About
The Light Dragoons Museum, housed within the Discovery Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne, commemorates the history of the Light Dragoons regiment and its two illustrious predecessor regiments — the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) and the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars — whose amalgamation in 1992 created the present regiment.
Both predecessor regiments traced their origins to the mid-eighteenth century and accumulated distinguished service records spanning some of the most significant conflicts in British and world history. The 15th King's Hussars were raised in 1759 and served in the American Revolutionary War, the Peninsular War (where they fought in numerous Napoleonic engagements), and the First World War. The 13th/18th Royal Hussars were formed from regiments that served in the American Revolutionary War and in India. Together, the lineages of the Light Dragoons extend across more than two and a half centuries of continuous service.
Both predecessor regiments participated in one of the most famous and debated events in British military history — the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War. The 13th Light Dragoons (as the regiment then was) and the 15th Hussars were both in the Charge, in which the Light Brigade rode into a valley under fire from Russian artillery on three sides in a catastrophic misunderstanding of orders. The courage and the carnage of that afternoon, immortalised by Tennyson's poem, runs through the museum's collections and narrative.
The collections span both World Wars — the mounted cavalry of the nineteenth century adapting first to horses on the Western Front, then to armoured cars, and ultimately to tanks. The 13th/18th Hussars were among the first Allied troops to land in Normandy on D-Day (6 June 1944), their DD (Duplex Drive) amphibious tanks among the first armoured vehicles to reach the beaches. This remarkable detail of D-Day history is explored in the museum's displays.
The Light Dragoons Museum sits within the Discovery Museum complex in Newcastle, allowing visitors to explore the regiment's history in the context of the broader science, technology, and social history collections of that institution. The museum is maintained by the regimental trust and staffed by volunteers.
Categories:
Highlights
The Charge of the Light Brigade — Personal Objects and Medals
Both predecessor regiments of the Light Dragoons participated in the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava on 25 October 1854 — one of the most celebrated and tragic episodes in British military history. The museum holds personal objects, medals, uniforms, and equipment from men who rode in the Charge, along with contemporary accounts and images of the action.
Tennyson's famous poem 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' immortalised the courage of the six hundred, and the museum's collections give tangible reality to the individuals behind the legend.
Victoria Crosses and Gallantry Medals
The collections include Victoria Crosses and other high-ranking gallantry medals awarded to members of the predecessor regiments across their service history. The Victoria Cross — instituted by Queen Victoria in 1856 following the Crimean War — is the highest military decoration awarded for valour in the face of the enemy, and the VC citations displayed alongside the medals give direct accounts of the extraordinary acts of courage they commemorate.
Each medal represents an individual story of bravery under fire.
D-Day — The 13th/18th Hussars on the Beaches
The 13th/18th Royal Hussars played a pivotal and little-known role on D-Day — 6 June 1944. Their DD (Duplex Drive) amphibious Sherman tanks were launched from landing craft off the Normandy coast and drove ashore through the surf to support the infantry landings on Gold Beach. This was one of the most technically demanding and dangerous operations of the Normandy landings — many tanks were lost to the sea before reaching the shore.
The museum documents this dramatic episode with photographs, tank commander accounts, and equipment from the campaign.
Hussar Uniforms and Dress
The hussar tradition of spectacular military dress is well represented in the museum's collections — the braided pelisses, the busbies, the colourful braid and frogging of nineteenth-century hussar uniform are among the most visually striking items in any regimental museum. The collections span from the ornate dress uniforms of the Napoleonic and Victorian periods through the khaki service dress of the First World War to the modern regimental uniform of the present day.
This development in military dress tells its own story of changing warfare, technology, and military culture.
Collections
The Light Dragoons — A History
Comprehensive display of the history of the Light Dragoons and predecessor regiments from their eighteenth-century origins to the present day.
Medals and Gallantry
Collection of medals including Victoria Crosses awarded to members of the predecessor regiments across their service histories.
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.
Nearby Museums (5 within 6 miles)
North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers
Industrial Heritage
Newcastle upon Tyne — ~7 min walk (0.4 mi)