Understanding the infantry Regimental affiliations of the 74th Division's Yeomanry units (The Broken Spurs)

[Eran Tearosh]

 

All,

 

Following a debate I have with a member of The Society for the Heritage of WWI in Israel, I finally decided to have a deeper look into specific details regarding Scottish soldiers buried at Beersheba War Cemetery. Doing that, I noticed something worth better understanding:

 

When the Yeomanry regiments were dismounted (That's the origin of the nickname: The Broken Spurs), they were renamed/numbered, and were attached/affiliated to Infantry Regiments, sometimes keeping the Yeomanry original name in brackets. Two Scottish battalions were formed:

 

In 1917 The Ayrshire Yeomanry was amalgamated with the Lanarkshire Yeomanry to form the 12th (Ayr and Lanark Yeomanry) Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. My questions are - why were they attached to the RSF? Were they considered by the RSF as a authentic battalion, or as a 'added-on' group of outsiders? My guess is the affiliation to RSF is somehow connected to Edenborough.  

 

The Fife & Forfar Yeomanry (Already Amalgamated before the war) eventually became the 14th (FFY) Battalion of The Black Watch. Same questions - why were they attached to The Black Watch? Were they considered by the The Black Watch as a authentic battalion, or as a 'added-on' group of outsiders? In this case - I guess is the affiliation to the Black Watch  is somehow connected to Glasgow. 

 

 

As to the Black Watch - I found on the web a link to the 'History of the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in the Great War, 1914-1918', but only to Volume one. Reference to the 14th Battalion is within Volume three. If someone has it, some answers might be found there. 

 

I guess that understanding these connections will help understanding the affiliations of the other Yeomanry units of the 74th Division

 

Eran

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Terry_Reeves]

Eran

 

I think it has to doe with geographical location. F&F were part of the Highland Mounted Brigade and of course they were amalgamating with Royal Highlanders TF.  Both units were  not regular army. In a phrase they were "best fits"  Similarly,13th (Scottish Horse Yeomanry) Royal Highlanders Bn TF was formed on the Same basis.

 

The Royal Scots Fusiliers were a Lowland uni ,hence the 12th (Ayr and Lanark Yeomanry) RSF, the A&L Yeomanry being part of the Lowland Mounted Brigade.

 

TR

[Eran Tearosh]

Thanks Terry.

 

Yes, it makes sense, still - I wonder why the FFY were attached to The Black Watch and not to the Highland Light Infantry. Not sure there's a specific reason...

As to Ayr and Lanark - for some reason I missed that these areas, north of Edenborough, still belong to the Lowlands

 

Eran  

[rolt968]

In general the Yeomanry regiments became battalions of the infantry regiments which recruited from the area from which they recruited or one of the infantry regiments if there was more than one. The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry recruited from Fife, Dundee and Forfarshire (now Angus). The Black Watch also recruited from Fife, Dundee and Angus. You will also see that 13 Black Watch was formed from Scottish Horse (Yeomanry). In that case it was formed from 1 & 2 Scottish Horse regiments and some of 3 Scottish Horse. 1 Scottish Horse were based in Perthshire which was also a recruiting area of the Black Watch.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/royal-highlanders-black-watch/

 

From what I remember at least officially (in the history and the war diary) while regretting the loss of their mounted role they were content. It clarified their position since they were being used as infantry but were much under strength for an infantry battalion.

 

The history of the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry which includes its time as 14 Black Watch is available at archive.org:

https://archive.org/details/fifeforfar00ogiluoft

RM

 

[MaureenE]

1 hour ago, Eran Tearosh said:

 

As to the Black Watch - I found on the web a link to the 'History of the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in the Great War, 1914-1918', but only to Volume one. Reference to the 14th Battalion is within Volume three. If someone has it, some answers might be found there. 

Volume Three transcribed edition lib.militaryarchive.co.uk. Transcribed by OCR so may contain errors.

 

Maureen

[rolt968]

10 minutes ago, Eran Tearosh said:

Thanks Terry.

 

Yes, it makes sense, still - I wonder why the FFY were attached to The Black Watch and not to the Highland Light Infantry. Not sure there's a specific reason...

As to Ayr and Lanark - for some reason I missed that these areas, north of Edenborough, still belong to the Lowlands

 

Eran  

Ayrshire is not north of Edinburgh. It is south west of Edinburgh and south west of Glasgow. The Royal Scots Fusiliers recruited from Ayrshire.

 

It probably seems a bit confusing. The Highland Light Infantry was actually a Lowland Regiment, with its recruiting area in Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

To confuse matters further the recruiting area of  the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) was in Fife (Lowlands), Dundee (Lowlands), Perthshire (mainly Highlands) and Forfarshire ( a bit of both).

RM

 

[rolt968]

If you look at the list of men from 14 (Fife and Forfar Yeomanry) Black Watch buried in Beersheba Cemetery you will find James Wishart Milne. He was not an original Yeoman but probably in one of the large drafts sent out to bring the battaion up to the strength of a normal infantry battalion. He actually enlisted when less notice would have been taken about matching him up with a local regiment. However he came from Luthermuir in what was then Kincardineshire in the far north eastern part of the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry recruiting area. Also still in the Lowlands (just).

 

RM

[Bob Davies]

14 hours ago, Eran Tearosh said:

As to the Black Watch

I do not know if these snippets will help you but here they are :-) From Forces War Records.co.uk; 2nd Battalion
04.08.1914 Stationed at Bareilly, India as part of the Bareilly Brigade of the Meerut Division.
21.09.1914 Mobilised for war and embarked for France at Karachi arriving in Marseilles by 12.10.1914 and engaged in various action on the Western front including; Battles of La Bassee, 1st Messines, Armentieres and Battle of Givenchy.
05.12.1915 Embarked for Mesopotamia from Marseilles arriving in Basra 31.12.1915, the formation renamed the 21st Indian Brigade of the 7th Indian Division and engaged in various against the Ottoman Empire including; The Battles of Sheikh Sa'ad, The Battles of Wadi, The Battles of Hanna, The Battles of Dujailia, The Battles of Sannaiyat and The the fall of Kut.
04.02.1916 Transferred to the 19th Brigade of the same Division and absorbed the 1st Seaforth Highlanders due to heavy casualties.
12.7.1916 Transferred back to the 21st Indian Brigade and participated in the capture of Baghdad in March 1917.
01.01.1918 Embarked for Palestine from Koweit arriving in Suez 13.01.1918 and engaged in various actions including; the captured of 'North and South Sister' Hills, raided 'Piffer Ridge' and the Battle of Megiddo.
31.10.1918 Ended the war in Palestine, Ras El Rados N.E. of Triopli.          Then a link here to a book, lots of pictures,men and places. I am quite sure this is about the 2nd Battalion Black Watch. Regards, Bob.   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22103/22103-h/22103-h.htm

[clive_hughes]

Just as a (hopefully related) aside re. 231st Brigade 74th Division,  the Welsh Yeomanry units were also reassigned largely on territorial lines.  The Denbighshire Yeomanry had a presence across the whole of North Wales and just beyond, with squadrons from Caernarfon in the west to Birkenhead across the border in Cheshire the east.  It was inevitable that they would become the 24th Battn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers, whose regimental recruiting area covered the six counties of North Wales.  What I can't answer is why this was the only yeomanry unit which wasn't amalgamated with another in order to form an infantry battalion.  

 

A little less obviously, the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry whose area was also based in the east of that same region were paired with the Welsh Horse to become the 25th Battn. RWF.  The Welsh Horse was the last-ever yeomanry unit to be raised, on the very outbreak of war, and theoretically recruited across the whole of Wales. 

 

The Pembrokeshire Yeomanry from the south-west joined with the Glamorganshire Yeomanry from the more populous south-east of the principality, as the 24th Battn. Welsh Regiment.  With less of a significant pre-war yeomanry presence in Monmouthshire and Brecknockshire, there was no attempt to create a dismounted yeomanry unit affiliated to the South Wales Borderers (incl. Monmouthshire Regiment TF).  

 

The 10th Battn. King's Shropshire Light Infantry (dismounted Shropshire Yeomanry) completed the Brigade.  They had previously served along with some of the others in the pre-war Welsh Border Mounted Brigade, so were hardly strangers. 

[Eran Tearosh]

20 hours ago, rolt968 said:

Ayrshire is not north of Edinburgh. It is south west of Edinburgh and south west of Glasgow. The Royal Scots Fusiliers recruited from Ayrshire.

 

It probably seems a bit confusing. The Highland Light Infantry was actually a Lowland Regiment, with its recruiting area in Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

To confuse matters further the recruiting area of  the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) was in Fife (Lowlands), Dundee (Lowlands), Perthshire (mainly Highlands) and Forfarshire ( a bit of both).

RM

 

 

Ha ha ha

 

I looked at the details and then wrote everything upside down..... 

Thanks for putting things right....

 

Yes, I'm fully aware that at this stage, many of the men would be from drafts. 

 

Eran

[Eran Tearosh]

2 hours ago, clive_hughes said:

Just as a (hopefully related) aside re. 231st Brigade 74th Division,  the Welsh Yeomanry units were also reassigned largely on territorial lines.  The Denbighshire Yeomanry had a presence across the whole of North Wales and just beyond, with squadrons from Caernarfon in the west to Birkenhead across the border in Cheshire the east.  It was inevitable that they would become the 24th Battn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers, whose regimental recruiting area covered the six counties of North Wales.  What I can't answer is why this was the only yeomanry unit which wasn't amalgamated with another in order to form an infantry battalion.  

 

A little less obviously, the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry whose area was also based in the east of that same region were paired with the Welsh Horse to become the 25th Battn. RWF.  The Welsh Horse was the last-ever yeomanry unit to be raised, on the very outbreak of war, and theoretically recruited across the whole of Wales. 

 

The Pembrokeshire Yeomanry from the south-west joined with the Glamorganshire Yeomanry from the more populous south-east of the principality, as the 24th Battn. Welsh Regiment.  With less of a significant pre-war yeomanry presence in Monmouthshire and Brecknockshire, there was no attempt to create a dismounted yeomanry unit affiliated to the South Wales Borderers (incl. Monmouthshire Regiment TF).  

 

The 10th Battn. King's Shropshire Light Infantry (dismounted Shropshire Yeomanry) completed the Brigade.  They had previously served along with some of the others in the pre-war Welsh Border Mounted Brigade, so were hardly strangers. 

 

Clive,

 

Many thanks! I'm trying to find my way around the transformation of the Yeomanry Regiments to Infantry Battalions. This sure helps!

 

Eran

[Eran Tearosh]

21 hours ago, MaureenE said:

Volume Three transcribed edition lib.militaryarchive.co.uk. Transcribed by OCR so may contain errors.

 

Maureen

 

Maureen

 

As usual, you are an incredible source of assistance! 

Thank you so much!! 

I have another question - writing you a PM.

 

Eran

 

 

[fwwjournal]

On 12/06/2021 at 19:28, clive_hughes said:

The 10th Battn. King's Shropshire Light Infantry (dismounted Shropshire Yeomanry) completed the Brigade.  They had previously served along with some of the others in the pre-war Welsh Border Mounted Brigade, so were hardly strangers. 

The 10th Bn. KSLI were formed by the amalgamation of Shropshire Yeomanry and Cheshire Yeomanry. My grandfather served with Cheshire Yeomanry.

I have some information on line: Yeomanry become Infantry

David