THE Queen's Royal Hussars, whose unofficial motto is "Better by far, a Queen's Royal Hussar", has direct links with Sir Winston Churchill who was commissioned into the Fourth Hussars in 1895.

Athlone Barracks still has the original "officers' comment book" in which the Second World War Prime Minister complains about the carpets in the officers' mess and the way egg on toast is prepared.

Sir Winston, dubbed the "greatest Hussar of them all", became colonel of the regiment in 1941 and remained so until his death in 1965.

- The Fourth Hussars charged with the Light Brigade at Balaclava alongside the Eighth Hussars.

- The Fourth Hussars won 21 battle honours and nearly 100 awards for gallantry in the First World War, before becoming mechanised in 1936. The new motorised Hussars then served in Greece, El Alamein and Italy in the Second World War.

- The Third King's Own Hussars played a major role in the Napoleonic wars and earned a reputation as the "finest cavalry in the Sub-Continent" when they moved to India in 1837.

- Because of the Hussars' strong Irish connections the regiment has its own pipes and drums section made up of tank soldiers who volunteer it.

The pipes and drums have performed at many events.

- Although a tank regiment, the Queen's Royal Hussars have a very strong skiing team, which regularly wins cross-country and Alpine competitions.

It also has a strong football team which regularly beats teams from larger corps.

- The officers' mess at Sennelager also has the stirrups of the commanding officer who led the Charge of the Light Brigade in Balaclava in 1854.

For more information on the regiment, visit its website on www.qrh.org.uk or for details on a career in the army contact Colour/Sgt Pete Elcock at Worcester's Army Careers Office on 01905 723677.

This is Worcester Picture Special