Click image to enlarge

Description

1st Queen's Dragoon Guards Cap Badge  

This Sale is for the Cap Badge as worn by the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards Cavalry Regiment.

Rare brand new and unissued chromed metal Cap badge, approx. 38mm high, complete with it's mounted slider, and made by the London Badge & Button Co. Ltd.

Guaranteed new/unissued and in mint condition.

 

Brief History of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards

 

His Imperial Majesty Franz Josef of Austria and Hungary

In 1896 Queen Victoria appointed His Imperial Majesty Franz Josef of Austria and Hungary as the Colonel-in-Chief of the KDG. Today 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards still wear the Hapsburg double headed eagle as its cap badge, which Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria allowed the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards to wear when he become their Colonel-in-Chief, and has adopted the Radetzky March by Strauss as the Regimental Quick March.  

 

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Their Colonel-in-Chief, presented the new Standard.

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards began its formal existence on January 1st 1959, when the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards amalgamated with the Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards), both of which were raised in 1685 as Lanier's or 2nd Queen's Regiment of Horse, and Peterborough's or 3rd Regiment of Horse by James II of England who raised both the Regiments in reaction to the Duke of Monmouth’s claim on the British throne. Thus ended the separate identities of two of the oldest and most distinguished Regiments in the British Army. 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (QDG) is a Cavalry Regiment of the British Army.
Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the
Regiment recruits from Wales, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and is the senior Cavalry Regiment, and therefore senior Cavalry Regiment of the Line.

The Regiment is part of the Royal Armoured Corps.
 

2nd Troop 'A' Sqn on the beach at Sharjah

The Regiment has spent much of its history based in Germany at various times. It served during the Aden Emergency and its Squadrons were dispersed throughout the Middle East through the 1960s.

In 1983 the Regiment was deployed to Lebanon in support of the allied Multinational Force, in 1990 ot was sent to the Middle East for the Gulf War and in 1996 it was deployed  to Bosnia as part of NATO peacekeeping forces during the Yugoslav Wars.
 

Lebanon 1983

 

'A' Squadron Gulf War 1991

 

Bosnia 1996

The Queen Mother 1996
 

In 2003 the Regiment served in Iraq during the invasion of Iraq poviding the reconnaissance and light armour support necessary to allow 3 Commando Brigade's advance north to Basra.
C Squadron QDG was attached to 3 Commando Brigade, providing the reconnaissance and light armour support necessary to allow the Brigade's advance north to Al Basrah. Members of C Squadron won a variety of operational awards for their efforts on Op Telic 1, most ntably the Military Crosses awarded to Lieutenant Simon Farebrother and Major Henry Sugden.




 

IRAQ

The Regiment served in Afghanistan on Operation Herrick.
The Regiment completed its second tour of Afghanistan between October 2011 and April 2012 (Operation Herrick XV).

Perhaps the best known member in recent years was Captain
Mark Phillips, one-time husband of Princess Anne.

  

 

In May 2012, there was speculation that the unit would become a victim of the defence budget cuts. As it was one of only three Regiments historically associated with and still largely recruits from Wales, there was much support from the Welsh public to keep the QDG. However, Ministry of Defense officials announced no such plan has been made.

As part of the Army 2020 plans, most units based in Germany will return to the UK and the QDG moved to Swanton Morley, Norfolk in June 2015.They have re-roled as "light cavalry", using Jackal vehicles.

The Regiment celebrated their fiftieth anniversary on 31 July 2009 with a ceremony at Cardiff castle and a parade through the streets of Cardiff city both attended by their Colonel-in-Chief The Prince of Wales. The Regiment received a great response from the people of Cardiff. That same year the unit was also awarded with the Freedom of the City of Swansea.

The Regiment operates in a Light Cavalry role and is now equpped with Jackal armoured fighting vehicles.
 

Uniform, cap and march

In 1896 Emporer Franz Joseph 1 of Austria was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Kings Dragoon Guards and allowed the Regiment to wear the Austrian Imperial Coat of Arns, which is still used as the Regiment's cap badge today. The collar badge is that of The Queen's Bays. Also the Regiment adopted an Austrian military march, Radetzky March, as quick march. The current Regimental March is Radetzky March and Rusty Buckles, the latter being the Regimental March of The Queen's Bays. Other items of uniform draw on the Regiment's dual heritage: thus whilst the cap of the 1st King's Dragoon Guards is worn trousers have the distinctive broad white stripe of The Queen's Bays. Full Dress is still worn by some on ceremonial ocassions: the 1st King's Dragoon Guards tunic (scarlet with blue velvet facings) being paired with Queen's Bays white-striped overalls. The KDG red-plumed cavalry helmet is also worn, together with pouch belts and other accoutrements.
 

Farrier-Major with the regimental mascot, Tpr Emrys Forlan Jones (left).


 

Regimental Museum

Collection's relating to the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards are displayed at Firing Line: Cardiff Castle Museum of the Welsh Soldier.
 

Battle honours


 

  • Combined battle honours of 1st King's Dragoon Guards, and 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays). plus:
  • Wadi al Batin, Gulf 1991
 
Notable Commanding Officers
  • 1971-1973 Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Johnston
  • 1997-1999 Lieutenant Colonel Simon Mayall
Colonels-in-Chief
Colonels-in-Chief were as follows:
  • 1959: HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
  • 2003: Lt-Gen. HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, KG, KT, GCB, AK, QSO, ADC
Regimental Colonels
Regimental Colonels were as follows:
  • 1959-1961: Brig. John Gerard Edward Tiarks
  • 1961-1964: Col. George William Charles Draffen, DSO
  • 1964-1968: Col. Kenneth Edward Savill, DSO, DL
  • 1968-1975: Brig. Anthony William Allen Llewellyn-Palmer, DSO
  • 1975-1980: Gen. Sir Jack Wentworth Harman, GCB, OBE, MC, ADCGen
  • 1980-1986: Maj-Gen. Desmond Hind Garrett Rice, CVO, CBE
  • 1986-1991: Lt-Gen. Sir Maurice Robert Johnston, KCBOBE
  • 1991-1997: Maj-Gen. Robert William Ward, CB, MBE
  • 1997-2002: Col. John levers Pocock, MBE
  • 2002-2007: Col. Christopher David MacKenzie-Beevor, CBE
  • 2007-: Lt-Gen. Sir Simon Mayall, KBE, CB
 
Alliances
Commonwealth
  • Canada - The Governor General's Horse Guards
  • Australia - 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
  • South Africa - 1 Special Service Battalion
  • Pakistan - 11th Cavalry (Frontier Force)
  • Sri Lanka - 1st Reconnaissance Regiment
  • Royal Navy - HMS Monmouth

Non-Commonwealth

  • Austria - Panzergrenadierbataillon 35
  • France - 1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie


Affiliated Yeomanry

  • The Shropshire Yeomanry
  • The Cheshire Yeomanry (The Earl of Chester's)


Order of precedence

Preceded by
The Blues and Royals
(Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons)
Cavalry Order of Precedence Succeeded by
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
(Carabiniers and Greys)

 

 

 

1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards

Active January 1, 1959 -
Country United Kingdom
Branch  Army
Type Line Cavalry
Role Light Cavalry
Size One Regiment
Part of Royal Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQ RHQ - Cardiff
Regiment - Robertson Barracks, Nr Swanton Morley, Norfolk
Nickname The Welsh Cavalry
Motto Pro rege et patria (For King and Country) (Latin)
March Quick - The Radetsky March and Rusty Buckles
Slow - 1st Dragoon Guards and 2nd Dragoon Guards Slow March
Engagements Most notable Battle Honours are Blenheim, Waterloo, Tobruk and El Alamein.
Commanders
Current
commander
Lieutenant Colonel J G E Stenhouse
Colonel-in-Chief HRH The Prince of Wales, KG, GCB, KT
Colonel of
the Regiment
Lt General Simon Mayall CB 
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash
Arm Badge Royal Cypher of Queen Caroline
From the Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards)
Abbreviation QDG

 

Other Badges and items are also available as 'Buy it Now' from our eBay Store. 

 

Buyers!!! Please read all of the Sale listing before buying, including the section below, and note acceptable methods of Payment and Postage details (especially if you are buying from outside the UK).
We will not be held accountable for the buyers own mistakes.
 

 

Please do keep a lookout for our other Sale lots coming soon!!!

Or visit our eBay Store 'Tomo's Collectables'

 

Checkout our other Items For Sale!
 

Be sure to add us to your favourites list!
 

Summary of Our Selling Policies
Payment
We accept UK Personal Cheques, UK Postal Orders and PayPal only.

For those unable to use the above we can accept other payment arrangements, please contact us first via email to arrange.

Shipping We ship Worldwide. Our postage rates are displayed clearly in our listings. If approached first by the buyer, we can arrange postage to suit (including insurance if required).
Please note that BFPO addresses must select and pay for 1st Class Postage.

Delivery Shipment is normally within 1 day of Payment clearing. We ship every working day, and on Saturday morning's (except UK Public Holidays).

Refunds
&
Returns
Full refund will be given up to 30 days after receipt of item, if the item is not as described in our listing. Provided the item is returned to us in it's original sealed packaging, and is undamaged.

Refund (less p&p costs) will be given if Buyer changes their own mind over purchase. Provided the item is returned to us in it's original sealed packaging, and is undamaged.

Contact Us Contact can be made via Email, and we usually respond back the same day.
BID WITH CONFIDENCE