13th Hussars info please

[John915]

Good evening,

The only regular cavalry at Colenso were the 7th Dragoon Guards and they were protecting the left flank.

Dundonalds brigade on the right was made up of colonial light cavalry and mounted infantry. Two companies of the latter were detached from British infantry regt's.

The two photo's are both cavalry, the first is an hussars uniform but no way to tell which regt. In the second the chain mail on the shoulders indicates cavalry but again no way to tell which regt. Neither is 13th hussars though as they had white collars.

I was still wearing the same style no1 dress uniform as the second in the 70s for parade purposes, (special duties)

John915

[MaxD]

I think my post elsewhere, although about another man, may be relevant.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=739578.msg5858223#msg5858223

maxD

[alan o]

Not sure if this will be any help, but my grandfather John James Hannah, 13th Hussars served in India and then France. He survived WW1, but I don't know anything about that period. I have quite a few pictures of him in India. He was a bandsman and was posted in Secunderband. He also attended the Delhi Durbar in 1911. Who knows, they might have crossed paths? Here is a picture of him in Lahore, he is on the far right of the seated figures holding a clarinet.

Any chance of a close up on the hats to see what design of badge they are wearing?

Also 13/14th is probably 13/18th as they changed title in 1922.  I presume the daughter was born post 1922 when the 13th Hussars merged with the 18th Hussars?
Thanks

[ThrelfallYorky]

This post interested me, although I am aware that it referred to WW1, but the "13th Hussars" in the title reminded me of the regiment my father had mentioned. For a long time as I wasn't sure what my father had served with in WWII. He said 13th/18th Hussars, a Yorkshire Regiment, once, when we were in the Castle Museum in york, and I know, not only from the photographs I have of "his" war that he was in a Tank Regiment, as a driver, and spent, apparently a lot of time in Egypt. At the end of the War he seemed to be in Germany. Did a Hussar regiment of that title exist in 1939-45, and did heavy cavalry morph into a Tank Regiment? Or am I chasing the wrong regiment?
If I am not, then have you any notion where historical records related to WWII would be, today, for them?

[MaxD]

The National Army Museum can explain it better than I
 http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/13th-hussars

Alan O referred to the amalgamation to form the 13th/18th which title they carried at the time of your father's service.  You'll find reference to them all over the net, they were a reconnaissance regiment first in WW2 and then had Sherman Tanks.  Start with the museum
http://www.lightdragoons.org.uk/history.html

Lots to find!

maxD

[ThrelfallYorky]

Thank you, MaxD, I'm sure I'll have a good long hunt around the places you suggest. like many, my father was not keen to speak about his War, but I discovered several souvenirs after his death, and of course, his medals, which included the Africa Star, as well as a photograph album of him (and his tanks) in Egypt. I'm a bit clearer now about the evolution of the regiments involved, and intrigued enough to seek a little further..