BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 3rd LIGHT HORSE REGIMENT (SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MOUNTED RIFLES)

The brig 'Rapid' left England on 1st May, 1836 with Colonel William Light and a surveying staff for the New Colony of South Australia. Light had served in the Peninsular War as a Lieutenant in the 4th Light Horse Dragoons. Capt John Hindmarsh, R.N. later arrived in the 'Buffalo' as the first Governor of South Australia which was proclaimed a British Colony on the 28th December, 1836, and thus we get the name of the territorial title perpetuated by the Regiment.

The Regiment came into existence in the year 1841 when a squadron of cavalry was raised in Adelaide. During 1844 a small reorganisation was effected bringing for the 'Adelaide Mounted Rifle Corps', which, by 1867 was composed of four troops, viz., No 1 Molong Troop; No 2 Strathalbyn Troop; No 3 Adelaide Troop, and No 4 Reedbeds Troop. In 1899 the Adelaide Mounted Rifle Corps had become the 'South Australian Mounted Rifles' and No 3 Adelaide Troop became No 1 Squadron Adelaide, together with a portion of troops from Yankalilla, Inman Valley and Port Victor (Victor Harbor). By 1901 the No 1 Squadron at Adelaide became the active portion of the mounted rifles, the remainder being styled the reserves. At the federal re-organisation of 1903, No 1 Squadron (active) and No's 2, 4, and 5 Squadrons (reserve) were formed into a Regiment styled '16th Australian Light Horse Regiment (South Australian Mounted Rifles)' with four Squadrons, also an attached Squadron designated as No 5 Squadron.

At the re-organisation of 1912, No's 2, 3 and 4 Squadrons of the 16th A.L.H. Regiment, together with No 4 Squadron of the 17th A.L.H. Regiment became the '22nd Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles)' whilst No 1 Squadron of the 16th A.L.H. formed the nucleus of the 23rd Light Horse. The other changes which followed the Regiment did not occur until 1918 when the 22nd Light Horse became the '3rd Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles)', and as such it remained until the Divisional Organisation of 1921, when part of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment became designated and carried on as the '3rd Light Horse Regiment (South Australian Mounted Rifles)'. It formed part of the 6th Cavalry Brigade, allotted to the 1st Cavalry Division, with it's Squadrons located at Mt Gambier, Keswick, Naracoorte, Bordertown, Tantanoola, Millicent, Kingston, Robe and Lucindale.

With the true spirit, the members of the 3rd preserve the traditions gained by the Regiment in South Africa and The Great War (WWI) when it fought in "South Africa 1899-1902" and at Anzac, "Defence of Anzac", Suvia, "Sari-Bair", Gallipoli 1915, "Rumani", "Maghdaba-Rafa", Egypt 1915-1917, "Gaza-Beersheba", El Mughar, Nebi Samwill, "Jerusalem", "Jaffa", "Jericho", Jordan (Es Salt), "Jordan (Amman)", "Meggido", Nablus and Palestine 1917-1918. Those Battle Honours shown in parenthesis are emblazoned upon the Regimental Colour (Guidon). 'Nec Aspera Terrent' (Not even hardships deter us) is the Regimental motto and the colour patch is a rectangle divided diagonally from top left to bottom right corner; top - black, bottom - white. Its badge may be described as within an oval garter, buckled, bearing the name of the Regiment, an Australian piping shrike , wings and tail displayed. In the base a scroll with the Regiments motto, the whole ensigned with an Imperial Crown.

For its allied Regiment, the 3rd chose the 3rd (Kings Own) Hussars, 'Lord Adam Gordon's Life Guards', a nickname dating from the 18th century, traditionally said to be derived from the Regiment being kept in Scotland for a considerable period to supply escorts for Lord Gordon, commanding the forces in Scotland. Also know as 'Bland's Dragoon' in honour of the Colonel of the Regiment. The Regiment is mentioned as far back as 1693 when it formed one of the six Regiments of Cavalry, which, with King William III covered the retreat of the British and German All Foot at Landen in the Low Countries. In the Penisular War, in the Great Campaigns of the 19th Century, in South Africa, and in the 'Great War' 1914-1918 it won great distinctions.

History of the Colour Patch

The Regiments and Brigades were given a certain colours depending on the order of march and the Brigade they were attached to. For instance 1 Brigade was White, the 1st Regt in the Brigade was Blue therefore Blue over White, the 2nd Regt in the Brigade was Green therefore Green over White and the 3rd Regt in the Brigade was Black therefore Black over White.