Royal Gloucestershire Hussars

The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars (RGH) was a unit of the British Army.

Raised in 1795 following William Pitt's 1794 order to raise volunteer bodies of men to defend Great Britain, through various re-organisations, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars remain today on the establishment of the Territorial Army as C (RGH) Sqn Royal Wessex Yeomanry. Their main function is to provide Tank Replacement Crew for the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank. They also train in a forward reconnaissance role on the Land Rover Defender. They continue to have strong ties with the King's Royal Hussars.

History

Formation and early years

In 1795 Captain Powell Snell raised the First Troop of Gloucestershire Gentleman and Yeomanry at the Plough Inn in Cheltenham. By 1797, troops had been raised at Minchinhampton, Wotton Under Edge, Stow on the Wold, Henbury, Bristol, and Gloucester. In 1798 Stroud had also raised a troop. Following the 1802 Peace of Amiens, all except the Cheltenham Troop under Major Snell were disbanded.

Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, all Yeomanry Troops were disbanded, either voluntarily or by order, in 1827. In 1830, responding to unrest amongst agricultural workers, Yeomanry Troops were raised again. The First Troop was established by Mr Codrington of Dodington Park, quickly followed by troops from Fairford, Cirencester, Stroud, Tetbury, Gloucester, and Bristol. In 1834 the captains of all Gloucestershire troops met in Petty France and combined to form one regiment,...
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