3rd Kings Own Dragoons
The 3rd Dragoons landed in July 1811at Lisbon under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Mundy. They marched to join Wellington's army in September 1811 but spent the remainder of the year on the Portuguese border. They marched to Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812 where the Regiment formed part of the force covering the siege operations.
There were numerous clashes with French cavalry during the next few months, particularly in the period leading up to the battle of Salamanca on July 22nd 1812. Here, the 3rd Dragoons took part in their first major action as part of Le Marchant's Heavy Cavalry Brigade which wrought havoc amongst the French columns, destroying several enemy battalions. The battle was awarded to the regiment as its first honour of the war at a cost of just 20 killed and wounded.
The 3rd Dragoons entered Madrid on August 12th and the following month formed part of the force covering the siege operations at Burgos.
By the end of the year the Regiment had retreated to Portugal with the rest of the allied army and went into quarters until April 1813. The regiment took part in the closing stages of the battle of Vittoria on June 21st and in the pursuit of the French afterwards.
Thereafter they took no part in the operations in the Pyrenees and did not enter France until March 1814. The Regiment was however present at Toulouse on April 10th although it did not see much fighting.
In June 1814 the regiment began its march north to Boulogne where it embarked on July 19th, arriving at Dover the following day.
