India 1857-80 The Indian Mutiny 1857-59 The 7th was dispatched overseas to India in 1857 to help put down the Indian Mutiny landing at Calcutta in the November of that year. This was the first occasion on which the Regiment served in India. They were present during the whole of the operations of the siege and capture of Lucknow, 1-21 March 1858. Lucknow 1857-59 It was during this period the 7th Hussars particularly distinguished itself and gained its first Victoria…

The Canadian Rebellion French Canadian militants in Lower Canada took up arms against the British Crown in a pair of insurrections in 1837 and 1838. On the 1st of May, 1838, the 7th Hussars embarked at Cork for service in Canada consequent on the outbreak of the Canadian Rebellion. They were stationed in Montreal and Laprairie until 1842 when they returned to England. The twin rebellions, which killed more than 300 people, followed years of tensions between the colony’s anglophone…

Waterloo On Napoleon’s escape from Elba in March 1815, England again declared war on France and, by the 25th of that month, the 7th Hussars had again departed for Belgium. On June 17th the 7th was engaged in the action at Genappe, where they “most gallantly” attempted an impossible task. The British rearguard had scarcely cleared the village of Genappe when Napoleon’s vanguard began to debouch from the narrow main street. This body was Napoleon’s famous Polish Lancers, and they…

The Peninsular War During the Peninsular War, the 7th Hussars fought with great distinction and shares many of the same Battle Honours as The 3rd and 4th Hussars. Orthes, 27 February 1814 In February 1814, the 7th distinguished itself by its magnificent bearing in the Battle of Orthes when engaged in driving the French from an entrenched position by the River Pau. When the enemy gave way beneath the British assault, the 7th dashed forward in pursuit and, by a…

The Netherlands After the French Revolution, Britain was at war with her old enemy again in the Netherlands. Beaumont 26 April 1794 The 7th (Queen’s Own) Light Dragoons were heavily involved in this battle that took place during the siege of Landrecies, in the war against the Revolutionary Army of the French. Taking advantage of early morning mist, a French column attacked the camp in which the 7th was quartered, the latter being hastily mounted before their tents. They were…

Home Service In February 1763, the regiment returned home from Germany. In that same year, the Light Troop of the 7th was disbanded. From 1763 to 1793, thirty years, the Queen’s Own continued on home service. On April 9th, 1764, the regiment was reviewed in Hyde Park by King George III, who complimented the 7th on their smart appearance and discipline. From April 1768 to February 1769 and again from the middle of 1779 to May 1781, the 7th Dragoons…

Seven Years’ War 1756-63 When the Seven Years’ War began in 1756, the 7th took part in the June 1758 Raid on St Malo, at which 100 enemy vessels were burned, the Raid on Cherbourg in August 1758 and the Battle of Warburg in July 1760. Raid on St Malo The Raid on St Malo took place in June 1758 when an amphibious British naval expedition landed close to the French port of St Malo in Brittany. While the town…

War of the Austrian Succession The Regiment embarked by troops at a number of the Thames ports and about August 11th, 1742, arrived at Oostende. During the remainder of the year, they did very little and subsequently went into winter quarters. In the June of 1743, they were formed up in a disadvantageous position near the village of Dettingen in the valley of the River Maine. They spent the morning of 27 June standing next to The 3rd Hussars, exposed…

Service in Scotland By February 1691 Cunningham’s Dragoons were an established unit of King William’s Army in Scotland. The 7th could always boast of being one of the only two surviving regiments of cavalry raised in Scotland. The first years of Cunningham’s Dragoon’s service north of the border were without noteworthy events, all the troops being dispersed among the Highlands. In March 1692 the regiment was brought to Edinburgh to assist in law and order duties but it was not…

Amalgamation On 24th October 1958, in Hohne, the 4th Hussars amalgamated with the 8th Hussars to form The Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars. Some may well think that the less said about the period before 22nd October (when the actual weekend began) the better. The problem of where we were going to house the wonderful number of people who, to our joy and surprise, accepted our tentative invitation to attend. The problem of where to entertain well over six hundred guests…