The 1st City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders)

[leigh kitchen]

The City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) was originally formed in 1900 for service in the Anglo - Boer War as the 20th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry.

The battalion's nickname of "Rough Riders" derived from the American cavalry regiment of that name.

In 1901 another Battalion, the 22nd Rough Riders, was formed from the 20th.

The 20th Battalion was disbanded in 1901. Approval having been granted in July of that year for a Corps of yeomanry in London to be raised, the 1st County City of London Imperial Yeomanry (Rough Riders) was raised from veterans of the war, being renamed the 1st City of London Imperial Yeomanry (Rough Riders) in April 1902,

Regimental Headquarters was at the Guildhall, later at Finsbury Square.

The regiment was renamed retitled as the 1st City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) when the Territorial Force was formed in 1908.

At the outbreak of WWI the regiment consisted of four squadrons attached to the London Mounted Brigade.

Two duplicate units were raised, the 2/1st in 1914 & and the 3/1st n 1915.

The original 1st (now the 1st/1st) City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) served as did other yeomanry units, as dismounted infantry in Gallipoli, sufferng heavy casualties.

Evacuated to Egypt it was in Salonika in 1916, back in Egypt in 1917, advancing into Palestine that year.

In 1918, it formed "E" Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps & served on the Western Front.

The regiments Other Ranks collar badge, & in khaki Service Dress the cap badge, consisted of a yellow metal spur with the letters "RR", different patterns of this badge exist, with or without the letters actually entwined in the spur.

The cap badge worn on the cap in the Full Dress of French grey with purple facings, plastron & piping was a larger badge consisting of the arms of the City of London within a circlet "THE CITY OF LONDON YEOMANRY". Surrounding this, in yellow metal was a laurel wreath, at the bottom of which was a ribbon bearing "ROUGH RIDERS SOUTH AFRICA 1900 02", & surmounting the design was a Kings Crown.

Unusually, this photograph n my possesssion shows the "large" badge worn on the khaki Service Dress cap.

This soldier is also wearing a patch of black cloth over the second button of his tunic, indicating that he is in private mourning.

[leigh kitchen]

The cap badge:

[leigh kitchen]

This card, presumably produced by "The Daily Sketch" shows the grave of 2723 Private Gilbert R. Boyce, CLY (Rough Riders) being visited by his brother.

Boyce is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as having died on 17/9/15 - the handwritten date July 1916 on the card is presumably the date that the grave was visited & the photograph taken.

The CWGC record Boyce's grave as being at the Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetary, & give the following detail:

Chatby is a district on the eastern side of the city of Alexandria, between the main dual carriageway to Aboukir (known as Al Horaya) and the sea. The Cemetery is located centrally within the main Alexandria Cemetery complex, which is bordered by Al Horaya on the south and the electric tramway which is parallel with Sharia Champollion on the north. Visitors can reach the entrance to the cemetery along the road Sharia Anubis, which lies centrally north/south through the cemetery area. This cemetery has a central front entrance building with a metal gate/grill secured archway leading into it from two small grassed areas which form part of the roadside in front of the cemetery, which is bounded by a rendered wall.

Chatby Military and War Memorial Cemetery (originally the Garrison cemetery) was used for burials until April 1916, when a new cemetery was opened at Hadra. Thereafter, burials at Chatby were infrequent, although some graves were brought into the cemetery after the war from other burial grounds in the area. During the Second World War, Alexandria was again an important hospital centre, taking casualties from campaigns in the Western Desert, Greece, Crete, the Aegean Islands and the Mediterranean. Rest camps and hostels were also established there together with a powerful anti-aircraft base. Alexandria was also the communications centre for the middle and near east and became the headquarters of the Military Police. There are now 2,259 First World War burials in the cemetery and 503 from the Second World War. The cemetery also contains war graves of other nationalities and many non war and military graves, some of which date from 1882. The CHATBY MEMORIAL stands at the eastern end of the cemetery and commemorates almost 1,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died during the First World War and have no other grave but the sea. Many of them were lost when hospital ships or transports were sunk in the Mediterranean, sailing to or from Alexandria. Others died of wounds or sickness while aboard such vessels and were buried at sea.

No. of Identified Casualties: 2720, this figure includes Foreign and Non-World War graves in CWGC care.

"Soldiers Died" shows 2723 Private Gilbert Revll Boyce of the Cty of London Yeomanry, enlisted Putney, residence South Hampstead N.W., Died of Wounds, 17/9/15, Egypt.

[geoff]

Hi Leigh, thanks for sharing, not a badge person myself but that's a cracking scan, couple of nice photographs as well

Best regards

Geoff.

[Monacoray]

First time in here for me .I hope i'm listing in the right area.

I have acquired a few items pertaining to Jeomanry dress uniform.I would be very greatly If somebody could furnish me with information regarding these items pictured

I have read information posted concerning the YEOMANRY cap badge ,the buttons pictured top and bottom left (9) lancers I think I could do with more info.

Cheers

[Mervyn Mitton]

Welcome to GMIC - I am sure our Members will be able to assist. Mervyn

[IrishGunner]

Definitely a nice badge. Any info on why this British yeomanry regiment identified with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders?