Welcome to the official website of the Queen’s Royal Hussars Regimental Association.
Many significant events have occurred since I updated the Chairman’s Foreword a few months ago. Despite Her Majesty’s age, the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II was a shock to us all. The vast majority of us had known no other Monarch on our throne throughout our lives. HM Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving Monarch in our history, had always been that steady hand on the tiller and the most wonderful role model for selfless service to others. HM Queen Elizabeth was respected, admired and loved throughout the Commonwealth and much of the world; it was fitting therefore that billions of people paid their respects by watching the great pageantry and ceremony surrounding Her Majesty’s Lying-in-State and funeral. Long live the King.
The senseless and entirely unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine is about to enter its 8th month. A great many of us with some experience of war and conflict have been deeply impressed by the resolve, tenacity, and fighting spirit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In many ways, it is somewhat of a ‘David and Goliath’ story, which has exposed the corruption, lack of discipline, and poor capability of the Russian Armed Forces. The Ukrainians have mastered a great variety of western supplied weapons with admirable speed and agility. The logistic challenges of managing such mixed fleets must be daunting but the Ukrainians appear to be overcoming them.
The success of the recent Ukrainian offensive in the Kharkiv region has been impressive and proved that the Ukrainians can use operational art and sophisticated deception. For some weeks the Ukrainians drip-fed the information of a forthcoming big counter-offensive towards Kherson in the south, drawing Russian reserves and 11 Battalion Tactical Groups from the north to reinforce the south.
The Ukrainians then struck in the north sweeping Russian formations away and capturing a great deal of ground, equipment and enemy soldiers. This was a classic ‘Feint’ and changed the character of the conflict. The Ukrainians have wrestled the initiative from the Russians and their tails are up. Putin is in an increasingly difficult position as evidenced by his announcement of a ‘partial mobilisation’ of 300,000 soldiers; the result is that tens of thousands of young Russians are trying to leave the country to avoid conscription. Currently, there is no obvious outcome to this war and Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons is clearly of great concern. However, his naked aggression in invading a neighbouring sovereign state cannot be allowed to stand, as it transgresses the most fundamental international law norms since 1945.
The war in Ukraine has proven once again the relevance of the all-arms battle, manoeuvre warfare and the necessity for artillery and main battle tanks in the offensive. During the last 20+ years, the United Kingdom has reduced or removed a great deal of these capabilities; therefore, it is gratifying to hear the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, give an undertaking to increase defence spending from 2% to 3% of GDP by 2030.
Turning to Regimental Association issues and events; in October we have Ulster Troop, Southern Counties Troop and Chester Troop each holding their respective annual dinners. On Sunday 13 November our Remembrance Parade will be in Worcester. Association Members are encouraged to support this event and may wish to know that the serving Regiment is intending to send a squadron to be ‘on parade’ with the Commanding Officer and Regimental Sergeant Major. I understand that the Guidon may also be ‘on parade’. Worcester Troop will hold their annual dinner on Saturday 12 November, the night before the parade. Also on Remembrance Sunday, 28 ex-Hussars will be on parade at the Cenotaph in London. Please support these events, remember our fallen comrades-in-arms, and catch up with old friends.
I am pleased to announce that we have a new Troop Secretary for the Birmingham and Coventry Troop, which was run by the loyal and dedicated Janet Mabbott for so many years. WO1 Cas Potter has kindly volunteered to take up the reins, and he will be assisted by Ginge Knighton.
Finally, we are all too aware that a cost-of-living crisis is looming and although most of us will be able to absorb the pain by tightening our belts, there will be some veterans who may not be able to cope. The Regimental Charity stands by to assist when it can in cases of severe ‘relief in need’.
There is however a process to be followed and those seeking assistance must contact The Royal British Legion (TRBL) or SSAFA to enable a caseworker to be assigned and a case file raised accordingly. Once a case file has been received, we aim to turn it around within 48 hours. Many veterans are too proud to seek help, so if you know or hear of any member who is in severe difficulty, please direct them to TRBL or SSAFA in the first instance.
Their respective websites are:
Col Andrew Cuthbert
Chairman of The Regimental Association
The Queen’s Royal Hussars (The Queen’s Own and Royal Irish)
Formed in September 1993 by merging The Queen’s Own Hussars and The Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars, the senior light cavalry regiment in the British Army is The Queen’s Royal Hussars (The Queen’s Own and Royal Irish).
The amalgamation brought together the four senior Hussar Regiments of our forebears, 3rd The King’s Own Hussars, The 4th Queen’s Own Hussars, 7th Queen’s Own Hussars and The 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars, who had so often fought side by side in the campaigns of the past 337 years.
The Regiment can trace its roots back to 1685 and during the past 337 years has been awarded 173 Battle Honours.
Of these 44 are recorded on The Guidon which was presented to the Regiment by the then Colonel in Chief, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on the 14th of June 1997.