Unit History: Royal Dragoon Guards
The Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments:
* 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
* 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
Because of its lineage through the 5th Royal Inniskillings and the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards -- the 4th had been known as the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards and the 7th also had Irish ancestry -- the RDG retains strong links to Northern Ireland.
The regiment was based in Paderborn, Germany when it was formed, and was part of 20 Armoured Brigade. In 1996 it returned to the United Kingdom, being based at Tidworth. The regiment currently serves in the armoured role, equipped with Challenger 2. It returned to Germany in 2000, being based in Munster as part of 4 Armoured Brigade (later 4 Mechanized Brigade).
The regiment currently recruits soldiers from the North of England and Northern Ireland but predominately from Yorkshire.
* 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
* 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
Because of its lineage through the 5th Royal Inniskillings and the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards -- the 4th had been known as the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards and the 7th also had Irish ancestry -- the RDG retains strong links to Northern Ireland.
The regiment was based in Paderborn, Germany when it was formed, and was part of 20 Armoured Brigade. In 1996 it returned to the United Kingdom, being based at Tidworth. The regiment currently serves in the armoured role, equipped with Challenger 2. It returned to Germany in 2000, being based in Munster as part of 4 Armoured Brigade (later 4 Mechanized Brigade).
The regiment currently recruits soldiers from the North of England and Northern Ireland but predominately from Yorkshire.
Related Historic Documents
Memories of Royal Dragoon Guards
(Memories written by members of Forces Reunited)
4/7 Royal Dragoon Guards, in 1966
Written by Steve Bodsworth
Being part of the BEF from Sharjah to Oman in the Trucial States, (the first British forces in Oman for 200 years) at a time when public beheadings were still carried out in the town square and the castle had prisoners in the dungeons. A long hot and dusty trip with some truly magnificent scenery and crystal clear waterholes appearing out of nowhere.4/7 Royal Dragoon Guards, in 1965
Written by Steve Bodsworth
Abu-Dubai, late ’65 when the tallest building was a two story mud brick "palace" belonging to the sheik, most of the town had little in the way of sanitation, the streets were packed dirt and the major "highway" was a large salt plain with no lanes! Oh how times have changed!