Denbighshire Hussars

Last updated
Denbighshire Hussars
Active23 May 1794 –Present
CountryUnion flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg  Kingdom of Great Britain (1794–1800)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom (1801–present)
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army
Type Yeomanry
Role Yeomanry Cavalry
Infantry
Bicycle infantry
Medium artillery
SizeUp to three Regiments
Engagements Second Boer War
World War I
Egypt 1916–17
Palestine 1917–18
France and Flanders 1918

World War II

North-West Europe 1940 '44–45
North Africa 1942–43
Italy 1943–45
Battle honours See battle honours below
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Col Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet

The Denbighshire Hussars was a Welsh Yeomanry regiment of the British Army formed in 1794. It saw service in the First World War before being converted into a unit of the Royal Artillery. The lineage has been continued by 398 (Flint & Denbighshire Yeomanry) Squadron, Royal Logistic Corps.

Contents

French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

After Britain was drawn into the French Revolutionary Wars, the government of Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger proposed on 14 March 1794 that the counties should form Corps of Yeomanry Cavalry that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant to subdue any civil disorder within the county. [1] A Troop of Gentlemen and Yeoman of Wrexham, also known as the Wrexham Troop, was formed on 23 May 1795 at Wrexham, a rapidly growing industrial town in Denbighshire, North Wales. Another troop of Denbigh Cavalry under the command of Captain Richard Lloyd was raised at the town of Denbigh on 4 July 1799. In 1803, when the short-lived Peace of Amiens broke down and the Napoleonic Wars began, two more troops were raised at Wrexham and the force there became a regiment as the Wrexham Yeomanry Cavalry on 29 July 1803, under Major-Commandant Sir Foster Cunliffe, 3rd Baronet. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

19th century

By 26 January 1820, when the regiment became the Denbighshire Yeomanry Cavalry, there were five troops under Colonel-Commandant Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet. [2] [7] [9] Although the Yeomanry generally declined in importance and numbers after the end of the French wars, [10] the Denbigh regiment was sometimes called out to suppress riots in the 1820s and 1830s. [7] When Government support for the Yeomanry was withdrawn in 1828 the regiment carried on without pay until 1831 when pay for drills and periods of service was restored. [5] [6]

The regiment was used to quell a disturbance by colliery workers in Rhosllannerchrugog in 1830: the miners were angered by the truck shop system that forced them to spend their wages in shops owned by their employers and planned to destroy a truck shop owned by the British Ironworks Company. The regiment was ordered out on patrol under Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn to 'terrify the mob'. Their presence quieted matters and Williams Wynn and the civil officers persuaded the demonstrators to disperse. On their return march the Yeomanry passed Cinder Hill, a pile of blast furnace waste from which thousands of people were watching. A youth threw a piece of cinder, which hit one of the horses, whose rider and another man fired their pistols – luckily hitting no-one. Williams-Wynn and his officers immediately stopped their men from reacting further, but the 'Battle of Cinder Hill', became notorious. In 1831 the Denbighshire miners were still dissatisfied, and marched on Shrewsbury, being turned back by the Shropshire Yeomanry. Later they gathered at Acrefair and again the Denbighshire Yeomanry were called out under Williams-Wynn, who advised the masters and workers to negotiate. [3] [8] [11] [12]

When Col Sir Watkin Williams Wynn retired, he was succeeded on 1 March 1838 as Major-Commandant by Sir William Lloyd, a former major in the Honourable East India Company's army, who had seen action at the Battle of Seetabuldee and Siege of Nagpore. Lloyd joined the regiment after his return to Wales and as a captain in December 1830 had played a prominent role in defusing the difficult situation at 'Cinder Hill'. In 1850 the regiment consisted of three troops of 44 men each, with Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) at Wrexham. [3]

Sir William Lloyd died on 16 May 1857 and Lieutenant-Colonel Charles John Tottenham of Plas Berwyn (late of the 2nd Life Guards and High Sheriff of Denbighshire) was appointed to the command on 12 June 1857. He was simultaneously CO of the Royal Merioneth Militia. In the 1860s, most of the regiment's officers were former officers in the 1st or 2nd Life Guards. Tottenham held the Yeomanry command until he retired and became the regiment's Honorary Colonel on 30 May 1874. [13] [14] He was succeeded as CO by Lt-Col Tom Naylor-Leyland of Nantclwyd Hall, Ruthin (also late of the 2nd LG). [13] [15] [16] The regimental headquarters was at Llangollen, moving to Ruthin in the 1870s. [13] The Regiment became the Denbighshire (Hussars) Yeomanry Cavalry in 1876. [2] [5] [7] [13]

Following the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the Army List from December 1875. This assigned Regular Army and Yeomanry units places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for the 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The Denbighshire, Derbyshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry were assigned to the Cavalry Brigade of VI Corps based at Crewe, alongside a Regular Royal Horse Artillery battery. This was never more than a paper organisation, but from April 1893 the Army List showed the Yeomanry regiments grouped into brigades for collective training. They were commanded by the senior regimental commanding officer but they did have a Regular Army Brigade major. The Denbighshire Hussars together with the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry formed the 15th Yeomanry Brigade. [13]

In 1885 Capt Sydney Platt began recruiting for the Denbighshire Hussars in neighbouring Caernarfonshire, which had no yeomanry. [17]

Imperial Yeomanry

Second Boer War

Imperial Yeomanry galloping over a plain during the Second Boer War. The Second Anglo - Boer War, South Africa 1899 - 1902 Q72318.jpg
Imperial Yeomanry galloping over a plain during the Second Boer War.

The Yeomanry was not intended to serve overseas, but following a string of defeats during Black Week in early December 1899, the British government realised that it would need more troops than just the regular army to fight the Second Boer War, particularly mounted troops. On 13 December, the War Office decided to allow volunteer forces to serve in the field, and a Royal Warrant was issued on 24 December that officially created the Imperial Yeomanry (IY). The Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry regiments to provide service companies of approximately 115 men each. In addition to this, many British citizens (usually mid-upper class) volunteered to join the new force. [18] [19] [20] [21]

The Denbighshire Hussars raised the 29th (Denbighshire) Company for the IY, which arrived in South Africa on 5 March 1900 and served with other Welsh companies in 9th Battalion, IY. [2] [7] [5] [21] [22] [23] [24] The company served until 1901, earning the regiment its first Battle honour: South Africa 1900–01. [5] [13] [25]

Denbighshire Imperial Yeomanry

The Imperial Yeomanry were trained and equipped as Mounted infantry. The concept was considered a success and the existing Yeomanry regiments at home were converted into Imperial Yeomanry in 1901, with an establishment of RHQ and four squadrons with a machine gun section. This included the Denbighshire Hussars Imperial Yeomanry (DHIY), with RHQ at Denbigh. The new establishment represented almost a trebling of the regiment's strength, which allowed the raising of C (Carnarvon) Squadron, recruited by Capt Eric Platt in Caernarfonshire, including a troop from Anglesey, and allocating D Squadron to Cheshire. The Yeomanry Brigade system was abolished at the same time. [5] [13] [17] [26]

C (Carnarvon) Sqn was represented at the 1901 regimental training at Ruabon, and was well enough organised and trained to provide mounted escorts for a visit to the county in May 1902 by the Prince and Princess of Wales. It was organised as follows: [13] [17]

D Squadron was based at Birkenhead in Cheshire.

A.G. Edwards, Bishop of St Asaph, was appointed the Honorary Chaplain of the regiment on 2 August 1902, attaining the rank of Chaplain 1st Class (TF) in 1906. [13] [27]

Territorial Force

The Imperial Yeomanry were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908. [28] [29] [30] and the regiment was officially titled the Denbighshire Yeomanry (Hussars) with the following organisation: [5] [13] [31] [32]

The regiment formed part of the TF's Welsh Border Mounted Brigade. [13] [32] [44]

In 1911 the Regiment had the honour of being the escort to the Prince of Wales to his Investiture at Caernarfon Castle. [8]

World War I

Mobilisation

When war was declared on 4 August 1914, the Denbighshire Hussars mobilised at their drill halls under the command of Lt-Col H.P. Sykes, a retired RegularArmy captain who had been in command since 21 December 1910. The regiment assembled with the WBMB and then went with it to its war stations in East Anglia. [2] [13] [31] [44] [45] [46]

In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ( 7 Edw. 7, c.9) which brought the TF into being, it was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on 10 August 1914 the TF was invited to volunteer for overseas service. On 15 August the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Later, the 2nd Line was prepared for overseas service and a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments. [47] [48] [49]

1/1st Denbighshire Hussars

The 1/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade joined the 1st Mounted Division in September 1914. It was stationed around Bungay, moving to Beccles in February 1915. The brigade was dismounted in November 1915 and thereafter the regiments acted as infantry. Early in 1916 the 1/1st Welsh Border and 1/1st South Wales Mounted Brigade left 1st Mounted Division and were sent to Egypt, disembarking at Alexandria on 15 March. As soon as they arrived, on 20 March, they were amalgamated to form the 4th Dismounted Brigade. [46] [31] [44] [45] [50] [51]

At first this brigade was placed in the Suez Canal defences under 53rd (Welsh) Division, with 1/1st Denbighshire Hussars at Moghara, but in April it came under the command of Western Frontier Force (WFF). [44] [31] [45] [50] [52] [53]

The brigade was with the Suez Canal Defences when, on 14 January 1917, Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) Order No. 26 instructed that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Dismounted Brigades be reorganised as the 229th, 230th and 231st Infantry Brigades. On 23 February, the General Officer Commanding the EEF, Lieutenant-General Sir A.J. Murray, sought permission from the War Office to form the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades into a new division. On 25 February, the War Office granted permission and the new 74th (Yeomanry) Division started to form. The 231st Brigade joined the division at Khan Yunis on the border of Palestine on 10 April. [44] [54] [55] [56]

24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers

Meanwhile in February 1917 the dismounted Yeomanry regiments comprising the new division were converted into numbered battalions of an infantry regiment recruiting from the same area. Thus on 1 March 1/1st Denbighshire Hussars became 24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. [2] [45] [46] [31] [54] [55] [57] [58] [59] [60]

74th (Y) Division took part in the Sinai and Palestine campaign in 1917–18. It was in reserve for the Second Battle of Gaza (17–19 April 1917) and then saw action at the Third Battle of Gaza (27 October–7 November) including the Capture of Beersheba (31 October), where 24th RWF led the attack on the Turkish positions, and the Capture of the Sheria feature (6 November). It took part in the Capture of Jerusalem (8–9 December) and its subsequent defence (27–30 December). Early in 1918 it fought in the Battle of Tell 'Asur (8–12 March). [54] [55] [61] [62]

The German spring offensive in March 1918 led to an urgent call for the EEF to supply reinforcements for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front,. On 3 April 1918, 74th (Y) Division was warned that it would move to France and by 30 April 1918 had completed embarkation at Alexandria. 24th RWF landed at Marseilles in early May. The division then began training for the battle conditions of the Western Front. [54] [55] [58] [60] [63] [64]

Due to a lack of replacements, British [lower-alpha 1] infantry divisions on the Western Front had been reduced from 12 to nine battalions at the beginning of 1918. [65] To conform with this new structure, one battalion left each brigade of 74th (Y) Division, 24th RWF being the battalion selected from 231st Bde. [lower-alpha 2] On 21 June the three battalions were used to reconstitute 94th Brigade of 31st Division, which was renamed the 94th (Yeomanry) Brigade on that date. [54] [55] [58] [60] [66] [67] [68] [69]

The battalion remained with 94th (Y) Bde in 31st Division for the rest of the war, taking part in the Action of Le Becque (28 June), the Capture of Vieux-Berquin (13 August) and the Final Advance in Flanders, including the Fifth Battle of Ypres (28 September–2 October) and the Action at Tieghem (31 October). After a period in reserve, the division was pushing forward through Belgium from Avelghem to Renaix when the Armistice with Germany came into force on 11 November. [58] [60] [68] [69]

24th (Denbigh Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was demobilised in 1919. [2]

2/1st Denbighshire Hussars

The 2nd Line regiment was formed in September 1914 and joined the 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade in the Newcastle area of Northumberland in January 1915. In November 1915 it moved into Yorkshire [2] [46] [lower-alpha 3] The brigade was placed under the command of the 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division. [70] On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence and the brigade became 17th Mounted Brigade, still in Northumberland under Northern Command. [44]

In April 1916, it left 63rd (2nd N) Division and moved with its brigade to East Anglia where it joined the 1st Mounted Division, replacing its 1st Line, which had left (dismounted) for Egypt. [70] [45] By July it had moved with its brigade to the Morpeth, Northumberland area. [46]

In July 1916 there was a major reorganisation of 2nd Line yeomanry units in the United Kingdom. All but 12 regiments were converted to cyclists and as a consequence the regiment was dismounted and the brigade converted to 10th Cyclist Brigade in 1st Cyclist Division (the former 1st Mounted Division). Further reorganisation in October and November 1916 saw the division broken up and the brigade redesignated as 6th Cyclist Brigade in November, still in the Morpeth area. [2] [46] [44] [45]

At this time the regiment departed for the 1st Cyclist Brigade at Beccles in Suffolk where it was amalgamated with the 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry as the 3rd (Denbigh and Montgomery) Yeomanry Cyclist Battalion. [lower-alpha 4] The regiment resumed its separate identity as 2/1st Denbighshire Hussars in March 1917. It moved to Worlingham (near Beccles) in July, to Aldeburgh in January 1918 and back to Worlingham in April. The battalion disbanded at Beccles on 29 October 1918. [2] [46]

3/1st Denbighshire Hussars

The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1915 and in the summer it was affiliated to a Reserve Cavalry Regiment at The Curragh. In the summer of 1916 it was dismounted and attached to the 3rd Line Groups of the 55th (West Lancashire) Division as its 1st Line was serving as infantry. The regiment was disbanded in about February 1917 with the personnel transferring to the 2/1st Denbighshire Hussars or to the 4th (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Oswestry. [2] [46]

Interwar

Royal Artillery cap badge, worn 1922-1949 Koning Soldaat., item 60.jpg
Royal Artillery cap badge, worn 1922–1949

The Denbighshire Hussars reformed at Wrexham when the TF was reconstituted on 7 February 1920. [2] [5] [73] Postwar, a commission was set up to consider the shape of the TF (Territorial Army (TA) from 1 October 1921). Wartime experience showed that the army had too many mounted units, and so only the 14 most senior Yeomanry regiments were retained in the TA as horsed cavalry, the remainder being converted to other roles, [lower-alpha 5] mainly as artillery. [74] [75] [76] On 1 March 1922 the Denbighshire Hussars were converted to artillery and merged with 61st Medium Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). This had been reformed in 1920 from the prewar Welsh (Carnarvonshire) Heavy Battery [lower-alpha 6] as 12th (Carnarvon and Denbigh) Medium Brigade', [lower-alpha 7] in the TF and then renumbered in the TA. The merged unit became the 61st Carnarvon and Denbigh (Yeomanry) Medium Brigade, RGA [lower-alpha 8] with the following organisation: [2] [5] [13] [78] [73] [79]

No prewar officers of the Denbigh Yeomanry were carried over to the new brigade. [13] On 1 June 1924 the RGA was subsumed into the Royal Artillery (RA) and the unit titles were adjusted. [2] [5] [13] [78] [73] The brigade was defined as 'Army Troops' in 53rd (Welsh) Divisional Area. [13] [80]

In 1938 the RA modernised its nomenclature and a lieutenant-colonel's command was designated a 'regiment' rather than a 'brigade'; this applied to TA brigades from 1 November 1938. The TA was doubled in size after the Munich Crisis, and most regiments formed duplicates. During 1939 61st (C&DY) Med Rgt divided as follows: [2] [5] [78] [73] [81] [82]

61st (Carnarvon & Denbighshire) Medium Regiment

69th Medium Regiment

World War II

61st Carnarvon & Denbigh (Yeomanry) Medium Regiment

4.5-inch gun of 69th (Caernarvon & Denbigh Yeomanry) Med Rgt firing at the crossing of Garigliano River in Italy, 17/18 January 1944. 4.5 inch guns at Garigliano, Monte Cassino.jpg
4.5-inch gun of 69th (Caernarvon & Denbigh Yeomanry) Med Rgt firing at the crossing of Garigliano River in Italy, 17/18 January 1944.

61st (C&DY) Medium Regiment deployed to France with the British Expeditionary Force during the Phoney war. After the German invasion of the Low Countries in May 1940 it played a distinguished part in the Battle of France before being evacuated from Dunkirk with the loss of all its equipment. [83] [84] [85] [86] [87] [88] After three years in home defence it was assigned to 21st Army Group for the Allied invasion of Normandy. [88] [89] [90] Equipped with the 5.5-inch gun, the regiment landed in Normandy on 2 July 1944 as part of 8th Army Group Royal Artillery (8th AGRA) and fought with it through the remainder of the Normandy Campaign, including Operations Jupiter, Greenline and Bluecoat. [88] [91] [92]

The regiment continued with 8th AGRA through the subsequent campaign in North West Europe, culminating in the crossing of the Rhine (Operation Plunder) in March 1945. The regiment entered suspended animation in British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) 1–13 March 1946. [2] [78] [73] [93]

69th Carnarvon & Denbigh (Yeomanry) Medium Regiment

The duplicate unit also saw action in the Battle of France before being evacuated from Dunkirk. [83] [84] [87] [94] [95] On 17 February 1942 it was authorised to use its parent regiment's subtitle. [2] [78] [81] Later that year it was sent to Western Desert, where it took part in the Second Battle of El Alamein. [95] [96] It joined the 2nd Army Group Royal Artillery and took part in the Italian Campaign from 1943 to 1945. [95] [97] It ended the war in North-West Europe with the 2nd Army. [95] [89] The regiment passed into suspended animation in BAOR 1–17 March 1946. [2] [78] [81]

Postwar

When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, 69th Med Rgt was formally disbanded [2] [81] and 61st Med Rgt reformed as 361 (Carnarvon, and Denbigh Yeomanry) Medium Regiment [lower-alpha 9] at Colwyn Bay. [2] [5] [78] [73] [98] [99] The CO was Lt-Col Owen Williams-Wynn, son of the regiment's Honorary Colonel and himself the former adjutant of the regiment 1936–39. [13] [100]

On 31 October 1956 the regiment merged with 384th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Light Regiment to become 372 (Flintshire, and Denbighshire Yeomanry) Regiment. [2] [5] [78] [99] [101] [lower-alpha 10]

When the TA was reduced into the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) on 2 April 1967, the regiment became The Flintshire, and Denbighshire Yeomanry, Royal Artillery (Territorial): [2] [5] [78] [99] [102]

[further reductions] On 1 April 1969 the regiment was reduced to a cadre at Prestatyn under 119 Independent Light Reconnaissance Platoon, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME); some HQ personnel were absorbed into a platoon of A Company, Welsh Volunteers detached at Prestatyn, and others into the REME platoon; others from Q Bty were absorbed into a platoon of A Co Welsh Volunteers detached to Colwyn Bay. [5] [78] [102]

Finally, on 1 April 1971 the cadre was disbanded to reform as infantry, finding B (Flintshire and Denbighshire Yeomanry) Company in 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. [5] [78] [102] The Denbighshire Yeomanry lineage was discontinued from 1999 but on 1 April 2014 a new 398 (Flintshire & Denbighshire Yeomanry) Transport Squadron, Royal Logistic Corps, was formed in the Army Reserve. It took on a new primary role as Drivers within 157 (Welsh) Regiment RLC. They have other secondary duties and can be trained as ammunition technicians, logistic specialists, logistic communications specialists and chefs among other trades open to all with the RLC. [103]

Heritage and ceremonial

Uniforms and insignia

From the beginning the regiment wore a blue jacket with three vertical rows of silver buttons; there may have been lace loops across the front, but they had gone by 1820. A Tarleton helmet was worn from 1795, being replaced by a black japanned Romanesque helmet with bearskin crest by 1831. The crest was replaced by a flowing red plume in 1840. [7] By 1850 the jacket had scarlet facings and the badge was the Prince of Wales's feathers, coronet and 'Ich Dien' motto. [3] In 1856 the regiment adopted a Hussar uniform with six white loops across the front and a black Dragoon helmet with red plume. In 1862 the helmet was replaced by a Hussar busby with scarlet bag and white plume. Collars, cuffs and trouser stripes were also scarlet. [7] [8] [13] [104] [105]

Denbighshire Hussars Sergeant, wearing the Imperial Yeomanry Long Service Medal, 1907. DenbighshireHussars.jpg
Denbighshire Hussars Sergeant, wearing the Imperial Yeomanry Long Service Medal, 1907.

The full dress uniform of the Denbighshire Hussars Imperial Yeomanry reflected the Boer War experience of the IY alongside Colonial units. The head dress was a drab felt Slouch hat with a scarlet pagri and white feather Hackle; the left side was turned up and displayed the regimental cap badge. For ordinary wear a drab Field service cap with scarlet piping was worn, officers also having a drab Peaked cap with scarlet top and band. The double-breasted drab tunic with scarlet collar and shoulder-straps had a lancer-style scarlet plastron front for full dress. The brass cap and collar badges from 1901 consisted of the Prince of Wales's insignia, the officers' cap badge in gilt or silver having the addition of a scroll underneath inscribed 'DENBIGHSHIRE HUSSARS'. Brass 'D.H.I.Y.' shoulder-titles were worn. [7] [8] [13] [17]

By 1908 the regiment had reverted to the blue hussar uniform for full dress, but many yeomanry regiments wore a less elaborate parade dress comprising a blue patrol jacket and peaked cap (see picture), [106] In other orders of dress the standard khaki cavalry uniform was worn.

In 1949 361 Med Rgt replaced the Royal Artillery 'gun' badge with one of their own design. It comprised the Prince of Wales's insignia above a scroll inscribed 'CAERNARVON & DENBIGH YEO'. The feathers and motto were in white metal and the coronet and scroll in gilt. RA 'bomb' collar badges' continued to be worn. [78]

Honorary Colonels

The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit: [13]

Memorials

There is a memorial to the 17 men of 29th (Denbighshire) Company Imperial Yeomanry who died on active service during the Second Boer War inside St Giles' Church in Wrexham. [107] [108]

A regimental memorial to the Denbighshire Hussars, commemorating the regiment from raising in 1796 to the end of its cavalry incarnation in 1920 and listing its battle honours, is near the north door of the nave of St Asaph Cathedral. [109]

Battle honours

The Denbighshire Yeomanry was awarded the following battle honours (honours in bold are emblazoned on the guidon): [5] [13]

Second Boer War South Africa 1900–01
First World War Somme 1918 , Bapaume 1918 , Ypres 1918 , France and Flanders 1918 , Egypt 1916–17 , Gaza , Jerusalem , Jericho , Tell 'Asur , Palestine 1917–18
Second World WarThe Royal Artillery was present in nearly all battles and would have earned most of the honours awarded to cavalry and infantry regiments. In 1833, William IV awarded the motto Ubique (meaning "everywhere") in place of all battle honours. [110]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ As distinct from the Australian, Canadian and the New Zealand divisions which remained on a 12-battalion basis.
  2. ↑ The others being the 12th (Ayrshire and Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers of 229th Brigade, and the 12th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment of 230th Brigade.
  3. ↑ The rest of the brigade consisting of the 2/1st Shropshire Yeomanry and the 2/1st Cheshire Yeomanry. [44]
  4. ↑ James also names the combined unit as 3rd (Denbigh and Montgomery) Yeomanry Cyclist Battalion [71] which seems more plausible than 3rd (Montgomery and Denbigh Yeomanry) Cyclist Battalion given that the Denbighshire Hussars were ranked 16th in the Yeomanry order of precedence whereas the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry were ranked 35th. [72]
  5. ↑ The Lovat Scouts and Scottish Horse remained mounted as "scouts"; eight regiments were converted to Armoured Car Companies of the Royal Tank Corps, one was absorbed into a local infantry battalion, one became a signals unit and two were disbanded. The remainder were converted to artillery.
  6. ↑ The contemporary spelling in all formal documents was 'Carnarvon', not 'Caernarvon', or today's preferred 'Caernarfon'.
  7. ↑ In contemporary RA usage a brigade was a lieutenant-colonel's command consisting of batteries 'brigaded' together; it was not comparable with an infantry or cavalry brigade commanded by a brigadier-general. In the Territorials, unlike the Regulars, unit heritage is carried by the brigade/regiment, rather than the battery. [77]
  8. ↑ This is the form of the title given in the Army List; other usually authoritative sources such Frederick [2] and Litchfield [78] render it as '61st (Carnarvon & Denbigh Yeomanry)'.
  9. ↑ The positioning of the comma in the subtitle was significant: it recognised that the original Caernarfonshire component had been artillery and not yeomanry.
  10. ↑ The positioning of the comma in the title is important: the Flintshires were never Yeomanry.

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The Yorkshire Hussars was an auxiliary unit of the British Army formed in 1794. The regiment was formed as volunteer cavalry (Yeomanry) in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars and served in the Second Boer War and the First World War. It was converted to an armoured role during the Second World War. In 1956, it merged with two other Yorkshire yeomanry regiments to form the Queen's Own Yorkshire Yeomanry. Its lineage is continued today by the Queen's Own Yeomanry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry</span> Military unit

The Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry is an Operational Hygiene Squadron of the Royal Logistic Corps, originally formed as cavalry in 1794, and has also served in artillery and signals roles. The lineage is continued by 710 Operational Hygiene Squadron, Royal Logistic Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glamorgan Yeomanry</span> Military unit

{{Infobox military unit |unit_name=Glamorgan Yeomanry |abbreviation= |image= |caption=Glamorgan Yeomanry cap badge |dates= 1797–1831
1861–1873
1901–present |country = Kingdom of Great Britain (1794–1800)
 United Kingdom (1801–Present) |allegiance= |branch= Territorial Army |type=Yeomanry |role= |size= Regiment |command_structure= |equipment= |Past Commanders= |ceremonial_chief= |colonel_of_the_regiment= |notable_commanders=Col Windham Wyndham-Quin |identification_symbol= |identification_symbol_2= |nickname= |patron= |motto= |colors= |march= |mascot= |battles=* Merthyr Rising

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pembroke Yeomanry</span> Military unit

The Pembroke Yeomanry was an auxiliary regiment of the British Army dating back to 1794. It saw active service in the French Revolutionary War, the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. Its lineage is maintained by 224 Transport Squadron, part of 157 (Welsh) Regiment RLC in the Army Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomeryshire Yeomanry</span> Military unit

The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was a Welsh auxiliary unit of the British Army first formed in 1803. It served in home defence and for internal security, including deployments to deal with Chartist disturbances in the 1830s. It provided volunteers to the Imperial Yeomanry during the Second Boer War and formed three regiments for service during World War I. It was broken up and converted to infantry and artillery in 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British yeomanry during the First World War</span> Part of the British Army reserve Territorial Force

The British yeomanry during the First World War were part of the British Army reserve Territorial Force. Initially, in 1914, there were fifty-seven regiments and fourteen mounted brigades. Soon after the declaration of war, second and third line regiments were formed. However, the third line regiments were soon absorbed into the Cavalry Reserve Regiments, to supply replacements for the cavalry and yeomanry. Other horsed regiments in the British Army, during the war, were the regular cavalry regiments and the three regiments belonging to the special reserve: the North Irish Horse, the South Irish Horse and the King Edward's Horse. The senior yeomanry regiments could trace their origins back over 100 years; the oldest regiment, the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, had been formed in 1794. The most junior regiment, the Welsh Horse, had only been formed on 18 August 1914, after the start of the war.

The Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army. First raised in 1794, it participated in the Second Boer War and the First World War before being amalgamated with the Royal North Devon Yeomanry in 1920 to form the Royal Devon Yeomanry.

The 17th Mounted Brigade previously known as the 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade was a 2nd Line yeomanry brigade of the British Army during the First World War. In July 1916 it was converted to a cyclist formation as 10th Cyclist Brigade and in November 1916 was redesignated as 6th Cyclist Brigade. It was still in existence, in Ireland, at the end of the war.

The 1/1st Denbighshire Hussars was an active service unit formed by the Denbighshire Hussars during World War I. It was sent to garrison Egypt and then formed an infantry battalion, the 24th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Serving in the 74th (Yeomanry) Division it participated in the Sinai and Palestine campaign, including the capture of Beersheba and Jerusalem. Moving to the Western Front it fought with the 31st Divisionin the final advance in Flanders until the Armistice. It was disbanded after the war.

The 1st Carnarvonshire Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army in North Wales from 1862 to 1922. It fought on the Western Front in World War I. Postwar it was amalgamated with the Denbighshire Hussars as a medium artillery regiment that served in World War II.

The 1st Flintshire Rifle Volunteers, later 5th (Flintshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Welsh unit of the British Army's auxiliary forces. First raised in 1860, it fought as infantry at Gallipoli), in Egypt and Palestine during World War I. Converted to the anti-tank role, it fought in the Battle of France, the Western Desert and Italy in World War II. It continued in the postwar Territorial Army until amalgamated with a neighbouring unit in 1956.

The 1st Denbighshire Rifle Volunteers, later 4th (Denbighshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Welsh unit of the British Army's auxiliary forces. First raised in 1860, it served as a pioneer battalion with the 47th Division on the Western Front during World War I and with the 53rd (Welsh) Division in North West Europe during World War II. It continued in the postwar Territorial Army through a series of mergers until finally amalgamating with another Welsh battalion in 1999.

The Denbighshire Militia, later the Royal Denbighshire Rifles was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in the Welsh county of Denbighshire during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. Primarily intended for home defence, it provided a contingent for service in France in the closing stages of the Napoleonic War. After a series of short-lived mergers with other Welsh militia regiments it became part of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, It served as a Special Reserve training unit in World War I. After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.

The Flintshire Militia, later the Royal Flint Rifles was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in the Welsh county of Flintshire during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. Primarily intended for home defence, it served in all of Britain's major wars, and supplied many recruits to the Regular Army. After a shortlived merger with another Welsh militia regiment it became a battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps but was disbanded in 1889.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">61st Carnarvon and Denbigh (Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

The 61st Carnarvon and Denbigh (Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery, was a Welsh unit of Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA) formed after World War I from existing Royal Garrison Artillery and Yeomanry Cavalry units. In World War II it fought in the Battle of France and was evacuated from Dunkirk. It returned to North-West Europe in June 1944, participating in the battles in the Orne valley and the bocage south of Caumont before the breakout from the Normandy beachhead, operations to close up to the Maas, and the assault crossing of the Rhine. The regiment continued in the postwar TA, and a successor unit continues in today's Army Reserve.

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  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Frederick, p. 28.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Sleigh, p. 5.
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  54. 1 2 3 4 5 Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 117–22.
  55. 1 2 3 4 5 74th (Yeomanry) Division at Long, Long Trail.
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  57. ↑ Frederick, p. 304.
  58. 1 2 3 4 James, p. 68.
  59. ↑ John, p. 44.
  60. 1 2 3 4 Royal Welch Fusiliers at Long, Long Trail.
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  62. ↑ Dudley Ward, pp. 88–90, 96–100, 111–20, 129–36, 143–5, 170–80.
  63. ↑ John, pp. 102–3.
  64. ↑ Dudley Ward, pp. 185–6, 203–4.
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  67. ↑ Dudley Ward, p. 204.
  68. 1 2 Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 11–9.
  69. 1 2 31st Division at Long, Long Trail.
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  72. ↑ Mileham, p. 73.
  73. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Frederick, pp. 723, 735.
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  81. 1 2 3 4 Frederick, p. 737.
  82. ↑ Western Command, 3 September 1939, at Patriot Files.
  83. 1 2 Ellis, France & Flanders, Appendix I.
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  102. 1 2 3 Frederick, p. 1042.
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Bibliography

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