The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-02-22 00:00:00

THE REGIMENTS FOR THE CAPE.

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The Standard of Tuesday gives the following brkf, though
interesting histories, of the regiments ordered for the Cape
of Good lope :

"The Ist, or King's, Dragoon Guards, which is uni-
formed in scarlet with blue facings, and a red plume to
the helmet, was originally raised in the vicinity of
London in 1865. It wore cuirasses from its formation
to 1688, and again from 1701 to 1714. Up to the latter
year its facings were yellow. It was first embodied
as the Queen's Regiment of Horse, and touched the
rough edge of battle at the Boyne and Aughrim, but
after its brilliant campaigns in Flanders and Germany,
in which it distinguished itself at Neer, Landen, and
Namur, and in the glorious battles of Blenheim,
Ramilies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet, and half-a•dozen
others, it was re•named the King's Own Regiment of
Dragoons, and permitted to wear the King's cypher
within the garter as badge. In 1746 it received its
present name. After having been present at Dettingen
in 1743, and Fontenoy in 1745, the regiment cam-
paigned in Germany from 1758 to 1763, and anew in
Flanders from 1793 to 1795. The honours borne on
the regimental coloura, and which testify to more
recent services, are Waterloo, Sevastopol, Taku
Forts, and Pekin. The 'K. D. G.'s ' did not arrive
in the Crimes till the second week in August, 3.855,
and consequently had no opportunity of signalising
themselves in action.

"The 17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers,
which is uniformed in blue with white facings and
plume, once numbered the Commander-in-Chief among
its officers, and at present boasts of his Royal Highness
as its colonel. As the 17th forms part of the garrison
of London under the mobilisation scheme, there is a
peculiar fitness in embarking a portion of it for foreign
service at the Victoria Docks. The regiment was first
raised in Hertfordshire sod the vicinity of London in
1759 as the 18th Light Dragoons, and its colonel chose
a. Death's Head as its crest, with the motto, 'or
Glory,' to remind his men of General Wolfe, by whose
side he had fought when he met his death-wound
at the storming of Quebec. Hence the name of
the Death or Glory Boys,' of which the troopers to
this day are justly proud. It was renumbered the 17th
In 1763, in replacement of the Edinburgh Light Horse,
which was disbanded. Its first uniform was scarlet,
and twice since this has been altered to blue. The 17th
became a Lancer corps in 1822. and was honoured with
its present designation in 1876. Crimean battles are
the only ones mentioned on its colours, but it did lest
service in America, between 1775 and 17i'3, at Buenos
Ayres in 1806, at Monte Video in 1807, and, in our
own generation, in the dreadful season of the Indian
Mtitiny, The 17th, which furnished the largest con-
tiQent of any regiment to the famous Charge of the
Six Hundred at Balaclava, lost three officers, 33 rank
and file, and 99 horses in that headlong rush of half
a league ' in the fatal valley.

"The 214 Royal Scots Fusiliers, the second
battalion of whiil i under orders, wears bearskin
caps as a fusilier, and blue facings as a Royal regiment.
It was raised in 1678, in Scotland, by the Earl of Mar,
was armed with a fusil instead of a musket, and was
commonly known as the Earl of Mar's Grev-breeks,
from the colour of the men's breeches. In 1707 it be-
came the North British Fusiliers, in 1712 the prefix

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