The Queen's Royal Lancers
The ‘Death or Glory’ Boys
The Queen’s Royal Lancers are 4 (Mechanised) Brigade’s Reconnaissance Regiment based in Catterick, North Yorkshire. It returned from a successful tour of Afghanistan in 2010 and is preparing for a likely deployment again in autumn 2012.
The Regiment today
Since forming from 2 distinguished regiments (the 17/21st Lancers and the 16/5th Lancers) in 1993, the Queen’s Royal Lancers have deployed to every major theatre including: Bosnia, Kosovo, Cyprus, Iraq and Afghanistan. As recce soldiers we are the Brigade’s eyes and ears; we are equally at home on foot or mounted on CVR(T) Scimitar, tracked vehicles equipped with the 30mm RARDEN Cannon.
As a Queen’s Royal Lancer, you could fulfill many roles, including Scimitar driver, gunner or commander, forward air controller (FAC), sniper, communications specialist, assault trooper, or Javelin operator, but to name a few. As part of the Brigade’s main recce asset, you must be be fit, tenacious, and to have the intelligence to understand the bigger picture on the battlefield.
Outside work, there are plenty of opportunities for sport and adventurous training. Each winter, we send teams away for bobsleigh, luge, snowboarding, alpine and Nordic skiing with regular success at Army level competition in both skiing disciplines. Other recent adventurous training includes white-water rafting, skydiving in Canada and California and trekking in Morocco.
The Queen's Royal Lancers gallery
- Queen's Royal Lancers on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (69.28kb)
- Scimitar on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (40.09kb)
- A Queen's Royal Lancer talks on his radio in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (36.84kb)
- Queen's Royal Lancers on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (47.70kb)
- Queen's Royal Lancers holding a Shura in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (54.17kb)
- Queen's Royal Lancers on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (61.05kb)
- Scimitar on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (30.87kb)
- Queen's Royal Lancers on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (49.30kb)
- Queen's Royal Lancers on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (64.48kb)
- Queen's Royal Lancers on patrol with the Afghan Police in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (74.89kb)
Our history
The constituent Regiments that make up the Queen's Royal Lancers (16th, 17th, 21st, 5th Lancers) can trace their history as far back as the 17th Century. Early on, these Regiments saw action in every corner of the British Empire and fought in famous campaigns such as the American War of Independence, the Peninsular War, Waterloo, the Boer War, the Great War and the Second World War. Our most famous action is the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War, celebrated each year by the Regiment on Balaclava Day.
The Regiment wears the motto ‘Death or Glory’ as its cap badge, given to the 17th Lancers on their formation in honour of General Wolfe, who died of his wounds during the victorious Battle of Quebec against the French.