13th Hussars The 13th Hussars ( previously the 13th Light Dragoons ) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army whose battle honours include Waterloo and The Charge of the Light Brigade . In 1922 , the regiment was amalgamated with the 18th ( Queen Mary ' s Own ) Royal Hussars , to form the 13th / 18th Hussars . Regimental history . British light dragoons were first raised in the 18th century . Initially they formed part of a cavalry regiment performing scouting , reconnaissance and the like , but due to their successes in this role ( and also in charging and harassing the enemy ) , they soon acquired a reputation for courage and skill . Whole regiments dedicated to this role were soon raised ; the 15th Light Dragoons were the first , followed by the 18th Light Dragoons and the 19th Light Dragoons . The 13th Light Dragoons were initially heavy dragoons known as Richard Munden ’ s Regiment of Dragoons . By 1751 the regiment title was simplified to the 13th Regiment of Dragoons and by 1783 they had been converted to the light role . In 1861 the regiment changed its name to the 13th Hussars and in 1922 it amalgamated with the 18th Royal Hussars ( Queen Mary ' s Own ) to form the 13th / 18th Royal Hussars ( Queen Mary ' s Own ) . The 13th / 18th were in turn consolidated with the 15th / 19th King ’ s Hussars to form the Light Dragoons in 1992 . The 13th light Dragoons served around the world including in the Peninsular War , at Waterloo , in India and in the Crimean War . The Peninsular War . At Campo Mayor on the Spanish - Portuguese border ( 25 March 1811 ) a clash occurred between British and Portuguese cavalry , under Robert Ballard Long , and a force of French infantry and cavalry under General Latour - Maubourg . This was to be one of the 13th Light Dragoons most famous and infamous actions . The 13th , two and a half squadrons strong , led by Colonel Michael Head , charged and routed a superior French cavalry force of no less than six squadrons . The 13th , with two Portuguese squadrons , then went on to pursue the French for seven miles to the outskirts of Badajoz . The report reaching Lord Wellington seems to have glossed over the epic quality of the charge and emphasised the overlong pursuit . After receiving Marshal Beresford ' s report , Wellington issued a particularly harsh reprimand to the 13th LD calling them " a rabble " and threatening to remove their horses from them and send the regiment to do duty at Lisbon . The officers of the regiment then wrote a collective letter to Wellington detailing the particulars of the action . Wellington is reported as saying that had he known the full facts he would never have issued the reprimand . The historian Sir John Fortescue wrote , " Of the performance of Thirteenth , who did not exceed two hundred men , in defeating twice or thrice their numbers single - handed , it is difficult to speak too highly . " On the 16 May 1811 , the 13th Light Dragoons formed part of Beresford ' s Allied - Spanish Army at Albuera during the Peninsular War . The French army , commanded by Marshal Jean - de - Dieu Soult , Duc de Dalmatie , was attempting to relieve the French garrison of the border fortress of Badajoz . Only after bloody and fierce fighting , and the steadfastness of the British infantry , did the allies carry the day . The 13th Light Dragoons , who were unbrigaded , along with the 3rd Dragoon Guards and the 4th Dragoons under Brigadier George Grey , plus a brigade of Portuguese dragoons , formed the cavalry force commanded by , initially , Brigadier Robert Ballard Long , and later in the battle by Major General Sir William Lumley . The 13th numbered 403 in four squadrons equipped with Paget light cavalry carbine and 1796 pattern sabre . On the 21 June 1813 , the regiment saw action at the Battle of Vittoria ; the last major battle against Napoleon ' s forces in Spain opening the way for the British forces to invade France . The Allied army under the command of Lieutenant General Arthur Wellesley , Marquess of Wellington decisively defeated the French army under Joseph Bonaparte , King of Spain and brother of the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte . Along with the 10th Light Dragoons and 15th Light Dragoons , the 13th Light Dragoons formed the 2nd Brigade ( part of the right centre column ) , commanded by Colonel Colquohon Grant . Light dragoons before 1812 wore a dark blue , braided , dolman jacket and a leather " Tarleton " helmet with a bearskin crest . After the uniform changes of 1812 , often not fully implemented until 1813 , light dragoons wore dark blue jackets with short tails and a bell - topped shako . Wellington criticised the new uniform as being too similar to French uniforms and likely to cause mistakes in identification at a distance . Other battle honours of the 13th Light Dragoons during the Peninsular War include the Battle of Orthez and the Battle of Toulouse . Waterloo . On 18 June 1815 , the armies of Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley , Duke of Wellington and " Generalfeldmarschall " Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher decisively defeated the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo . In total ten troops of the regiment , consisting of 895 men and 775 horses were readied for service . The 13th commanded by Lt - Colonel Patrick Doherty ( later replaced due to illness by Lt - Colonel Boyse who in turn , after being wounded in the battle , was replaced by Major B . Lawrence ) , along with 3rd King ' s German Hussars of the King ' s German Legion formed part of the 7th Cavalry Brigade under Colonel Sir F V Arentschildt . All cavalry was commanded by the Earl of Uxbridge . On the 17 June the regiment was ordered to join the 5th Cavalry Brigade ( consisting of the 7th Hussars and 15th Hussars ) under Major - General Sir Colquhoun Grant . On the morning of the battle , 18 June , Grant moved to the right centre of the position occupied by the army , taking up its position in the rear of the Brigade of Guards commanded by Major - General Byng . Initially the brigade saw little action , however , when the French pushed forward with two columns of cavalry and infantry to force the British position , the cavalry brigade received orders to charge . The enemy broke and were pursued until other French cavalry on the left flank were detected . The brigade then retired behind the infantry until Lord Uxbridge and Lord Hill ordered the 13th forward again ; this time against a square of French infantry . The enemy were completely routed , and dispersed . The late afternoon brought renewed French attacks with infantry and cavalry in a last effort to win the day . The brigade , along with Major - General Dornberg ’ s 3rd Cavalry Brigade on the left , attacked a heavy column of French infantry . An officer of the 13th wrote : Our last and most brilliant charge , was at the moment that Lord Hill , perceiving the movement of the Prussian army , and finding the French Imperial Guard on the point of forcing a part of the British position , cried out , - " Drive them back , 13th ! " such an order from such a man , could not be misconstrued , and it was punctually obeyed . Although sustaining heavy fire , the attack was again successful and the enemy routed . In total the 13th Light Dragoons at Waterloo suffered 99 casualties with 113 horses lost . The Crimean War . In 1854 the regiment received its orders from the War Office to prepare for service overseas . Five transport ships - " Harbinger " , " Negotiator " , " Calliope " , " Cullodon " , and the " Mary Anne " – embarking between the 8 May and 12 May , carried 20 officers , 292 other ranks and 298 horses . After a troubled voyage , the regiment arrived at Varna , Bulgaria on the 2 June . On the 28 August the entire Light Brigade ( consisting of the 4th Light Dragoons and 13th Light Dragoons , 17th Lancers , the 8th Hussars and 11th Hussars , under the command of Major General the Earl of Cardigan ) were inspected by Lord Lucan ; five men of the 13th had already succumbed to cholera . On the 1 September the regiment embarked for the Crimea - a further three men dying en route . On the 20 September the regiment , as part the Light Brigade , took part in the first major engagement of the Crimean War , the Battle of the Alma . The Light Brigade covered the left flank , although the regiment ’ s role in the battle was minimal . With the Russians in full retreat by late afternoon , Lord Lucan ordered the Light Brigade to pursue the fleeing enemy . However , the brigade was recalled by Lord Raglan as the Russians had kept some 3 , 000 uncommitted cavalry in reserve . According to regimental records , by the 25 October the 13th Light Dragoons had a parade state of 128 officers and men . However , other records state the number could have been as low as 103 out of a total strength of the Light Brigade of 673 . Regimental records do not state who was in overall command of the regiment . During the 25 October the regiment , as part of the Light Brigade , took part in the Battle of Balaclava and the famous Charge of the Light Brigade . At Balaclava A , B , D , and E troops were engaged : The A and B troops formed one squadron , the A troop being on the extreme right of the line . The D and E troops formed the other , E troop being on the left of the other squadron . The officers with the depot troops ( troops C and F ) in England were Captains Holden and the Hon . John Hely Hutchinson ; Lieutenant Clayton and Lieutenant Davis ; and Cornets Dearden and Fielden . The 13th Light Dragoons formed the right of the front line along with the 17th Lancers on the left . The 13th and 17th moved forward ; after 100 yards the 11th Hussars , in the second line , also moved off followed by the 4th and 8th . It was not long before the brigade came under heavy Russian fire . Lord Cardigan , at the front of his men , charged into the Russian guns receiving a slight wound . He was soon followed by the 13th and 17th . The two squadrons of the 13th and the right squadron of the 17th were soon cutting down the artillerymen that had remained at their posts . Once the Russian guns had been passed , they engaged in a hand - to - hand fighting with the enemy that was endeavouring to surround them by closing in on either flank . However , the Light Brigade having insufficient forces and suffering heavy casualties , were soon forced to retire . The 13th Light Dragoons lost three officers in the charge : Captains Oldham and Goad and Cornet Montgomery . Troop Sergeant - Major Weston , and ten rank and file were also killed . Two Troop Sergeant - Majors and 30 rank and file were wounded , while 10 rank and file were taken prisoner . However , the valorous conduct of the 13th Light Dragoons during the charge earned the regiment a Victoria Cross awarded to Lance - Sergeant Joseph Malone of the E Troop . During the Crimean War the 13th also took part in the Battle of Inkerman . The brigade played a minor role , although Captain Jenyns complained : They put us under a very heavy fire at Inkerman , but luckily for us - and no thanks to any General - we had a slight rise on our flank , which ricocheted the balls just over our heads . Some ship ' s shells bowled over a few men and horses though . It was useless , as we could not act . The 13th Light Dragoons also took part in the Siege of Sevastopol , 1855 , as part of the 2nd Light Brigade under Colonel George Paget . Renamed to The 13th Hussars . On the 8 April 1861 the 13th Light Dragoons were renamed the 13th Hussars . The regiment ’ s uniform also changed , influenced by the Austro - Hungarian army . However , the blues and golds were soon replaced by khaki as the regiment found itself serving in , India , Afghanistan ( during the Second Anglo - Afghan War ) and South Africa ( during the Second Boer War ) . The 13th Hussars served in India and Afghanistan from 1874 to 1884 . There is little to chronicle in this relatively quiet period for the regiment . However , it is worth noting that in 1876 R . S . S . Baden - Powell joined his first regiment , the 13th Hussars , in India . The founder of the Scout movement also served with the regiment in Afghanistan , South Africa and on home service in England . In 1911 , he would be appointed Colonel of the Regiment . On November 14 the 13th Hussars , after more than ten years in India , embarked on board the " Serapis " at Bombay for England . The Second Anglo - Boer War . The 13th Hussars participated in the Second Anglo - Boer War , 1899 – 1902 . On 5 December 1899 the 13th disembarked at Durban , South Africa . The 13th Hussars along with the Royal Dragoons and the 14th Hussars formed Colonel Burn - Murdoch ’ s Brigade ; part of the force sent to relief the besieged town of Ladysmith being invested by the Boers . However , the regiment ’ s role in the battle was minor . First World War . The regiment , as part of the Meerut Cavalry Brigade , moved from Meerut in India to France ; arriving in Marseilles in 1914 . The Meerut Brigade served in the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division where for the next two years the regiment saw action in the western front in France and Flanders . The regiment fought both in the trenches and in their mounted role . In July 1916 , the brigade left the division and moved to Mesopotamia where , together with the 13th Lancers and the 14th Lancers , it formed part of the 7th Indian Cavalry Brigade . The regiment ' s battle honours include Kut al Amara 1917 and the capture of Baghdad in March 1917 . The 13th Hussars also saw action at the last battle of the Mesopotamian front , the Battle of Sharqat , where they made a mounted charge against Turkish guns across a flat plain to the foot of the hill the guns were on before making a further dismounted bayonet charge to take them . The action saw the British regional Commander - in - Chief Sir William Marshall secure control of the Mosul oilfields north of Baghdad . After the war the army reduced in size . In 1922 the 13th Hussars amalgamated with the 18th Royal Hussars ( Queen Mary ’ s Own ) to form the 13th / 18th Royal Hussars ( Queen Mary ' s Own ) ) . Regimental Colonels . 1715 07 . 22 - Brig - Gen . Richard Munden < br > 1722 11 . 19 - F . M . Sir Robert Rich < br > 1725 09 . 20 - Maj - Gen . William ( Stanhope ) , 1st Earl of Harrington < br > 1730 07 . 07 - Lt - Gen . Henry Hawley < br > 1740 05 . 12 - Col . Robert Dalway < br > 1741 01 . 09 - Lt - Gen . Humphrey Bland < br > 1743 04 . 18 - Col . James Gardiner < br > 1745 10 . 01 - Col . Francis Ligonier < br > 1746 03 . 03 - Col . Peter Naison < br > 1751 01 . 26 - Maj - Gen . Sir Charles Armand Powlett , KB < br > 1751 12 . 21 - F . M . Henry Seymour Conway < br > 1754 07 . 08 - Gen . John Mostyn < br > 1758 10 . 18 - Lt - Gen . Archibald Douglas < br > 1778 11 . 27 - Lt - Gen . Sir Richard Pierson , KB < br > 1781 02 . 15 - Gen . Francis Craig < br > 1811 12 . 30 - Gen . Hon . Sir Henry George Grey , GCB , GCH < br > 1845 01 . 29 - Gen . Hon . Edward Pyndar Lygon , CB < br > 1860 11 . 12 - Lt - Gen . Allan Thomas Maclean < br > " ( 1861 - changed to 13th Hussars ) " < br > 1868 12 . 10 - Gen . John Lawrenson < br > 1883 10 . 31 - Lt - Gen . Broadley Harrison < br > 1890 07 . 01 - Lt - Gen . Richard Buckley Prettejohn , CB < br > 1891 01 . 05 - Gen . Sir Wiliam Henry Seymour , KCB < br > 1894 01 . 20 - Gen . Sir Baker Creed Russell , GCB , KCMG < br > 1911 11 . 26 - Lt - Gen . Robert Baden - Powell , 1st Baron Baden - Powell , OM , GCMG , GCVO , KCB ( 1922 amalgamated with the 18th Royal Hussars ( Queen Mary ' s Own ) to form the 13th / 18th Royal Hussars ( Queen Mary ' s Own ) )