Second line yeomanry regiments of the British Army

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Yeomanry training 1915 Yeomanry training First World War.jpg
Yeomanry training 1915

Yeomanry are part of the reserve for the British Army. At the start of First World War there were fifty-four yeomanry regiments in the British Army. Soon after the declaration of war, it was decided to increase the number of these volunteer mounted regiments. The new regiments were mirror formations of the existing first line regiments, with the same name and served initially in the same brigades. However they were all classed as second line units. The first line regiments, were numbered the 1/1st while the second line became the 2/1st (regimental name) or in cases where there were more regiments with the same name, or already numbered, the 2/2nd or 2/3rd.

Contents

Territorial Force mounted brigades were known by their district name until August 1915, when they became numbered. [1] For most of their existence the second line regiments and brigades were used as a coastal defence force. [2] Most of the second line regiments were converted to cyclist battalions in 1916, and never served in a recognised theatre of war. [3] Several were disbanded and its men transferred to other regiments and one served as an army corps cavalry regiment on the Western Front.

List

Regiment Brigade Fate
2/1st Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry (Prince of Wales's Own Royal Regiment) 15th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [4]
2/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry 10th Mounted Brigade In March 1918 all those fit sent to France as replacements. [5]
2/1st Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) 18th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [6]
2/1st Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers) 9th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1917. [7]
2/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) 3rd Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1917. [8]
2/1st Shropshire Yeomanry 17th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [9]
2/1st Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick's Own) Yeomanry 20th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [10]
2/1st Cheshire Yeomanry (Earl of Chester's) 17th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [11]
2/1st Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons 18th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [12]
2/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry (Prince Albert's Own) 3rd Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1917. [13]
2/1st North Somerset Yeomanry 15th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [14]
2/1st Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry 21st Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [15]
2/1st Lanarkshire Yeomanry 20th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [16]
2/1st Northumberland Hussars Became the XIX Corps Cavalry Regiment then converted to the 9th (Northumberland Hussars Yeomanry) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers in September 1917. [17]
2/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars 9th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1917. [18]
2/1st Denbighshire Hussars 17th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [19]
2/1st Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry 21st Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [20]
2/1st Pembroke Yeomanry 4th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [21]
2/1st Royal East Kent Yeomanry (The Duke of Connaught's Own) 14th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [22]
2/1st Hampshire Yeomanry (Carabiniers) 15th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [23]
2/1st Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry 11th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1917. [24]
2/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry 9th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [25]
2/1st Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry 16th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1917. [26]
2/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars 10th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [27]
2/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry Converted to a cyclist unit in 1917. [28]
2/1st Berkshire Yeomanry (Hungerford) 11th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [29]
2/1st County of London Yeomanry (Middlesex, Duke of Cambridge's Hussars) 12th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [30]
2/1st Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry 2nd Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [31]
2/1st Suffolk Yeomanry (Duke of York's Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars) 13th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [32]
2/1st Royal North Devon Yeomanry 2nd Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [33]
2/1st Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars 10th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [34]
2/1st Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry 14th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [35]
2/1st West Somerset Yeomanry 2nd Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [36]
2/1st Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars 11th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [37]
2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry 4th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [38]
2/1st Lothians and Border Horse 20th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [39]
2/1st Queen's Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry Disbanded and men taken into the 1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment in February 1918. [40]
2/1st Lancashire Hussars 21st Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [41]
2/1st Surrey Yeomanry (Queen Mary's Regiment) 16th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [42]
2/1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry 1st Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1917. [43]
2/1st Norfolk Yeomanry (King's Own Royal Regiment) 13th Mounted Brigade Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916. [44]
2/1st Sussex Yeomanry 14th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [45]
2/1st Glamorgan Yeomanry 4th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [46]
2/1st Welsh Horse Yeomanry 4th Mounted Brigade [lower-alpha 1] Disbanded in 1916, men taken into the 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry. [48]
2/1st Lincolnshire Yeomanry 3rd Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [49]
2/1st City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) 12th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [50]
2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons) Men transferred to the Tank Corps in 1917. [51]
2/3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) 12th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [52]
2/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry 16th Mounted Brigade Disbanded and men transferred to the 1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment in 1917. [53]
2/1st Essex Yeomanry 13th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1917. [54]
2/1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry One squadron taken over by the Tank Corps, the others by the 6th Reserve Cavalry Regiment in 1917. [55]
2/1st East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry 18th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [56]
2/1st Lovat Scouts 1st Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [57]
2/2nd Lovat Scouts 1st Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [57]
2/1st Scottish Horse 19th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [58]
2/2nd Scottish Horse 19th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [58]
2/3rd Scottish Horse 19th Mounted Brigade Converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. [58]

Notes

  1. 2/1st Welsh Horse Yeomanry joined the 4th Mounted Brigade as a fourth (extra) regiment. [47]

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The 1st Mounted Division was a Yeomanry Division of the British Army active during World War I. It was formed in August 1914 for the home defence of the United Kingdom from four existing mounted brigades of the Territorial Force, each of three regiments of Yeomanry. The divisional order of battle changed often, as the 1st Line brigades left for service overseas and were replaced by 2nd Line formations. It was converted to the 1st Cyclist Division in July 1916, and was broken up in November 1916 without being involved in active service. It remained in East Anglia throughout its existence.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery</span> Former British Army horse artillery battery

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  2. Rinaldi 2008 , p. 26
  3. Westlake 1992 , p. 19
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Bibliography