Montgomeryshire Yeomanry

[Muirton38GrandadTaylor]

I am tracing my Wigley family history (Shropshire) and wonder if anyone could help identify the Regiment that the soldier in photos nos. 2 and 3 was in please.  Could it possibly be the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry?   The CWG headstone is for Albert Wigley (born 22.5.1899) who was in the 2nd/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry (service no. D/19130) and died at age 19 in 1918 (not 1922 as per the stone).  I am sure that the soldier in photo no. 4 was his older brother John (Jack) Wigley who was in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry:    Jack Wigley was born in 1890.  His KSLI service number was 169777. He was honourably discharged from the KSLI in 1916.   When WW1  broke out Albert would have been 15, and Jack, the older brother, would have been 24.  My late father was convinced that photos 2 and 3 were of Jack, and not Albert who died before my Dad was born, whereas Jack lived on until 1945, but the soldier in photos nos. 2 and 3 looks so much younger though it is possible that Jack joined the territorials a few years before the outbreak of War?  If this is so then it means I have no photograph of Albert at all.  They would both have been my great uncles.  Thank you.

[max7474]

It looks like Lovat Scouts.

[CorporalPunishment]

2 minutes ago, max7474 said:

It looks like Lovat Scouts.

I agree. Pete.

[max7474]

The last photo is KSLI.

[FROGSMILE]

Two ends of the spectrum.  A much younger TF (and thus voluntary) yeoman in the Lovats, and what I'd guess to be an older (or at least looking so) conscripted man from a KSLI Service Bn in the New Armies (who has a very worried looking wife).

Edited 4 October , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[max7474]

As the Lovats' recruiting grounds in the Scottish Highlands were quite a way from Shropshire it's not pre-war if that is your relative.  

[Muirton38GrandadTaylor]

20 hours ago, max7474 said:

It looks like Lovat Scouts.

Well, that's incredible.  Did you manage to enlarge the badge, or are you going on the sort of chevron band round the hat, which looks as though it has a pom pom on it (my photo no. 2)?

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Muirton38GrandadTaylor said:

Well, that's incredible.  Did you manage to enlarge the badge, or are you going on the sort of chevron band round the hat, which looks as though it has a pom pom on it (my photo no. 2)?

There were two Yeomanry units that wore that kind of ‘Atholl’ bonnet (with toorie as you’ve described), the Lovat Scouts and the Scottish Horse.  The former had a circular badge and the latter a more oval one.  Both units also had their own pattern of jacket for some time, with three distinct buttons on the cuff, but the Lovat Scouts seem to have either abandoned theirs or simply accepted the general service style as more appropriate to their role.  The Lovat Scouts was especially associated with recruiting men who worked on the land as ghillies, game keepers and farm workers who understood the lie of land and how to make best use of it for concealed movement.

 

“At the outbreak of the WW1 there were two regiments of Lovat Scouts as part of the Highland Mounted Brigade, which almost immediately moved to Grimsby to take over the defence of the coastline from Sutton-on-sea to Skegness.  Both Regiments then became cyclists for a time forming part of 1st Yeomanry Cyclist Brigade in Norfolk until they merged in 1916.  From there they saw service in Gallipoli and Egypt.  In 1916 such was their reduced strength that the two regiments were amalgamated to form the 10th (Lovat Scouts) Battalion Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders.

From 1916 - 1918 they served very successfully in Macedonia proving again their skill in observation, fieldcraft and sniping.  Also in 1916 Lord Lovat formed the Lovat Scouts (Sharpshooters) who were so successful that there were plans to provide Lovat Scout Observer Units to every Division in the British Army.  The regiment excelled in providing intelligence gathering during close observation of the enemy.”

 

NB.  Most photos show the use of collar badges by both Lovat Scouts and Scottish Horse, but as with your photo they’re occasionally seen without.

Edited 5 October , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[headgardener]

Are you certain that the man in Lovat’s Scouts uniform is Albert Wigley and not simply a friend of his?

 

There was a link between the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry and the Lovat’s Scouts. The 2nd/1st Lovat’s Scts and the  2nd/2nd Lovat’s Scts and 2nd/st Montgomeryshire Yeo were all part of 1st Mounted Div in 1916 and 1st Cyclist Bde in 1917/18. These were ‘Home Service’ formations. I think there was some movement of men between the units that made up these formations, but maybe someone more knowledgable might have something to add with regard to this point. If the man in Lovat’s Scouts uniform was indeed born in 1899 then the likely earliest date of enlistment would have been about 1917, and I’d say that the fact he’s not wearing Montgomeryshire Yeo uniform doesn’t exclude the possibility that it’s him.

Edited 5 October , 2020 by headgardener