Royal Armoured Corps: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Royal Armoured Corps is a collection of 12 regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments. It provides the armour capability of the British Army, with vehicles such as the Challenger Tank and the Scimitar Recon Vehicle.

History

The RAC was created in 1939, just before World War II started, by combining the cavalry wing (cavalry units that had mechanised), and the Royal Tank Regiment. As the war went on, many units became mechanised, and joined this corps. In 1944, the unit absorbed the Reconnaissance Corps.

The units of the present day RAC are:

• Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (consisting of The Life Guards & The Blues and Royals)
• 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
• The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys)
• The Royal Dragoon Guards
• The Queen's Royal Hussars
• 9th/12th Lancers (Prince of Wales's)
• The King's Royal Hussars
• Light Dragoons
• The Queen's Royal Lancers
• 1st Royal Tank Regiment
• 2nd Royal Tank Regiment

Many units were encompassed by the RAC, and they are too numerous to list. However, they did fall into general categories:

Regulars

• Dragoon Guards
• Hussars
• Lancers

Territorials

• Yeomanry
• Horse Yeomanry
• Horse Guards

et cetera.

Converted Infantry Regiments

• Armoured Delivery Regiments
• Training Regiments
• Infantry Regiments

This unit is allied with the following:

• Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
• Royal Australian Armoured Corps