bigjarofwasps

Hi Guys,

I came across these, and wondered can anyone tell me the differance (if any) bewteen Yeomanry Spurs and Cavalry Spurs?

A beautiful pair of Yeomanry Cavalry Levee Box Spurs, white metal ca.1890s. Signed by 'Maxwell' of Picadilly, with the sides and top embossed with laurel leaves, rose, thistle and clover. Both Spurs are marked 'left' and 'right'.

Gordon.

Hi Guys, cheers for all your replies. I`ve also discovered that some copy medals are in fact marked as copy on the rear, which I suppose is one thing. I wonder if a copy NATO medal would be marked as such?

Could it not also be argued that if the copies are of great detail, then they are in fact better the the original?

Cheers Guys, has anyone got any pictures of the original and a copy so I can compare them?

I still can`t see how a mass produced and mass issued modern medal, could be copied? Surely a modern issue medal is just that, unless there is a clear difference in the quality?

Hi Guys,

Can anyone shine any light on this topic for me. We all know that the Jubilee Medal was issued in its thousands!!! Recently offical MOD replacement/copies have been minted, which I assume are stamped as such. But can anyone tell me how you tell the differnce between a copy/fake (should such a thing exist) and an original surely both will be of equally cheap appearance, so how do we tell the difference, and why have copies been made, are these to dupe the unwarey, surely not given the amount issued and the quality of them why would anyone what to go to the expense of copying a medal, that is just as cheap looking in its original form as a copy, and of no major value anyway.

Any thoughts anyone?

Or am I missing something?

Gordon.

Chris, I feel really bad now.....NOT!!!!! It never ceases to amaze me when people come up with nonsense like this, oh its Queen Victoria etc, it must be priceless!!!! I remember once at an antique fair seeing a miniature Victory medal, with a silly price to it, that time I didn`t say anything just walked away!!!!

Hi,

Can anyone shine any light on this topic for me? I`m trying to ascertain, whether solderis who had previously served in the Boer War, but then left the forces, but re enlisted during the Great War, would these men have two sets of service papers, or would the army have linked them together?

Any thought anyone?

Also when you conduct a search on line with the 1901 census, does it recognise middle names? It has a box for other names, but not sure if this is for maiden names or second names?

Basically I`m researching a guy from my village who i know served in the Boer War, but I`ve also found an MIC to a man with the same name who joined the local regiment during WW1.

John William Gleave served in the Cheshire Yeomanry during the Boer War and a John W Gleave served in the Cheshire Regiment during WW1, is this the same man??? He`d have been 32 at the out break of WW1.

Any thoughts anyone?

Gordon.

I AM VERY PLEASED TO OFFER FOR AUCTION THIS TRULY MAGNIFICENT MAGICAL AND RARE VICTORIAN 1887 JUBILEE METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE AWARD MEDAL AND ORIGINAL RIBBON COMPLETE WITH 1897 'BAR' AWARDED TO P.C. T. HARWOOD OF G DIVISION. THE MEDAL HAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PORTRAIT, PATINA AND TONING I HAVE EVER SEEN ON SUCH A MEDAL. I WOULD DESCRIBE THIS AS 'FDC'. IT WEIGHS 35 GRAMS AND MEASURES 35 MM DIAM APPROX..

Starting bid ?295.00

Sorry but I had to put this joker straight!!!!!!!!

Surely this ever so rare medal should go for at least ?1,000,000!!!???

Cullen U Gulko

General Gulko entered the army as an enlisted man in November 1941 and served in that capacity until he was commissioned as a second lieu ant, Transportation Corps, from OCS in June 1943. His assignments included Troop Movement Officer, Admin Officer, Executive Officer, Superintendent, Water Div, and Deputy Base Port Guinea and Yokohama: and Superintendent Water Div, Otaru, Japan. He was released from active duty in Feb 1946.

In the US Army Reserve Component Status, Gen Gulko served as an enlisted man in the Army National Guard from August 1933 to June 1936. In March 1946 he joined the Army Reserve and has served as Superintendent Water Div, Cargo Ops Officer and Director Port Ops of the 368th Major Port: Supt Water Div, Assistant Chief of Staff, G3, and Chief of Staff 368th Transportation Terminal Command: Transportation Officer, Director of Supply and Maintenance, acting Commander, 311th Log Com ?. He entered his present assignment in Jan 1968 and was promoted to Brig Gen effective 26th Sept 1969.

Military Education, Transportation School OCS 1943 Amphibious Trg 1951,58: Command Officer Course 1954, Officers Advanced Course 1957: Command and General Staff College 1962, refresher 1963-69, Industrial College of Armed Forces 1963, Nuclear Weapons Employment Orientation 1963,64 and refresher 65,67,69, Army Logs Man Course 1967, Logs Cert 1970, Army War College Nonresident Course 1972.

Military Decorations, Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation: Philippine Distinguished Unit Citation.

Cullen U. Gulko

1916-2005

No funeral services will be held for 17-year Bishop resident Cullen U. Gulko. Interment will be at the Home of Peace Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Los Angeles.

Born in San Pedro May 2, 1916, Cullen died at the Bishop Care Centre in Bishop on Oct. 17, 2005. He was 89.

Cullen retired from the Army Reserves as a Brigadier General.

He is survived by his wife, Madalyn Gulko of Bishop; sister, Rita Syman of San Rafael; niece, Judy Halpern; and nephews, Gary Syman, Ken Gulko, Steven Gulko and Arlan Gulko.

Many thanks for all your replies to this topic, you`ve all been really helpful. I`ve managed to obtain this information, which I`ll try and post below, which might be of interest.

No it won`t let me I`ll type it out by hand when I get a minute.

Thanks again.

Gordon.

OFFERED HERE IS A BRIGADIER-UNIFORM CONSISTING OF THE JACKET, 2 PAIRS OF PANTS, A CRAVAT, AND A CAP. THE UNIFORM IS US ARMY ISSUE 60% POLYESTER AND 40% WOOL. THE OWNER OF THIS UNIFORM (BRIGADIER GENERAL GULKO) SERVED IN WORLD WAR 2. AND RETIRED IN THE EARLY 70'S. THIS UNIFORM IS NOW OBSOLETE. I HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL SCANS OF THE SET AS I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH MILITARY REGALIA AND ALL OF ITS ACCOUTREMENTS. THE SET ALSO COMES WITH THE OWNERS FATIGUE UNIFORM (JACKET & PANTS). BOTH SETS ARE IN CLEAN, NEWLY PRESSED AND VERY GOOD CONDITION. MINIMUM SHIPPING: WITHIN THE US: $10.00.

Cheers Guys, that is interesting. I`ve had a look it nice to see what other medals he`s entitled too!! I have confirmed that he did died recently, I have a copy of his obituary, but it doesn`t really tell me a great deal, that I didn`t already know!!! Will keep you informed if I find anything else out.

His Army Commendation Medal was also on sale recently on ebay!!!

Neither did I.

Hope this is of some interest/help.

3rd

IMPERIAL YEOMANRY

IN

MEMORY

OF

CORPL. J. TAYLOR : TPR J.W. COATES

WHO WERE KILLED IN ACTION AT MOSKUILEN

NEAR GRAAFF REINET APRIL 20TH 1902

WHILST GALLANTLY FIGHTING FOR THEIR

KING.

ERECTED BY THE 12TH SQUADRON IMPL.YEOMANRY

AND 2ND BATT. COLDM. GDS.

When war was declared on the Boer in 1899, James Taylor was a 20 year old living in Northumberland Avenue in Nottingham and John William Coates was an 18 year old barman living at Ruddington near Nottingham. These men were typical of the men who volunteered to fight in South Africa with the Imperial Yeomanry, not for escape from society or because they were forced to by poverty, but because they wanted to ‘do their bit’. Although not the most skilled of soldiers they proved themselves able to fight alongside their regular army comrades with no lack of bravery, and a capacity to ‘think on their feet’ unmatched in the rigid battalions of the British military system. Although the Yeomanry began badly with the humiliation at Lindley there is little doubt that they earned much praise for the work they performed in ceaselessly chasing the Boer across the veldt. Without such mounted forces the Boer would never have been hounded into submission. Yet the Yeomanry are hardly mentioned in some histories that never get beyond such battles as Spion Kop and Colenso and the sieges of Ladysmith and Mafeking.

In this roll I have attempted to list the men of the Imperial Yeomanry so that hopefully, in due time, persons of both a military history and genealogical background will find a reason to research these men. In doing so, their memory is maintained for future generations. Whilst compiling the roll I also came across papers and rolls of Lovats Scouts and the papers of the men of the Scottish Horse who were recruited in the United Kingdom. In order to maintain a completeness about the roll I have included the men of both units, though the emphasis of the work remains firmly on the Yeomanry.

Imperial Yeomanry – Brief History.

The Imperial Yeomanry were born out of the disasters that became known as ‘Black Week’ in December 1899, after these set-backs it became obvious to all that mounted infantry were needed in large numbers to counter the fast moving, hard hitting Boers. At the start of the war there had been many offers from the Colonels of existing county yeomanry regiments to provide forces for South Africa, some at no cost to the Government, all were politely but firmly rejected.

The Yeomanry were a volunteer organization that had been in existence for over a hundred years, the Pembroke Yeomanry having the distinction of being the only unit to have a battle honour on British soil for their defeat of the small French invasion force at Fishguard in 1797. A decision was taken by at the War Office on the 13th of December 1899 to allow a contingent of volunteer forces based on the standing yeomanry regiments, this was a watershed decision in the war. The acceptance that the conflict was not going to be a swift and painless operation and that every man, whether standing army or volunteer, would be needed to defeat this desperate enemy. The birth of the Imperial Yeomanry was through a Royal Warrant dated the 24th of December 1899 and from this warrant the standing Yeomanry regiments were asked to provide service companies of around 115 men each. The new Imperial Yeomanry were to be raised on a county basis with the core being the men of the existing volunteer units, the remainder of the numbers being recruited from individuals that met the strict criteria laid down.

The Royal Warrant stated:-

1. Her Majesty's Government have decided to raise for active service in South Africa a mounted infantry force, to be named "The Imperial Yeomanry".

2. The force will be recruited from the Yeomanry, but Volunteers and civilians who possess the requisite qualifications will be specially enlisted in the Yeomanry for this purpose.

3. The force will be organized in companies of 115 rank and file, 1 one captain and four subalterns to each company, preferably Yeomanry officers.

4. The term of enlistment for officers and men will be for one year, or not less than the period of the war.

5. Officers and men will bring their own horses, clothing, saddlery and accoutrements. Arms, ammunition, camp equipment and transport will be provided by the government.

6. The men to be dressed in Norfolk jackets, of woollen material of neutral colour, breeches and gaiters, lace boots, and felt hats. Strict uniformity of pattern will not be insisted on.

7. Pay to be at Cavalry rates, with a capitation grant for horses, clothing, etc.

8. Applications for enrolment should be addressed to colonels commanding Yeomanry regiments, or to general officers commanding districts, to whom instructions will be issued.

9. Qualifications are: Candidates to be from 20 to 35 years of age, and of good character. Volunteers or civilian candidates must satisfy the Colonel of the regiment through which they enlist that they are good riders and marksmen, according to the Yeomanry standard.

The original contingents of the I.Y. were an amazing collection of individuals who were generally socially superior to the men of the regular army they were meant to serve alongside. The 47th Company (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) consisted almost totally of gentlemen from the City of London who not only gave their wages over to the Imperial War Fund but were willing to pay for a horse, their equipment and passage to South Africa. Apart from the 47th there was also Paget’s Horse (19th Bn.) which was recruited through gentleman’s clubs, in total over 50% of the original contingent were of middle and upper classes. This figure included many troopers who had resigned a county Yeomanry commission, they were so desperate to get involved in the conflict. A typical example of the kind of infectious enthusiasm of this group of men was demonstrated by the South Notts. Hussars:-

“”On the morning of Christmas Eve 1899, a notice was to be found in conspicuous places in Nottingham. It was from the War Office and it invited members of the Yeomanry to enrol in the forces required as the result of the hostilities declared in October '99 by the Transvaal Republic, later to be assisted by the Orange Free State.

The proclamation was under the hands of the commanders of the Sherwood Rangers, the South Notts. Hussars, the Yorkshire Hussars and the Yorkshire Dragoons. Such was their willingness to join the cause Col. Rolleston and his men, (and in 24 hours there were to be 160 volunteers, including 9 commissioned officers) were mobilised on the 4th January 1900 and 25 days later they were off to Cape Town, sailing on the troopship, SS Winifredian.

The 3rd Regiment of Imperial Yeomanry amounted to four squadrons or companies and the South Notts. Hussars' contingent became ‘12' Squadron (title numbers were not consecutive). Colonel Lancelot Rolleston was its 'Captain' and Captain R.L. Birkin was his 'Lieutenant’. Among the N.C.O.s and men in the Nominal Roll are the names of 'Corporal' H.L Birkin and ‘Trooper' T.P Barber. Both S.N.H. Officers, they had surrendered their commissions to join the 'party'. “”

Standards of troops raised in this manner tended to vary considerably. The laid down regulations of men being able to both ride and shoot proficiently was prone to a certain ‘slippage’ in some companies. This meant that some men arriving in South Africa had minimum horsemanship skills. Sadly even more of the men were poor marksmen, a fact that some of them would not live to regret. Thankfully a lot of the companies were held up at the Cape for long periods awaiting transport up country which gave them time for much needed training and acclimatization.

Eventually a force of 550 officers and 10,371 men formed the original contingent of the I.Y., made up of 20 battalions of 4 companies each, the 8th and 16th battalions being 3 companies strong. The I.Y. began to arrive in South Africa from early February of 1900 and this process continued until early April. The 17th and 18th Battalions, being part of the Rhodesia Field Force did not arrive in Africa until May when they landed at the swampy and insect ridden Mozambique town of Beira. Once in the Cape the men were sent the five miles to Maitland Camp where conditions soon proved to be quite awful. The camp was understaffed and had few facilities for the huge influx of men it was meant to deal with, for many the journey up country would be a welcome change from the cramped conditions and ennui of the Base camp.

When the Yeomanry eventually left Maitland a grand plan had been hatched to spread the various battalions around the zone of operations. Four battalions (3rd, 5th, 10th & 15th) were to head for Mafeking, ten battalions (1st, 4th, 6th,7th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th & 19th) were to serve in the Orange Free State and the 2nd Battalion were to join Sir Charles Warren in Griqualand. The 8th, 19th and 20th Battalions were to remain in the Cape Colony. This plan proved little more than a theory however as the huge demand for mobile forces meant that companies of yeoman were detached from their HQ elements for weeks at a time and some battalions never even formed as such.

The first action of the new force came on the 5th of April 1900 where elements of the 3rd and 10th Battalions engaged a rather strange force of foreign volunteers under the command of the aristocratic Frenchman Count de Villebois-Mareuil at Boshof, north west of Kimberley. By a series of tactical errors the Boer sympathizers allowed themselves to be surrounded and the Count was killed. It was a fine victory at the sad cost of 3 dead (Lieutenants C.W. Boyle and A.C. Williams, Sergeant Patrick Campbell) but the Boer would prove to be a much tougher and elusive enemy as they soon showed at Lindley later the next month.

Lindley was, in all senses of the word, a humiliation for the British. Not only did nearly an entire battalion of yeoman fall into the hands of the Boer, but the manner of their capture and the fact that the it was the 13th Battalion made matters much worse. The battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Basil Spragge, had been ordered to join the 9th Division under Colvile at Kroonstad. Because of a mix up in communication (Spragge claimed he was sent a telegram, Colvile denied sending one) the battalion instead headed for the Boer held town of Lindley where the pre-warned Boers were waiting for them. On the afternoon of the 27th of May 1900 the 13th battalion rode into Lindley and were shocked to find that it was not Colvile but a large contingent of the enemy that met them. Spragge made the decision to hold his ground in a group of hills to the north west of Lindley and await help, messages were sent but the manner of the message did not contain the tone of urgency that the situation required, as such no plan to assist the battalion was put into operation until it was too late.

After choosing his ground the situation for Spragge and his battalion grew rapidly worse, they were surrounded by a far more numerous enemy who also had artillery (it arrived on the 29th under command of De Wet). By the morning of the 31st of May the situation had become almost untenable and the final outcome was sealed when the party of the 47th Company commanding a critical position surrendered. With no chance of holding out, Spragge surrendered at around half past two in the afternoon. The yeoman had lost 1 officer and 16 men killed, another 1 officer and 3 men died of wounds. The Boers captured over 400 men in total, a huge shock, not only to the yeoman but to the public back in Britain. To make matters worse the men of the 13th battalion were the Duke of Cambridge’s Own and the three Irish companies, these men symbolized the wealth and power that had been associated with this corps. The D.C.O. had been nicknamed the ‘Millionaires’ Own’ because of the number of hugely wealthy men in it’s ranks and the Irish companies contained large amounts of money and title from the landed families of Dublin and Belfast. Within a few months of arrival in South Africa the yeoman had been given both a bloody nose, sadly this was not to be it’s last.

These pitched battles were rare events for the Yeomanry who rode hundred of miles over the veldt and met the Boer at infrequent times. The yeoman formed flying columns that moved constantly from dawn to dusk with only poor rations and little chance of shelter, hardly surprising that the rate of disease and death soared and the ranks of these men were thinned constantly. The story of the I.Y. for the remainder of 1900 was of minor victories and some occasions where it’s volunteer status became all too obvious, an example of this being on the 26th of June where the 35th Company fled from a Boer attack north of Senekal. In July the I.Y. were heavily engaged in the hunting of the Boer General De Wet in an attempt to stop his fleeing into the Transvaal, they did not succeed in this, a failure for which they were to pay for at a later date.

In September 1900 word began to spread among the men about the decision to send that other volunteer unit, the City Imperial Volunteers, home. Although the C.I.V. had been in South Africa since late January the decision to return them to England caused huge resentment and disillusion among the yeoman. The constant monotonous routine of patrolling was beginning to bite deeply into the enthusiasm that had brought these men to Africa. Another cause of resentment was the policy of farm burning that had been imposed by Roberts in the Summer of 1900, work that the educated men of the yeomanry found hard to stomach. This policy was eventually stopped in November.

The morale of the men was low, men volunteered for service with the Transvaal Constabulary and other police forces to escape the monotony, regular units snapped up the ‘prime material’ of the yeoman as officers and various Government departments offered these literate men fine jobs. With these reductions and the men who perished or were medically discharged the numbers of yeoman began to fall to alarmingly low numbers. No policy had ever been agreed upon to reinforce the original contingent, as such by the end of 1900 there was barely a third of these men left serving. When General Roberts left South Africa in December 1900 he pressed for a return of the volunteer infantry companies and the original contingent of the I.Y. on the basis that if something was not done quickly, the consequences for future volunteer forces would be dire. Although the original contingent had actually signed for ‘a year or for the duration of the war’ it was decided that they had done enough and recruitment began immediately for a second and larger contingent of Imperial Yeomanry in early 1901.

The second contingent or ‘new’ yeomanry were a totally different force from that of the original. Gone were the patriotically motivated educated men, the new recruit of 1901 was likely to have much more in common with his regular soldier comrades. Generally working class and with a motivation derived from a 5 shilling a day wage (as opposed to the shilling a day in the infantry, little surprise many men transferred from the volunteer companies of infantry battalions to the I.Y.), the new yeomanry came to South Africa as very poor soldiers with none of the hard won skills of the original contingent. For a few months the small remainder of the original contingent served alongside the second, long enough for the veterans to be filled with a sense of foreboding that proved more than accurate. Eventually in June and July 1901 the veterans, bar those who had re-enlisted with the new force (including a lot of enlisted men who were commissioned) returned to England. It is amazing to note that a lot of these men ended up as officers in WW1 and such men as Corporal Shand of the Pembroke Yeomanry ended up as a C.O. of the Green Howards, gaining the V.C.. The experiences they gained in South Africa were not wasted.

The second contingent was born in haste, trained in chaos at Aldershot in January and February 1901 and a lot of the men were packed off to the war before it’s officers had even been selected. Apart from the social differences, the new I.Y. also contained a lot of married men who had been positively discouraged from joining in 1900. The Government was keen to settle the new claimed lands and offered the yeoman the chance to bring their families with them. For most, those companies that were so carefully selected by county in 1900 were now formed from any batch of recruits at Aldershot who were ready, the common bond of geography was gone. The situation in South Africa had also changed drastically, the half-hearted Boers had gone, leaving only the men determined to fight to the last. The war had become very guerilla in nature, thrust into this theatre, the yeoman found life very difficult.

If some ‘slippage’ in standards had been allowed in the original contingent, those in the new yeomanry were at times ignored. Over 700 men who had been passed fit in England were sent back from South Africa as medically unsuitable or unlikely to become efficient soldiers. At least those who proved fit had come from hard existences that if nothing else, prepared them for the harsh life on the veldt. Problems also occurred with the officer selection that was an administration disaster, it caused men to be chosen who had no experience or leadership potential. Some officers were sent straight back home after being found to be cowards, drunkards or just plain incompetent. To counter these problems the companies of yeoman were increased to 155 men (so less officers were required), officers were drafted in from other units and some of the original contingent were convinced to stay on.

The first blooding of the new force came at Vlakfontein on the 29th of May 1901, 230 yeoman of the 7th Battalion being involved. The force under Brigadier General Dixon consisted of yeoman, artillery, some Scottish Horse and some men of the Derbyshires. The rear-party, consisting of the yeoman, 100 Derbyshires and 2 guns were attacked by 500 Boers, the yeoman fled after suffering 70 casualties and left the Derbyshires and artillerymen to be shot down. Only a counter-attack, launched by the Scottish Horse and some K.O.S.B.’s saved the guns and salvaged some pride. At best the I.Y. could claim that some men had joined in the counter-attack but their reputation had already begun to suffer and questions were being raised in parliament about their suitability for this campaign.

In the same way as the original contingent, the improvement of the force became evident as they stayed in the field and by September 1901 they had improved immensely. Near Rustenburg in this month men of the 5th and 9th Battalions fought off an attack on a column which cost it 12 dead and in a hard fought engagement at Moedwil on the 30th the yeoman and Scottish Horse again gave a good account of themselves. In England, at the end of 1901, there were plans to reduce the incessant reduction of the I.Y. by wastage. Whilst a system of drafts had yet to be introduced, the authorities raised the 25th and 26th Battalions from former I.Y. soldiers, ex-regulars and men who had served in the colonies. A third contingent was also being raised as early as December to allow these new men the time for some proper training before deployment, lessons of a year ago were being learned.

The worst catastrophe of the second contingent occurred at Tweefontein on Christmas morning of 1901. The 11th Battalion were caught by De Wet in an awful position that they had been ordered to occupy. The Boers had quickly taken a position overlooking the British camp and from there they fired mercilessly into the tents of the sleeping men below. Despite attempts by various officers and S.N.C.O.’s the camp was taken and 289 yeoman were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. This was not to be the last disaster for the second contingent, a convoy was attacked and captured by De la Rey at Yzerspruit on the 25th of February 1902 which left the 5th Battalion of I.Y. with 28 dead and 34 wounded. The worst disgrace happened however near Tweebosch on the 7th of March 1902. The column under direct control of Methuen (who was wounded and captured by De la Rey) was attacked by 2000 Boers with artillery they had captured at Yzerspruit. The colonial mounted troops panicked and fled, for the most part sweeping the yeoman with them. The 86th Company had the sad distinction of fleeing 3 miles without firing a shot. The regular troops left with the convoy had no chance and the casualties were huge with 68 dead, 121 wounded and over 600 men taken prisoner.

It was for these disasters, and not the huge good work that the majority of the yeoman achieved, that the second contingent became known as ‘De Wets’ own’. There were tales of true grit and heroism within the span of the new yeomanry, including those portrayed by Taylor and Coates at Blaauwater. There were countless actions both large and small in which they performed heroically in the best traditions of the army to which they had volunteered and not all commanders had low opinions of these men.

By the signing of the peace treaty on the 31st of May 1902 the third contingent had begun to arrive, the 27th to 32nd Battalions arriving at the Cape just days prior to this event and as such ‘squeezing’ a medal which was denied to the men of the 33rd to 39th Battalions who arrived shortly afterwards. The third contingent was a better trained force which had been in barracks for months before sailing to South Africa. They stayed in the country long into 1903 to help in the stabilization process.

Though not always a success, the experiment of the I.Y. in South Africa did teach the Government and Army valuable lessons. It had showed that volunteers could serve alongside regulars with few problems, a lesson that proved vitally important just over a decade later when a new threat arose. In that conflict the problems that had arisen with the I.Y. were foreseen and a huge volunteer force left the UK to fight overseas.

The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry

The national emergency caused by the Wars of the French Revolution brought about the augmentation of the cavalry of the British Army by means of "Gentlemen and Yeomanry who would act within their counties except in cases of urgent necessity". The cavalry, both Regular and Volunteer, have always been conscious of their social status, both with regard to their precedence within the regiments of the British Army and the quality of their soldiers. The word "Yeoman", being Anglo-Saxon for countryman, denoted a small farmer above the grade of farm labourer but below that of a squire or gentleman. Traditionally, Yeomanry officers were country gentlemen of independent means both willing and able to indulge their regiments in the finest of mounts and the most glamorous of uniforms.

Today’s Regiment, with a role for providing War Establishment Reserves for the regular army armoured regiments, was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of the Queen’s Own Mercian Yeomanry and the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry. The RHQ and B (Shropshire Yeomanry) Squadron is at Telford in Shropshire and its two other squadrons are A (Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry) Squadron at Dudley and D (Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry) Squadron in Wigan. In 1999, as part of the Strategic Defence Review, C (Cheshire Yeomanry) Squadron in Chester was also amalgamated giving the Regiment its four Squadrons.

The Queen’s Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry

The two Yeomanry regiments of Warwickshire and Worcestershire were amalgamated into one in October 1956. The origins of the Warwickshire Yeomanry goes back to April 1794 when four troops formed in the county, these troops coming together in 1797 to form a Regiment, second in seniority after the Wiltshire Yeomanry.

In common with other Yeomanry Regiments, the first action was in aid of the civil power. The Regiment saw many of these before 1848, and the first was in June 1795 at Snow Hill in Birmingham. At the turn of the century, the Regiment sponsored five companies of Imperial Yeomanry, and a full volunteer squadron went to South Africa in 1900. During the First World War the Regiment was called up and served in Gallipoli and Palestine, taking part in the charge at Huj in 1917.

At the start of the Second World War, the Yeoman once again went to Palestine, but lost their horses in 1941 when the Regiment was mechanised, taking part in the campaigns against the Vichy French and pro-axis Persia. In 1941 it was equipped with tanks and became part of the 8th Army. At El Alamein only seven of the sixty tanks survived the battle, which smashed the enemy gun line. The Warwickshire Yeomanry went on to serve in Italy and after the war in 1947 became an armoured regiment again.

The Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry was raised in 1794 and in 1810 was called out to help the civil authorities at a riot in Worcester. The Regiment became the Queen’s Own in 1837 and in 1887 became The Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars. Just over a decade later it provided two companies of Imperial Yeomanry for the Boer War.

During the First World War, the Yeomanry saw action at Gallipoli and in Egypt. After the battle at Quatia on Easter Day 1916, they were reduced to only one officer and 54 men, the others having been killed or captured by the Turks. This Regiment also took part in the epic charge at Huj, and entered Damascus three weeks before the Armistice in 1918.

After the war the Worcestershire Yeomanry formed into two batteries of gunners as part of 100 Field Brigade, Royal Artillery. In the anti-tank role it was part of the BEF at the start of the Second World War and suffered heavy losses before evacuation through Dunkirk. Later it became an air landing light regiment of artillery and took part in the invasion of France and the airborne crossing of the Rhine during Operation Plunder in 1945. After the war the Regiment continued as an anti-tank unit until 1950 when it became part of the Royal Armoured Corps.

Today’s Squadron keeping alive the history of both Regiments was part of the Queen’s Own Mercian Yeomanry and remains in being after the 1992 amalgamation to today’s Regiment. It has a sister Squadron in 67 Signal Squadron of the Royal Signals at Stratford-on-Avon, that also maintains the old Regimental traditions of happy memory.

It is a strange quirk of history that these two distinguished Regiments, which were eventually to be amalgamated, shared the honours of being part of the last true cavalry charge by troops mounted on horses against guns and infantry. On 8th November 1917, in Gaza, well dug in Turkish troops, with German and Austrian support, had held up the advance of the British 60th Division at a ridge south of the village of Huj. One and a half squadrons from each of the Worcestershire and Warwickshire Yeomanry Regiments were used to deal with this. The force consisted to 10 troops totalling 12 officers and 158 troopers and took part in three separate charges that day firstly against infantry, whom they dispersed, then against the guns, riding straight at them, and the third dispersed some enemy reinforcements. They won the day and captured eleven guns, four machine guns and took 70 of the enemy prisoner, as well as killing many of them. All three British squadron commanders were killed as well as 6 other officers wounded. 26 Yeoman died and 40 more were wounded. Sadly 100 of their 170 horses did not survive the battle.

The Staffordshire Yeomanry (The Queen’s Own Royal Regiment)

The Staffordshire Volunteer Cavalry was formed on 4th July 1794 at the Swan Hotel Stafford, with troops in Newcastle under Lyme, Lichfield, Walsall, Stafford and Leek. With its motto of ‘Pro Aris et Focis’ – For our Hearts and Homes – it proudly boasts 200 years of unbroken service to Crown and Country.

In 1838 the newly crowned Queen Victoria bestowed on the Regiment the title ‘The Queen’s Own Royal Regiment’ in memory of an earlier visit to the county. As a result the Staffordshire Yeoman wear scarlet facings on their uniforms.

The first members of the Regiment to fight overseas served with the 6th and 106th Companies of Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa during 1900 and 1901. Then in October 1915, the Regiment sailed for Egypt as part of the Western Frontier Force. After three months in Sinai, it advanced into Palestine at the end of March 1917, played a part in the two battles of Gaza and in the culminating capture of Damascus in September 1918.

With their horses the Yeoman returned to Palestine in 1939 but mechanisation in 1941 brought about the wearing of the Royal Armoured Corp’s black beret. At the same time the emblem of Bass Breweries, a red triangle, was added behind the cap badge. It is said this was suggested by Major Jim Eadie, who worked for the Brewery.

The Regiment fought throughout the Desert Campaign with a mixture of Honey, Grant, Crusader and Sherman Tanks – a nightmare for the fitters and mechanics of the Light Aid Detachment. It is in the Alamein line where it helped repel Rommel’s attack on the Alam El Haifa Ridge, later the Yeoman led the advance into Mersa Matruh. In Normandy, the Regiment destroyed nine of the enemy’s tanks on D Day. Fighting through North West Europe the Staffordshire Yeoman took part in the assault over the Rhine. After the war the Staffordshire’s reformed as an Armoured Regiment, changing to armoured cars in 1958, until reduced in size to a small cadre in 1969. Reborn as a Queen’s Own Mercian Yeomanry which in 1992 became The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry on amalgamation with the DLOY.

In 1993 a new Regimental Museum opened at the High House in Stafford, and is a fitting and timely reminder of the many Staffordshire Yeoman who have fought and died for their ‘Hearths and Homes’ during the past two centuries.

The Shropshire Yeomanry 1795-1995

The Shropshire Yeomanry take precedence from the formation of the Wellington Troop on 17th April, 1795 and as such ranked sixth within the Yeomanry Cavalry order of precedence. A Market Drayton troop had been formed on 11th January in the same year and had they not been subsequently reduced the Regiment would have been able to claim a slightly earlier birthday. From the outset, the Shropshire Yeomanry was fortunate to inherit a long military tradition, for prior to the reorganisation of the Militia in the mid-eighteenth century Shropshire had one Regiment of Foot and two Troops of Horse commanded by Colonel The Earl of Bradford. Naturally the new Regiment adopted the ancient military badge of the County, "the Loggerheads" - three leopards faces taken perhaps from the Royal Arms and which had been worn by Shropshire men-at-arms since at least the Fifteenth century.

The initial call to arms saw the formation of no fewer than eleven units, which existed in loose formation until 1814. They had picturesque names and owed a peculiar loyalty to their own areas ; such were the The Wrekin Company, The Hales Owen Yeomanry (Hales Owen then being part of Shropshire) Brimstree Loyal Legion (disbanded 1802), the Oswestry Rangers and the Pimhill Light Horse. All were intended primarily for Home Defence. In 1814 these were amalgamated to form three Regiments : the South Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry, the Shrewsbury Yeomanry Cavalry and the North Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry. As such they were called upon to perform a new and potentially unpopular role "in aid of the Civil Power". In the hard times after the Napoleonic Wars, this could have led to some unpleasant clashes with local people. Fortunately, incidents such as the "Battle of Cinderloo", when the Yeomanry was called out to aid in the quelling of bread riots in the East Shropshire Coalfield, were few and proved to be bloodless.

In 1828 the South Shropshire and Shrewsbury Regiments amalgamated to form the South Salopian Regiment, whilst the North merely changed its name to North Salopian. These two Regiments finally amalgamated in 1872 to form the Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry, adopting a blue uniform with scarlet facings and gold lace. From 1814 the units had been clothed and trained as "Dragoons" i.e. mounted infantry- so called after the "Dragon", the musket with which they were originally armed. It was to prove a fortunate upbringing because the failure of the Regular Army to contain the Boer forces in the South African Campaign caused the Volunteer Cavalry to be called for overseas service in 1900. Volunteers from the Regiment formed the 13th Company of the 5th Battn. of Imperial Yeomanry and as such won the Regiment's first Battle Honour, "South Africa 1900-02".

The Shropshire Yeomanry, 1914 - 1918.

The lesson of the Boer War was well-learned and from 1901-1908 the Shropshire Imperial Yeomanry trained hard for their new and more demanding role. In 1908 they joined the new Territorial Force which was called to arms in 1914. Quickly it became clear that the pageant of cavalry warfare was past: the era of the machine gun, the trench and the gas attack had destroyed the panache of the mounted arm, so long the elite of the field of war.

Three units of Shropshire Yeomanry were raised during the war:

1-1st Shropshire Yeomanry.

Mobilised in Shrewsbury on August 4th, 1914, they joined the Welsh Border Mounted Brigade and initially served on the east coast defences in case of a German invasion. In November 1915, they were dismounted and they sailed for Egypt on March 4th, 1916. Arrived in Alexandria, they became part of the 4th Dismounted Brigade, which served with the Western Frontier Force and saw action against the Senussi. In March 1917, they amalgamated with the dismounted Cheshire Yeomanry to form the 10th Battalion, K.S.L.I. (q.v.). After taking part in the battles of Gaza, the occupation of Jerusalem and the capture of Jericho, the 10th went to France in May 1918 and served out the war on the Western Front. The 10th won the only Shropshire V.C. of the Great War - that of Pte. Harold Whitfield at Bid el Lisaneh, Palestine, on March 10th 1918 (q.v.).

2-1st Shropshire Yeomanry.

Formed in 1914. Served in Northumberland, East Anglia and Morpeth. In July 1916 it became a cyclist unit in the 10th Cyclist Brigade, which was renamed the 6th Cyclist Brigade in November 1916. Went to Ireland in 1918 and was at the Curragh, Dublin, when the war ended.

3-1st Shropshire Yeomanry.

Formed in 1915 and affiliated to a Reserve Cavalry Regiment in Ireland in the summer. Dismounted in summer 1916 and served at Oswestry. Disbanded early in 1917, its personnel going to other units, including the 4th (Reserve) Battalion, K.S.L.I.

The Shropshire Yeomanry, 1939 - 1945.

Peace-time Territorial soldiering with Cavalry Camps and mounted competitions was resumed after the Great War, but was to last only from 1920 to 1939 when, once again, the Yeomanry was called upon to serve in a World War.

Blitzkrieg and aerial attack could not be answered by the mounted arm and in 1940 the horses were lost to history for ever when the Shropshire Yeomanry was dismounted to form the 75th and 76th Medium Regiments, Royal Artillery.

The 75th (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, R.A.

On September 1st 1939, the Shropshire Yeomanry was embodied as a Horsed Cavalry Regiment, but the age of warfare on horseback was over and in January 1940 - like most other Yeomanries - the Regiment lost its horses. Converted to artillery, "A" Squadron (Hodnet and Bridgnorth) and H.Q. Squadron (Shrewsbury) formed 101 and 102 Batteries of the 75th Medium Regiment, R.A. On 20th December 1942 the Regiment, equipped with 4.5 howitzers, left Liverpool for Durban and Suez, arriving on 14th April 1943. 101 Battery was re-equipped with 5.5 howitzers, whilst 102 kept its 4.5's. After intensive training, 101 battery moved through the desert to Tripoli, then went to Syracuse in Sicily and saw its first action. 102 Battery arrived in Sicily from Egypt on August 7th.

The Regiment served through the Italian campaign, sometimes in support of the 5th Army, sometimes with the 8th, and saw action in many notable battles. These included the third battle of Cassino, operations against the Gustav Line and subsequent breakthrough, operations against the Hitler Line, actions at Arezzo and the occupation of Florence. The Regiment went on to serve in the Apennines against the Gothic Line and on to the final offensives of the 8th Army in Spring 1945. The end of the war found the 75th Medium Regiment in defensive positions facing Tito's Yugoslav army in Venezia Giulia.

76th (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, R.A.

After the conversion from Horsed Cavalry to Gunners in early 1940, "B" Sqn. (Oswestry Area) and "C" Sqn. (Ludlow Area) formed the nucleus of the new 76th Medium Regiment as 112 and 113 Batteries ; they were equipped with Great War 60-pounders, later replaced by 6-in. howitzers. From then until 1942, the Regiment was occupied in intensive training.

On 25th August 1942, the Regiment, now equipped with 5.5-in. howitzers, sailed from Gourock-on-Clyde, also by way of Durban, to the Suez Area, arriving there on 21st November. In January 1943, the Regiment left Egypt and motored by way of the Sinai Desert along the Trans-Jordan Pipeline to Baghdad to join the Persia and Iraq Force ("Paiforce"). Here training was carried out with little or no comfort. In April, the Regiment moved to Syria and through a shortage of guns in Tunisia had to lose its own. In May, more guns arrived and combined operations with further intensive training were carried out in the Suez Canal area. The Middle East was finally left in December 1943, and the Regiment had landed at Taranto, Italy, by the 9th December. 112 Battery had at this time 5.5-in. howitzers and 113 Battery 4.5's, but shortly after landing 112 lost its guns to another Yeomanry Regiment, receiving 4.5's in exchange. On 15th December, the Regiment moved up to the Sangro battle and took over from its sister-regiment in support of the 8th Army. In February 1944, the Regiment moved across to Cassino and took part in the battles of 16th February to 15th March and the successful capture and break-through of 11th May, and so on to the Hitler Line. The chase now went on past Rome, with the Regiment supporting the 6th South Affican Armoured Division up to and including the fight for Florence, except for the Arezzo battle, with 6th British Armoured Division. From here, in September 1944, the Regiment moved up into the extreme wintry conditions of the Gothic Line. In April 1945, the Regiment again moved across Italy to the east coast to join the final offensive with the 8th Army. After the surrender on 2nd May, the Regiment saw further action on the road to Austria, but, like its sister-regiment, was watching Tito near Trieste on V.E. Day.

The Shropshire Yeomanry - Post War Years.

Since 1947 the Regiment has fought hard to survive successive reorganisations in the Reserve Forces and has been equipped with Tanks, Armoured Cars, Scout Cars and Land Rovers, whilst under command of the Royal Armoured Corps. In 1959 Home Headquarters of the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards was established at R.H.Q. in Shrewsbury and the new Regiment became associated with the Shropshire Yeomanry, to the Regiment's great advantage.

From 1961-1967 the Pembroke Yeomanry was affiliated as a Sabre Squadron and in 1967 the Shropshire Royal Horse Artillery (raised in 1860 as the 1st Shropshire Artillery Volunteers) was amalgamated with the Regiment, in which it became "A" Squadron.

In 1969 the Regiment was disbanded and replaced by No. 4 Squadron, 35 (South Midland) Signal Regiment (Volunteers) and the Shropshire Yeomanry Cadre. However, in 1971 the Cadre was expanded to form the Shropshire Yeomanry Squadron of The Mercian Yeomanry, having an Infantry role in Home Defence. On 25th May, 1973 Her Majesty The Queen approved the change of title to The Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry, which in its turn was later amalgamated into the Royal Lancastrian and Mercian Yeomanry.

Having celebrated its 200th anniversary in 1995, the Shropshire Yeomanry now survives as H.Q. Squadron of the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry - the Light Reconnaissance Regiment of the T.A. - and in 95 (Shropshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron, Royal Signals. The Regiment carries forward the proud traditions of the Volunteer Cavalry which succeeding generations have so jealously sought to safeguard and enrich.

The Cheshire (Earl of Chester’s) Yeomanry

The Cheshire Yeomanry can trace its history back to 1797 when Sir John Fleming Leicester of Tabley raised a county regiment of light cavalry in response to the growing fears of invasion from Napoleonic France. In 1803 the Prince of Wales (later King George IV) gave his permission for the Regiment to wear his triple feather crest, a badge that Cheshire Yeoman still wear today. The Regiment first saw action of an unexpected nature, supporting the civil powers in the textile riots of the early 1800s. The first battle honour was, however, won in South Africa in 1900-02, when the Regiment provided two companies of Imperial Yeomanry of eighteen months service.

In the First World War the Regiment spent 1914-15 training in Norfolk before being sent to fight dismounting in Egypt in 1916-17. There they met up with the 2nd Duke of Westminster (the legendary Bend’Or, a veteran of South Africa, who had been posted away from the Regiment) with his Rolls Royce armoured cars, the prototype of which he had produced at his own expense in 1914. In February 1916, after the battle of Mersa Matruh, the Duke mounted a raid against the Senussi using the cars. He was instructed to pursue them with ‘reasonable boldness’. Driving across the desert at high speed, the Duke and his 12 cars caught the fleeing enemy, killing many of the Senussi and all of their Turkish companions, returning with three captured guns, nine machine guns and 30 prisoners. In March 1916 the Duke and the Rolls Royce mounted Cheshire Yeoman rescued the survivors of two British merchant vessels, torpedoed off the coast of what is now Libya; this was achieved under the noses of the Senussi, earning the Duke world-wide praise and the DSO. One of the Rolls Royces was subsequently used by Colonel TE Lawrence in Arabia.

The Regiment moved to Palestine in 1917, this time as half a battalion of the 10th Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, and saw fierce fighting against the Turks in battles for Jerusalem, Jericho and Tel Azur, before embarking for France in April 1918. The KSLI saw action at the Somme, Bapaume and Epehy, suffering heavy casualties. The Battalion was disbanded in June 1919, and the Cheshire Yeomanry was reconstituted as a cavalry regiment in March 1920. The Regiment remained mounted until 1942, seeing action in Palestine, Syria and the Lebanon, where the Officer’s Mess acquired a particular fondness for the wines of Chateau Musar in the Bequaa Valley, a fondness which still persists. As one of the last regiments of the British Army to fight on horseback, the Cheshire yeomanry found it particularly painful to lose its horses and to re-role as a Signals Regiment, but the yeoman applied themselves to their new role and service followed in the Middle East, England and North West Europe until the spring of 1946.

On May Day 1947, the Cheshire Yeomanry reformed as an armoured regiment, equipped with Cromwell and Comet tanks. It continued as such until 1958, when it re-equipped with Daimler armoured cars. The defence re-organisation of 1967 led to the disbanding of the Regiment except for a small cadre, but happily in 1971 the Queens Own Yeomanry (QOY) was formed from 4 old yeomanry regiments, including the Cheshire Yeomanry. This lasted until 1999 when the Regiment, as part of the Strategic Defence Review, was amalgamated into The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry.

The Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry

The Regiment has its origins in the various troops of light horse raised in the eighteenth century in the county, the earliest of which was the Bolton Light Horse formed in 1798. Later there were troops at Furness, Wigan and Worsley. In June 1828 the Lancashire Corps of Yeomanry Cavalry assembled and by special act, King William IV granted the title Duke of Lancaster’s Corps of Yeomanry Cavalry in 1834, and the Sovereign, as the Duke of Lancaster, has traditionally been Colonel-in-Chief. In 1846 the Lancashire Hussars was raised.

Both these Regiments sent mounted infantry to the Boer War between 1900 and 1902. In 1914, A Squadron of the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry went to Egypt and D and C Squadrons went to France as Divisional Cavalry. Of the Lancashire Hussars, D Squadron went to France in 1915, and HQ and B Squadrons to Egypt in 1916. C Squadron went to France and formed part of VIII Corps Cavalry.

Both Regiments lost their hoses in September 1917 to become infantry but after the war one Yeomanry Regiment was formed in the county. For the Second World War the Regiment was mobilised as horsed cavalry but in 1940 converted to form the 77th and 78th Medium Regiments of Royal Artillery. The 78th went on to serve in Palestine, Syria and Italy. The 77th remained in Northern Ireland until early 1944 when it prepared for the invasion of Europe. Landing in Normandy on D-Day, plus 6, it fought for the Odon Bridgehead and in the battle of the Falaise Gap. Support was also provided for the Arnhem Operation Market Garden in September 1944.

In 1947 the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry was reformed as an armoured regiment. In 1956 its role changed to that of a reconnaissance, equipped with armoured cars, but on 1st April 1967 it combined with the 40th/41st Royal Tank Regiment. Two years later this combined Regiment was reduced to a cadre until 1971 when it was reborn as an infantry unit. On 1st April 1983 it rejoined the Royal Armoured Corps as a home defence reconnaissance unit equipped with Land Rovers.

In 1992 the Regiment combined with the Queen’s Own Mercian Yeomanry, and the title of the Lancastrian Yeomen is carried on by D Squadron of the new Regiment.

The Yeomanry is the TAVR part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It provides most of the striking power for the UK Defence Forces as well as supplementing the deployment forces with addition operational reconnaissance assets. Yeomanry units are equipped with hovertanks, ground tanks, reconnaissance vehicles and now combat walkers. The Yeomanry has been the most effected in the recent reforms as many of its units have had to re-role from light recce to other tasks, most are still not yet fully effective in their new roles.

The Yeomanry has traditionally been the mounted arm of the volunteers and militia who protected the British Isles when the regular army was overseas. The landed gentry and the rural middle classes usually made up the bulk of these units, who also had a substantial social role. The Yeomanry has long has a reputation as being the reserve of reactionaries and social conservatives, much like the Cavalry.

The Yeomanry provided some fighting units during the early years of World War III, but most units remained committed to home defence. Those that survived the devastation were used to try and preserve those islands of civilisation that remained from both waves of desperate refugees and marauders. Ironically many of the more organised marauders would become a part of the Yeomanry after being co-opted as military auxiliaries during the long Pacification campaign. The Yeomanry has languished for much of the last three centuries before the recent revival starting with the re-equipment of several units with obsolete Cromwell hovertanks in the 2270's. This brought the Yeomanry back into the business of manoeuvre warfare and greatly increased its profile and recruiting levels.

Today the culture of the Yeomanry is divided between the socially prestigious 'Old Yeomanry' units and those formations descended from marauder bands. The older units are dominated by the rural upper middle classes whilst the other units recruit more from the working classes and urban areas and are much less obsessed with maintaining 'cavalryesque' social standards.

Unlike the infantry there are no formal linkages between the Yeomanry and regular RAC formations. However informal links are maintained, especially as a result of cross training.

The Royal Yeomanry (RY)

The Queen’s Own Yeomanry (QOY)

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry (R WX Y)

The Royal Mercian Yeomanry (RMY)

The Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry (Dragoon Militia) (DLY)

The Royal Scottish Yeomanry (R SCOTS Y)

The Yorkshire Light Horse (North Riding) (YLH)

The 1st City of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) (1 CLY)

The 2nd City of London Yeomanry (Devil's Own) (2 CLY)

The Northumbrian Yeomanry (Hussars) (NY)

The 1st Royal Welsh Yeomanry (The Ancient British) (1 RWY)

The 2nd Royal Welsh Yeomanry (Border Rifles) (2 RWY)

The Royal Anglian Yeomanry (R ANGLIAN Y)

The Loyal Manchester Yeomanry (Red Devils) (LMY)

The Border Reivers Yeomanry (BRY)

The Staffordshire Yeomanry (Black Country Lancers) (STAFFS Y)

The Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars (QO OX H)

The King’s Own Lincolnshire Yeomanry (KOLY)

Regimental History

Many Yeomanry regiments date back to the Twilight Era, however they usually have substantially different origins. These four regiments are examples.

The Border Reivers Yeomanry

The BRY is a formation that traces its history back to the Twilight Era. In the aftermath of the nuclear attacks on Britain, the Anglo-Scottish borders region was relatively untouched but the small communities there were prey to attacks from marauders and military forces. In response the 'Border Reivers' (taking the name from the historic raiders of the area) came into being as a guerrilla force, fighting with and sometimes being allied to the various factions that passed through the area. The Reivers later allied with the British Army as it came into the borders during the Pacification, and were used as advisors and scouts. They later were formalised as a Yeomanry regiment, and to this day maintain their traditions from the time of their foundation. They still recruit from both sides of the border and now are re-training with Bowman combat walkers.

The Loyal Manchester Yeomanry (Red Devils)

The LMY began as a marauder group based around a number of Mancunian football supporters, many of who had military experience. After the nuclear strikes they quickly became one of the centres of power in the devastated North West of England. The original group was reinforced by defecting TA soldiers and others seeking to survive the breakdown of society. The group dominated its home areas by force and brutality and launched military expeditions to other areas seeking to seize resources. They clashed frequently with other, less organised marauders and territorial forces. However the return of the British Army from the continent left them completely outclassed as the battle-hardened regulars tore them to pieces.

In the end the group had no option but to surrender after its commander saw the writing on the wall after heavy defeats in Cumbria. Most of the group was disbanded but the kernel became auxiliaries to the British Army from when they eventually became a Yeomanry formation. The unit still recruits predominantly from the Greater Manchester area, and is currently a recce formation.

The Royal Welsh Yeomanry

The two RWY regiments date from the Twilight War, originally being part of the Welsh Voluntary National Army. The WVNA patrolled the borders of the North Wales enclave of the self-declared Republic of Wales, keeping out refugees and protecting the area. In 2004 after long negotiation the Republic of Wales dissolved itself, becoming once again part of the UK except with enhanced devolution. The WVNA was for a time part of the British Army proper, but was dissolved in 2010, partly because of its reputation for brutality against non-Welsh refugees. Instead the WNVA became part of the Territorial Army, splitting into two new formations the RWY and North Wales Rifle Volunteers. Today these units are just normal parts of the TA, however they still recruit mainly from North Wales and conduct most of their business in Welsh. Although 2 RWY has many recruits from just over the border.

The Yorkshire Light Horse (North Riding)

The YLH was formed during the Twilight War at the end of the 20th Century. Whilst the south and midlands of England had been devastated, there were parts of the north that were untouched. The military using all available troops (including recruits from the School of Infantry) created a cordon and buffer zone in North Yorkshire to ensure the industrial areas further north were not flooded by refugees and thrown into further chaos. To help them do this an number of irregular units were set up, amongst these was the YLH. As North Yorkshire was a rural area with a long history of raising horses the YLH was started up to make use of this resource. Acting as mounted infantry the YLH patrolled from the Dales to the Moors across the Vale of York, the unit kept the refugees under control as well as helping to hunt down marauders from further south.

After the war the unit remained as a part time recce formation, equipped with Land Rovers. However since the Defence Review of 2260 the unit has taken a much more proactive role. Currently it is equipped with newly acquired Cavalier Hovertanks handed down as the regular army re-equipped with the more modern Montgomery replacing the aged Cromwell Hovertanks they had been using. The YLH is the armoured regiment for 23 Mech Bde and recruits from across Yorkshire and trains using the facilities at Catterick Garrison.

Yeomanry Regiment Roles

The Yeomanry regiments of the British Army have four main roles, but generally share a similar internal organisation. A regiment consists of four 'sabre' squadrons lettered from A to D (although this is a rule of thumb), and an HQ Squadron.

Heavy Tank Regiments

There is only one HT Yeomanry unit, 1 CLY. The unit is equipped with 50 heavy Churchill tanks. Each squadron having 12 vehicles in addition to REME and logistics formations. The HQ Squadron has administrative, recce and drone troops. 1 CLY has the distinction of being the most expensive formation in the TAVR.

(1 CLY)

Medium Tank Regiments

MT units are equipped with hover tanks and form the back bone of British armoured formations. Armed with impressive firepower and blessed with excellent mobility MT units can take on most tasks, and when combined with infantry in battle groups they can take on almost any opponents. MT units will normally avoid combat with opposing tank units and attempt to penetrate though gaps in his lines and caused havoc in his rear areas. Yeomanry MT units form the main elements of the Mechanised Brigades, and are each equipped with 50 Cavalier HBT.

(R WX Y, DLY, R SCOTS Y, YLH, 2 CLY, 1 RWY, 2 RWY, R ANGLIAN Y, STAFFS Y, QO OX H)

Armoured Reconnaissance Regiments

Recce units are equipped with light ACV fighting vehicles equipped with drones and extensive sensor arrays. Recce units are normally employed at Divisional level to provide tactical information for the division to plan its operations. Recce squadrons have 12 vehicles, but unlike their regular counterparts have no integral Medium Tank troop.

When in operation a recce unit may be spread over hundreds of miles with each of its squadrons operating independently of one another and far in front of friendly troops. Troopers may also spend much of their time on foot manning observation posts (OP's). Although the recce regiment's raison d'?tre is to provide information, they may also carry out raids on lightly protected logistics and rear area troops.

(RY, QOY, RMY, LMY)

Combat Walker Regiments

A new role for the Yeomanry there are 3 CW regiments attached to 18 Mech Bde. These have followed a successful experiment with the all CW equipped 12 RGJ. Each regiment will consist of four squadrons each composed of two CW Troops, which will give a regimental strength of some 200 Bowman CW. These regiments will not operate en-masse but rather will be dispersed to the Mechanised or Infantry Divisions when required.

(BRY, KOLY, NY)

US ARMY DISTINGUISHED

SERVICE CROSS

Established by an Act of Congress on 9 July 1918, the United States Army Distinguished Service Cross is awarded to any person, who while serving with the Army, distinguishes himself by extraordinary heroism in combat.

Ranking just below the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for bravery, the award of the DSC may be made to civilians serving with the Armed Forces during wartime only if approved by the President of the United States.

The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in combat in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The decoration may also be given for an act performed prior to that date when the individual has been recommended for, but has not received the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Distinguished Service Medal.

The Distinguished Flying Cross, was authorized by an Act of Congress of July 2, 1926, an act amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8, 1938. It was awarded first to Captain Charles Lindbergh, of the U.S. Army Corps Reserve, for his solo flight of 3600 miles across the Atlantic in 1927.

The first D.F.C. to be awarded to a Navy man was to Commander Richard E. Byrd, of the U.S. Navy Air Corps, on May 9, 1926, for his flight to and from the North Pole. Both of these aviators also received the Medal of Honor for their feats.

At least two civilians have received the award: Amelia Earhart and Eugene Ely.

During wartime, members of the Armed Forces of friendly foreign nations serving with the United States are eligible for the D.F.C. It is also given to those who display heroism while working as instructors or students at flying schools.

[edit]

Design

The Distinguished Flying Cross was designed by Elizabeth Will and Arthur E. DuBois. It is a bronze cross pattee, with rays between the arms of the cross. On the obverse is a propeller of four blades, with one blade in each arm of the cross and in the re-entrant angles of the cross are rays which form a square. The cross is suspended by a recatgular-shaped bar and centered on this is a plain shield. The reverse is blank and suitable for engraving the recipients name and rank.

The ribbon has a narrow red center stripe, flanked on either side by a thin white stripe, a wide stripe of dark blue, a narrow white stripe and narrow dark blue at the edge of the ribbon.

Subsequent awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross are indicated by oak leaf clusters, for Army and Air Force personnel, and by award stars for members of the Naval services.

I wonder if he was a Boer War Vet?

Gordon-- the illustration with your text on this one

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=5...indpost&p=27092

is not the Distinguished Flying Cross (bronze Iron Cross thingy with propellors is what that should be) but the Army's Distingushed Service Cross.

Rick

Interesting??? I can find no trace of him on the 1901 census or the MIC index???

My mistake on a further inspection I see that my medal is named J E not S E, so its one and the same man!!!!

Many thanks!!!

Kgard,

Many many thanks for this, I remember now that the guy I bought the jewel from told me about the jewel you`ve mentioned and said it wasa lovely piece, he must have desided to sell it, but the info you`ve mentioned is of great help to my research thank you!!!!

Gordon.

Many thanks Kgard,

I also have a Hall Stone Jewel to W Bro S E Stiles of Lodge 975.

Can anyone tell me where this Lodge is, and how I could go about finding out details of Bro Williams, ie when he was in the Chair, etc, or whether he served during the Great War.

If I turn anything up, I`ll post it on this site.

Gordon.