大象传媒

4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
and their predecessors
1685 鈥� 1992
Quis Separabit

The history of the Regiment goes back to 1685 when the Earl of Arran, 4th Duke of Hamilton KG. KT was granted a Commission as Colonel and raised The 6th Horse which became the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards.
In December 1688 the victorious Prince William (he was not proclaimed King William 111 until the following February) issued a warrant for the formation of new Regiments one of which was The 10th Horse raised by Colonel William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, KG. which became the 7th Dragoon Guards (Princess Royal鈥檚)
In India on 22nd October 1922 the two Regiments were amalgamated to become the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards and then in 1936 the status of Royal was conferred for the Regiment to become the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
On 1st August 1992 the Regiment was amalgamated with the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards to form the Royal Dragoon Guards.

World War I
During World War 1 the 4th Dragoons and the 7th Dragoons as separate regiments served in Belgium and France.The men of the 4th Dragoons could claim the distinction of being the first British troops in action in August 1914 when the first British shot was fired by them at German cavalry and the first blood drawn. This happened at CASTEAU near MONS where a plaque in English and French records the event. On November 11th 1918, 7th Dragoon horsemen carried out the last cavalry charge of World War 1 when they galloped for 10 miles to capture LESSINES in BELGIUM and the crossings there over the RIVER DENDRE suffering no casualties themselves, but taking 4 German officers and 167 men prisoners. As was required by higher command this action was completed as the clocks were striking 11 o鈥檆lock when hostilities had to stop in accordance with the terms of the Armistice.

World War II
1938 was the year when the regiment had to give up its horses and become a tank unit, necessitating a considerable change in skills and outlook for officers and men.
In 1939, the regiment, partially equipped with Mark IV so-called light tanks and Bren gun carriers was the first British armoured unit to arrive in France with the British Expeditionary Force. At that time the tanks still lacked essential equipment.
Early in May 1940, the regiment advanced through BELGIUM to the RIVER DYLE near LOUVAIN (LEUVEN) east of BRUSSELS. Over the following days they engaged the enemy in spite of the poor equipment, but suffered losses. They were ordered to withdraw successively to a series of river defence lines, one of which was the RIVER DENDRE where 3rd Troop, 鈥楥鈥� Squadron made a spirited defence of LESSINES, BELGIUM on 21st May 1940, the same locations as mentioned above.
Eventually after covering the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force the regiment, minus vehicles, embarked from the mole at DUNKIRK and reached FOLKESTONE on the early morning of 3rd June 1940.
Back in England the regiment became part of the 1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade equipped with 鈥楤eaverettes', Standard 14 cars with sheet metal armour. The Brigade, part of the 9th Armoured Division, equipped with 鈥楥ovenanter鈥� cruiser tanks were studying and training for mechanised armoured warfare
In 1943 the regiment then became part of 79th Armoured Division which later became famous for its 鈥楩unnies鈥�, specialised vehicles under the command of Major General Hobart they commenced training in Duplex Drive amphibious tanks for the Second Front. The tanks were initially Valentines driven by a propeller and fitted with a deck at track level supporting a canvas screen, which was raised by compressed air and secured by stays. Later the Valentine was replaced by the Sherman tank for the D-Day landing 6th June 1944. Training in swimming the DD tanks loading and disembarking took part in various locations including GOSPORT and the RIVER TAIN in Scotland.
On April 4th 1944 Exercise Smash 1 was held at STUDLAND BAY with the DD Valentine tanks. Shortly after launching the weather underwent a change, the wind increased and the waves grew bigger. As a result six tanks sank with the loss of six crew members. A valuable lesson was learnt that the tanks were not seaworthy in rough weather and so on D Day the DD tanks motored in, in shallow water. The decision not to swim the tanks in saved the day and ensured the success of the landings
On 6th June, 1944 - D Day - the Regiment, now part of the 8th Armoured Brigade, landed on GOLD BEACH in Normandy, 鈥楤鈥� and 鈥楥鈥� Squadron landing 5 minutes before H (attack) Hour at 0720 Hrs in amphibious D D Sherman tanks. On the first day 鈥楢鈥� Squadron with the 7th Battalion Green Howards following a route through CREPON liberated CREULLY. This small town is where the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Memorial is situated. The Regiment took part in the bitter fighting at CRISTOT against elements of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend. It was during the engagement at CRISTOT that three members of the Regiment, who had been taken prisoner, were shot dead by their captors; one was wounded, and another tortured
The advance by the Regiment proceeded via VERRI脠RES and LING脠VRES towards the enemy centre of resistance - TILLY SUR SEULLES It was at LINGEVRES, faced by the crack German Panzer Lehr Division that Sgt W Harris D.C.M. with his gunner Tpr I D Mackillop, Mentioned in Dispatches, knocked out five Panther tanks with five shots.
The Regiment then pursued the enemy south via CAUMONT and JURQUES and then the 鈥楪reat Swan鈥� commenced via AMIENS and ARRAS driving the enemy Northeast. The Regiment was first over the Seine at VERNON and took a major part in the liberation of LILLE.
The Regiment then entered Holland and took part in Operation Market Garden. Although a small detachment of tanks reached DRIEL near ARNHEM, were unable to reach the paras who had dropped there because of strong German resistance,
The Regiment then fought their way into Germany through the REICHSWALD FOREST and GOCH reaching BREMERHAVEN on May 6th 1945.
Despite the fact that the regiment was equipped with Sherman tanks that were vastly inferior to their German counterpart, morale always remained high, and the enemy was pursued relentlessly until final victory was achieved

Palestine 1946 鈥�1948
The Regiment served in Palestine under the British Mandate moving there in June 1946 for a period of two years, a period during which their 鈥渃ordon and search鈥� operations, patrolling and escort duties saw Squadrons scattered from Ramle in the south to Acre in the north.
With Britain鈥檚 abrogation of the Palestine Mandate in May 1948, all British troops were ordered to withdraw by August. On June 3rd the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards concentrated at Haifa and embarked for a tour of duty in Tripolitania. Fourteen members of the Regiment lost their lives during the tour of duty in Palestine

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