6th Dragoon Regiment (France)


The 6th Regiment of Dragoons is a French regiment of cavalry formed under the old regime, and dissolved in 1992.

Creation and renames

September 14, 1673: Creation as the Régiment d'Hocquincourt
1675: Renamed to Régiment de Dragons de la Reine
1791: Renamed to 6e Régiment de Dragons
1814: Renamed to Régiment de Dragons de Monsieur
1815: Renamed back to 6e Régiment de Dragons, dissolved after the Hundred Days
1815: Recreated as Régiment de Dragons de la Loire
1825: Renamed to 6e régiment de dragons
1940: Dissolved
1951: Recreated as 6e régiment de dragons
1963: Dissolved
1964: Recreated as 6e régiment de dragons out of the 3e Algerian Spahis Regiment
1992: Final dissolution

Regimental Leaders

Until the French Revolution, the regimental leader were called mestre de camp, who owned the regiment they commanded. Beginning in 1791, the leader was referred to as a colonel. In reality, only the first dragoon regiment leader had this quality, his followers, being only mestre de camp-lieutenant, corresponding afterwards to lieutenant colonel.
In March 1788, the Régiment de Dragons de la Reine moved to Laon in a newly built barracks, which, as new as it was, is assigned to it a merry-go-round, a quarry, and even a hospital. Dragoons are sworn to the nation and the King and Queen on August 1789. Becoming the 6e Régiment de Dragons early in 1792 and this time, after swearing loyalty to the nation, the law, administrators of the executive, to maintain the Constitution with all its strength, never to abandon its guiding principles, to observe the rules of discipline and to live free or to die, the regiment nevertheless left the city the following year for the campaigns of the French Revolution and the French Empire. Laon was later destroyed by bombing during World War I, only a pediment inscribed on historic monuments remains. From the end of the empire in 1815 until the Franco-Prussian War, the regiment was mobile throughout the metropolitan territory and changed garrison almost every two years. After the fall of the empire, the regiment was dissolved while garrisoned at Nîmes. It was reformed in 1816 in Haute-Saône under the name of Régiment de Dragons de la Loire. Before renaming back to the 6e Régiment de Dragons in 1825, the regiment was moved from Nancy, Charleville, Saint-Omer, Lille, and Verdun. It then passed through Lyon, Tours, Pontivy, Valenciennes, and Paris, where it took part in the riots of June 1832. It was continued to be moved through Dax, Limoges, Poitiers, Fonatinebleau, Sedan, Chalon-sur-Marne, Limoges, and Toul. In 1853, before leaving for the Crimea, it was stationed in Tarascon. After that, they were moved to Clermont-Ferran, back to paris, Saint-Mihiel, Valenciennes, Lunéville, and Lyon. In 1870, the regiment was in Libourne, where they were at for a short time and then returned to Lyon. From this period, stability was established. From 1872 to 1880, the regiment was in Chambéry, where it had already been in between 1867 and 1869, where it concurred

World War 1

It took part in the Battle of the Yser.
It took part in the Third Battle of the Aisne.

World War 2

It was dissolved in 1940.

The Cold War

It was raised again as the 6th Dragoon Regiment in 1964 out of the 3e Régiment de Spahis Algériens. It was dissolved in 1992.

Honours

Battle honours