Samuel Parkes
No. 635 Private Samuel Parkes.
In the charge of the Light Cavalry Brigade at Balaklava, Trumpet-Major Crawford's horse fell, and dismounted him, and he lost his sword; he was attacked by two Cossacks, when Private Samuel Parkes (whose horse had been shot) saved his life, by placing himself between them and the Trumpet- Major, and drove them away by his sword. In, attempting to follow the Light Cavalry Brigade in the retreat, they were attacked by six Russians, whom Parkes kept at bay, and retired slowly, fighting, and defending the Trumpet-Major for some time, until deprived of his sword by a shot. LG 24th February 1857
 

Medals of the Regiments:
4th (Queen's Own) Hussars

 
 
4th Queen's Own Hussars Cap Badge Collar Badges
King's crown cap badge of the regiment, pattern sealed 1907. Earlier versions are without the bottom scroll. Collar badges.
Kipling and King reference 756  

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4th (Queen's Own) Hussars
1685-1958
 
 
 
Some Titles....
Berkeley's Dragoons, or..  Princess Anne of Denmark's Regiment of Dragoons. 1685
4th Regiment of Dragoons 1751
4th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Dragoons 1788
4th (The Queen's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons 1818
4th (Queen's Own) Hussars 1861
   
 
Earliest recognised formation: 1685 when raised as Princess Anne of Denmark's Regiment of Dragoons, although the original title is also frequently quoted as "Berkeley's Dragoons" following the contemporary nomenclature of naming regiments after their colonels.
 
Motto: Mente et Manu = With heart and hand.
 
Regimental Journal:  IV Hussars Journal
 
WWI: Battle Honours; 21 Victoria Crosses; 0 Died; 152
WWII: Battle Honours;  18 Victoria Crosses; 0 Died;  ???
 
Amalgamated: 1958, with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars to form The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars
 
 
 
 

Peninsula War 1808 - 1814

Military General Service Medal.  1793 - 1814 clasps:

 
Total MedalsMax clasps

Talavera

Busaco

Albuhera

Salamanca

Vittoria

Toulouse
131 6*9855 819295 99
 

* Lieutenant George Luard received a 7 clasp medal but 4 of these clasps were for service with a different regiment and are not counted here.

 

Battle Honour: Talavera: Albuhera; Salamanca; Vittoria; Toulouse; Peninsula.

 
 
 

First Afghan War 1839-1842 

Ghuznee Medal 1839

number: ?
 

Battle Honour:  Ghuznee 1839, Affghanistan 1839.

 
 
 

Crimean War  1854 - 1856        When can their glory fade?

Crimea Medal 1854 -56

 
Clasp: → ..none...

Alma

Balaklava

Inkermann

Sebastopol
Total Medals
Number: → ? 257 194 186 457 ?
 
Eupatoria Only Roll.
 
 

Men who served in the Crimea also eligible for:

Turkish Crimea Medal 1855
 

*"Light Brigade chargers"; Regiment part of the gallant 600 who rode into the valley of death on that fateful day 25th October 1854

 


VCs: 1  Parkes

 

Battle Honours:  Alma; Balaklava; Inkerman; Sevastopol.

 
 
 

The Nile Expedition 1884-5   43 men and 2 officers of the 4th Hussars formed a component of the Light Camel Regiment.

Egypt and Sudan Medal 1882-89

 
Clasp:
The Nile 1884 -85

Abu Klea
Number: 45* 2
   
 

* Private 1693 W. Cowell had Tel-el-Kebir (with The Nile 1884-85) which was unique to the regiment.

 

Recipients also entitled to a Khedive's Star dated 1884-6

 

 
 
 

Anglo-Boer War 1899 - 1902

Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902.

44 men of the 4th Hussars are shown on the QSA roll (generally serving with other units) but the regiment as whole remained in India and did not serve.
 

 

 
 
 

The Great War 1914 - 1918 Served France and Flanders.

 

August 1914 to France with the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, The Cavalry Division... 6th September 1914 3rd Cavalry Brigade to Gough's Command, which on the 13th September 1914 became 2nd Cavalry Division.

 

Soldiers/Officers died records 152 casualties for the period.

 

Men landed France and Flanders prior to 1/1/1916 entitled to a 1914 or 1914-15 Star as appropriate. Also the British War Medal & Victory Medal

 

 

Battle Honours: Mons; Le Cateau; Marne 1914; Aisne 1914; Ypres 1914, 1915; Sr Julien; Arras 1917; Cambrai 1917; Somme 1918; Amiens. Retreat from Mons; Messines 1914; Armentières 1914; Langemarck 1914; Gheluvelt; Bellewaarde; Scarpe 1917; Hindenburg Line; Canal du Nord; Pursuit to Mons; France and Flanders 1914-18.

 
 
 

WW2 1939 - 1945 (Royal Armoured Corps)

 
campaigns: North Africa Italy
WW2 campaign stars:  Africa Italy Star
     
 

 

1st Armoured Brigade 3/9/39-5/6/42 Theatres United Kingdom 3. 9.39 - 16.11.40 At Sea 17.11.40 - 1. 1.41 Egypt 1. 1.41 - 5. 3.41 At Sea 6. 3.41 - 7. 3.41 Greece  7. 3.41 - 29. 4.41 At Sea 29. 4.41 - 1. 5.41 Egypt 1. 5.41 - 31. 5.42 Libya 31. 5.42 - 16. 6.42 Egypt 17. 6.42 - 20.11.42

Battles: 1941 10 April - 18 April; Mount Olympus. 1942 23 October - 4 November; El Alamein

Also served 4th Armoured Brigade, Corps Troops, and as a reconnaissance regiment with 1st Armoured Division. Served in Italy from 26/10/44 with 9th Armoured Brigade

 

Most also entitled to the 39-45 Star & 1939-45 War Medal

 
 

Battle Honours:  Ruweisat; Alam el Halfa; El Alamein; Coriano; Senio Pocket; Rimini Line; Argenta Gap; Proasteion; Corinth Canal; Greece 1941. Gazala; Defence of Alamein Line; North Africa 1942; San Clemente; Conventello-Comacchio; Senio; Santerno Crossing; Italy 1944-5.

 
 
 

The Malaya Emergency: Operations against Communist insurgents. 1948-60  (1948)

General Service Medal 1918 - 62

clasp:

Malaya

number:?
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Selected Links

The Regimental Museum. (Located in ) 

 
 
 

Selected Bibliography;

 
Author/Ed.. Etc. Title Publisher
(Cannon's Historical Records Series) Historical Record of the Fourth, or The Queen's Own Regiment of Light Dragoons; containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of its subsequent Services to 1842.   115 pp. London: John W. Parker, 1843
 By Capt. H. K. D. Evans and Chapters ix and x by Major N. O. Laing. With a Foreword by Right Hon. Winston Churchill. The 4th (Queen's Own) Hussars in the Great War.  199 pp. Aldershot: printed for the Regimental Committee by Gale & Polden Ltd., 1920.
D. Scott Daniell, with a foreword by Sir Winston Churchill, Colonel of the Regiment 4th hussar; the story of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars, 1685-1958.  416 pp. Aldershot: Gale & Polden Ltd., 1959
Major T. J. Edward A Short History of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars.  56 pp. Canterbury: Gibbs & Sons, 1935
Edited by Edward Griffith Correspondence relative to the stationing of a troop of the Fourth Regiment of Dragoons in the County of Carnarvon. 143 pp. London: J. Johnson, 1806-07
     

 

Additional Bibliography for this Page.

 
Author/Compiler Title Publisher
Officers of the Regiment. Unpublished rolls in the care of the National Archives; WO 100/ etc. -
  Additional bibliography same as Northumberland Fusiliers page  
     
     
 

 

 

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