Fourteenth Light Dragoons

Fourteenth Light Dragoons

14th Light Dragoons at the charge
Fourteenth Light Dragoons
Title	Fourteenth Light Dragoons (Duchess of York's Own)
Branch	Light Cavalry
Raised	1715
Colonel	The Hon. Robert Fitzgerald
Engagements	Oporto (12th May 1809), Talavera (27th-28th July 1809), the Côa (11th July 1810), Fuentes de Onoro 3rd-5th May 1811
Nickname	The Duchess of York's Own
Motto	Honi soit qui mal y pense (Evil be to him who evil thinks)

The Fourteenth Light Dragoons are a regiment of Light Cavalry, currently serving in Spain under Lord Wellington. They have seen action at the taking of Oporto in May 1809 and the Battle of Talavera in July 1809, as well as a minor battle at the River Côa in July 1810. They are most often engaged in patrols and outpost duty for the army. In the autumn of 1810, the Fourteenth, along with the rest of the army, withdrew south of the Lines of Torres Vedras, although they were often employed patrolling the country north of the Lines. In the spring of the following year, when the army again moved north, the Fourteenth's colonel, Robbie Fitzgerald (the younger son of the Earl of Rotherham) took command of a patrol which ran into a party of French. In the ensuing confusion, the Colonel's horse was shot under him, throwing him and causing him to break his leg in the fall. The Colonel has been sent to England to convalesce, leaving the regiment in the hands of Major Archibald Fortescue until such time as Robbie can rejoin, or is confirmed an invalid and has to sell out of the Army altogether.

Named Personnel

Men of the 14th exchanging pleasantries with a French patrol in Spain

• Lieutenant-Colonel Robert 'Robbie' Fitzgerald
• Major Archibald Fortescue, the senior Major of the Fourteenth and the man in command during Robbie's absence
  
• Captain Neal Ogilvy, the troop commander of C Troop
  
• Captain Latham
• Captain Laming
• Cornet Dancy
• Mr Widmer, the regiment's surgeon
  
• Mr Thompson, the regiment's veterinary surgeon
  
• Private Toby Jackson (Lt-Col Fitzgerald's groom)

Battles during the Peninsular War

• Oporto (12th May 1809)
• Talavera (27th-28th July 1809)
• the Côa (11th July 1810) (the last action to date in which Robbie was in command)
• Fuentes de Onoro 3rd-5th May 1811 (fought since Robbie's return to England; it was reported in the papers on the 21st May.)

Appearances

Due to the setting of the London Life, the Fourteenth has only appeared in fics set before or after the actual period covered by LL.

In Their Flowing Cups - Summer 1804
When the Blast of War Blows in Our Ears - Autumn 1810
So Quick Bright Things Come to Confusion - Spring 1811
The Soonest Winner - (AU) January/February 1812