Medals of the Regiments:
The Life Guards

 
 
The Life Guards cap badge, GVIR and EIIR versions, left and right. Centre GVIR badge of the Household Cavalry.
Kipling and King reference:  729,  1876, & 1880

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  The Life Guards
1922 - 1992
 
 
 
Lineage
       

1st Life Guards
1788 -1922

2nd Life Guards
1788-1922

                                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                     

The Life Guards
1922 - 1992

       

 

 
Motto: Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense
 
Regimental Journal:  The Acorn
 
WWII: (As the Household Cavalry Regiment.) Battle Honours; 21 Victoria Crosses; 0 Died; ???
 
Amalgamated: 1992; with the The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) to form the Household Cavalry Regiment.- although a somewhat low intensity amalgamation with each component retaining its separate identity, traditions, uniforms and standards.
 
 
 
 

WW2 1939 - 1945  Unlike earlier wars where the active service of the Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards under the "Household Cavalry Regiment" umbrella could be traced due to the incoming squadrons remaining homogenous, this was not the case in WW2. During this conflict the Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards were fully amalgamated, and hence this table refers purely to the Household Cavalry Regiment.

Early overseas service was as the 'Household Cavalry Composite Regiment', this reformed and expanded in 1940 into the 1st and 2nd Household Cavalry Regiments.

'Regiment' → Household Cavalry
Composite Regiment
1st
Household Cavalry Regiment
2nd
Household Cavalry Regiment
campaign ↓      
France and Belgium 1940.
(Dunkirk )
     
North Africa & Middle East x x  
Far East      
Sicily / Italy   x  
N.W. Europe   x x
 

Notes.

  Palestine with the 4th Cavalry Brigade , 13/11/39-12/1/41 then converted to 1st & 2nd
Household Cavalry Regiment
  From 13/1/41, Palestine, Syria and Iraq with the 4th Cavalry Brigade. 3/8/41-9/10/41 9th Armoured Brigade. 9/10/41-13/2/42 and 14/1/43-5/11/43, Divisional Troops with 10th Armoured Division.(later 30th Corps Troops for N.W. Europe) (Originally the Household Cavalry Training Regiment)
21st Army Group
Landed NW Europe  12-13/7/44
 
 
 

WW2 Stars common to the Battalion. (excluding 39-45 star )
 Key: A = Africa, P = Pacific, B =  Burma, I = Italy,  F&G = France and Germany

    A, I, F&G F & G
       
 

Most also entitled to the 1939-45 War Medal and many the Defence Medal

 

Battle Honours: Souleuvre; Brussels; Nederrijn; North-West Europe 1944-5; Iraq 1941; Palmyra; Syria 1941; El Alamein; North Africa 1942-3; Italy 1944. Mont Pinçon; Noireau Crossing; Amiens 1944; Neerpelt; Nijmegen; Lingen; Bentheim; Baghdad 1941; Arezzo; Advance to Florence; Gothic Line.

 
1945 The Life Guards reformed.
 

 Canal Zone 1951 - 1954  (1954)

General Service Medal 1918 -62

clasp:

Canal Zone

number: ?
 
 
 
 
 

The Cyprus Emergency 1955 - 1960  (Oct 1955-March 1956:  Elements of "A" Squadron only)

General Service Medal 1918-62

clasp:

Cyprus

number: ?
 

CO: Major Kenneth W. Diacre

 
 
 

Rebellion of the Imam of Oman [Aden, Muscat and Oman 1957 - 60 ]    ( in theatre 1957-?)

General Service Medal 1918 - 62

clasp:

Arabian Peninsula

number: ?

 

 
 
 

Indonesian Confrontation, North Borneo  1962-1966  (1965-)

General Service Medal 1962-2007

clasp:

Borneo

number: ?
 
 
 
 

Northern Ireland "Operation Banner"  1969-2007 ( 1972 & 1974 )

General Service Medal 1962-2007

clasp:

Northern Ireland

number: ?

 

 
 
 

Gulf War to liberate Kuwait  1990-1991

Gulf Medal 1990-91

clasp: ...none...

16 Jan to 28 Feb 1991

number: 2 300
 

 

 
 

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Selected Links

The Regimental Museum. (Located in )                               

 
 

 

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. -
Stiles, Richard G.M.L. Mayhem in the Med  (Cyprus Emergency) Savannah Pub. London. 2005
  Additional bibliography same as Northumberland Fusiliers page  
     
     
 

 

 

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