Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
First World War
Gallipoli 1915
Egypt 1915–16
Macedonia 1916–17
Palestine 1917–18

Second World War

North Africa 1940–43
North-West Europe 1944–45
Battle honoursSee battle honours below
Commanders
Honorary ColonelMajor Andrew M. Smith, TD, JP[1]
Notable
commanders		Lt Col Vernon Willey, 2nd Baron Barnby
Lt Col Sir Albert Bennett, 1st Bt.
Col E. O. Kellett DSO MP
Lt Col S. D. Christopherson DSO MC US Silver Star
Lt Col Sir Thomas White, 1st Bt.
Lt Col Sir Thomas White, 2nd Bt.

The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) was a British Yeomanry regiment. In 1967 it was amalgamated with other units to form the Royal Yeomanry (RY), a light cavalry regiment of the Army Reserve. Originally raised as the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cavalry in 1794, the regiment was used on several occasions in the 19th Century to maintain law and order. During the Second Boer War and both World Wars the regiment earned 44 battle honours. It is now one of the six squadrons of the Royal Yeomanry (RY), a light cavalry regiment of the Army Reserve. Designated as 'A' Squadron, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry's current role is to support the Light Cavalry Regiments on operations by providing reconnaissance soldiers.

History

Formation and early history

The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry was raised in the summer of 1794 as the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cavalry, by

George III for his loyalty to the Crown. The regiment took Sir Thomas's motto (Loyal Until Death) as its own, with a minor variation (Loyal Unto Death).[2]

Second Boer War

The Yeomanry was not intended to serve overseas, but due to the string of defeats during Black Week in December 1899, the British government realized they were going to need more troops than just the regular army. A Royal Warrant was issued on 24 December 1899 to allow volunteer forces to serve in the Second Boer War. The Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry regiments to provide service companies of approximately 115 men each for the Imperial Yeomanry, organised as mounted infantry.[3] The regiment provided the 10th (Sherwood Rangers) Company for the 3rd Battalion in 1900. The men and horses of 10th Company left Liverpool on 28 January 1900, sailed to South Africa on Winifredian, and reached Cape Town on 20 February.[4][5] The mounted infantry concept was considered a success and from 1901 to 1908 the regiment was designated the Nottinghamshire Imperial Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers).[6] The regiment was based at Albert Road in Retford by 1914.[7]

First World War

Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Mounted Brigade
Organisation on 4 August 1914
Assigned units
A Squadron at Newark
B Squadron at Mansfield
C Squadron at Worksop
D Squadron at Retford
A Squadron at Bingham
B Squadron at Watnall
C Squadron at Nottingham
D Squadron at Wollaton
A Squadron at Chesterfield
B Squadron at Bakewell
C Squadron at Derby
D Squadron at Derby
  • Brigade troops
Ammunition Column, Nottingham
Transport and Supply Column, ASC

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.[9]

1/1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry

In the First World War, the 1/1st Sherwood Rangers served in the

7th Mounted Brigade) in Egypt as cavalry. In 1915, it was despatched to Gallipoli performing an infantry role and served as such for three months, receiving the "King's Colour" in recognition of its gallantry. The Regiment then returned to Egypt as cavalry, serving thereafter in North Greece and Palestine, taking part in the great cavalry advance from Gaza to Aleppo.[10]

2/1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry

The 2nd Line regiment was formed at

9th Mounted Brigade (and the division 3rd Mounted Division).[12]

In July 1916, there was a major reorganization of 2nd Line yeomanry units in the United Kingdom. All but 12 regiments were converted to

1st Mounted Brigade in the new 1st Mounted Division (3rd Mounted Division redesignated) at Thorndon Park, Brentwood.[12]

The regiment was converted to cyclists in August 1917 and joined

The Cyclist Division where it remained until the end of the war, in the Canterbury area.[12]

3/1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry

The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1915 and in the summer it was affiliated to a

3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Aldershot.[12]

Between the wars

Post war, a commission was set up to consider the shape of the Territorial Force (

Royal Tank Corps (RTC), one was reduced to a battery in another regiment, one was absorbed into a local infantry battalion, one became a signals regiment and two were disbanded. The remaining 25 regiments were converted to brigades[a] of the Royal Field Artillery between 1920 and 1922.[15] As the 4th most senior regiment in the order of precedence, the regiment was retained as horsed cavalry.[16]

Second World War

Crew of Sherman tank ('Akilla'[b]) of 1st Nottinghamshire Yeomanry, after destroying five German tanks in a day, Rauray, Normandy, 30 June 1944. Sgt Dring (leftmost), the tank commander, received a second Military Medal for it

Between the wars, the Regiment continued as a cavalry unit, mobilising in that role in 1939, upon the outbreak of World War II, to move to Palestine, as part of the 5th Cavalry Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division.[18]

In 1940 it was converted to artillery and took part in the defence of both

Tunisia Campaign.[19]

The Regiment landed in France on

Bremen and beyond by the end of the war.[10]

Post war

In 1947, the Sherwood Rangers was revived as an armoured regiment, converting to reconnaissance in 1961. In 1964, the Regiment converted back to tanks before, in 1967, being reduced and reformed as a reconnaissance squadron of the newly created

CBRN reconnaissance role in 2006.[20] Following the latest defence review the Squadron became 'light cavalry' and uses the Land Rover RWMIK.[21]

Regimental museum

The Royal Lancers and Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum is based at Thoresby Hall in Nottinghamshire.[22]

Battle honours

The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry was awarded the following

emblazoned on the Regimental Guidon):[23]

Second Boer War
South Africa 1900–02
First World War
Palestine 1917–18
Second World War
North Africa 1940–43

Uniform

As was frequently the case with yeomanry prior to World War I the regiment had retained a

epaulettes and green peaked caps with yellow bands was worn.[25] After 1914 the Sherwood Rangers wore the standard khaki service dress with regimental insignia for nearly all occasions until the introduction of battle dress.[26]

See also

Notes

  1. Lieutenant-Colonel
    . Artillery brigades were redesignated as regiments in 1938.
  2. ^ The name was a result of a misunderstanding after being told to name it "Achilles"[17]

References

  1. ^ "No. 63516". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 November 2021. p. 19472.
  2. ^ "Origins". Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Regimental Association. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  3. ^ Mileham 1994, p. 27
  4. ^ "Shipping records - January 1900". AngloBoerWar.com. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Shipping records – February 1900". AngloBoerWar.com. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Imperial Yeomanry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills". Archived from the original on 29 May 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
  7. ^ "The Drill Hall Project". Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  8. ^ Conrad, Mark (1996). "The British Army, 1914".
  9. ^ Rinaldi 2008, p. 35
  10. ^ a b c "History". The Sherwood Rangers. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  11. ^ a b James 1978, p. 36
  12. ^ a b c d James 1978, p. 26
  13. ^ "The Royal Artillery". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  14. ^ Baker, Chris. "What was an artillery brigade?". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  15. ^ Mileham 1994, pp. 48–51
  16. ^ Mileham 1994, p. 73
  17. ^ We Have Ways Podcast Episode No. 380 'Stan Perry' 7 October 2021.
  18. ISBN 978-1-84342-474-1
    . p. 33.
  19. ^ "The Second World War". Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Regimental Association. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  20. ^ "The Royal Yeomanry". National archives. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  21. ^ "A (Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry) Squadron". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  22. ^ "Charge of the Light Brigade bugle stars at new museum". BBC. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  23. ^ "The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills". Archived from the original on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  24. ISBN 0-948251-26-3
    .
  25. ISBN 0-9515714-3-5
    .
  26. ^ "Uniforms of the British Yeomanry Regiments". Retrieved 19 January 2018.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sherwood_Rangers_Yeomanry&oldid=1216285378"