Bedfordshire Yeomanry

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Bedfordshire Yeomanry
First World War
France and Flanders 1915-18

Second World War

No battle honours were awarded. It is tradition within artillery units that the Regiment's guns represent its colours and battle honours.

The Bedfordshire Yeomanry was a

Second World War (as a heavy and a field artillery regiment). Its lineage was maintained by 201 (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Battery, 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery
until that unit was placed in suspended animation in 2014.

History

Formation and early history

Under threat of invasion by the

French Revolutionary government from 1793, and with insufficient military forces to repulse such an attack, the British government under William Pitt the Younger decided in 1794 to increase the Militia and to form corps of volunteers for the defence of the country. The mounted arm of the volunteers became known as the "Gentlemen and Yeomanry Cavalry".[1]

The Bedfordshire Yeomanry was first raised in 1797 as independent troops. These were regimented in 1803 as the Bedfordshire Yeomanry Cavalry but were disbanded in 1810.[2]

A new Bedfordshire Yeomanry Cavalry was raised in 1817, disbanded in 1827.[2]

Second Boer War

On 13 December 1899, the decision was made to allow volunteer forces to serve in the Second Boer War. Due to the string of defeats during

Royal Warrant on 24 December 1899. This warrant officially created the Imperial Yeomanry. The Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry regiments to provide service companies of approximately 115 men each. In addition to this, many British citizens (usually mid-upper class) volunteered to join the new regiment.[3]

The first contingent of recruits contained 550 officers, 10,371 men with 20 battalions and 4 companies,[4] which arrived in South Africa between February and April 1900.[5]

The 28th (Bedfordshire) Company of the 4th Battalion,

MP.[6] This company was perpetuated from 19 September 1901 by the Bedfordshire Imperial Yeomanry.[4]

On 1 September 1901, the regiment was re-raised as the Bedfordshire Imperial Yeomanry with

lancers. The regiment was based at Ashburnham Road in Bedford at this time (since demolished).[8]

The regiment's organisation was:[2]

Bedfordshire Yeomanry
HQ Bedford
A Squadron Bedford
B Squadron Biggleswade
(detachment at Shefford)
C Squadron Dunstable
(detachments at Leighton Buzzard, Woburn, Ampthill)
D Squadron Godmanchester (Huntingdonshire)
(detachments at St Neots, Kimbolton, Ramsey, Somersham, Sutton, Chatteris)

It was ranked as 48th[9] (of 55) in the order of precedence of the Yeomanry Regiments in the Army List of 1914.[10]

First World War

Eastern Mounted Brigade
Organisation on 4 August 1914
Assigned units
A Squadron at Cambridge (Cambridgeshire)
B Squadron at Bury St Edmunds
C Squadron at Ipswich
D Squadron at Beccles
A Squadron at Norwich
B Squadron at North Walsham
C Squadron at Fakenham
D Squadron at King's Lynn
A Squadron at Colchester
B Squadron at Braintree
C Squadron at Waltham Abbey
D Squadron at Southend-on-Sea
  • Brigade troops
Ammunition Column, Colchester and Chelmsford
Transport and Supply Column, ASC,
Chelmsford
Training attachments
A Squadron at Watford
B Squadron at Hertford
C Squadron at St Albans
D Squadron at High Barnet
A Squadron at Bedford
B Squadron at Biggleswade
C Squadron at Dunstable
D Squadron at Godmanchestera
A Squadron at Northampton
B Squadron at Peterboroughb
C Squadron at Kettering
D Squadron at Daventry

In accordance with the

7 Edw. 7, c.9), which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service. Therefore, TF units were split in August and September 1914 into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. Later, a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments.[12]

1/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry

At the outbreak of the

First World War, the regiment was attached to the Eastern Mounted Brigade.[13] It mobilised on 4 August 1914 and was stationed at Hatfield Peverel and Stansted until June 1915.[14]

On 12 June 1915, it joined the 9th Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division in France,[14] eventually dismounting to serve in the Battle of the Somme, Battle of Cambrai and the Hundred Days Offensive in 1918. As such, it was one of only six yeomanry regiments to be posted to a regular cavalry division in the war.[a]

On 10 March 1918, it left the 1st Cavalry Division with the intention of converting it to a cyclist unit, then to form a machine gun battalion with the Essex Yeomanry. The German spring offensive changed these plans and the regiment was re-mounted and returned to the 1st Cavalry Division. There, it was split up, sending a squadron to each of the regiments in 9th Cavalry Brigade (8th, 15th and 19th Hussars).[14]

The record of the unit's service was set out by L. R. C. Southern (Lieutenant), an officer of the regiment, in The Bedfordshire Yeomanry in the Great War (Rush & Warwick, Bedford, 1935).[18]

2/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry

The 2nd Line regiment was formed in September 1914. From October 1915 to February 1916, it was assigned to the

16th Mounted Brigade of the 4th Mounted Division in Essex
. Later in 1916, the regiment was split up as divisional cavalry:

By March 1917 the regiment was concentrated at

1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment at The Curragh.[14][21]

3/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry

The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1915 and in June was attached to the

1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment at The Curragh.[14]

Between the wars

On 7 February 1920, the Regiment was reconstituted in the

54th (East Anglian) Divisional Area with four batteries: 417–420 (Bedfordshire) Batteries.[23]

The brigade underwent a number of redesignations before the outbreak of the

brigades became regiments, it became the 105th (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Army Field Regiment, RA.[2][22]

In 1939, the

Territorial Army was "duplicated" - existing units formed a second unit. While the 417th and 418th batteries remained with the 105th (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA, the 419th and 420th batteries were transferred to the newly formed 148th (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA.[22][24]

Second World War

52nd (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Heavy Regiment, RA

105th (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA was converted to 52nd (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Heavy Regiment, RA on 1 November 1939.[22][25] It fought with the BEF but was disbanded after evacuation from Dunkirk[26] on 20 June 1940.[25]

It was re-raised at

North West Europe Campaign[26] from June 1944 as part of 5th AGRA.[27] It was disbanded in the British Army of the Rhine on 1 April 1946.[25]

148th (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA

A gun crew of 148th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, manhandle their 25-pdr field gun into position, during anti-tank training using armour-piercing shells, near Dolgellau in Wales, 19 June 1941 (IWM H10915)

In 1938, Field regiments were organised into two 12-gun batteries. The experience of the BEF in 1940 showed the problem with this organisation: field regiments were intended to support an infantry brigade of three battalions, which could not be managed without severe disruption to the regiment. As a result, field regiments were reorganised into three 8-gun batteries.[28]

At the outbreak of the war, 148th (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment RA was assigned to the 18th (East Anglian) Infantry Division.[29] Initially commanding two batteries (419 and 420), the third battery (512) was formed in the regiment at Rochdale on 1 June 1941.[30]

The regiment was transferred to Singapore with its division, arriving just before the Fall of Singapore in February 1942.[26] The regiment was authorised to use the "Bedfordshire Yeomanry" designation from 17 February 1942 but, as it was captured on 15 February, this change was ineffective.[30]

Post-war

On 1 January 1947, the regiment was reconstituted in the

286 (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment.[2][22][31] The unit was reduced to battery strength as 201 (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Battery, 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery in 1967.[22][32] Under Army 2020, this unit was placed in suspended animation in 2014.[33]

Battle honours

The Bedfordshire Yeomanry has been awarded the following

battle honours:[2]

First World War

France and Flanders 1915–18

Second World War

The Royal Artillery was present in nearly all battles and would have earned most of the honours awarded to cavalry and infantry regiments. In 1833,

William IV awarded the motto Ubique (meaning "everywhere") in place of all battle honours.[34]

Uniform

Prior to 1914, the Bedfordshire Yeomanry wore a dark blue review order with white gorget collar, piping and trouser stripes. The headdress was a blue peaked cap with white lancer style quartering. Silver chain-mail epaulettes were attached to the tunics.[35]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The other five were

References

  1. ^ Mileham 1994, pp. 8–10
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Bedfordshire Yeomanry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills". Archived from the original on 18 April 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ "Boer War Notes". Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  4. ^ a b "Imperial Yeomanry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills". Archived from the original on 29 May 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
  5. ^ "Boer War - Imperial Yeomanry Battalions". Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  6. ^ "Compton's Horse". Bedfordshire Yeomanry. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  7. ^ War Office 23 August 1901. His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve the formation of a Regiment of Imperial Yeomanry for the County of Bedford, to be designated the Bedfordshire Imperial Yeomanry."No. 27348". The London Gazette. 23 August 1901. p. 5595.
  8. ^ "Bedfordshire Yeomanry 1908-1914". Army Service Numbers. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  9. Welsh Horse
    was raised in August 1914.
  10. ^ Mileham 1994, p. 73
  11. ^ Conrad, Mark (1996). "The British Army, 1914".
  12. ^ Rinaldi 2008, p. 35
  13. ^ James 1978, p. 35
  14. ^ a b c d e James 1978, p. 16
  15. ^ Becke 1935, p. 12
  16. ^ a b c Becke 1935, p. 20
  17. ^ Perry 1993, p. 14
  18. ^ Southern, L. R. C. (1935). The Bedfordshire Yeomanry in the Great War. Bedford: Rush & Warwick.
  19. ^ "57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  20. ^ "66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  21. ^ a b Baker, Chris. "The Bedfordshire Yeomanry". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Litchfield, pp. 18–20.
  23. ^ Titles and Designations, 1927.
  24. ^ Frederick 1984, p. 527
  25. ^ a b c d Frederick 1984, p. 557
  26. ^ a b c Mileham 1994, p. 76
  27. ^ Bellis 1995, p. 58
  28. ^ Forty 1998, p. 73
  29. ^ Bellis 1995, p. 102
  30. ^ a b Frederick 1984, p. 533
  31. ^ 289–322 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 on.
  32. ^ "Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Yeomanry". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  33. ^ Summary of Reserve Structure and Basing Changes Archived 2013-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ "Royal Regiment of Artillery at regiments.org by T.F.Mills". Archived from the original on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
  35. ISBN 0-948251-26-3
    .

Bibliography

External links

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