- Warwickshire Yeomanry
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Warwickshire Yeomanry
abbreviation=
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dates= 1794 - 1956
country=Great Britain
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branch=British Army
type=Yeomanry
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size=Regiment
command_structure=Cavalry Corps World War IRoyal Armoured Corps , World War II
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battle_honous=The Warwickshire Yeomanry was a
yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, which served as acavalry and dismountedinfantry regiment in theFirst World War and as a cavalry and an armoured regiment in theSecond World War , before being amalgamated intoThe Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry in 1956.Early history
The regiment was first formed as the Gentlemen and Yeomanry of Warwickshire in 1794, who raised four troops of
yeomanry . These four troops were regimented in 1796 as the Warwickshire Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry; the regiment expanded to a fifth troop in 1813, a sixth in 1831, and in 1854, with theCrimean War causing an upsurge in martial sentiment, two more troops were formed. The regiment sponsored two companies of theImperial Yeomanry in 1900, for service in theSouth African War , and in 1901 was itself reorganized asmounted infantry as the Warwickshire Imperial Yeomanry. In 1908 it was transferred into theTerritorial Force , returning to a cavalry role and equipping ashussars , under the new title of The Warwickshire Yeomanry. [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-england/vcav/warwick.htm The Warwickshire Yeomanry] , regiments.org]First World War
The regiment mobilised in August 1914, but remained in England until 1915, when they sailed for Egypt with
2nd Mounted Division . During the move, the horse transport "Wayfarer" was torpedoed on 11th April 1915 having just leftAvonmouth ; although she did not sink, the horses had to be rescued. Volunteers of the regiment saved 763 horses, receiving aMilitary Cross and twelve Meritorious Service Medals. ["Locations of British cavalry, infantry and machine gun units, 1914-1924." Robert W. Gould, Heraldene, 1977] They arrived in Egypt on April 24th, before being moved to Gallipoli for service as dismounted infantry. They landed atSuvla Bay on August 18th and saw action at theBattle of Scimitar Hill , on August 21st. The regiment took heavy losses, but remained in the line until withdrawn at the end of October. It was assigned to theAustralian Mounted Division in February 1917, serving in Palestine as cavalry, and seeing action at the First and Second Battles of Gaza, as well as theBattle of Mughar Ridge and the Battle of Jerusalem. It was withdrawn in April 1918, and amalgamated with theSouth Nottinghamshire Hussars intoB Battalion, Machine Gun Corps , which would serve on theWestern Front for the remainder of the war. [http://www.1914-1918.net/CAVALRY/warks.htm Warwickshire Yeomanry] , The British Army in the Great War]The regiment raised a second-line battalion, the 2/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry, in September 1914; this remained in the United Kingdom, did not see service, and was converted into a cyclist unit in 1917. A third-line battalion was formed in 1915, and remained in the United Kingdom until absorbed into the
4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment in 1917.Following demobilisation after the War, the regiment was reconstituted in 1920 in the
Territorial Army .econd World War
The regiment did not mechanise before the outbreak of the
Second World War ; on mobilisation, it was attached to1st Cavalry Division , and moved in 1940 to theMiddle East , where it saw service in Iraq and Syria in 1941. It was mechanised as an armoured regiment in late 1941 and transferred into theRoyal Armoured Corps , with the division redesignating itself as 10th Armoured Division. The regiment then saw service in theNorth African Campaign , fighting at theSecond Battle of El Alamein whilst attached to2nd New Zealand Division . It was deployed to Italy in 1944, where it saw action in June and July.After the War, the regiment reconstituted in the
Territorial Army . In 1956 it amalgamated with The Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars, formingThe Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry .References
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