20th Light Dragoons
Military unit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 20th Light Dragoons was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.
| 20th Light Dragoons | |
|---|---|
The regiment (left) at the Battle of Vimeiro | |
| Active | 1792–1818 |
| Allegiance | Great Britain United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Light cavalry |
| Size | Regiment |
History
The regiment was raised as the 20th (Jamaica) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons in 1792;[1] it was deployed to Jamaica in 1795 during the Second Maroon War.[2] The regiment saw action at the Battle of Blaauwberg in January 1806 during the second British invasion of the Dutch Cape Colony,[3] and later at the Battle of Montevideo in February 1807 during the British invasions of the River Plate.[4] The 3rd Squadron was the sole cavalry detachment present in the Alexandria expedition of 1807.[5] It also fought at the Battle of Roliça and Battle of Vimeiro in August 1808 during the Peninsular War.[1] In 1805 its title was simplified again to the 20th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons; it was disbanded in 1818.[1]