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.
The Battle of Dettingen, 1743
They spent the morning of 27 June standing next to The 3rd Hussars, exposed to devastating fire from the French guns, but in the afternoon, stationed with The 4th and 3rd Hussars they charged, pushing the French Cavalry back and eventually with the support of the Foot, broke the enemy’s ranks. Both sides withdrew to lick their wounds until the battle of Fontenoy in 1745.
The infantry performed well but was beaten back by superior numbers at which stage the British Generals threw in their mounted arm to cover the retreat and the Queen’s Own charged, again and again, sustaining fifty casualties but achieving their task.
In 1746 the regiment was caught in the action at Roucoux, which developed as Fonteroy had done and Lauffeldt in which the Cavalry saved the British from a major defeat.
By 1748 the impetus for war had petered out and The Queen’s Own Regiment of Dragoons landed back in England in the January of 1749.
