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Remembered Today:

Territorial Cavalry units


geraint

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I'm trying to decipher the role played by the old volunteer mounted and non mounted units. Variously identified as militia, volunteers, dragoons, hussars etc. These are the non-regular county units. My specific interest is the Denbighshire Yeoman Hussars (later the 24th RWF)- though this is not a request for specific info on them. A generic question!

Am I right in assuming that they were raised as volunteer milita to perform peace keeping duties at home during times of economic strife eg at Peterloo, Manchester, and various other riots. During the ninteenth century, some went on active service to the Crimea, but they really came of age during the Boer War when many squadrons went on active service and played a far greater role there than previous.

By 1914 they were controlled by the Local Territorial Associations - and were considered as mounted versions of the Territorials, and subject to the same terms of service as the Territorial infantry battalions.

This is where I become stuck! The records of the TF infantry battalions are easily found under the regimental records, but their mounted equivalents seem to be in a void. I can find hardly anything, until they were absorbed into the RWF in 1918 as an official battalion. Having followed various threads on the forum, it seems that this is a fairly general situation. The 'fog of war' certainly has descended on them!

Who controlled their movements on active service? Were they attached to divisions on an ad hoc basis and regarded as divisional troops?

All comments and thoughts on these units are welcomed!

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Geraint,

Once they were 'embodied' on the outbreak of the War, I beleive they were officially administered by the Army. They would still have been supported by their County Territorial Association, but came firmly under the Army for command and control purposes.

Sorry I can't help any further.

Ken

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Geraint

Brig James's 'British Regiments 1914-1918' says 1/1st Denbighshire Yeomanry were based at Wrexham on 4/8/18, Welsh Border Mtd Bde. Sept 1914 with brigade to NE Suffolk in 1st Mtd Div. Nov 1915 dismounted. Mar. 1916 to Egypt and on 20 Mar. the Welsh Border Mtd. Bde. with S. Wales Mtd. Bde. formed 4th Dismounted Bde. Feb 1917 formed 24th ( D... Yeo) Bn. RWF in 231st Bde. 74th Div. May 1918 to France with 74th Div. 211..6.18 to 94th Bde.31st Div.

His layout is not always clear with few spaces, and I have put it as read with minor abbrevs. There are entries also for 2/1st and 3/1st if you want them.

Battle Honours: Egypt 1916-17; Palestine 1917-18; France & Flanders 1918.

Daggers

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All the War Diaries for the various Territorial/Yeomanry regiments are or should be available at the NA filed under the name of the particular regiment. The Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars diary certainly is, and also the other regiments that I have researched who fought with them. The names of the regiments are easy to find from, for example, the Long, Long Trail website. You will also find the War Diaries of the Cavalry Brigades in which they served.

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Thanks Daggers. Will seek out the book; I'm 95% certain that the local library has a copy.

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Geraint,

Being an enthousiast of TF lineages I hope I can add some info.

The forebears of the Yeomanry came into being in 1794 when France and Britain were at war once again. All over the country, and mostly in the coastal counties, the more wealthier organised themselved into corps of Yeomanry Cavalry. This was formally sanctioned by the Pitt government, but I dont have the number of the act at hand. Besides the Yeomanry a much larger of volunteer infantry was formed. Yeomanry were also used as a policing force in times of economic unrest.

Following the abdication of Napoleon almost all volunteer infantry were disbanded by 1816, but the Yeomanry was retained. The reason was, as you indicate, to assist in police duties because of the unrest due to the economics etc. (This because there was no formal metropolical police at the time.) No Yeomanry was embodied to serve at during the Crimean campaign. This in contrast with the Militia, which were embodied to relieve regulars from garrison duties. Gradually, the Yeomanry became more like a gentlemen's club if I am not mistaken.

During the Boer War of 1900 Yeomanry units did no see overseas service in the meaning that, e.g., the Blankshire Regiment of Yeomanry went overseas! Instead, the Imperial Yeomanry was formed, being mounted infantry, and volunteers from existing came forward to fill the ranks. It is a difference that is easily overlooked. Several battalions of Imperial Yeomanry were perpetuated after the Boer War by newly raised regiments of Imperial Yeomanry. (Yeomanry became known as Imperial Yeomanry following the conclusion of the Boer War.)

On April 1st, 1908 the Imperial Yeomanry was combined with the Volunteer Force to form the Territorial Force. The regiments of Yeomanry were organised in Mounted Brigades. When war broke out, several regiments served as divisional cavalry (being split up into squadrons) whilst others remained in their brigade and served at various theaters. As indicated earliers, James' British Regiments is an invaluable source! The Territorial Force was administered by Territorial Force Associations, which also took care of recruitment, allocation of equipment and drill halls. Yeomanry regiments were trained as mounted infantry, but bore Dragoon, Hussars and Lancers titles to reflect some ancient role and affiliation. This was also reflected in the uniform of course.

Prior to 1908 there were in fact three auxiliary forces: the Militia, the Yeomanry and the Volunteer Force. In 1908 the Militia became the special reserve, and the Yeomanry and Volunteer Force merged as the Territorial Force. roughly speaking, the Militia dates from 1759 (though regiments are de facto from a much earlier origin, then the militia became officially organised by then), the Yeomanry from 1794 and the Volunteer Force from 1859 (though two corps existed before that time as Rifle Clubs).

Hope this helps to give some background information.

cheers,

Wienand

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Thanks Wienand - an excellent summary of the situation. It's always struck me that theirs is an uncompleted history, and the Territorials in all their formations were denigrated (as said above) during the early part of the war. The mounted units are far more difficult to follow than the infantry.

pmaasz - thanks for that information. as an Honourary Archivist of the Oxfordshire Yeomanry Trust are your relevant war diaries as concise as the infantry diaries?

Thanks again

Geraint

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Geraint:

I'm not sure what you mean exactly by 'concise'. Certainly the amount written at any particular time varies according to a) who is writing it up and B) the importance, or not, of the events of the time. We also have several personal diaries/records kept by officers or written after the event from memory or from notes. These are much more narrative in style than the official War Diary.

I don't think Wienand is quite correct in describing the Imperial Yeomanry. This was formed in December 1899 with the organisation in the hands of Lt Col Lucas (Loyal Suffolk Hussars), Lord Chesham (Royal Bucks Hussars) and the Commanding Officer of the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars - Lord Valentia. (ref. Oxfordshire Yeomanry by David Eddershaw). But he is correct in saying that the IY was not comprised of complete regiments: they were volunteers. Eddershaw also explains that there were unsuccessful attempts to retain the title Imperial Yeomanry after the Boer War, "even wearing South African style slouch hats for a time", but Haldane's reforms overtook that and the TF was formed, as we know, in 1908.

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