 At this time, the regiment was authorised to inherit the battle honours of the disbanded 19th Light Dragoons.John French, who later became a field marshal, joined the regiment as a junior officer in March 1874.The regiment saw action at Battle of Tel el-Kebir in September 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War and the regiment took possession of the wells, which were a vital resource in desert warfare, at the Battle of Abu Klea in January 1885 during the Mahdist War.