Regimental Association - RDG Museum

A Brief History of the Regimental Association

The present Regimental Association can trace its roots to one Mr. Steele, a former Quartermaster Sergeant whose father had served with the Regiment at Balaclava.

Having left the Army, and doing well for himself, Steele decided to round up as many ex-members of the Regiment as he could muster, and arranged for them to meet together on the night of the 25th of October to celebrate the anniversary of the Charge of the Heavy Brigade. The party was a great success and was held again the following year, which inspired Steele to form a permanent Association of Old Comrades. This new Association was officially recognised the following year (1893) by the then Commanding Officer, Colonel Herbert, who went on to appoint a Major Pennefather as President and Mr. Steele as Vice President.

They were set two objectives: firstly, to look after the welfare of Old Comrades, which remains the prime objective of the current Association; and secondly, to arrange a Balaclava Dinner for the Saturday nearest the 25th October, a custom faithfully observed until the outbreak of the Second World War and still celebrated in the current Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess.

Today the Association enjoys a membership of just over 4,000, which includes veterans of conflicts from the Second World War to present day Afghanistan.

Membership of the Association is open to those who have served or are serving in The Royal Dragoon Guards, and/or its antecedent Regiments, along with their close kin.

Since the Regiment's formation in 1992 the Association has dispensed just over £1 Million in benevolence to its serving and ex-serving Members; this figure does not include those contributions received from major Service Charities such as the Royal British Legion (RBL), the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF - 'The Soldiers Charity') and the Soldiers Sailors and Air Force Association (SSAFA). The major and most consistent source of income for the Association continues to be the Soldiers' One Day's Pay Scheme, although individual donations, bequests, and interest from investments all make significant contributions.

The Association and its founding principles remain as relevant today as they did at its foundation, over a century ago. 

Membership

Membership of The Royal Dragoon Guards Regimental Association is open to all those who have served in The Royal Dragoon guards and its antecedent Regiments, in addition to their close kin. Newsletters are published and distributed to members two or three times a year. A Regimental Journal is produced annually and may be ordered from Home Headquarters, with each Journal costing £10.00. Alternatively, a Member may set up a standing order of £10.00 per year, which is Gift Aided. Home Headquarters will then send out the Journal each year as it is produced.

Branches of the Association and Reunions

There are Branches of the Association which meet on a regular basis in the following areas: Cumbria, London & South East, Northern Ireland, Oxford, West Yorkshire, and York. A reunion luncheon is held each year following the Combined Cavalry Memorial Parade in London. The parade is usually held on the second Sunday in May, but full details are invariably given to all members in the Newsletter.

Becoming a Member

If you satisfy the criteria in 'Membership' below you may register quickly and easily on-line by following the REGISTER link and completing the on-line form. If you are already registered, it would be of considerable help to us if you complete the form enabling us to update our records accordingly. For example we only hold service details for approximately half of our members. If we are able to update this information, it would assist us when old friends wish to make contact.

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