4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse

The Role of Armour in the Australian Defence Force is defined as:

"The co-ordination with other arms, to close with and destroy the enemy forces using fire, manoeuvre and shock action."

The 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse is a regiment of the Australian Army. Part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, it is a reserve regiment equipped with the M113 vehicle serving in the armoured reconnaissance role. The regiment was formed in 1948 as the 4th/19th Armoured Regiment (Prince of Wales's Light Horse) through the amalgamation of three other regiments:
  • 4th (Corangamite) Light Horse
  • 17th (Prince of Wales's) Light Horse
  • 19th Light Horse (Yarrowee Light Horse)

The record of the 4th Light Horse in the 1914-18 war is without equal in the AIF. It was the only Australian unit to see service on all three fronts, France, Gallipoli and Palestine and was granted a total of 24 Battle Honours of which 10 are carried on the guidon. Probably the most notable action of the 4th Light Horse was the Charge at Beersheba on the 31st of October 1917, where 800 Australian Lighthorsemen took the town and crucial wells of Beersheba. This action is commemorated each year by the serving soldiers of the Regiment.



4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse - ANZAC Day 2005 - Melbourne

(M Smith)

The regiment assumed its present name in 1949. In 1960, a regular squadron, A Squadron, was added to the regiment. In 1965, this was removed from the regiment's order of battle - Number 1 Troop was used as the nucleus in the formation of No 1 Armoured Personnel Carrier Troop, while the rest of the squadron was used to form 2nd Cavalry Regiment. Today, the regiment maintains a total of two sabre squadrons. "A" squadron which is based Bandiana on the Victorian / New South Wales border & "B" squadron which is located in Melbourne.

The regiment is proud to have been granted the Freedom of Entry to 4 cities: Melbourne, Kyneton, Traralgon and Sale.

In 2006, the regiment converted to a Light Cavalry role with the unit being equipped with 4x4 Land Rover patrol vehicles.

4th/19th PWLH APCs getting ready for a range shoot

(M Smith)

 

This page was last updated 10/12/06.

Tradition

Colonel-in-Chief:
HRH The Prince of Wales
(Colonel-in-Chief, RAAC)

Affiliations - UK
 The Royal Dragoon Guards
The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish)
The King's Royal Hussars

 Motto:
Ich Dien
March:
 Quick - Australian Light Horse
Slow - 

Location:
 Simpson Barracks, Watsonia, VIC
North Bandiana, Wodonga, VIC

Unit Colour Patch:

Unit History Book(s)
Hooves, Wheels and Tracks
 David Holloway

 Men of Beersheba : a history of the 4th
Light Horse Regiment, 1914-1919
LTCOL Neil Smith