Nicknames of Cavalry Regiments

The Life Guards....'Cheesemongars', 'Cheeses' (after the loss of social status in 1788 from being practically a Royal Body Guard and officer training corps.) 'The Piccadilly Butchers' (following riot control action in 1810.) 'The Tin Bellies', 'The tins' (reference to the body armour.)

Royal Horse Guards....'The Oxford Blues', 'The Blues' (from the commander taking over the parliamentarian Col. Unton Crook, the Earl of Oxford. The 'Royals' were raised from a disbanded Parliamentarian troop!)

1st King's Dragoon Guards ...'The Trades union' (Origin unknown)

The Queen's Bays ......'The Bays' (from 1767 custom of mounting on bays; eventually the official title.) 'The Rusty Buckles' (Resulting from a late issue of brass saddle buckles to replace the old steel type.)

3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards�'The Old Canaries' (from the yellow facings.)

4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards...'The Blue Horse' (eighteenth century, from the facings.) 'The Buttermilks', 'The Mounted Micks'.

5th (Princess Charlotte of wales's) Dragoon Guards.�..'The Green Horse' (from the facings.) 'The Old Farmers' (from long service in Ireland.)

6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) .... 'The Carbs', 'Tichborne's Own'.

7th (Princess Royal's)Dragoon Guards ... 'The Black Horse'(from the facings.) 'The Strawboots' (during the reign of George II the men bound straw around their legs when on service in wet countryside.) 'The Virgin Mary's Bodyguard' (for service in support of the Archduchess Maria Teresa of Austria in eighteenth century.)

1st The Royal Dragoons ..... 'The Birdcatchers' (from the capture of a French eagle, displayed on their guidon and drums, also the regiments mascot 'Jock the goose'; 1922 - 1929 saved from the mess table and presented to King George V.)

The Royal Scots Greys .....'The Bubbly Jocks', 'The Birdcatchers' (Another capture Eagle.)

3rd The King's Own Hussars�. 'The Moodkee Wallahs (from their Battle honours.)

4th Queen's Own Hussars�.'Paget's Irregular Horse' (dates from active service in India, 1842.)

5th (Royal Irish) Lancers ....'The Redbreasts' (from facings and plastron.)

6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons ... 'The Black Dragoons' (from early facings)

7th Queen's Own Hussars... 'The Lily-white Seventh'(from facings 1890-1818.) 'The Saucy Seventh', 'The Strawboots', 'Old Straws' (from wet conditions at Werburg 1780.)

8th King's Royal Irish Hussars ...'The Cross-belts' (from wearing sword-belts over the shoulder as in Horse regiments - Dragoons wore them round the waist for distinguished service in Spain 1710.) 'The Twenty-Fives' (arising from long service with the l7th Lancers, with whom close relations developed)

9th Queen's Royal Lancers ...'The Delhi Spearmen' (Battle honours.)

10th Royal Hussars .... 'Baker's Light Bobs' (Valentine Baker was their outstanding C.O.) 'The Chainy Tenth'(from officers' chain belts, c.1810.) 'The China Tenth' (later corruption of the above implying delicate character.) 'The Shiny Tenth (similar corruption.) 'The Shiners' (the regimental version.)

11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)�'Lord Cardigan's Bloodhound's' (from their colonel.) 'The Cherry-Pickers' 'The Cherubims' or 'Cherry Bums' (from tight crimson pantaloons and overalls in full dress)

12th Royal Lancers .....'The Supple Twelfth'

13th Hussars ... 'The Green Dragoons' (eighteenth century, from the facings.) 'The Evergreens' 'The Geraniums', 'The Ragged Brigade' (from active service in the Peninsula with Wellington.)

14th (King's) Hussars .... 'The Emperor s Chambermaids' (from Joseph Bonaparte's chamber pot captured by the l4th at Vittoria 1813) 'The Ramnugger Boys' (from action against the Sikhs 1848.)

l5th (The King's) Hussars .. 'The Fighting Fifteenth'

16th (The Queen's) Lancers�. 'The Scarlet Lancers' (from unique scarlet lancer tunic.)

17th (Duke ot Cambridge's Own) Lancers� 'Bingham's Dandies' (from Lord Lucan.) 'The Horse Marines (from an old tradition that the regiment served as marines in the West Indies, 1795.)

l8th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars ...

'The Drogheda Light Horse' (from the 6th Earl the orignal commander in 1759.)

l9th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars�'The Dumpies' (the Bengal Europeans of 1860 were mostly small men!) 'The Terrors of the East'.

20th Hussars ... 'Nobody's Own'

2lst (Empress of India's) Lancers .....'The Grey Lancers' (from the facings).

 

 

 

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