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Page 1: Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Overview

An Introduction to the

HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MOUNTED REGIMENT

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With a proud tradition of over three centuries service as a bodyguard to the Sovereign, and made up of the British Army’s two most senior regiments, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment sits at the very heart of the cultural and military heritage of Britain. The Regiment’s rich history stretches back to 1660, from descendants of King Charles II’s Life Guards and the Earl of Oxford’s ‘Blues’. Since then it has forged a tradition, ethos and reputation for excellence and professionalism, whether it is for State Ceremonial duties, or delivering manpower for the recent military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Every Household Cavalry soldier is first and foremost a fighting soldier, and uniquely in the British Army, the Household Cavalry use their qualities to excellent effect by combining their role in armoured fighting vehicles with the mounted State Ceremonial role. It is this flexibility that has allowed us to remain at the forefront of the combat operations of today, whilst still maintaining the highest standards and strong traditions of the past.

This brief is to inform what we do, who we are and how we do it.

THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY MOUNTED REGIMENT (HCMR)

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Public Duties and State CeremonialA key defence output, and one of the Army’s Standing Tasks, Public Duties and State Ceremonial form part of ‘the fabric of the nation’. For a country with global interests, these roles offer a powerful symbol of our operational military heritage, whilst enhancing the standing of the Sovereign and the Nation before both national and international audiences.

HCMR’s key Public Duties and State Ceremonial outputs: • The Queen’s Life Guard. In early times the Guard

was as much as 100 strong and provided Escorts to accompany the Sovereign wherever he or she travelled by road. It now consists of either a Long Guard or a Short Guard on duty at Horse Guards, with a daily changing ceremony at 11 o’clock (10 o’clock on Sundays), on Horse Guards Parade. • Long Guard: When The Queen is in London, the

Guard consists of 1 Officer, 1 Corporal Major (who carries the Standard), 2 Non-Commissioned Officers,

1 Trumpeter and 10 Troopers. This is known as a Long Guard.

• Short Guard: When Her Majesty is not resident in London, the Guard is reduced to 2 Non-Commissioned Officers and 10 Troopers.

• The Queen’s Birthday Parade. The highlight of the Ceremonial Season, and televised across the world, HCMR provides four mounted divisions to escort the Sovereign and perform a March Past.

• The Garter Ceremony at Windsor Castle. The Regiment is in the dismounted role, lining the route to Windsor Castle’s chapel for the investiture of new members to the Order.

• Investitures. Around 25 times a year, Household Cavalrymen provide staircase parties as individuals are presented awards and honours by Her Majesty the Queen, the Prince of Wales or the Princess Royal.

• The State Opening of Parliament. An historic occasion, each year the Sovereign drives in State to Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament, escorted by four

mounted divisions (over 100 men) of HCMR. • State Visits. Formal visits to the UK by Heads of State

from overseas have the aim of strengthening Britain’s relationships with other countries. There are normally four visits annually that would typically see the Sovereign and visiting Head of State escorted by four mounted divisions (over 100 men). These could take place in London, Windsor or Edinburgh.

• Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph. A dismounted division from HCMR represents the Regiment to commemorate Remembrance Day, the anniversary of the end of WWI in 1918, at 1100hrs, The national ceremony is held at the Cenotaph on Whitehall, London.

• The Lord Mayor’s Show. A mounted division (25 men) deploy as part of the procession.

• The Major General’s Inspection. The whole Regiment is mounted for an annual inspection by the GOC LONDIST in Hyde Park prior to the beginning of the main Ceremonial season.

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Contingency RolesHCMR is an iconic element of the UK’s military tradition. We often take part in large scale national celebrations such as Royal Weddings, Olympics and Jubilees. We are also heavily involved with community engagement, charity events and low-level defence diplomacy, both in London and further afield. We have particularly strong ties with equivalent mounted units in the Middle East and South Asia.

Royal WeddingsThe Regiment has a long history of involvement in Royal Weddings. The 1662 marriage of King Charles II to Catherine of Braganza was our first: “The Troops of Horse were drawn up in Hyde Park, a very noble sight in all capacities. Most of that great body had formerly been at war, and so were more fit to be guard and escort to the couple most excellent...” More recently, the Regiment played a prominent role in the Weddings of the Prince of Wales in 1981, Prince Andrew in 1986 and the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011.

HCMR provided a Sovereign’s Escort to Her Majesty The Queen and a Captain’s Escort to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with officers accompanying their carriage who had served with Prince William during his service with The Blues and Royals.

Jubilees2012 saw the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen. HCMR again played a central role in escorting Her Majesty on the many different celebratory parades through London. This was combined later in the year with the Olympic Games for which the Regiment provided ceremonial troops and a military contingent force in support.

Musical RideShowcasing the very best of military equestrianism and tradition, the Household Cavalry Musical Ride offers a mounted display team that performs both nationally and worldwide.

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StructureThe Household Cavalry is made up of the Life Guards and the Blues & Royals. They are the most senior regiments in the British Army and are split between two different units equipped to perform two quite different roles. The Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR), based in Windsor, has an operational role in armoured fighting vehicles which has seen them at the forefront of Britain’s military operations including the Falklands, the Gulf, and more recently in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

HCMR is equipped with horses and based in London. It is their unique privilege to meet the requirement to carry out mounted and some dismounted ceremonial duties on State and Royal occasions, including the Queens’ Birthday Parade and State Visits. We constantly rotate soldiers between the Regiments. At HCMR there is a Life Guard Mounted Squadron (red tunics and white-plumed helmets), and Blues & Royals Mounted Squadron (blue tunics and red-plumed helmets). There is also a Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron manned by a mixture of the two.

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FormationsHCMR soldiers and horses can be seen every day travelling to and from Horse Guards to furnish The Queen’s Life Guard (QLG). If Her Majesty The Queen is in residence, the 15 strong column is led by a Trumpeter on a grey horse, an Officer rides in the middle of the column, just to the right of a Warrant Officer who will be carrying the richly adorned Sovereign’s Standard. When the Queen is not in residence, the guard reduces to 12, commanded by a Corporal of Horse.

For larger State Ceremonial parades, HCMR will be organised into ‘divisions’, blocks of 24 soldiers and horses (riding four abreast) with the Officer riding front left. A ‘March-Out’ for HCMR could include as many as 6 mounted divisions (approx 200 men and horsesincluding standard parties, the command element, and regalia escorts). We also provide the horses for the 2 Household Cavalry Mounted Bands (the Band of the Life Guards and the Band of the Blues & Royals).

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ManpowerEvery Household Cavalry soldier is first and foremost a fighting soldier. The troops participating in the parades are fully trained, operational troops from the Household Cavalry. Both soldiers and officers at HCMR are tough and resourceful, proud of their Regiment’s history, and ready to rise to the challenges that modern warfare poses. Above all service at HCMR also helps to develop the highly competent reconnaissance soldiers who now find themselves at the forefront of the campaign in Afghanistan.

The Household Cavalry maintains a world-famous tradition dating back to 1660. A unique job calls for special soldiers: young men who can adapt to the added responsibility and variety that a career in the Household Cavalry offers. HCMR is dependent on the versatility of its soldiers, of which we currently have around 350 all ranks. The tasks required of mounted ceremonial soldiers are extremely wide-ranging and challenging, especially as the majority of them have had no previous equine experience.

Horses are by their very nature time intensive, and require constant care and attention. HCMR has an exacting daily routine which must be maintained 365 days of the year. It starts with reveille at 0530hrs, with horses exercised between 0700 and 1000 hrs. This is followed by hours of kit and equipment maintenance and cleaning, all for it to be presented to the highest possible standards on ceremonial occasions.

The rank and insignia of non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in the Household Cavalry are unique. A Corporal is a Lance Corporal of Horse, and a Sergeant is a Corporal of Horse. Private soldiers in the Household Cavalry, as in other cavalry regiments, are called ‘Troopers’.

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Specialist Trades within HCMRThe Forge. 14 soldiers specialise in farriery, shoeing and caring for the veterinary welfare of up to 300 horses. Using both ready-made and hand-made shoes, these soldiers become Certified Military Farriers, and will hold a Diploma from the Worshipful Company of Farriers.

Riding Staff. 12 soldiers are responsible for training novice riders into competent horsemen who can fulfill all mounted state ceremonial duties. In addition, the riding staff train the Regiments’ horses from the time they are purchased, through breaking and schooling, to the finished article on parade.

Saddlery. 6 soldiers are devoted to the fitting, maintenance and refurbishment of all horse ‘furniture’ (tack) and soldiers’ ceremonial uniform (in conjunction with the Tailors’ Department). Their skill and handiwork is recognised by both military and City and Guild qualifications in saddlery.

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Horses and Equipment Horses: ‘Cavalry Blacks’ are traditional crossbreeds of Irish Draught and Thoroughbred, and will normally stand at well over 16.2 hands tall. They are predominately black with some white markings. Exceptions to this are the ‘greys’ for trumpeters, the all-black Officers’ Chargers, and the Drum Horses, selected and specially trained to carry the heavy solid-silver kettle drums. These Shires and Clydesdales can in some cases reach 19 hands tall. The horses are purchased in Ireland and Wales at around 3 years old. The first letter of their name denotes their age, just like a vehicle registration number. All horses are trained in-house and most are ready after a year of intensive schooling. The end product should be steady on parade and accustomed to vast crowds, heavy traffic and flash photography.

Horse ‘Furniture’: On daily ‘watering orders’ or park excursions, the horses are tacked-up with brown exercise

kits. When on public duties, the horse wears ‘black kit’ which takes around 3 hours of checks and polishing each time it is used. Both these and head-collars, reins and stirrup leathers are tailored in-house by the Saddlers and are lightly waxed. The SO2 pattern saddle, more comfortable for the horse than for the rider, is covered with a sheepskin blanket. Brasses (the state bit, head-stalls, stirrups, stirrup-bosses, buckles) all have to be highly polished.

Uniform: Worn for as long as eight hours at a time when in the saddle, the discomforts of wearing ‘state kit’ for protracted periods cannot be over-emphasised. The ‘Albert pattern’ helmet is adorned with a plume, white for the Life Guards, red for the Blues & Royals. The metal armour plates (cuirasses) were intended to stop sword slashes and musket balls. Since 1821 they have been highly polished as a symbol

of their role as Heavy Cavalry. A white ‘cartouche belt’ is worn over the cuirasses like a bandolier. The sword is the 1892 pattern, and saw action in the Boer War. Jackboots are perhaps the most infamous bits of kit. These are waxed hard and have many layers of polish applied. Far shinier and more durable than any patent leather, they are a source of fevered competition between soldiers. All items of uniform have minor variations when worn by Officers.

Very often the men that form The Queen’s Life Guard in Whitehall, in gleaming State ceremonial uniforms (known as Mounted Review Order), may only recently have been operating armoured vehicles in Afghanistan, or parachuting in their airborne role. Therefore the soldiers also have a full compliment of military personal webbing, an SA80 rifle, and all the kit required for modern warfare.

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TrainingInitial Training. Every Household Cavalry soldier is first and foremost a fighting soldier. Their military career starts at an Army Training Regiment at either Pirbright or Winchester, or at the Army Foundation College at Harrogate. This teaches This teaches military skills such as foot drill, how to handle and fire a weapon, how to live and work in the open, and how to tackle an assault course, as well as developing stamina and fitness.

Further Training. The type of further (Phase 2) training that is undertaken will depend on where the Regiment needs soldiers most, although it is currently the Commander Household Cavalry’s policy that all new recruits go to HCMR before progressing to HCR. Around 90% of HCMR soldiers have no prior experience with horses when they arrive from Army Basic, or Phase 2 Training.

Ceremonial Role. Soldiers start Phase 2 training at the Household Cavalry Training Wing (HCTW) at Windsor with a 12-week riding course where they will learn the fundamentals of military equitation and horse welfare. Riding, stable and horse management and equipment husbandry are all covered in depth. This is followed by a 4-week Kit Ride at Knightsbridge where they are taught how to look after the ceremonial equipment, and how to ride in it. The training is physically arduous and soldiers may have to face up to their fears at an early stage. On completion soldiers are qualified as Mounted Dutymen in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment at Knightsbridge, and gain a diploma in Equine Management.

Armoured Role. Training is conducted at Bovington in Dorset where soldiers are taught to drive a car before moving on to a Scimitar light tank. They learn how to drive the Scimitar and how to operate communications equipment before joining the Household Cavalry Regiment at Windsor. Whilst serving at HCMR, soldiers

will have their communication and signals skills developed, and will attend driving and maintenance courses, in order to prepare them for that task relevant to their future role as reconnaissance soldiers.

Permanent Cadre. A small contingent of soldiers get selected as permanent staff, remaining at HCMR as riding instructors, farriers, tailors, saddlers, all sought-after artisan trade qualifications. They also hold the corporate knowledge and continuity for equestrian training and horse management that is indispensible to the Regiment.

Regimental Training. For three weeks every summer, the Regiment deploys to a military training area to develop riding skills and rehearse State Ceremonial events. The Regiment also undergoes Military Annual Training Tests to keep current in military skills.

Whilst training is very much an ongoing process for the soldiers and officers serving at HCMR, a multitude of additional courses are available. P Company, Airborne training and various Snipers’ Courses are particularly popular. A select few will be put forward for Special Forces Selection. There is the opportunity to be trained in the following specialised roles: • Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and

Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Operators • Close Observation Operator (SRW) - widely employed on

operations in Afghanistan • Forward Air Controller (FAC) or Joint Terminal Attack

Controller (JTAC) • Support Trooper (Guided Weapons, Search and

Demolitions) • Application Specialist (Information technology,

communications and data specialist) • Paratrooper • Commando • Sniper

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1660 Just before the Restoration of King Charles II, a Royal Mounted Bodyguard is formed in Holland from 80 Royalists who had gone into exile with the King after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. After the restoration in 1660, The Life Guards are officially recognised as the unit to provide his personal escort and guard at his Whitehall Palace.

1661 The Royal Horse Guards trace their origins back to a force (Unton Crooke’s Horse) raised by Oliver Cromwell prior to the second invasion of Scotland, but the parliamentary officers were replaced by royalists in 1660 to form The Royal Regiment of Horse (later known as the Blues) to rid the country of residual royal dissent.

1661 The Royal Regiment of Dragoons (later known as The Royals) are raised to garrison and defend England’s new colony of Tangier in Morocco against the Moorish cavalry.

1672 Campaigns are waged in Flanders against the Republican Dutch. Early battles show the Regiments’ broad range of skills, showcasing a skilful use of cavalry tactics, and dismounted and reconnaissance work.

1743 The Battle of Dettingen was personally led by King George II. The British Life Guards defeat the French Life Guards. The Royal Dragoons rout the elite French ‘Mousqetaires Noirs’ cavalry.

1758 William Kent’s rebuild of Horse Guards is finished, and the daily change of the Life Guards stationed there, still continues in a similar format today.

1760 During the Seven Years’ War, the Marquis of Granby leads the newly styled Royal Horse Guards (Blues) at the Battle of Warburg. His salute without headdress after the charge begins a Regimental custom still in use today.

1778 The Troops of Horse Guards are disbanded and re-formed as the 1st and 2nd Life Guards, a period from which the majority of today’s State ceremonial dress originates.

1813 The Royal Horse Guards are especially favoured by King George III and, with the appointment of the Duke of Wellington as Colonel, are elevated to the status of Household Cavalry in recognition of their distinguished service. They now commence Sovereign’s escort and guard duties along with the Life Guards.

1815 The Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards and Royal Dragoons all distinguish themselves at the Battle of Waterloo. The Royal Dragoons capture the eagle Standard of Napoleon’s 105th Regiment, which today forms part of the Blues & Royals badge.

1882-1885 Campaigns are waged in Egypt and Sudan. A Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards composite unit are involved in the ‘Moonlight Charge’ at Kassassin. The Heavy Camel Corps is also manned by our soldiers.

1899-1902 The Boer War marks the culmination of massed cavalry tactics. Battles are waged at Rensburg, Kimberly, Paarderberg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill. Privations are extreme for both men and horses.

1914-1918 The Regiments deploy mounted for WWI, but also serve in the trenches and formed part of the Guards Machine Gun Battalions. Losses are heavy, but contrary to public perception, successful cavalry charges still take place.

1922 The 1st and 2nd Life Guards amalgamate and are called “The Life Guards (1st and 2nd)” until 1928 when they are renamed “The Life Guards”.

HistoryThe Household Cavalry consists of The Life Guards and The Blues & Royals - the most senior Regiments in the British Army - and is split between two units, the Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR). HCR is a Brigade Reconnaissance Regiment, acting as the eyes and ears of the army and will re-configure to it’s new Army 2020 role as Armoured Reconnaissance role for January 2014

The present-day units have developed and evolved over the last 350 years, and we are especially proud of our operational record and military heritage. We have been involved in most of the major overseas conflicts during that period, whether as a prestigious heavy cavalry unit prior to 1939, or more recently as an armoured reconnaissance regiment.

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1939-1945 British cavalry regiments ‘mechanise’ for WWII, and Life Guards and Blues & Royals form the 1st and 2nd composite Household Cavalry Regiments, the second of which is described by General Brian Horrocks as “the finest armoured car regiment I have ever seen”.

They see action in Palestine, North Africa and in North West Europe as reconnaissance units.

1945 King George VI requests the reinstatement of the King’s Life Guard consisting of 6 mounted divisions and 2 mounted bands. This is broadly similar to the present day size and structure of HCMR.

1955 The Royal Horse Guards help British forces to decisively beat the EOKA insurgency in Cyprus, by effective reconnaissance and interaction with locals. There is a continued use of mules and horses for patrolling.

1969 The Royal Horse Guards are amalgamated with the Royal Dragoons to form a new regiment, the

Blues & Royals (RHG/D), the new regiment serving in Northern Ireland, Germany and Cyprus.

1969-2004 Op BANNER in Northern Ireland sees the Life Guards and Blues and Royals deploy as individuals and units, dismounted or mounted in armoured cars, to assist the Government in restoring normality in Northern Ireland.

1982 The Blues & Royals, mounted in Scimitar and Scorpion armoured reconnaissance vehicles, deploy two troops to the Falkland Islands. They are used to great effect in support of 2 Para at The Battle of Wireless Ridge.

1990 The Life Guards deploy to the Gulf for Operation Desert Storm in Challenger 1 tanks. They take part in the land war, finishing up astride the Kuwait City to Basra highroad.

1991 The Options for Change Defence Review sees a union between the Life Guards and Blues & Royals,

each regiment reducing to two reconnaissance squadrons based in Windsor as part of the Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) and one squadron committed to mounted ceremonial duties in London as part of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR).

HCR has recently been one of the most frequently deployed units in the British Army. It has conducted warfighting, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations in:

1994-2006 Bosnia

1999 Kosovo (Op AGRICOLA). 2003-2008 Iraq (Op TELIC).

2006 and ongoing Afghanistan (Op HERRICK).

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For further information contact:The Adjutant HCMRHyde Park BarracksKnightsbridge London SW7 1SE

T 94631 2501 | 0044 (0) 207 414 2501E [email protected]

Content: Capt John Rawdon-Mogg, Unit Press Officer, HCMRPhotos: Jasper Dalgliesh www.jasperdalgliesh.com Designed by The Design Studio, Headquarters Land Forces | ADR002640

© Crown Copyright

Message from the Commanding OfficerLieutenant Colonel Paul Bedford: “It is our unique privilege at HCMR to meet the requirement to carry out mounted and dismounted ceremonial duties on State and Royal occasions, maintaining a world-famous tradition dating back to 1660, and forming an iconic part of our national heritage and military tradition. Yet every Household Cavalry soldier is first and foremost a fighting soldier, and the troops you see participating in ceremonial parades are fully trained, operational troops, who may only recently have been operating armoured vehicles in the harsh terrain of Afghanistan.

Every Household Cavalryman is dual-trained in the ceremonial and armoured roles, a unique mix that calls for soldiers who can adapt to the added responsibility and variety that a career in the Household Cavalry offers. We rely on intelligent, fit and self-reliant soldiers

who have the quick wits and initiative to succeed on operations, and achieve excellence in all they do, whether on horseback in London or in armoured vehicles in support of the UN or NATO in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq or Afghanistan.

Throughout its history the Household Cavalry has had to adapt to changing times and circumstances, whether it was to fight in the trenches in WWI, or more recently to form a parachute-trained armoured reconnaissance squadron. Our ethos of excellence and professionalism has been strengthened by our willingness to change, whilst maintaining the strong traditions and standards for which we are famous. The versatility required to adapt to different roles, and the exacting standards required to achieve success in both, has made the Regiment what it is today, and will help it face the challenges that lie ahead”.

The Household Cavalry Foundation cares for the soldiers, families, horses and heritage of the Household Cavalry. Whether caring for soldiers injured on operations, or providing relief to veterans and their dependents, the Household Cavalry Foundation provides and umbrella of support to the Regimental family. To find out more, or to support the Foundation, please contactwww.hcavfoundation.org

The Household Cavalry Museum at Horse Guards, London, offers a unique “behind- the-scenes” look at the work that goes into the ceremonial and operational role of the Household Cavalry. For more information on the Household Cavalry Museum, please contact: www.householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk

If you would like to know more about careers in the Household Cavalry please go to: http://www.army.mod.uk/rolefinder/role/74/household-cavalry-soldier/