Household Cavalry Regiment: Difference between revisions

| image = BluesHousehold andCavalry Royals cap badgeBadges.jpgwebp

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| caption = [[Heraldic badge|Badge]] of the Household Cavalry<ref name=HouseholdCavalry>{{cite web |url=https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/corps-regiments-and-units/royal-armoured-corps/household-cavalry-regiment/ |title=The Household Cavalry |work=British Army website |access-date=20212024-0902-1215}}</ref>

| current_commander = Lt Col AnthonyRoland GilhamJ. Spiller

| equipment = Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance Tracked[[Warrior]]<br>

The '''Household Cavalry Regiment''' ('''HCR''') is an Armoured Cavalry regiment of the [[British Army]] based in [[Bulford Camp]] in Wiltshire. It is the brother regiment of the [[Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment]] (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]] reforms, by the union of [[Life Guards (British Army)|The Life Guards]] and the [[Blues and Royals|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]] (RAC), which encompasses all other armoured and cavalry regiments of the British Army. It serves as the [[1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|1st Armoured Infantry Brigade's]] Formation Reconnaissance regiment and hence is equipped with the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) family of vehicles, including the [[FV107 Scimitar|Scimitar]], and is considered, for operational purposes, as part of the RAC.

The House Cavalry Regiment's squadrons served in the [[Yugoslav Wars]] on rotations over a nine-year period. Deployments to the [[Serbia and Montenegro|Former Republic of Yugoslavia]] included tours by A and D Squadrons in 1995<ref>{{cite book|title=Bosnia and Croatia: the conflict continues Research Paper 95/55|first1=Fiona M.|last1=Watson|first2=Tom|last2=Dodd|publisher=[[House of Commons Library]] International Affairs and Defence Section|date=1 May 1995}}</ref> and C Squadron in 1999<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nato.int/sfor/sfor-at-work/qrf-grd/t990930d.htm|title=QRF on guard|publisher=[[NATO]] ([[Stabilization Force|SFOR]])|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref> and 2003.<ref>{{cite hansard|title=Deployments|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmhansrd/vo050321/text/50321w14.htm|house=[[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]|date=21 March 2005|column=570W}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060028456|title=British Army in Bosnia-Herzegovina, November-December 2003|publisher=Imperial War Museum|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref> They were largely based at [[Banja Luka]], headquarters of the [[Multi-National Division (South-West) (Bosnia)|Multi-National Division (South-West)]], for which the [[British Armed Forces]] 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."<ref>{{cite hansard|house=[[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]|title=Wilkinson Sword of Peace|url=httphttps://hansardapi.millbanksystemsparliament.comuk/historic-hansard/written_answerswritten-answers/2000/jan/17/wilkinson-sword-of-peace|date=17 January 2000|column=277W}}</ref>

D Squadron deployed in their function as the Formation Reconnaissance Squadron for [[16 Air Assault Brigade]] during the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]].<ref name=bau>{{cite web|url=http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/royal-armoured-corps/household-cavalry-regiment.html|title=Household Cavalry Regiment|publisher=British Army units 1945 on|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref> 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 [[Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II|A-10 Thunderbolt]]. Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull was killed in the incident.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1541944/American-pilot-on-friendly-fire-video-named.html|title=American pilot on 'friendly fire' video named|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=8 February 2007|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref> In a separate incident, Lieutenant Alex Tweedie and Lance Corporal Karl Shearer died when thetheir Scimitar over-turned into an irrigation canal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/6295553.stm|title=Soldier died when tank overturned|publisher=BBC|date=24 January 2007|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref> The squadron received various decorations for its service: Trooper Chris Finney was awarded the [[George Cross]] for his actions during the A-10 incident,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/oct/31/iraq.military|title=Trooper who saved friend in face of friendly fire awarded George Cross|date=31 October 2003|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref> Major Richard Taylor received the [[Distinguished Service Order]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/4081281.stm|title=Iraq war soldiers awarded medals|date=9 December 2004|publisher=BBC|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref> Corporal of Horse Mick Flynn received the [[Conspicuous Gallantry Cross]] for his actions in a battle with Iraqi armour,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57100 |supp=y|page=4|date=21 October 2003}}</ref> and Corporal of Horse Glynn Bell was awarded the [[Military Cross]] for his actions shortly before the end of the tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/0/62e10b2285dcaf96802572ab004b95dd?OpenDocument|title=Operational honoursand awards|date=23 April 2004|publisher=Ministry of Defence|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref name=bau/>

[[File:RAF Chinook Extracting Troops in Afghanistan MOD 45155516.jpg|left|thumb|HCR soldiers move to their exfiltration HLS at the end of a search operation during their deployment to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2013 during Op ''Herrick 18''.]]During [[Operation Herrick]] 4, D Squadron deployed as the Formation Reconnaissance Squadron for 16 Air Assault Brigade in April 2006.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Parachute Regiment - Afghanistan 2006|url=https://www.eliteukforces.info/parachute-regiment/parachute-regiment-history/operation-herrick-4.php|access-date=2021-05-04|website=www.eliteukforces.info}}</ref><ref name=bau/> C Squadron deployed with [[52nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|52nd Infantry Brigade]] during Operation Herrick 7 in October 2007 and saw action at the [[Battle of Musa Qala]] to recover the town of [[Musa Qala]] from the [[Taliban]].<ref name=bau/> D Squadron again deployed with 16 Air Assault Brigade, initially around Musa Qala, then east of [[Girishk]] during Operation Herrick 8 in April 2008.<ref name=bau/> 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.<ref name=bau/>

[[File:ScoutAJAX, SVthe Future SpecialistArmoured Fighting Vehicle for the British Army MOD 4515776545159445.jpg|thumb|Ajax PMRS Ares variant on display. This variant will replaceAJAX, the HouseholdFuture CavalryArmoured Regiment'sFighting Spartan APCs.Vehicle]]

*Combat[[Warrior Vehicletracked Reconnaissancearmoured (Tracked)vehicle|Warrior]]: The Household Cavalry Regiment, like the other Armoured Cavalry Regiments, continues to beis equipped with the [[CombatWarrior Vehiclearmoured Reconnaissancefighting (Tracked)]]vehicle, on seriesan ofinterim vehiclesbasis, firstuntil employedAjax inreaches theFull 1970sOperating Capability.<ref>{{citeCite web |url=http://www.army.mod.uk/armoureddocuments/regimentsgeneral/28072285986_ARMY_VEHICLESEQUIPMENT_V12.aspxPDF_web.pdf |title=TheBritish HouseholdArmy CavalryVehicles Regimentand Equipment (HCR)|publisheraccess-date=Ministry30 ofOctober 2014 Defence|accessarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119164824/http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/285986_ARMY_VEHICLESEQUIPMENT_V12.PDF_web.pdf |archive-date=3119 JulyNovember 20162010 |url-status=dead |publisher= Defence Public Relations (Army)|page=21}}</ref>

*Ajax: In due course, theThe Household Cavalry Regiment willis convertconverting to [[Ajax (Scout SV)]] - the British Army's first new Armoured Fighting Vehicle platform in a generation. Ajax will replace a number of CVR(T)the variants,Warrior particularlyby Scimitar2029.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/article/54403/scout-sv-named-ajax-dsei15-d2|title=Scout SV named Ajax|date=16 September 2015|publisher=Janes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604102148/http://www.janes.com/article/54403/scout-sv-named-ajax-dsei15-d2|archive-date=4 June 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=West |first=Lisa |date=2024-05-25 |title=Over £4 billion spent on Ajax programme so far |url=https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/over-4-billion-spent-on-ajax-programme-so-far/ |access-date=2024-07-03 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

* 2020–2022: Lt Col Anthony E. Gilham

* 2022-Present2022–Present: Lt Col RolyRoland J. Spiller