Please be advised that this is NOT the official
Household Cavalry Web Site, but rather a
labour of love - intended to be of help to
(and about) the Regiment.

Site hosted by:
Enasec Ltd, The Media Centre, 7 Northumberland Street, Huddersfield HD1 1RL

Trooper Ratu Sakeasi Babakobau

It is with great sorrow that we learned of the death, in northern Helmand,
of Trooper Ratu Sakeasi Babakobau, Household Cavalry Regiment.

The vehicle he was travelling in, while providing protection for a routine patrol,
suffered what is called a mine-strike. Three other British soldiers, and one
local national were also injured in the incident. Our thoughts are also with them.

Trooper Babakobau, who came from Fiji, joined the Army in 2004 to serve in
the Household Cavalry Regiment. He deployed to Afghanistan in April 2008
(his first deployment overseas).

He was an outstanding soldier, with a promising career ahead of him,
and our deep, sincere condolences go to his wife, his two young sons,
his family, friends, comrades - and all who knew him.

Tributes to Trooper Babakobau have come from his Commanding Officer,
his commander in Afghanistan, his Squadron Leader, Officers, NCOs
and colleagues - reflecting the high regard in which he was held.

This website is devoted to the

Household Cavalry Regiment

I hope you will find in these pages all you want to learn
about this unique and historical Regiment, comprising
The Life Guards and The Blues And Royals - the proud
and glorious histories of the Regiments that form
today's Household Cavalry, the soldiers, the horses,
Regimental traditions, ceremonial and operational uniforms,
Regimental music, and quarters.

Navigate your way around the site by clicking on any of
the headings in the ribbons below - in some instances,
these links take you to yet another "linking" page,
from where you may widen your search.

What do you think of this website?
Click here to Contact Us?

Finally, I would like to dedicate this website
to all those men of the Household Cavalry
(and include, in this, their families and loved ones)
who have given their lives while in the service
of their Country, their Sovereign,
and their respective Regiments.

We will remember them.

THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY

The Life Guards & The Blues And Royals

2007 Edinburgh Military Tattoo

To see a few photographs of the Mounted Band of
The Blues And Royals who featured in the spectacular
2007 Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle . . .

Click Here

Introduction

This is by no means all my own work, although
I have managed - over a number of years - to gather together
(into one series of documents) all the available information
I could find on the Household Cavalry.

When dealing with matters of fact rather than fiction,
it is virtually impossible to be completely original in detail,
description, and presentation and - while I own up to having
been influenced by those who have gone before me
(and hereby give credit to all who fit this bill)
- this website, and the book that preceded it, is
entirely my own project, honed over many years.

There have always been abbreviated accounts
of Regimental history - notably for use in programmes,
brochures, and on special occasions - which have been
made available to the general public.

However, at one time they seemed to vary so much
that I was tempted to consolidate all the variations I had
into one meaningful whole - which is when the idea of my
"encyclopedia" was born.

Indeed, such has been its ongoing growth that it has long
been referred to by senior figures within the Regiment as "Topsy".

More recently, I decided that the ideal vehicle for presenting
the information, and keeping it up to date, was via
this dedicated website - and what better time to do this,
than to coincide with the opening in June 2007,
by HM The Queen, of the new
Household Cavalry Museum.

It also affords me the unique opportunity to include
many illustrations - and explanations - of the features
that make the Household Cavalry what it is.

Over the years uniforms have evolved and changed,
and will no doubt do so in the future, so I felt it all the more
important to take a snapshot of the situation as in 2007,
so providing a useful reference point for the Regiment
and other interested parties.

Such published works that I accumulated seemed to end in the
mid-1980s, and I have endeavoured - from whatever source
I could - to fill in the intervening period, bringing the "history"
section up to the present time. To a large extent, I have
had to draw upon information made available through the
Regimental Association, the Guards magazine,
and regimental intelligence.

Also, I have made one or two very helpful contacts,
from one of whom I was able to find information on
the various barracks used over the years by the Household Cavalry.

Along with information on the Regimental Bands,
the Musical Ride, the training of men and horses, the uniforms,
and the questions usually asked by members of the public,
I hope that this website does justice to the Household Cavalry
who - in my view - really are . . .

The Best!

I also provide an insight into what may be a fairly typical day
in the life of the Mounted Regiment, as well as a fairly typical
year in the life of the Mounted Regiment - however, as
the Regiment can testify, life is never as simple
or straightforward as I describe!

I must apologise for the lack of photographs in a number of
places, which was not my intention when designing the pages.

I am determined to rectify this situation at the earliest opportunity.

Over a period of time, it is my firm intention to provide a
vehicle that is both fully documented and lavishly illustrated
- if only to do the Household Cavalry justice.

Finally, I offer my sincere apologies for reproducing information
(from reliable sources) within which dates and/or names of
appointments appear to be incomplete, or not to make any sense.

Unfortunately, the sources I have used appear to be the only ones,
and expected to be definitive.

Peter J Ashman - Life Member, The Life Guards Association

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to a number of persons, not least the following:

Colonel Hamon P D Massey, former Commander Household Cavalry
and Silver Stick, whose vast experience and knowledge of everything
to do with the Household Cavalry, combined with an enthusiasm
for the Regiment - and a desire for accuracy of detail
- has been invaluable to me.

Colonel P J Tabor MVO, Commander Household Cavalry and Silver Stick
(at the time this website was launched), as he has given
me every encouragement with the project since he
took up his appointment.

Major A Kersting (Retd), former Curator of
The Household Cavalry Museum - those who know
"Paddy" will testify to his unrivalled knowledge of the Regiment
and its history. His enthusiasm and energy have been
a great inspiration to me.

I am indebted to Captain Mark Kingston MBE (former QM),
WO1 (RCM) Shaun Pickford,
WO2 Bryan Rogers, S/Cpl Alan Button
and S/Cpl Martin Peet (successive Master Tailors)
for so kindly assisting with general queries, illustrations,
and descriptions of the various uniforms worn by both the
Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment and the Mounted Regiment.

Mention of photographs (of uniforms) requires a special
vote of thanks to the Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry
Regiment at Windsor, for arranging two separate photo-shoots for me,
on two separate dates, for which I also have to thank
the subjects themselves, for laboriously (but willingly)
donning various orders of dress for me.

They were 2nd Lieutenant Richard Bavister (LG),
Cornet Simon Deverell (RHG/D),
WO2 Shaun Pickford (RHG/D), and L/Cpl Lee Walker (LG).
They were most co-operative and patient - as well as photogenic.

WO2 (BCM) Richard Allen, L/Cpl Kirk (Band of The Life Guards),
and Cpl Mark Redman (Band of The Blues And Royals),
for their enthusiasm, and assistance in providing information
on the Bands, together with quality photographs.

I am also indebted to the late Sgt Ian Liptrott (Media Ops,
Horse Guards), who so generously entertained me in his office
one day, during which time he provided me with some of his excellent
photographs of HM The Queen, the Gold Sticks, pictures of the
Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment in action, and
the Mounted Regiment on various ceremonial occasions.

More recently, I have been in contact with Simon Saunders
(also of Media Ops, Horse Guards), who has generously offered
to continue where Ian Liptrott left off - so that I may top up
my stock of photographs of the Household Cavalry at work.

Mr Ian Williams, Senior Conservation Architect, Estate
Development Group, Ministry Of Defence - Ian replied very promptly,
and positively, to my initial inquiry regarding the various
barrack sites and buildings, and subsequently proved to be
a veritable fount of information, and as enthusiastic
about my project as Paddy (Kersting)!

I am also indebted to Major Gerry Bartlett (National Heritage),
and to the authors/publishers of a book entitled
British Barracks 1600-1914: Their Architecture and Role in Society,
from which I was able to enhance my own limited material
on the various regimental quarters of The Household Cavalry.

Their publication is magnificent, and I commend it to all who
are interested in regimental history and development.

Finally, there have been numerous books published about
the Household Cavalry over the years, and one or two of these
have been of enormous assistance to me in detailing and verifying
the content of my work. Without them to refer to, the task
might have proved too daunting.

Therefore, I hereby acknowledge all those earlier authors
and compilers, and express my gratitude for their labours.

Grant Squad - 1957

Peter J Ashman

Passing Out - 1957