons) - 1921

1922 Amalgamations:
5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) & The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons) - 5th/6th Dragoons - 1922 (became 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards 1928)
4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards & 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards - 4th/7th Dragoon Guards - 1922

"Royal" distinction:
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards - 1936
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards - 1937

The Royal Dragoon Guards - 1992


Battle Honours:
1) Williamite War in Ireland:
Battle of Boyne (1690) - 4thDG, 5thDG and 6th Dragoons

2) War of Spanish Succession - Marlborough's Campaigns:
Blenheim (1704) - 5thDG and 7thDG
Elixem (1705) - 5thDG
Ramillies (1706) - 5thDG and 7thDG
Oudenarde (1708) - 5thDG and 7thDG
Malplaquet (1709)- 5thDG and 7thDG

3) War of Austrian Succession - King George's War:
Dettingen (1743) - 4thDG, 6th Dragoons and 7thDG
Fontenoy (1745) - 4thDG, 6th Dragoons and 7thDG
Lauffeldt (1749) -4thDG, 6th Dragoons and 7thDGs

4) Seven Years War:
Warburg (1760) - 5thDG and 6th Dragoons

5) Peninsular War:
Salamanca (1812) - 5thDG

6) Crimean War:
Balaclava (1854) - 4thDG, 6th Dragoons and 7thDG - Charge of the Heavy Brigade
Siege of Sevastapol (1854-1855) - 4thDG, 5thDG and 6th Dragoons

7) Egyptian War (1882):
Tel-El-Kebir - 4thDG and 7thDG

8) The Great Boer War:
Elandslaagte (1899) - 5thDG
Defence of Ladysmith - (1899 - 1902) - 5thDG

9) 2nd Boer War - South Africa (1899-1902):
Veldt - 7thDG

10) First World War:
Mons (1914) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Le Cateau (1914) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Retreat from Mons (1914) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Marne (1914) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Aisne (1914) -4thDG & 5thDG
La Bassée (1914) - 4thDG, 5thDG & 7thDG
Messines (1914) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Armentiéres (1914) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Ypres (1914 and 1915) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Givenchy (1914) - 7thDG
St. Julien (1915) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Frezenburg (1915) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Bellwaarde (1915) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Somme (1916 and 1918) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Bazentin (1916) - 6th Dragoons & 7thDG
Flers-Courcellette (1916) - 6th Dragoons & 7thDG
Morval (1916) - 6th Dragoons
Arras (1917) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Scrape (1917) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Cambrai (1917 and 1918) - 4thDG, 5thDG, 6th Dragoons & 7thDG
St. Quentin (1918) - 4thDG, 5thDG & 6th Dragoons
Rosiéres (1918) - 4thDG and 5thDG
Avre (1918) - 6th Dragoons & 7thDG
Lys (1918) - 6th Dragoons & 7thDG
Hazebrouck (1918) - 7thDG
Amiens (1918) - 4thDG, 5thDG & 7thDG
Albert (1918) - 4thDG & 5thDG
Hindenburg Line (1918) - 4th, 6th Dragoons & 7thDG
St. Quentin Canal (1918) - 5thDG, 6th Dragoons & 7thDG
Beaurevoir (1918) - 5thDG, 6th Dragoons & 7thDG
Pursuit to Mons (1918) - 4thDG, 5thDG, 6th Dragoons & 7thDG

1922 Amalgamations:
The 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards and The 7th Princess Royals Dragoon Guards forming The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards.
The 5th Princess Charlotte of Wales's Dragoon Guards and The 6th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards forming the 5th/6th Dragoons, later renamed The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards.

3rd November 1937, Brought about the announcement of the mechanization of the British Army. August 15th 1938, The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards bade a ceremonial farewell to their horses, some sent to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps whilst others were sent to Edinburgh for sale, the only horses left belonged to Officers which were privately bought. October 1939, The 4th/7th recieve the first of the Vickers Mk2 Light Tank. These were very soon replaced by the Vickers Light Tank MkVI/B.

11th August 1938, The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards said a fond farewell to their horses. April 1939, the Vickers Mk2 tank replaced the horses of old. 3rd September 1939, The Vickers Mk2 was replaced then by the Vickers Light Tank Mk VI/B, of which they will go into the 2nd World War with, as part of the British Expeditionary Force.

Upon returning from Dunkirk by the epic rescue efforts of the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and commercial vessels. The two Regiments were to help form a Hostilities-only regiment called the 22nd Dragoons, formed from 2 cadres of both regiments. This regiment was equipped with the Sherman M4 "Crab" Flail tank, one of Major General Percy Hobart's "Funnies". 

11) Second World War:
Dyle Plan (1940) - 4th/7thDG
Withdrawal to Escaut (1940) - 4th/7thDG & VDG
St. Omer-la Bassée (1940) - VDG
Retreat to Dunkirk - Op Dynamo (1940) - 4th/7thDG & VDG
Normandy Landings - Op Overlord (1944) - 4th/7thDG & 22ndDGNS
Odon (1944) - 22ndDGNS
Mont Pincon (1944) - 4th/7thDG
Seine (1944) - 4th/7thDG & VDG
Nederrijn (1945) - 4th/7thDG
Geilenkirchen (1945) - 4th/7thDG
St. Pirerre La Vielle (1945) - 4th/7thDG
Lisieux (1945) - VDG
Risle Crossing (1945) - VDG
Lower Maas (1945) - VDG & 22ndDGNS
Roer (1945) - VDG
Rhineland (1945) - 4th/7thDG & VDG
Cleve (1945) - 4th/7thDG
Rhine (1945) - 4th/7thDG
Bremen (1945) - 4th/7thDG
Ibbenbüren (1945) - VDG

12) Korean War:
2nd Battle of The Hook (1952) - VDG

1992 Amalagamations
The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards formed The Royal Dragoon Guards.

Operations since 1945
1946 to 1948 - Op Agatha (UN) - Palestine - 4th/7thDG
1951 - 1952 - Op ? - Libya - 4th/7thRDG **
1952 to 1954 - Op ? (UN) - Suez Canal - VDG **
1955 to 1956 - Op ? - Aden - 4th/7thRDG & VDG **
1966 - Op TOSCA (UN) - Cyprus - 4th/7thRDG & VDG
1966 to 1968 - Op Banner - Northern Ireland - 4th/7thDG
1973 - Op TOSCA (UN) - Cyprus - VDG
1977 to 1978 - Op Burberry/Bravado - Firefighter Strike (Green Goddess) - 4th/7thDG & VDG
1989 - Op Fondant - Northern Ireland - VDG
1996 - Op Banner - Northern Ireland - HMP Maze - RDG (Prison Guard)
1996 - Op Resolute - Bosnia - RDG (IFOR)
1997 - Op Lodestar - Bosnia - Barice - RDG (Dismounted Role)
1998 - Op Lodestar (SFOR) - Bosnia - RDG (A Sqn) (The Royal Dragoon Guards receive their new standard at Tidworth)
2002 to 2003 - Op Fresco - Firefighter strike (Green Goddess then conversion to modern fire pumps) - RDG
2004 - Op Telic 5 - Southern Iraq - South Basrah - Majar-Al-Kabir (MAK) - RDG
2007 - Op Telic 11 - Iraq - Op Charge of the Knights - Iraq - RDG (Battle Group)
2010 - Op Herrick 12 - Afghanistan - Central Helmand - RDG (Dismounted Role)
2013 - Op Herrick 17 - Afghanistan - Lashkar Gah - RDG (Dismounted Role)

The Tanks and Vehicles
1938 - Vickers Light Mk2 - 4th/7thDG & VDG
1939 - Vickers Light Tank MkVI/B - 4th/7thDG & VDG (Tanks Abandoned at Dunkirk)
1940 - Beaverette MkI Armoured Car - 4th/7thDG & VDG
1942 - Covenanter (A13 MkIII) - 4th/7thDG
1943 - Cromwell (A27M) - VDG
1943 - Valentine (A11) - 4th/7thDG
1943 - Sherman M4 - 4th/7thDG & 22ndDGNS
1943 - Sherman VC Firefly - 4th/7thDG - 1 out of 4 Shermans were Fireflys
1943 - Sherman DD (Duplex Drive) - 4th/7thDG
1943 - Sherman "Crab" Flail tank - 22ndDGNS
1962 - Conqueror (FV214) - 4th/7thDG & VDG
1962 - Centurion (A41) - 4th/7thDG & VDG
1969 - Chieftain (FV4201) - 4th/7thDG & VDG
1992 - Challenger 1 (FV4030) - 4th/7thDG, VDG 7 RDG
1998 - Challenger 2 (FV4034) - RDG
2013 - FV107 Scimitar CVRT Mk2
202? - FRES (Future Rapid Effect System) Scout SV (British Variant of the Spanish ASCOD AFV) PMRS (Protected Mobility Reconnaissance Support) - RDG
2021 - Jackal 2 Mobility Weapon-mounted installation kit (MWMIK) - C Squadron RDG 

Other vehicles that were used from WW2 to the Present:
Carden-Loyd Bren Gun Carrier Tankette
Carden-Loyd Universal Carrier Tankette
FV700 series Ferret Armoured Car
FV600 Series Saracen Armoured Personnel Carrier
FV620 Stalwart "stolly" Amphibious Military truck
FV105 "Sultan" Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (tracked)(CVRT) Command and Liason Vehicle
FV107 "Scimitar" CVRT
AT105 Saxon Armoured Personnel Carrier
FV430 series Armored Personnel Carrier (sister to the American M113)
Land Rover Defender 110 (long wheel-base) / 90 (short wheel-base) Light utility role (and its various improved and armoured versions including WMIK, Pulse, Wolf and Snatch variations)
FV107 Scorpion Scimitar CVR(T) (Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked))
Bedford RL military truck
Bedford TK (later TL)/KM/MK military truck
Bedford RLHZ "Green Goddess" Self Propelled Pump - Fire Pump/Fire Truck
Foden DAF DROPS (Demountable Rack Offload & Pickup System) trucks (though often operated by Royal Logistics Corps)
Mastiff 3 Ridgeback Protected Patrol Vehicle (known to the US as Cougar)
Hägglunds Bandvagn Bv206S Warthog (An improved version of the Singapore Army's Bv206S Bronco)
Iveco Panther FCVL (Future Command and Liason Vehicle)


Regiments nicknames
4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards - The Blue Horse, The Buttermilks, The Mounted Micks
5th Princess Charlotte of Wales's Dragoon Guards - The Green Horse, The Old Farmers
6th Inniskilling Dragoons - The Black Dragoons, The Skins
7th Princess Royal's Dragoon Guards - The Black Horse, The Ligoniers
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards - The First and the Last*, The Ligoniers
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards - The Old Farmers, The Skins
22nd Dragoons - N/A
The Royal Dragoon Guards - N/A

*"The first and the last" could be from that they're the first and last regiments of Dragoon Guards, Or it could be a hint at the first shot and last action on horse-back of WW1.

The Blue Horse, The Green Horse, The Black Horse and Black Dragoons gained their nicknames through the facings on their uniform.

The Buttermilks came about after a long stay in Ireland that men bought land and became dairy farmers.

Divisions and Brigades from WW2 onwards:
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards:
1940 - I Corp - 2nd Infantry Division (cross keys) - Divisional Cavalry - 4th/7thRDG
1940 to 1942 - 9th Armoured Division (Panda) - 27th Armoured Brigade (Sea Horse) - 4th/7thRDG
1942 to 1943 - 79th Armoured Division (Bull) - 27th Armoured Brigade (Sea Horse) - 4th/7thRDG
1944 to 1945 - 30th Corps (XXX Corps) (Rampant Boar) - 8th Armoured Brigade (Red Fox on yellow background) - 4th/7thRDG
1952 - 10th Armoured Division (Red Fox on black background) - 25th Armoured Brigade HQ (red shield with and hour glass in the centre and a blue vertical stripe on either side of the hour glass) - 4th/7thRDG
1981 - BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) - Berlin Infantry Brigade (Red Circle) - D Sqn 4th/7thRDG
1983 to 1992 - BAOR/1st (UK) Armoured Division - 20th Armoured Brigade (Iron Fist) - 4th/7thRDG†

5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards:
1940 - II Corps (brook with a leaping fish)- 3rd Infantry Division (Triad symbol) - 2nd Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade - VDG
1940 - II Corps (brook with a leaping fish)- 4th Infantry Division (Gold lion bust in gold circle on a maroon, black and maroon back) - 2nd Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade - VDG
1940 - I Corps - 2nd Infantry Division (cross keys) - ? Brigade (?) - VDG
1940 - ? - 1st Armoured Division (white Rhino) - 2nd Motor Machine-Gun Brigade - VDG
1940 - 1944- ? - 9th Armoured Division - 28th Armoured Brigade - VDG
1944 to 1945 - 7th Armoured Division (Red Jaboa) - 22nd Armoured Brigade (Red Moose bust on white background) - VDG

? - BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) (red shield, blue cross and cross swords) - 7th Armoured Brigade (red Jerboa) - ? **
1974 - BOAR (British Army of the Rhine) - Berlin Infantry Brigade (Red Circle) - B Sqn VDG

1992 to 2000 - 1st (UK) Armoured Division (Charging Rhino) - 20th Armoured Brigade (Iron Fist) - RDG
2000 to 2008 - 1st (UK) Armoured Division (Charging Rhino) - 4th Armoured Brigade (Black Rat) (renamed 4th Mechanized Brigade in '08) - RDG
2008 to 2014 - 3rd (UK) Mechanized Division (Triad symbol) - 4th Mechanized Brigade (Black Rat) - RDG (the 4th Mechanized Brigade is turned into the 4th Infantry Brigade and HQ North East in 2014)
2014 to Present - 1st (UK) Division (Charging Rhino) - 20th Armoured Brigade (Iron Fist) - RDG

† Under the "Options for change" defence review, BAOR changed to British Forces Germany centred around the 1st (UK) Armoured Division. Amalgamations took place including the merge of the 4th/7thRDG and VDG as part of this defence review.
** I am still to fully research these parts as what Ive found is non-existent or vague at best.

Regiments Affiliations:
HMS Superb - S109 - Swiftsure-class submarine - Royal Navy
HMS Daring - D39 - Type 45 Daring-class Destroyer - Royal Navy
3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles) - Australia
4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse - Australia
British Columbia Dragoons - Canada
The Fort Garry Horse - Canada
9th Horse (Deccan Horse) - India
Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles - New Zealand
15th Lancers (Baloch) - Pakistan
Régiment des Guides - Belgium
12e Régiment de Cuirassiers - France
The Cheshire Yeomanry (The Earl of Chester's) - which is now the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry as a Light Cavalry Regiment Reserve (British Army).
The North Irish Horse - which is now the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry as a Light Cavalry Reserve (British Army)
The Yorkshire Yeomanry - which is now the Yorkshire Squadron of The Queen's Own Yeomanry as a Light Cavalry Regiment Reserve (British Army)

Famous soldiers
Captain Lawrance E.G Oats (6th Inniskilling Dragoons)- led the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition (named after its ship - Terra Nova latin meaning "new land") to the Antarctic and his legendary self-sacrifice in 1912.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Baden-Powell (5th Princess Charlotte of Wales's Dragoon Guards) - Founder of the Boy Scout movement, teaching youngsters skills he learnt in South Africa
Corporal Thomas - First shot fired of WW1
Captain Hornby - First Officer to draw blood with a sword in WW1
Field Marshal Earl Ligonier - Commanded what was to be known as the 7th Dragoon Guards, is considered to be one of the best generals between Marlborough and Wellington.
Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO - General Carton de Wiart could claim to have been the most wounded officer in the British Army, having been wounded a grand total of 11 times; twice in the Boer War, once in Somaliland and eight times on the Western Front. Two of these injuries resulted in what others might have considered serious impairments: the loss of his left eye, and the loss of his left hand. For many years after he had been wounded during the First World War, he was having pieces of shrapnel taken from his body.

7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards - the Last ever action on horse-back ordered in the British Army. After 1918, horses were not used in combat by the British Army again. Horses were retained for ceremonial purposes only, which are only used by the Household Cavalry and Royal Horse Artillery at Buckingham palace.


Soldiers lost in Action since 2000:
Afghanistan
Tpr James "Levy" Leverett (1990 - 2010)
Tpr Ashley Smith (1989 - 2010)
A/Cpl Matthew Stanton (1987 - 2010) - posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross
Sgt David "Bob" Monkhouse (1974 - 2010)

Victoria Cross Recipients:
Lt.Col Adrian Caron de Wiart - 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards - 2nd to 3rd July 1916 - WW1
Sgt James Mouat - 6th Dragoons - 26th October 1854 - Boer War
2nd Lt John Norwood - 5th Dragoon Guards - 30th October 1899 - Boer War

Military Cross recipients:
A/Cpl Matthew Stanton - Royal Dragoon Guards - 2010 - Spring - Op Herrick 12

Regimental Traditions
Dettingen Day - At the Battle of Dettingen, 27 June 1743, Cornet Richardson of Ligonier’s Horse, later the 7th Dragoon Guards, received 37 wounds whilst defending the Regimental Standard. The Regiment remembers the day with dinner in the Messes and a families weekend.

Oats Sunday - The annual commemoration of Oates’ brave action takes place on the Sunday closest to St Patrick’s Day – the date of his birthday. It takes the form of a formal parade and church service, where the story of Oates is retold to inspire members of the Regiment.

St. Patrick's Day - St Patrick's Day is celebrated by the RDG in respect to the Irish traditions it possesses. The Day is a regimental holiday and starts with the Officers and Senior Non Commissioned Officers waking the men with bag pipes and ‘gunfire’ (tea laced with whiskey). A Regimental Lunch of Irish Stew is served and every member of the Regiment is presented with shamrock. This latter tradition has been maintained every year regardless of which theatre the Regiment is serving in.

Officers of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards were allowed to sit and talk whilst the national anthem was played by the regimental band. This surprised foreign guests that thought it was disrespectful to the British Sovereignty, though once explained loyalty to the sovereignty is not in question but it is part of regimental tradition. There is various reasons for this, It is said that King George IV had become rather drunk prior to entering the mess, the remainder of the officers remained seated out of politeness. Another is that the officers onboard a Royal Navy ship, were unable to stand because of the head space and thus remained seated. A third reason is that the regiments loyalty to the sovereignty was no longer in question and thus excused in having to stand in silence for the duration of the National Anthem. There is no real answer to this question and other regiments have this tradition too with various reasons why they do it.
- BBC's "In the Highest Tradition" (aired 1989)

No.1 Dress - Ceremonial Dress "Blues": sometimes referred to as "blues", is a universal ceremonial uniform which is almost consistent throughout the British Army. No. 1 Dress is only worn on ceremonial occasions, and, in some regiments, by the duty officer. It is also regularly required to be worn by a short list of other units, senior staff officers (above the rank of Major-General), and officers appointed as aides to the Royal Family. The order is not generally issued to all units, with the khaki No. 2 Dress functioning as the main parade uniform. Different units are distinguished by the colouring of the cap, piping on the tunic and of the welts or stripes on the trousers, as well as badges. There are some exceptions: the tunic and trousers, The Royal Dragoon Guards wear dark green trousers. Cavalry regiments wear shoulder chains in place of shoulder straps. Officers may wear a waist sash of crimson, silver and crimson silk, or a cross belt depending on the their regimental dress regulations and whether or not they are carrying a ceremonial sword. Other ranks wear a white buff or black leather belt with a regimental pattern locket, with a bayonet frog if carrying arms. For most regiments and corps No. 1 dress consists of a dark blue tunic and trousers (or skirt) with a coloured peaked cap.

No.2 Dress - Service Dress "Greens": sometimes referred to as "greens" in much the same way is No.1 dress is referred to as "blues". Originally issued as a field uniform, this uniform is worn for most formal duties by all units. No.2 dress consists, for most corps and regiments, of a khaki jacket, shirt and tie with trousers or a skirt. Head dress is the same as that worn with No.1 dress. Coloured trousers are worn by some units, The Royal Dragoon Guards dark green. Officers are required to purchase their service dress, being provided with a Uniform Allowance to offset this and other uniform purchases. The pattern and material differs between Regiments. Regimental distinctions worn on No.2 dress can include collar dogs (sometimes with coloured cloth backings), coloured lanyards worn on the shoulder, and arm badges. Regimental buttons are worn; for most units these are of gold or silver colour, with black buttons worn by The Rifles and Bronze by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. Officers and Warrant Officers Class One wear a leather Sam Browne belt (that of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards is of pig skin which is not to be highly polished) or a cross belt. Infantry Warrant Officers Class Two and SNCOs wear a red sash over the right shoulder to the hip and Soldiers wear a white or black plastic waist belt with a plate buckle displaying the regimental badge.

No.8 Dress - Combat Uniform: Multi Terrain Pattern (MTP) field jacket (smock) and trousers, worn with beret, helmet or camouflaged hat. The current system is known as Combat Uniform (CU) which was introduced as part of Project Peacock and replaced the Combat Soldier 95 (CS 95) system. In recent years, the British army has begun introducing Tactical Recognition Flashes - these are distinctive insignia worn on the arm of combat gear. TRFs denote the wearer's regiment or corps. The clothing system is designed to be lightweight, yet durable enough to be used throughout rigorous activities soldiers find themselves performing.

No.10 Dress - Mess Dress: Most British Army regiments' mess dress incorporates high-waisted, very tight trousers known as overalls, the bottoms of which buckle under leather Wellington or George boots. Ornamental spurs are usually worn in cavalry regiments. The form varies according to regiment or corps, but generally a short mess jacket is worn, which either fastens at the neck (being cut away to show the waistcoat (vests)—this being traditionally the style worn by cavalry regiments), or is worn with a white shirt and black bow tie (traditionally the usual style for all other regiments, corps, and services)

No.12 Dress - Protective clothing: This order of dress includes various types of protective clothing ranging from standard overalls to specialist kit worn by aircrews, chefs, medics and others. This also covers whatever day-to-day working dress may be authorized at a local or regimental level. Formerly an olive green shirt and trousers were often worn, but this has been replaced with smart Combat Dress: ironed shirt and trousers worn with beret and stable belt. The uniform worn by soldiers most of the time, it is to be supplemented by the new Barrack Dress.
 
Popular Culture
"Is this the way to Armadillo" is a spoof video of the song "Is this the way to Amarillo" (by Tony Christie) produced by the Royal Dragoon Guards stationed in Iraq. The video was emailed so frequently on 13 May 2005 it crashed a server at the Ministry of Defence. The "Peter Kay" character is credited as "Lucky Pierre", an obscure sexual reference.

The Order: 1886 video game that is exclusively for Playstation 4 (2015) is set in an alternate history London, where an old order of knights keep all of the world safe from half breed monsters, who are a combination of animal and man. In the game's history, around the seventh or eighth centuries a small number of humans took on bestial traits. The majority of humans feared these half-breeds and war broke out. Despite the humans outnumbering the half-breeds, their animal strength gave them the upper hand in centuries of conflict.

Centuries later, humanity finds new hope in King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. King Arthur and his like-minded knights take the fight to the half breeds, but Arthur soon realizes it's a losing battle. Through a mysterious turn of fate, the Knights discover Blackwater, a mystical liquid that significantly extends their lifetimes and gives them remarkable healing abilities. Despite this new advantage, the half-breeds continue to win battle after battle, until the industrial Revolution turns the tide. Engineers are far ahead of their time, inventing technologies such as thermal imaging, Zeppelin, and wireless communications. New weapons belch electricity, ignite clouds of molten metal on top of enemies, and fulfill dual functions as fragmentation grenades and proximity mines.

It references the Regiment in Archive (Phonograph): The Captain's Testament:

"This is the testament of Captain Emeric Duncan Douglas, retired officer of The Royal Dragoon Guards...."

Freemasonry Lodges
1st Horse (Irish Establishment) or John Brown's Horse (4th Dragoon Guards) - St Patrick's Lodge No.295

(acknowledgement: Badge is crown copyrighted© and Intellectual Property of the Secretary of State and Ministry of Defence. all rights reserved) Disclaimer: I stand to make no money from this or from the commitment to this study and updating information.)