The Household Cavalry are now the only British Cavalry still wearing
the polished steel cuirass. Yet each of the regiments has little
differences apparent only to the close observer. Thus, the 1st Life
Guards wear a red cord as their shoulder belts and black sheep-skins
on their saddles, the 2nd Life Guards wearing a blue cord and white
sheep-skins. The seven regiments of Dragoon Guards differ somewhat from
each other in point of uniform. They, with the Royal Engineers, are
the only regiments in the army to wear velvet facings. Their helmets
are of brass, the helmets of the Household Cavalry and Dragoons being
of white metal. The three regiments of Dragoons are representative of
England, Scotland and Ireland, being the 1st Royal Dragoons, Royal
Scots Greys and Inniskilling Dragoons, the Greys being distinctive by
reason of the colour of their horses and their bearskin head-dress.
Each of the twelve regiments of Hussars, introduced into the service in
1806 as Light Dragoons, has also certain distinctions of dress, as also
have the six regiments of Lancers, the best known of which is perhaps
the 17th Lancers on account of its grim crest, a skull with crossbones,
which, with its motto "Or Glory" has led to its popular name of "The
Death or Glory Boys." It is an interesting fact that the 17th Lancers
in 1795 provided a detachment for service on H.M.S. "Hermione" as
Marines, and were promptly nicknamed "The Horse Marines." Lancer
regiments were introduced into the British Army in 1816.
Each regiment of Dragoon Guards carries a standard on ceremonial
occasions, and Dragoon regiments carry a guidon (a swallow-tailed
standard). Hussar and Lancer regiments do not carry standards, bearing
their battle honours on their appointments.