| Photographs and history of the 17th
lancers, during the reign of Queen Victoria.
The value of light cavalry having been fully recognised in 1759,
George II decided on increasing the establishment by adding five new
light dragoon regiments to the army. Of these, the 17th Lancers
was one, and was first numbered the 18th; but on the reduction of Lord
Aberdour's regiment in 1763 it took rank as the 17th. Its first
colonel was John Hale, who had carried home the despatches announcing
the victory at Quebec; and in memory of his late chief, General Wolfe,
he obtained permission for the new regiment to bear on its standard the
Death's Head with the motto "Or Glory", which it still
retains.
Though it sent a detachment to serve under the Marquis of Granby in
1761, when it was dressed in scarlet coats with white epaulets and
facings, and a leather helmet ornamented with white metal and a scarlet
horse hair crest, it saw no serious service until 1775, when it was
despatched to America. It volunteered to send a dismount
detachment to assist in the questionable victory at Bunker's Hill;
landed in Long Island with Sir William Howe, to follow the retreating
Americans to New York; and at "White Plains", "Fort
Washington", and Rhode Island took part in the very ineffective
campaigns of 1776. Throughout 1777-78 it accompanied Howe in the
equally abortive operations which culminated in the evacuation of
Philadelphia and the retreat of the British Army to New York. Its
work was undoubtedly well done, and the history of the regiment shows no
more harassing and exhausting duty than that which the men had to
perform in this useless war. They were attached to Tarleton's
"legion", the one force of mixed "provincials" and
regulars which did good service, and with it accompanied Sir Henry
Clinton in his expedition to South Carolina. The whole history of
the American war is one of desultory and disconnected operations.
This was one. The siege of Charleston followed by its capture; and
that by some unimportant "affairs" at "Wacsaw" and
"Camden", where Gales was defeated, and at
"Cowpens". It is somewhat amusing to read in the
official history that the "American Colonel" Washington called
out during the fight, "Where is now the boasting Tarleton?"
when Cornet Patterson of the 17th rode up to attack him, and was killed
by Washington's orderly. Even as late as 1841 there were men in
England unwilling to give to the first President of the United States
the grade of General, which he had earned by faithful service towards
his native land, and by winning with the rawest levies a wonderful
success.
There were gleams of real heroism in this fateful war which are worth
recording. Corporal O'Lavery of the 17th was sent to accompany the
bearer of an important despatch; attacked on the way, the latter was
killed, but the Corporal, hiding the paper in his wound, rode on with it
till he fell from loss of blood. But his message was safe and was
delivered, and the appreciation of his gallantry is shown by the
monument his chief, Lord Rawdon, raised to his memory in his native
county of Down.
In 1783 the 17th Lancers returned home, and their uniform was changed
from scarlet to blue. After this they saw various but unimportant
service in Ireland, the West Indies, Holland, Monte Video, and Buenos
Ayres, where they acted as dismounted troops. The official history
of the regiment records a curious fact which, illustrating as it does
the varied service of the regiment before its present battle roll was
tabulated, is worth mentioning. In four successive years it
celebrated the King's birthday in the four quarters of the world.
"In 1806, in Europe, in England; in 1807, in America, at Monte
Video; in 1808, in Africa, at the Cape of Good Hope; and in 1809, in
Asia, at Surat.
Meanwhile, from South America it had gone by the Cape to India.
The uniform, both "field day" and "review" order,
was striking at this time. The dress was still blue, with a
scarlet "girdle", but the head covering was, in the former, a
tall conical cap with a plume in the top; and in the latter case a
helmet with a ridge of wool apparently from front to rear, with a tall
white plume at the side. There is no apparent record of a similar
dress, so it was probably a "Colonel's fancy".
From 1810 to 1822, when it returned to England and was constituted
Lancers, it was continuously employed in minor operations against
Burding, Anjar (in Cutch), the Pindarees, and Bheels. No regiment
seems to have changed its uniform more. In 1817 the dark blue coat
and pale blue overalls with white facings was surmounted by a broad
topped shako with a tall plume in front; the Lancer dress of 1824 had a
red and white plume in the lance cap, aiguillettes, and epaulets on the
coat; and in 1829 the general colour of the uniform was dark blue, with
a white top to the lance cap, in the case of officers, and a black
plume; in 1832 the coat was red, with epaulets, the trouser stripe was
also red, and the plume still black. Now, with the uniform, both
facings and plume are white.
In the Crimea the regiment shared in the battle of the Alma, and
still more in the glory of the Light cavalry charge at Balaklava, where
they were in front line. Lieutenant-Colonel Morris led the
regiment with nine troop leaders and subalterns, but when the guns were
reached five of the subordinates had fallen, Winter and Thompson dead.
the others desperately wounded. With the shattered remnants of the
regiment, now broken up into groups, the wild charge continued.
Morris ran the leader of the Russian cavalry through, but unable to
withdraw his sword from the body of his adversary, was severely wounded,
and fell from his horse, to be wounded a second time by the Cossacks who
surrounded him. The he surrendered; but as no one remained to make
him prisoner, he attempted to retreat on a loose horse, which fell with
him, crushing his leg. Extricating himself, he fell senseless by
the side of his dead friend Nolan, to be rescued by Dr Mouatt of the
Inniskillings, as already related by Sergeant-Major Wooden, both of whom
won the Cross for Valour; the latter for "proceeding, under a heavy
fire, to his assistance when he was lying very dangerously wounded in an
exposed situation". Two other men of the 17th won the same
distinction in the campaign; the one, Troop Sergeant Major John
Berryman, who, present at the Alma, was engaged in the pursuit at
Mackenzie's farm, capturing three Russian prisoners; and in the
Balaklava charge, where his horse was shot, he "stopped on the
field with a wounded officer (Captain Webb of the 11th Hussars) amidst a
shower of shot and shell, although repeatedly told by that officer to
consult his own safety and leave him; but he refused to do so, and on
Sergeant John Farrell coming by, with his assistance carried Captain
Webb out of the range of the guns". For his share in this
cool and gallant action Quartermaster-Sergant Farrell was also
decorated, he having also had his horse killed under him in the charge.
The 17th also bear on their appointments "Inkerman", where
they suffered the loss of one officer and some men, forming at the time
part of the Light Brigade, which the numbered only about 200 men!
They served next in "Central India" after the Mutiny was
broken, and in 1879 proceeded to South Africa with the reinforcements
ordered by Lord Chelmsford. They were brigaded with the Kin's
Dragoon Guards, under General Marshall, and were present at the
reconnaissance in the direction of the Erzungayan Hill, on the 5th June,
where their adjutant, Lieutenant E. F. Cockayne-Frith, was killed; and
later on at Ulundi were represented by two squadrons, commanded by
Colonel Drury-Lowe. When, at 9.25am on that day, Lord Chelmsford
gave the order "Go at them, Lowe, but don't pursue too far",
they dispersed the broken fragments of the last Zulu attack to meet a
close mass of the enemy concealed in a donga, under whose fire fell
Captain Wyatt Edgell and several men. But the charge continued and
broke these also, though, strangely enough, lances were slung, and the
work done with the sword.
One Victoria Cross, in addition to those already named, has been won
by a former officer of the regiment, the Lieutenant H. Evelyn Wood, now
commanding the Aldershot division. For in 1858, during the action
of Sindwaho, when in command of a troop of the 3rd Light Cavalry, he
attacked with much gallantry, almost single handed, a body of rebels who
had made a stand, and whom he routed; also for having subsequently, near
Sindhora, gallantly advanced with a Duffadar and Sowar of Beaton's
Horse, and rescued from a band of robbers a Potail; Chenum Singh, whom
they had captured and carried off to the jungles, where they intended to
hang him.
Their several names are "The Death or Glory Boys", from
their regimental badge and their origin; "Bingham's Dandies",
from their colonel, who was punctiliously careful as to the fit of the
men's uniforms; and, lastly, the title "Duke of Cambridge's
Own" was conferred on them in 1876, in honour of the
Commander-in-Chief, who once served in the regiment.
Extract from "The British Army and Auxiliary Forces" Colonel
C. Cooper King, R.M.A. , 1894
T. LAWRENCE (Sergeant)
17th Lancers
On august 7th 1900, Sergeant Lawrence was on patrol
duty with Private Hayman, when they were attacked by about fourteen of
the enemy. Private
Hayman’s horse was hit, and in falling threw its rider, dislocating
his shoulder. Lawrence went
at once to his comrade’s help, dragged him from under the wounded
anmal, set him on his own horse, telling him to ride towards the picket. He then took Hayman’s carbine, and with his own as well
kept the enemy at a distance until the wounded man was safely out of
range, when he commenced to retire on foot, followed by the Boers for
two miles and keeping them off until he received assistance.
H.M., so nobly earned presented the King in
London the Victoria Cross, to Sergeant Lawrence on august 12th
1902. |
| Photographs of the 17th
lancers. during the reign of Queen Victoria.
The 17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers, started life as the 18th Light
Dragoons raised in 1759, in 1876 they became the 17th Lancers (Duke of
Cambridge's Own ), the regimental motto is "Death Or Glory".
Regimental Battle Honours.
 | 1854 - 1855, Crimean War, Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol. |
| 1857 - 1858 Indian Mutiny, |
| 1877 - 1879 Zulu and Basuto War. |
| 1899 - 1902 Boer War |
| 1914 - 1918 The Great war, Festubert 1914, Somme 1916,1918, Morval,
Cambrai 1917, 1918 , St Quentin, Avre, Hazebrouck, Amiens Pursuit to Mons, |
Five members of the regiment have been awarded the Victoria Cross, 3 in
the VC, Three in the Crimean war, 1 during the Indian Mutiny, and one during the
Boer war.
JOHN
FARRELL (Quartermaster-Sergeant) 17th Lancers
On October 25th 1854 after the charges at the battle
of Balaklava, when Farrell’s horse was shot from under him, Captain
Webb was severely wounded. Farrell
and Berryman (V.C.) carried the officer as far as the pain of his wounds
would allow, and, when a stretcher was obtained, he assisted Berryman
and a Private of the 13th Dragoons (Malcone V.C.) to carry
him from the field. Farrell died at Secunderabad, India on August 4th
1865.
JOHN
BERRYMAN (Troop-Sergeant-Major, afterwards Major) 17th
(The Duke of Cambridge’s Own) Lancer
Sergeant-Major Berryman was once of the many heroes who fought
right through the Crimean War. He
was “mentioned” for Alma, Balaklava,
Inkerman, and Mackenzie’s Farm, and at the last place captured
three Russian soldiers close up to their own guns.
At Balaklava his horse was shot under him in the charge, yet he
remained with a wounded and dying officer (Captain Webb), whom he
carried out of immediate range of the cannon.
For his bravery at Inkerman, on February 24th 1857, he
was specially mentioned in the London Gazette.
Born on July 28th 1825, he died on June 27th
1896.
CHARLES
WOODEN (Sergeant-Major, afterwards
Quarter-Master 104th Bengal Fusiliers) 17th
Lancers
On October 26th 1854, after the battle of Balaklava,
Sergeant-Major Wooden went to the assistance of Lieut. –Colonel
Morris, C.B., and rescued him when lying exposed to a very heavy fire
thereby saving his life. |
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A Dismounted Lancer at Skirmishing Display
(1896)
Here we have a picture which will serve to remind many
of the Military Displays at the Agricultural Hall, and to others will
explain the kind of fighting which Dr Jameson's troopers made with the
Boers at Krugerdorp. It is a pretty idea, teaching a cavalry horse
to lie down and serve as a living screen, from behind which his rider
can fire in safety, and moreover, has its use in warfare. In the
present instance the dismounted horseman (Rough Rider Corporal Long, of
the 17th Lancers) is one of a line of skirmishers ordered to use their
carbines on foot, against an enemy whom they are unable to get at owing
to the nature of the intervening obstacles. |
A Long Service Veteran : The Drum Horse of the
17th Lamcers (1896)
The 17th Lancer have justly a high regard for their
drum-horse, who carries his sixteen (or as it has been reported, twenty)
years, lightly enough. His rider, Private Austen, himself a
soldier of eighteen years' service, is ever ready to champion the
drum-horse of his regiment as the finest drum-horse in the Queen's Army,
and to tell with what a display of conscious pride the old horse bears
himself when marching at the head of the regiment. Private Austen
has taught his charge moreover some curious tricks, at which the animal
has proved himself an apt pupil. The old horse is believed to be
of Hanoverian descent, and was taken over from the 11th Hussars in 1890,
when the 17th Lancers arrived from India. |
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The Guard of the 17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own)
Lancers (1896)
Here we have a turn out of the regimental guard of the
17th Lancers, taken one day on duty at Hounslow Barracks, where the
famous "Death or Glory Boys" were quartered. The guard
here shown consists of three troopers and a corporal, on the right of
the party, with a trumpeter boy in undress. Hardly another
regiment in the Queen's Service makes so effective a display on parade
as do the 17th Lancers, with their blue uniforms and white facings -
white plastron on the chest of the tunic, white plume and square top to
the cap, double white trouser stripes, and bright white and red lance
pennons. |
Saddlers of the 17th Lancers at Work (1896)
How all important a position the saddlers' department -
which deals with all that perains to keeping in order the horse-gear and
riding equipment - occupies in a cavalry regiment, goes, of course,
without saying. A horse with a sore back is little more fit for
work than one dead lame, and ill-fitting saddles, the cause of sore
backs more than anything else, come primarily from badly stuffed
saddles. Our photograph shows some of the saddlers of the 17th
Lancers at work, the man on the right attending to an officer's saddle
cloth under the instructions of a sergeant of the regiment. Most
of the leather work connected with the men's equipment also comes to the
saddlers for keeping in order. |
Officer - 17th Lancers
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Corporal and Private - 17th Lancers
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From left to right: 17th Lancers, 1st Life
Guards, 2nd Dragoons
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Riding School Staff - 17th Lancers
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A Captain of the 17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own)
Lancers. (1896)
There is quite an epitome of regimental and cavalry
history in the uniform of the 17th Lancers, a Captain of which famous
regiment, in review order uniform, is shown in our illustration.
The white facings recall in their colour the original facings of all
British cavalry in days of our earliest light dragoons; their badge of a
Death's Head and the motto "Or Glory", recall General Wolfe,
soon after whose death the regiment was raised and in whose memory the
badge and motto were first chosen. It was from Napoleon's Polish
lancer that we adopted the lance into the Service, in the year after
Waterloo, and with it the peculiar distinctive Polish schapka, or
square flat-topped cap with its feather plume. |
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Original
magazine photo page published 1895 - 1902. Price £25.
Or
reproduction of photograph ready mounted. Price £25. Click here to
order. ORDER CODE 1V110 |
"Lizzie", The Pet Bear of the 17th
Lancers (1896)
Of the many regimental pets in the Army not many,
probably, have a more interesting story attaching to them than the subject
of our illustration, "Lizzie", of the 17th Lancers. Her
mother was shot in Cashmere, eight years ago, by Prince Adolphus of Teck,
who brought the cub to Lucknow, where the regiment was stationed, and gave
her as a present to his troop. Shortly after this the cub was lost
for a year. Then one day a man came round with a performing bear,
which was recognized as "Lizzie". Since then
"Lizzie" has remained with the 17th, with whom she came to
England in 1889. She is a great pet with all ranks, for her own part
reciprocating the affection, specially in favour of Corporal Baker, her
particular guardian, who is shown in this illustration.
"Lizzie" lives on bread and milk, jams, and fruits, and goes
every day to the canteen for a pint. She takes to water, and enjoys
a swim in the summer. |
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All That Was Left of Them by Caton Woodville
Illustrates the scene at Modderfontein Farm where a squadron of the
17th lancers were pinned down by a large Boer force, and fought to the
finish.
Print serial number DHM008. Image size 20" x 14". Print price
£32 ($55). |
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Forward the Guns by Chris Collingwood
Officer and sergeant of the 17th Light Dragoons in charge
of Indian Irregular Cavalry.
Signed Limited Edition of 1,150 prints plus 50
artists proofs. From the limited edition 50 are available as Giclee
canvas prints at a larger size of 40" x 30". Canvas print
price £660. To know more about Giclee prints and our range click
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DHM824. Image size 25 x 15". Print price £80
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17th Light Dragoons, 1780 by Jim Lancia.
During the war of Independence part of the
British Army. The 17th Light Dragoons, later to become the famous 17th lancers of Balaclava Fame.
Open edition print. Print serial number
DHM594. Print image size 12" x
17" print price, £24 ($45)
Original Oil painting for sale 18" x 12" Price
£1,000 (Export). |
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The 17th Lancers by Richard Simkin.
Uniform print, Print serial number UN285.
Image size 8" x12" Price £8 ($15)
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17th Lancers, Dispersing in
Pursuit During a Field Day
by Richard Simkin
Plate from the book our armies 1896. Image size 10" x
7" paper size 11" x 8". price £65
Order code RS22 |
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The 17th Light Dragoons (Now
Lancers) on Service in America 1775
by Richard Simkin
Plate from the book our armies 1896. Image size 10" x
7" paper size 11" x 8". price £65
Order code RS5 |
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Officer of the 17th Lancers by L Mansion & L
Eschauzier
Reprint published by Connoisseur Publishing Co. 1909 of the
original uniform plate published by Spooner 1830-40 from the series of
70 plates entitled Military & Naval Costumes by L Mansion and L
Eschauzier, coloured by Martin C Bowen.
Image size 8" x 6.5". Paper size 11" x 8".
Price £20. Order code ANT164. |
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Hand-painted solid pewter military figures of the West
Middlesex Regiment by Chas C Stadden. To see full range of
other regiments go to www.war-art.com/stadden.htm
Trooper 17th Lancers c.1900
Serial number HP226
Price £125
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| Regimental
Books Available |
A
History of the 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridges Own), by Hon J W
Fortescue ( 1895)
According to the dedication the Regiment was raised in
1759 in honour of general Wolfe who, in that same year, had died in the
moment of victory over the French of wounds received at Quebec on the
Plains of Abraham. This history takes the story of the 17th Lancers
from 1759 to 1894. Originally designated 18th Light Dragoons the
number was changed to 17th in 1763, to 3rd three years later and back to
17th three years after that. Finally, in 1822 the designation 'Light
Dragoons' was changed to 'Lancers'. For the first fifteen or so
years of its existence the Regiment served at home, six years of that time
in Ireland from where, in 1775, they embarked for Boston, the first
cavalry regiment selected for service in America and where it first saw
action in the War of Independence. Eight years later, in 1783, the
Regiment returned to Ireland. There followed a short spell (two
years) in the West Indies and in 1806/07 the Regiment took part in the
ill-fated expedition to S America. They hardly got back from S
America (January 1808) when they were sent off to India (February 1808)
where they served for the next fifteen years during which time they saw
action in the Pindari War which lasted some two years. During its
time in India the 17th, which arrived in Calcutta in 1808 790 strong, lost
26 officers and 796 men from disease and climatic conditions alone while
it had received 929 officers and men in the same period. The next
major campaign was the Crimea in which the Regiment took part in the
famous charge of the Light Brigade; three VCs were awarded for gallantry
during the campaign. The Regiment arrived back in Ireland in May
1856 and in November the following year it sailed for India among the
reinforcements sent out in response to the crisis caused by the Indian
Mutiny; another VC was won. Apart from the descriptions of the
Regiment in action there is a good deal of domestic interest such as rates
of pay, clothing scales, ration scales and two excellent appendices to
close the record: one is a complete list of officers shown on a year by
year basis from 1759 to 1894, the other is the itinerary of the Regiment
from 1759.
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