1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry
1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry | |
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Senussi Campaign Battles of Gaza Second Battle of Kut Capture of Baghdad Battle of Megiddo Battle of Sharon Advance into Syria North Persia |
The 1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry was the active service unit formed by the
Mobilisation
On the outbreak of World War I on 4 August 1914, the Hertfordshire Yeomanry, a cavalry regiment of Britain's part-time Territorial Force (TF), had recently completed its annual training camp. The regiment mobilised under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Abel Henry Smith at its regimental and squadron headquarters (HQs) next day:[1][2][3]
- Regimental HQ (RHQ) at Yeomanry House, 23 St Andrew's Street, Hertford[4][5]
- A Squadron at 32 Market Street, Watford[6]
- B Squadron at Yeomanry House
- C Squadron at Ramsbury Road, St Albans[7]
- D Squadron at 51 Salisbury Road, High Barnet[8]
The men were
Under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 that brought it into being, the TF was intended as a home defence force and its members could not be compelled to serve outside the United Kingdom. However, after the outbreak of war, TF units were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service. The Herts Yeomanry held squadron parades at Culford on 22 August where the officers and other ranks (ORs) were invited to volunteer, and more than 80 per cent of the regiment did so at once. On 31 August 1914, the War Office authorised the formation of Reserve or 2nd-Line units for each existing TF unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered. Initially these were formed from those men who had not volunteered or were unfit for overseas service, and the recruits who were flooding in. The 1st and 2nd Line units were distinguished by '1/' and '2/' prefixes. In this way duplicate units were created, mirroring those being sent overseas. Later the 2nd Line were mobilised for active service in their own right and 3rd Line units were created to supply reinforcement drafts to the 1st and 2nd Lines.[1][11][12][13]
Service
Egypt
On 31 August the 1/1st Herts Yeomanry was warned for embarkation to
The regiment moved by train to
In January 1915 a
Gallipoli
The regiment returned to garrison duty, and supplied a number of officers and men to the various departments and staffs that were being set up:
Even at full strength a cavalry regiment was considerably smaller than an infantry battalion, and after detaching horse and transport parties at Abbassia and Lemnos, and then the casualties at Scimitar Hill, the yeomanry regiments were deemed too small to be effective and the brigades had to be reformed as composite battalions. 1/1st Herts Yeomanry and the Westminster Dragoons were temporarily combined under Lt-Col Ted Sheppard as 5th Yeomanry Regiment in 1st Composite Mounted Brigade. The regiment continued to suffer a trickle of casualties from Trench warfare and sickness, and when it was pulled out of the front line into reserve on 25 September the Herts Yeomanry contingent was down to fewer than 160 men. On 29 September Lt-Col Sheppard reported that he had only 44 men fit for digging. Nevertheless, they carried out one more tour of duty in the line from 8 to 20 October, even though the combined regiment amounted to less than a squadron and was absorbed into the 2nd Yeomanry Regiment (Buckinghamshire, Dorset and Berkshire Yeomanry). On 31 October, the remnant of 5th Mtd Bde was evacuated to Mudros for rest. Together with the transport party and a draft of 52 men from home, the total strength of the Herts Yeomanry on the island was 10 officers and 158 ORs. This composite squadron trained for a return to the front, but the decision had been made to evacuate Suvla, and on 27 November 1/1st Herts Yeomanry embarked on HMS Hannibal for Egypt. The regiment had lost its CO and 23 men killed or died of wounds or disease, and many more had been evacuated sick. It received the battle honours Gallipoli 1915, Suvla and Scimitar Hill.[1][15][21][25][26]
Senussi campaign
The 1/1st Herts Yeomanry disembarked at Alexandria on 28 November and went to Mena Camp, near Cairo, where it rejoined its rear party with the horses. Meanwhile, fighting had broken out in the
On 25 December the WFF sent out a force to surprise them by a night advance (the Affair of the Wadi Masjid). The left column under HQ Composite Yeomanry Bde was entirely mounted to move fast round the enemy flank. B Sqn 1/1st Herts Yeomanry was detailed to escort 1/1st Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery in the rear of the column. Although the left column emerged from the Wadi Toweiwia at 07.30, it took another two hours to get the horse artillery's guns and ammunition limbers up the wadi, by which time the rest of the column was 10 miles (16 km) ahead. Instead, B Sqn was ordered to move over and guard the left flank of the right column, whose infantry were pushing the enemy back across the Wadi Masjid. However, the bulk of the Senussis escaped because the left column was held up by rearguards and could not cut them off. The action was called off when darkness fell at 16.00, and the cavalry returned to Matruh, B Sqn having covered about 50 miles (80 km) in the day.[29][30]
After a period of bad weather the WFF attacked the Senussis again 25 miles (40 km)south-west of Matruh, on 23 January 1916 (the Affair of Halazin). A composite mounted force (2 Trps Herts Yeomanry, 2 Trps DLOY and 2 Trps Surrey Yeomanry) went out as advance guard to the infantry column, and then took up position as the right flank guard when the action began. There was no cover, and after 45 minutes' dismounted firing the flank guard had to fall back in the face of superior numbers. However, the infantry had stormed the enemy camp and the Senussis fled. Once again night was falling and the horses were too exhausted for a successful pursuit.[31][32]
Meanwhile, RHQ and A Sqn had continued at Dabaa as part of a composite regiment with the Westminster Dragoons. On 10 January they were ordered back 75 miles (121 km) to El Hammam to carry out patrols in support of intelligence gathering, and then on 29 January they escorted a large supply convoy to Mersa Matruh, where they rejoined B Sqn. A draft of 53 men arrived on 5 February, and the regiment was able to reform D Sqn. However, the Composite Mounted Bde was broken up on 20 February, before the WFF's decisive battle at the Action of Agagia, and the regiment returned to Alexandria, the march taking until 6 March. On arrival at Alexandria the regiment was split up to provide divisional cavalry squadrons to the infantry divisions evacuated from Gallipoli:[3][9][33]
- Regimental HQ with A Sqn and the MG Section were attached to
- B Squadron was attached to 11th (Northern) Division[36][37]
- D Squadron was attached to 13th (Western) Division[38][39]
A Squadron
A Squadron under Maj
The
B Squadron
B Squadron joined 11th (N) Division at El Ferdan. On 27 June 1916 it sailed from Alexandria accompanying the division to the
XXI Corps Cavalry
A Squadron 1/1st Herts Yeomanry joined XXI Corps Cavalry Regiment on 26 August 1917. The other two squadrons of the regiment were A Sqn 1/1st DOLY, transferred from
When the offensive was renewed on 31 October (the
In May 1918 B Sqn 1/1st Herts Yeomanry arrived from Egypt and replaced C Sqn 1/1st QORGY in XXI Corps Cavalry Rgt.[3][9][51][52][a] XXI Corps Cavalry Rgt fought in the final Battle of Megiddo, leading the pursuit after XXI Corps broke through the Turkish lines at the Battle of Sharon. The regiment, then carried out an epic march up the coast of Ottoman Syria (modern Lebanon) to liberate the ports.[48][54][55]
Hostilities in the theatre ended on 31 October when the Armistice of Mudros came into force. Demobilisation of XXI Corps Cavalry Rgt began in mdi-January 1919. However, in early February A and B Sqns Herts Yeomanry were selected to form part of the Army of Occupation in Turkey. They returned to Beirut in mid-April and amalgamated as a composite squadron. XXI Corps Cavalry Regiment continued to decline in numbers as demobilisation proceeded, and it was formally disbanded on 25 July 1919.[56]
D Squadron
D Squadron was assigned to 13th (Western) Division, which was already en route to the Mesopotamian Front. The squadron entrained under Maj Halsey for Suez, where it embarked on HM Troopship Campanello and sailed on 29 March 1916 via Aden to the Shatt al-Arab, arriving on 13 April. It then transhipped to river steamers and reached Basra on 15 April. 13th (W) Division had been sent up the Tigris to the front line, fighting in the last failed attempt to break the Siege of Kut. After the fall of Kut on 29 April the front became static and D Sqn was kept back for duties on the LoCs, mainly working in the Remount Depot at Amarah. By June the squadron was down to half strength due to sickness, and it was not until mid-November that a 72-strong reinforcement draft arrived from the training regiment at home, when Maj A.C.W. ('Archie') Clayton took over command.[3][9][38][39][57]
Second Battle of Kut
Active operations on the Tigris resumed on 13 December and next day the squadron embarked on river steamers to rejoin 13th (W) Division at Sheikh Sa'ad. However, on 1 January 1917 it joined |III (Tigris) Corps Cavalry Regiment, the rest of the composite regiment consisting of one sqn
III (Tigris) Corps launched the Second Battle of Kut on 23 February with an assault crossing of the Tigris, securing the Shumran Peninsula and establishing a bridge across the Shumran Bend. Kut was now almost isolated, and the Turks evacuated it on 25 February. III (Tigris) Corps Cavalry crossed the bridge and D Sqn Herts Yeomanry acted as advance guard for the pursuit by 38th Brigade of 13th (W) Division. The Yeomanry pursued along the river bank with the British gunboats alongside. After about 5 miles (8.0 km) they came across the main body of retreating Turks, and a battery of LXVI Brigade Royal Field Artillery came into action, while the Herts Yeomanry dismounted and advanced in extended order under shellfire, driving the Turkish rearguard from one nullah to another. The infantry caught up later and the squadron rejoined its horses after dark. Next day the squadron deployed as advance and right flank guard to 14th Indian Division advancing over the open ground furthest from the river. They watched the entire Turkish column marching away (one squadron of III (Tigris) Corps Cavalry did attempt to engage the stragglers but was driven off my machine gun fire). On 27 February D Sqn was again with 14th Indian Division, which advanced about 10 miles (16 km) and then halted to await supplies. The advance was not resumed until 1 March, when III (Tigris) Corps Cavalry rode about 40 miles (64 km) in rounding up sheep for food, while D Sqn acted as flank guard and grazed its horses. The next days advance was only 3 miles (4.8 km) while D Sqn and two troops of Indian Cavalry rounded up more sheep.[38][39][62][63]
Capture of Baghdad
III (Tigris) Corps Cavalry Regiment was officially broken up on 3 March and D Sqn reverted to its role as 13th (W) Division's divisional cavalry for its final advance on
The
Euphrates Front
Active operations were closed down during the heat of summer, and the squadron only did one or two patrols a week. On 6 August 1917 D Sqn was transferred to
As the winter rains ended in early 1918, 15th Indian Division was ordered to prepare a movement on Hit. A reconnoitring force was formed on 18 February under Brigadier-General F.G. Lucas of 42nd Indian Brigade, the cavalry element of which consisted of D Sqn and two squadrons of 10th Lancers, commanded by Maj Clayton of the Herts Yeomanry. The reconnaissance took two weeks, during which D Sqn fought an action on 21 February in which it brushed past the Turkish cavalry outposts and overran an infantry picquet. Having identified the main Turkish position behind Hit, 'Clayton's Composite Regiment' maintained contact by constant patrolling until 8 March, when the Turks began to withdraw. The following day the unit negotiated the abandoned Turkish trenches and barbed wire to occupy Hit. 15th Indian Division then moved on the Turks' new position at Khan al Baghdadi, 20 miles (32 km) further up the Euphrates. D Squadron was attached to the reserve brigade during the 'Action of Khan Baghdadi' on 26 March and took little part. However, next day Clayton's Composite Regiment was sent up to follow the cavalry pursuit of the beaten enemy, and was engaged in 'mopping up' Turkish stragglers and securing prisoners. D Squadron returned to camp at Ramadi on 7 April.[68][72][73]
North Persia and India
The squadron left 15th Indian Division in May 1918 and was tasked with LoC duties for the North Persia Force. This force was stationed on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea, some 300 miles (480 km) from Baghdad and the road between had to be maintained and guarded. The squadron went by train and a three-day march with camel transport to establish a base at Kasr-i-Shirin on the border between Mesopotamian Kurdistan and Persia. Major Clayton was put in command of an 80 miles (130 km) section of the route, with a small force of infantry and cavalry. Despite the proximity of hostile tribes, and thousands of Amenian refugees using the route, the main problem for the force was sickness.[3][9][38][39][68][74][75]
Hostilities with Turkey ended with the
See also
Footnotes
Notes
- ^ a b c d Frederick, p. 30.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 127–32.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hertfordshire Yeomanry at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ Hertfordshire at Great War Drill Halls.
- ^ Sainsbury, p. 127.
- ^ Watford at Drill Hall Project.
- ^ St Albans at Drill Hall Project.
- ^ High Barnet at Drill Hall Project.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o James, p. 20.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 131–2.
- ^ Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.
- ^ Frederick, pp. viii–ix.
- ^ a b Sainsbury, pp. 132–3.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 201, 214.
- ^ a b c Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 9–17.
- ^ Gibbon, pp. 6–9.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 133–7.
- ^ Gibbon, pp. 13–4.
- ^ MacMunn & Falls, pp. 47–9.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 137–41.
- ^ a b c Westlake, p. 259.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 141–2.
- ^ Aspinall-Oglander, pp. 335, 345–53, 492.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 144–8.
- ^ Aspinall-Oglander, p. 424.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 149–51.
- ^ MacMunn & Falls, pp. 106–9.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 151–2.
- ^ MacMunn & Falls, pp. 113–8, Sketch 3.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 153–4.
- ^ MacMunn & Falls, pp. 119–23.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 154–6.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 156–8.
- ^ a b c d Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 125–31.
- ^ a b c d 54th (EA) Division at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ a b Becke, Pt 3a, pp. 19–25.
- ^ a b 11th (N) Division at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Becke, Pt 3a, pp. 35–44.
- ^ a b c d e f g 13th (W) Division at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 159–61.
- ^ MacMunn & Falls, pp. 272, 285, 289, 293, 309–11, 332–3, 337–40, 346–7.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 161–5.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 179–80.
- ^ Gibbon, p. 85.
- ^ Falls, Vol II, Appendix 2.
- ^ Frederick, p. 23.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 164–5.
- ^ a b Becke, Pt 4, pp. 251–5.
- ^ Falls, pp. 63–76, 129–39, 146–7, 156–64, 218–9, 274–5, 323–6.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 165–71.
- ^ Falls, Vol II, Appendix 3.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 171–2.
- ^ Sainsbury, p.180.
- ^ Falls, pp. 504–11.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 174–6.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 178–9.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 181–2.
- ^ Moberly, Vol III, p. 111; Appendix XXXVI.
- ^ Sainsbury, p. 182.
- ^ Moberly, Vol III, pp. 111, 122–3, 130–2, 144–7.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 182–5.
- ^ Moberly, Vol III, pp. 186–9, 196, 199.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 185–8.
- ^ Moberly, Vol III, pp. 236–47; Appendix XXXIX.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 188–9.
- ^ Moberly, Vol III, pp. 287–93, 325–9, 338–45, 353, 356–65.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 190–4.
- ^ a b c d Perry, pp. 134–6.
- ^ Sainsbury, p. 194.
- ^ Moberly, Vol IV, pp. 49–51.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 194–5.
- ^ Moberly, Vol IV, pp. 120–37.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 195–7.
- ^ Moberly, Vol IV, p. 251.
- ^ Sainsbury, pp. 197–99.
- ^ Sainsbury, p. 199.
References
- Brig C.F. Aspinall-Oglander, History of the Great War: Military Operations Gallipoli, Vol II, May 1915 to the Evacuation, London: Heinemann, 1932/Imperial War Museum & Battery Press, 1992, ISBN 0-89839-175-X/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2011, ISBN 978-1-84574-948-4.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56), London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3a: New Army Divisions (9–26), London: HM Stationery Office, 1938/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-41-X.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 4: The Army Council, GHQs, Armies, and Corps 1914–1918, London: HM Stationery Office, 1944/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-43-6.
- Capt Cyril Falls, History of the Great War: Military Operations, Egypt and Palestine, Vol II, From June 1917 to the End of the War, Part I, London: HM Stationery Office, 1930/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2013, ISBN 978-1-84574-951-4.
- Capt Cyril Falls, History of the Great War: Military Operations, Egypt and Palestine, Vol II, From June 1917 to the End of the War, Part II, London: HM Stationery Office, 1930/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2013, ISBN 978-1-84574-950-7.
- J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
- Frederick E. Gibbon, The 42nd East Lancashire Division 1914–1918, London: Country Life, 1920/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-84342-642-0.
- Brig E.A. James, British Regiments 1914–18, London: Samson Books, 1978, ISBN 0-906304-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9.
- Lt-Gen Sir George MacMunn & Capt Cyril Falls, History of the Great War: Military Operations, Egypt and Palestine, Vol I, From the Outbreak of War with Germany to June 1917, London: HM Stationery Office, 1928/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1992, ISBN 1-870423-26-7/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2011, ISBN 978-1-84574-952-1.
- Brig-Gen F.J. Moberly, History of the Great War: The Campaign in Mesopotamia, Vol III, London: HM Stationery Office, 1925/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1997, ISBN 978-089839289-0.
- Brig-Gen F.J. Moberly, History of the Great War: The Campaign in Mesopotamia, Vol IV, London: HM Stationery Office, 1927/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1998, ISBN 978-089839290-6.
- F.W. Perry, History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 5b: Indian Army Divisions, Newport, Gwent: Ray Westlake, 1993, ISBN 1-871167-23-X.
- Lt-Col J.D. Sainsbury, The Hertfordshire Yeomanry: An Illustrated History 1794–1920, Welwyn: Hertfordshire Yeomanry and Artillery Historical Trust/Hart Books, 1994, ISBN 0-948527-03-X.
- Ray Westlake, British Regiments at Gallipoli, Barnsley: Leo Cooper, 1996, ISBN 0-85052-511-X.