Kings Own Hussars - Military Genealogy

Dates: 1685 - 1958

The 3rd (The King’s Own) Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen’s Own Hussars in 1958.

The regiment was first raised as Duke of Somerset’s Regiment of Dragoons in 1689, by the regimenting of various independent troops, and ranked as the 3rd Dragoons. In 1694 it was named The Queen Consort’s Own Regiment of Dragoons, for Queen Mary, and in 1714 as The King’s Regiment of Dragoons for King George. In 1751, it was formally titled as the 3rd (King’s Own) Regiment of Dragoons.

The regiment was designated light dragoons in 1818, becoming the 3rd (The King’s Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons, and as hussars in 1861 as the 3rd (The King’s Own) Hussars. After service in the First World War, the regiment retitled as 3rd The King’s Own Hussars in 1921.

One troop of the regiment converted to motor cavalry in 1935, with the regiment as a whole converting to the armoured car role in 1936 and being transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps in 1939. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces, but was slated for reduction in the 1957 Defence White Paper, and was amalgamated with the 7th Queen’s Own Hussars, to form the The Queen’s Own Hussars the following year.