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Remembered Today:

XVI Corps Cavalry Regiment/ Derbyshire Yeomanry


owen4256

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I know that on formation in Salonika in 1916  XVI Corps Cavalry included both A and B Squadrons of the Surrey Yeomanry. Did it also include a squadron of the Derbyshire Yeomanry and if so which one? Any information of the CO and Squadron commanders of XVI Corps Cavalry would also be much appreciated..

 

Regards

 

 

Clive

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Hi Clive,

There is a topic in Salonika and The Balkans sub forum on Yeomanry here:

 

 

If you don't find what you are looking for I have the histories of both the Surrey and Derbyshire Yeomanry and would be happy to look things up for you.

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Hi Mark

 

Thanks for the prompt reply. I did have a good look through the thread before posting and found it very helpful. You refer early on to the XVI Corps cavalry including both Surrey and Derbyshire Yemonary but there are no further details. Logic says that with two Surrey squadrons, the Derbys would have provided a complete squadron. But I cannot find any reference to which of the Derby squadrons it was.

 

On the Western Front, the Corps Mounted Troops usually had a separate OC above the OC of the Corps Cavalry Regiment and  the OC Corps Cyclist Battalion. What I have to date on XVI Corps Mounted Troops on formation in December 1916 is:

 

OC Corps Mounted Troops ???

 

OC XVI Corps Cavalry Regiment ???

OC A Squadron Surrey Yeomanry ???

OC B Squadron Surrey Yeomanry Major G O Borwick 

OC ? Squadron Derbyshire Yeomanry ???

 

OC XVI Corps Cyclist Battlaion Major H F L Hilton-Green

OC A Company Captain B D S Tuke

OC B Company Captain H F Otway

OC C Company Captain C Dalton

 

If you are able to fill in the blanks from the Surrey and Derbyshire Yeomanry Histories that would be great. 

 

Best regards

 

Clive

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'The Derbyshire Yeomanry War History , 1914 -1919' by Lieut Colonel G.A. Strutt has the following on P104:

 

16/2/16 Regiment move to Langaza and bivouac. 
21/2/16 "B" Squadron under Major Shuttleworth moved to Languvak, "D" Squadron under Captian N. D'Arcy Clark moved to Stavros and "A" Squadron under Captian Rawlinson remained at Langaza with Headquarters

 

On the following day the men of the Derbyshire Squadron of the composite regiment that had landed in Salonika on October 10th (1915 under Captain Birchenough) rejoined their respective Squadrons.

 

All above places are in the Struma valley.

 

Lieut-Colonel Strutt commanded the Regiment until he was wounded in action 23rd May 1916 (p132) , Major Shuttleworth took temporary command p133 and 25th June Lieut-Colonel Neilson took command p136.

 

I will have a look at the Surrey Yeomanry later today.

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'The History and War records of the Surrey (Q.M.R.) Yeomanry 1797-1928 E.D. Harrison-Ainsworth, has the following:


A and B Squadrons

P107 26th January 1916 "A" and "B" Squadrons move from France to Salonika arriving 11th February, Major C.A. Calvert in command of "A", Major G.O. Borwick in command of "B".

P181 Major C.A. Calvert leaves the Surrey Yeomanry to take command of the South Notts Hussars Yeomanry, Captain Somervell takes command of "A" 7th April but returns to England 26th June due to poor health and his age.

P184 Captain Barclay takes command of "A" Squadron 26th June 1916

P197 Lieut-Colonel T.B. Olive (3rd Hussars and Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry) given command of newly formed 16th Corps Cavalry. 

P221 31st March 1917 Major G.O. Borwick takes up duties as 2nd in command of the Regiment. 

P223 1st May 1917 Captain Mirrielees takes command of "B" Squadron.

4th May 1917 Major Thomas Hubert Barclay died from exhaustion after saving many lives in the sinking of H.M.T. "Transylvania" (CWGC), oddly I can't find any reference to this in the book, I will have another look tomorrow.
 

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Mark

 

Thanks for taking the time to do such a comprensive look up on the Surrey history. I have seen a few newspaper articles on Major Barclay . Great to have the name of the Corps Cavalry OC.

 

On an unrelated issue, intrigued by the photo of XVI Cyclists on your website. To date I have never seen another photo showing a Lewis Gun mounted on a bicycle although all Corps Cyclist Battalions were issued with them in 1917. Love to know where you found it.

 

Best regards

 

Clive

Sotonmate

 

Thank you for the War Diary ref.One to sav e for when Kew is back to a more normal state.

 

All the best

 

Clive

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Clive,

The photograph featured in an article in Salonika Campaign Society journal 'The New Mosquito' Issue 28 entitled 'Cyclists in Salonika, 1915-17' and was sourced from the National Army Museum.

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Clive,

According to the following from the the Derbyshire Yeomanry History P147, early October 1917, all 3 Derbyshire Yeomanry Squadrons joined 16th Corps Cavalry in early September 1916:    
'At this date the strength of the Regiment, all told, was: "A" Squadron sixty-five; "B" Squadron seventy-one, "C" Squadron was still at Guvesne refitting. 
The 4th and 5th found them standing by in Corps Reserve, i.e. 16th Corps, to which Corps the regiment had been attached a month previously, and with which it served till the conclusion of the war.
'  

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Mark

 

Thanks again for such a detailed response. I wasn't expecting all three Derby squadrons to have joined. I will have to get a copy of the article from the SCS

 

 

All the best

 

Clive

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It's a pleasure Clive,

I have a soft spot for these plucky unsung heroes of the Yeomanry who had to endure the hardships of patrolling in the Struma valley and received little or no recognition.

 

If you need any more information just let me know.

Edited by Gardenerbill
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