Warwickshire Yeomanry
| Warwickshire Yeomanry | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1794–1956 |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Yeomanry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Part of | 1st South Midland Mounted Brigade (First World War) Royal Armoured Corps (Second World War) |
| Engagements | Second Boer War First World War Second World War See battle honours below |
The Warwickshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, which served as a cavalry and dismounted infantry regiment in the First World War and as a cavalry and an armoured regiment in the Second World War, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry in 1956.
Contents
History
Formation and early history
The regiment was first formed as the Gentlemen and Yeomanry of Warwickshire in 1794, who raised four troops of yeomanry. These four troops were regimented in 1796 as the Warwickshire Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry; the regiment expanded to a fifth troop in 1813, a sixth in 1831, and in 1854, with the Crimean War causing an upsurge in martial sentiment, two more troops were formed. The regiment sponsored two companies of the Imperial Yeomanry in 1900, for service in the South African War, and in 1901 was itself reorganised as mounted infantry as the Warwickshire Imperial Yeomanry. In 1908 it was transferred into the Territorial Force, returning to a cavalry role and equipping as hussars, under the new title of The Warwickshire Yeomanry.[1]
First World War
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1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry
The regiment mobilised in August 1914, but remained in England until 1915, when they sailed for Egypt with 2nd Mounted Division. During the move, the horse transport Wayfarer was torpedoed on 11 April 1915 having just left Avonmouth; although she did not sink, the horses had to be rescued. Volunteers of the regiment saved 763 horses, receiving a Military Cross and twelve Meritorious Service Medals.[3] They arrived in Egypt on 24 April, before being moved to Gallipoli for service as dismounted infantry. They landed at Suvla Bay on 18 August and saw action at the Battle of Scimitar Hill, on 21 August. The regiment took heavy losses, but remained in the line until withdrawn at the end of October. It was assigned to the Australian Mounted Division in February 1917, serving in Palestine as cavalry, and seeing action at the First and Second Battles of Gaza, the Charge at Huj as well as the Battle of Mughar Ridge and the Battle of Jerusalem. It was withdrawn in April 1918, and amalgamated with the 1/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars into B Battalion, Machine Gun Corps, soon renamed the 100th (Warwickshire and South Nottinghamshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Machine Gun Corps,[4] which would serve on the Western Front for the remainder of the war.[5] At the Armistice, it was serving as Army Troops with the Fourth Army.[6]
2/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry
The 2nd Line regiment was formed at Warwick in September 1914. In April 1915, it joined the 2/1st South Midland Mounted Brigade at Cirencester and in June moved to the King's Lynn area where the brigade joined the 2/2nd Mounted Division. On 14 July 1915 it was at Holkham and in October at Fakenham. On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence[7] and the brigade became the 10th Mounted Brigade (and the division 3rd Mounted Division) at Tunbridge Wells.[8]
In July 1916 there was a major reorganization of 2nd Line yeomanry units in the United Kingdom. All but 12 regiments were converted to cyclists;[7] the 2/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry remained mounted and transferred to the 1st Mounted Brigade in the new 1st Mounted Division (3rd Mounted Division redesignated) at Thorndon Park, Brentwood. In November it was at Epping and in April 1917 back to Thorndon Park.[8]
In September 1917, the regiment was also converted to cyclists and joined 214th Brigade in 71st Division at Colchester. This brigade was intended to serve at Murmansk. On 12 February 1918, the brigade joined the 67th Division, still at Colchester. In March, all fit men were posted to France and the Murmansk operation was cancelled. The regiment remained in East Anglia for the rest of the war.[8]
3/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry
The 3rd Line regiment was formed at Warwick in June 1915 and affiliated to the 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Tidworth. In early 1917, it was absorbed into the 5th Reserve Cavalry Regiment, also at Tidworth.[9]
Between the wars
Following demobilisation after the War, the regiment was reconstituted in 1920 in the Territorial Army.[1]
Second World War
The regiment did not mechanise before the outbreak of the Second World War; on mobilisation, it was attached to 1st Cavalry Division, and moved in 1940 to the Middle East, where it saw service in Iraq and Syria in 1941. It was mechanised as an armoured regiment in late 1941 and transferred into the Royal Armoured Corps, with the division redesignating itself as 10th Armoured Division. The regiment then saw service in the North African Campaign, fighting at the Second Battle of El Alamein whilst attached to 2nd New Zealand Division. It was deployed to Italy in 1944, where it saw action in June and July.
Post-war
After the War, the regiment reconstituted in the Territorial Army. In 1956 it amalgamated with The Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars, forming The Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry.[1]
Battle honours
The Warwickshire Yeomanry was awarded the following battle honours (honours in bold are emblazoned on the regimental colours):[1]
| Second Boer War | South Africa 1900–01 |
| First World War | Hindenburg Line, Épehy, St Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Selle, Sambre, France and Flanders 1918, Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Rumani, Rafah, Egypt 1915–17, Gaza, El Mughar, Nebi Samwil, Jerusalem, Palestine 1917–18 |
| Second World War | Iraq 1941, Syria 1941, El Alamein, North Africa 1942, Ficulle, Trasimene Line, Sanfatucchio, Advance to Florence, Campriano, Italy 1944 |
See also
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- Imperial Yeomanry
- List of Yeomanry Regiments 1908
- Yeomanry
- Yeomanry order of precedence
- British yeomanry during the First World War
- Second line yeomanry regiments of the British Army
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Warwickshire Yeomanry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills at the Wayback Machine (archived 5 May 2007)
- ↑ Rinaldi 2008, p. 35
- ↑ Locations of British cavalry, infantry and machine gun units, 1914–1924. Robert W. Gould, Heraldene, 1977
- ↑ BEF GHQ 1918, p. 104
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ BEF GHQ 1918, p. 22
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 James 1978, p. 36
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 James 1978, pp. 29–30
- ↑ James 1978, p. 30
Bibliography
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External links
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- The Warwickshire Yeomanry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 July 2007)
- Queen's Own Warwickshire & Worcestershire Yeomanry Comrades Association - Website dedicated to past and present serving members of the Warwickshire Yeomanry, Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars, and all successor units.
