Since 2003, soldiers and officers of HQ (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron, The Royal Yeomanry have been deployed to Iraq (for the war and subsequent peace support operations) and Afghanistan. On each deployment, members of HQ Sqn RY have been at the very front line.

In January 2003 HQ Sqn RY (at that time called W Sqn RY), along with other members of the Royal Yeomanry, were mobilised as a complete squadron to serve on Op TELIC in Iraq as part of the Joint NBC Regiment. Echoing previous roles and their famed flexibility, HQ Sqn RY were NBC soldiers for the duration of the war and then switched to infantry peace support tasks.

On Armistice Day 2005, the Royal Yeomanry received the first (and so far the only) battle honour awarded to the Territorial Army since World War II, for its efforts in Iraq during major combat operations between 19 March and 30 April 2003. The citation for the award praises the personnel of the Royal Yeomanry, almost all of whom came from W and A Squadrons, for their “utmost steadfastness and gallantry in the face of hostile fire.” 

Of the award to the Royal Yeomanry, Major General S J L Roberts OBE , the then General Officer Commanding London District, said: "I am delighted by this national and historic recognition of all that your Regiment and soldiers achieved in fighting in Iraq in 2003. The Theatre Honour 'Iraq 2003' will henceforth publicly and officially commemorate those achievements and sacrifices, which add lustre to the already proud history of your regiment."

W Sqn RY had been earlier honoured for its efforts during the 2003 Iraq War by the award in April 2004 of a Joint Commander’s Commendation to a member of the squadron, Lieutenant CJ MacEvilly, “for distinguished service in the Iraq theatre of operations.” It was a special recognition of the squadron’s efforts, being one of only 67 such commendations awarded to the nearly 30,000 members of the three services who took part in the war.

At the end of 2006, W Sqn RY sent another group of soldiers to serve six-months’ operational duty on Operation TELIC  in south east Iraq under the command of H Squadron of the Royal Tank Regiment.

Since 2007, the squadron has been deploying officers and soldiers to Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK as infantry and armoured fighting vehicle crewmen and as mentors of the Afghan National Army.

To find out more about HQ Sqn RY’s Iraq deployments, click on the TELIC links on the right. For Afghanistan, click on the HERRICK links.  Alternatively, read through the entire sequence by clicking on “next page” each time.