Our History
The Light Dragoons were first raised in the 18th century and quickly became noted for their scouting expertise and courage. Since then, the regiment’s reputation has grown through the key roles it has played in high profile deployments, from the Napoleonic Wars, World War II through to more recent and current operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The regiment’s antecedent regiments are:
13th Light Dragoons – 1715 (originally Munden’s Regiment of Dragoons until 1751 as 13th Dragoons eventually in 1782 became 13th Light Dragoons)
15th Light Dragoons – 1759 (known as 15th Light Dragoons of Elliott’s Light Horse)
18th Light Dragoons – 1759 (known as Drogheda’s Light Horse, 1763 18th Light Dragoons)
19th Light Dragoons – 1781 (initially 23rd Light Dragoons, until 1783 19th Light Dragoons)
During the Crimean War these regiments were styled Hussars, and the modern regiment is the result of two earlier amalgamations in 1922, the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (QMO) and the 15th/19th The King’s Royal Hussars. Further amalgamations In December 1992 renamed the Regiment to The Light Dragoons and was an appropriate return to the early origins of the regiment.
