history

battle honours

A battle honour is an official recognition of regimental achievement, either at a particular battle or during a campaign. Battle honours have traditionally been borne on British cavalry flags and drum banners. They appeared in significant numbers on flags during the 19th century and are still displayed with pride by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards today.

Cavalry flags in the British Army are known as either standards or guidons. Standards were originally carried by regiments of horse; guidons were borne by dragoons. Regiments would typically have three flags including the Sovereign’s as the first standard or guidon. By the beginning of the 19th century, the practice of carrying flags into battle had declined and they became largely ceremonial.

In the 19th century many battle honours were awarded retrospectively. Regiments added each new battle honour to their flags until they ran out of space and had to be selective. When the 3rd Carabiniers amalgamated with the Royal Scots Greys to form the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) in 1971, the new regiment inherited its antecedents’ battle honours. As Colonel-in-Chief, Her Majesty the Queen presented the regiment with a new standard at the amalgamation ceremony in Holyrood Park in Edinburgh. This standard was retired in 1994 and is now on display in the regimental museum.

Today the regiment has 44 battle honours embroidered on its first standard from the War of the Spanish Succession to the Iraq War.

The last guidon of the Royal Scots Greys retired at the amalgamation parade in Holyrood Park, 2 July 1971.
3rd Dragoon Guards’ second guidon, 1826-1837.
The first standard of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards presented by HM Queen Elizabeth II at the amalgamation parade in Holyrood Park, 2 July 1971.

View battle honours by regiment

  • Blenheim
  • Ramillies
  • Oudenarde
  • Malplaquet
  • Warburg
  • Beaumont
  • Willems
  • Talavera
  • Albuhera
  • Vittoria
  • Peninsular
  • Sevastopol
  • Abyssinia
  • South Africa 1899-1902
  • Ypres 1914, ‘15
  • Nonne Bosschen
  • Frezenberg
  • Loos
  • Arras 1917
  • Scarpe 1917
  • Cambrai 1918
  • Somme 1918
  • St Quentin
  • Avre
  • Amiens
  • Hindenburg Line
  • Beaurevoir
  • France and Flanders 1914-18
  • Blenheim
  • Ramillies
  • Oudenarde
  • Malplaquet
  • Warburg
  • Willems
  • Sevastopol
  • Delhi 1857
  • Afghanistan 1879-80
  • Relief of Kimberley
  • Paardeberg
  • South Africa 1899-1902
  • Mons
  • Le Cateau
  • Retreat from Mons
  • Marne 1914
  • Aisne 1914
  • Messines 1914
  • Armentières 1914
  • Ypres 1915
  • St Julien
  • Bellewaarde
  • Arras 1917
  • Scarpe 1917
  • Cambrai 1917, ‘18
  • Somme 1918
  • St Quentin
  • Lys
  • Hazebrouck
  • Amiens
  • Bapaume 1918
  • Hindenburg Line
  • Canal Du Nord
  • Selle
  • Sambre
  • France and Flanders 1914-18
  • Imphal
  • Tamu Road
  • Nunshigum
  • Bishenpur
  • Kanglatongbi
  • Kennedy Peak
  • Shwebo
  • Sagaing
  • Mandalay
  • Ava
  • Yenangyaung 1945
  • Irrawaddy
  • Burma 1944-5
  • North Arakan
  • Buthidaung
  • Razabil
  • Ngakyedauk Pass
  • Burma 1944-5
  • Blenheim
  • Ramillies
  • Oudenarde
  • Malplaquet
  • Dettingen
  • Warburg
  • Willems
  • Waterloo
  • Balaklava
  • Sevastopol
  • Relief of Kimberley
  • Paardeberg
  • South Africa 1899-1902
  • Mons
  • Retreat From Mons
  • Marne 1914
  • Aisne 1914
  • Messines 1914
  • Ypres 1914, ‘15
  • Gheluvelt
  • Neuve Chapelle
  • St Julien
  • Bellewaarde
  • Arras 1917
  • Scarpe 1917
  • Cambrai 1917, ‘18
  • Lys
  • Hazebrouck
  • Amiens-Somme 1918
  • Albert 1918
  • Bapaume 1918
  • Hindenburg Line
  • St Quentin Canal
  • Beaurevoir
  • Pursuit To Mons
  • France and Flanders 1914-18
  • Merjayun
  • Syria 1941
  • Alam El Halfa
  • El Alamein
  • El Agheila
  • Nofilia
  • Advance On Tripoli
  • North Africa 1942-43
  • Salerno
  • Battipaglia
  • Volturno Crossing
  • Italy 1943
  • Caen
  • Hill 112
  • Falaise
  • Venlo Pocket
  • Hochwald
  • Aller
  • Bremen
  • North West Europe 1944-45
  • Gulf 1991
  • Iraq 2003