Hertfordshire Yeomanry
Encyclopedia
The Hertfordshire Yeomanry is a British Army
unit specializing in artillery
and yeomanry
that can trace its formation to the late 18th century. First seeing service in the Boer War
, it subsequently served in both World Wars.
At the time of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry's formation, King George III was on the throne, William Pitt the Younger
was Prime Minister
of Great Britain
, and across the English Channel
, Britain was faced by a French
nation that had recently guillotined its King and which possessed a revolutionary army numbering half a million men. The Prime Minister proposed that the English Counties form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant
to subdue any civil disorder within the country.
in December, 1899, the British government realized they were going to need more troops than just the regular army, thus issuing a Royal Warrant
on December 24, 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. Although there were strict requirements, many volunteers were accepted with substandard horsemanship/marksmanship, however they had significant time to train while awaiting transport.
The first contingent of recruits contained 550 officer
s, 10,371 men with 20 battalion
s and 4 companies
, which arrived in South Africa
between February and April, 1900. Upon arrival, the regiment was sent throughout the zone of operations.
The Hertfordshire Yeomanry provided troops for the 42nd Company,12th Battalion.
in January 1915 and joined the Yeomanry Mounted Brigade.
The Yeomanry Mounted Brigade moved to Gallipoli
as dismounted troops attached to the 2nd Mounted Division and redesignated as the 5th Mounted Brigade.
After the evacuation of Gallipoli they returned to Egypt in December 1915, and were remounted and moved to the Western Frontier Force.
In March 1916 the Regiment was split up, RHQ with A Squadron were attached to the 54th Division, later A Squadron joined XXI Corps
, Cavalry in Palestine
.
B Squadron was attached to the 11th Division, in England until on 12 July 1916 joined VI Corps
Cavalry, until early in 1917 when it moved to join XVIII Corps
, Cavalry. In May 1917 it became GHQ Troops. In July 1917 it returned to Egypt and in May 1918 joined XXI Corps Cavalry in Palestine.
D Squadron moved to Mesopotamia
, initially on Lines of Communication duties and in July 1916 it was attached to the 13th Division, until December of that year when they moved to III (Tigris) Corps Cavalry.
In August 1917 they were attached to the 15th Indian Infantry Division
, and in May 1918 they were tasked with Lines of Communication duties with the North Persia Force.
in March 1918.
and 6th Cavalry Brigades) the remaining Yeomanry Regiments would be re rolled as Artillery. The Hertfordshire Yeomanry was one of the regiments now re-designated and formed part of the Royal Artillery
.
In 1940 the regiment was equipped with 8 x 4.5 inch Howitzers & 4 x 18/25 pounder guns, it remained in the United Kingdom until 1944 being attached to various divisions; The 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division
and the 42nd Armoured Division
. During this time it used a number of new self-propelled artillery
vehicles Bishop
, Priest
and the Sexton
self propelled guns.
In 1944 it was attached to British 2nd Army and participated in the following battles Normandy
, Antwerp, Nimegen
, Ardennes
, Rhine Crossing
, Bremen
.
The Regiment remained in the United Kingdom until 1941 when it was sent to India
and joined the 18th Indian Division
and deployed to Singapore
it was still serving with the 18th Indian Division when Singapore was captured by the Japanese.
Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey, in 1941 was appointed to command the 135th Hertfordshire Yeomanry regiment. In October 1941, his unit was shipped to the Far East. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
for heroism during the defence of Singapore
. Because of his qualities of leadership, his superiors ordered him on 12 February 1942 to join the evacuation of Singapore, but Toosey refused so that he could remain with his men during their captivity.
He was the senior Allied officer in the Japanese prisoner-of-war camp at Tha Maa Kham (known as Tamarkan) in Thailand
during World War II. The men at this camp built the Bridge on the River Kwai which was described in a book by Pierre Boulle
and later in an Oscar-winning film in which Alec Guinness
played the senior British officer. Both the book and film outraged former prisoners because Toosey did not collaborate, unlike the fictional Colonel Nicholson.
and formed 201 (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire)Yeomanry Battery Royal Artillery Volunteers which is part of the 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery
(Volunteers). 201 Battery, is based in Luton
and Romford
and is affiliated to the 7 Parachute Regiment
, Royal Horse Artillery
, which it supports on operations.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
unit specializing in artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
that can trace its formation to the late 18th century. First seeing service in the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, it subsequently served in both World Wars.
At the time of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry's formation, King George III was on the throne, William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
was Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, Britain was faced by a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
nation that had recently guillotined its King and which possessed a revolutionary army numbering half a million men. The Prime Minister proposed that the English Counties form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
to subdue any civil disorder within the country.
Boer War
On December 13, 1899, the decision to allow volunteer forces serve in the Second Boer War was made. Due to the string of defeats during Black WeekBlack Week
In one disastrous week, dubbed Black Week, from 10-17 December 1899, the British Army suffered three devastating defeats by the Boer Republics at the battles of Stormberg , Magersfontein and Colenso , with 2,776 men killed, wounded and captured...
in December, 1899, the British government realized they were going to need more troops than just the regular army, thus issuing a Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
on December 24, 1899. This warrant officially created the Imperial Yeomanry
Imperial Yeomanry
The Imperial Yeomanry was a British volunteer cavalry regiment that mainly saw action during the Second Boer War. Officially created on 24 December 1899, the regiment was based on members of standing Yeomanry regiments, but also contained a large contingent of mid-upper class English volunteers. In...
.
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. Although there were strict requirements, many volunteers were accepted with substandard horsemanship/marksmanship, however they had significant time to train while awaiting transport.
The first contingent of recruits contained 550 officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
s, 10,371 men with 20 battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s and 4 companies
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
, which arrived in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
between February and April, 1900. Upon arrival, the regiment was sent throughout the zone of operations.
The Hertfordshire Yeomanry provided troops for the 42nd Company,12th Battalion.
World War I
There were three regiments of Hertfordshire Yeomanry in World War One the original now known as the 1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry the second line Regiment (2/1st) and the third line Regiment (3/1st).1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry
The 1/1st was mobilised in August 1914 and attached to the Eastern Mounted Brigade, they later moved to EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in January 1915 and joined the Yeomanry Mounted Brigade.
The Yeomanry Mounted Brigade moved to Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
as dismounted troops attached to the 2nd Mounted Division and redesignated as the 5th Mounted Brigade.
After the evacuation of Gallipoli they returned to Egypt in December 1915, and were remounted and moved to the Western Frontier Force.
In March 1916 the Regiment was split up, RHQ with A Squadron were attached to the 54th Division, later A Squadron joined XXI Corps
XXI Corps
XXI Corps may refer to:*XXI Corps , active during World War I*XXI Corps , active during World War I*Indian XXI Corps, active during World War II*XXI Corps , currently active Indian Army corps...
, Cavalry in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
.
B Squadron was attached to the 11th Division, in England until on 12 July 1916 joined VI Corps
VI Corps
VI Corps, 6th Corps or Sixth Corps may refer to:* VI Corps * VI Corps , a French force during the Napoleonic Wars* VI Corps...
Cavalry, until early in 1917 when it moved to join XVIII Corps
XVIII Corps
XVIII Corps or 18th Corps may refer to:* XVIII Corps , a unit of the German Army* XVIII Corps , a unit of the Imperial German Army* XVIII Corps , a unit of the Ottoman Army...
, Cavalry. In May 1917 it became GHQ Troops. In July 1917 it returned to Egypt and in May 1918 joined XXI Corps Cavalry in Palestine.
D Squadron moved to Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
, initially on Lines of Communication duties and in July 1916 it was attached to the 13th Division, until December of that year when they moved to III (Tigris) Corps Cavalry.
In August 1917 they were attached to the 15th Indian Infantry Division
15th Indian Infantry Division
The 15th Indian Division was a formation of the British Indian Army, operational from 1916 to 1919.The division was formed on 7 May 1916 on the Euphrates Front in Mesopotamia, as a replacement for 12th Indian Division. It served throughout the war on the Euphrates Front, and was formally disbanded...
, and in May 1918 they were tasked with Lines of Communication duties with the North Persia Force.
2/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry
The 2/1st was formed in September 1914, the regiment remained in the United Kingdom and did not see active service as a regiment they did supply drafts of fit troops for service in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in March 1918.
3/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry
The 3/1st was formed in 1915, they remained in the United Kingdom until being absorbed by the 6th Reserve Cavalry Regiment in February 1917.Between The Wars
On the reforming of the TA, the 14 senior Yeomanry Regiments remained as horsed cavalry regiments (6 forming the 5th5th Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 5th Cavalry Brigade, was a part of the British Army, it served in both world wars in World War One it was part of the 2nd Cavalry Division, and during the Second World War it was formed in 1939 from Yeomanry Regiments and part of the 1st Cavalry Division....
and 6th Cavalry Brigades) the remaining Yeomanry Regiments would be re rolled as Artillery. The Hertfordshire Yeomanry was one of the regiments now re-designated and formed part of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
.
World War II
During World War Two there were two regiments associated with the Hertfordshire Yeomanry: the pre-war 86 (East Anglian)(Herts Yeo) Field Regiment RA(TA) and a second line unit was formed, the 135 (East Anglian)(Herts Yeo) Field Regiment RA(TA).86 (East Anglian)(Herts Yeo) Field Regiment RA(TA)
The 86 (East Anglian)(Herts Yeo) Field Regiment was mobilised in September 1939, its three batteries were the;- 341 (St Albans) Battery
- 342 (Hertford) Battery
- 462 Battery
In 1940 the regiment was equipped with 8 x 4.5 inch Howitzers & 4 x 18/25 pounder guns, it remained in the United Kingdom until 1944 being attached to various divisions; The 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division
42nd (East Lancashire) Division
The 42nd Division was a Territorial Force division of the British Army. Originally called the East Lancashire Division, it was redesignated as the 42nd Division on 25 May 1915. It was the first Territorial division to be sent overseas during the First World War. The division fought at Gallipoli,...
and the 42nd Armoured Division
42nd Armoured Division (United Kingdom)
The 42nd Armoured Division was a First Line Territorial Army formation during the Second World War. It was formed by converting an infantry division into an armoured role...
. During this time it used a number of new self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
vehicles Bishop
Bishop (artillery)
The Bishop was a British self-propelled artillery vehicle based on the Valentine tank. A result of a rushed attempt to create a self-propelled gun armed with the 25 Pounder gun-howitzer, the vehicle had numerous problems, was produced in limited numbers and was soon replaced by better...
, Priest
M7 Priest
The 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle produced during World War II. It was given the official service name 105 mm Self Propelled Gun, Priest by the British Army, due to the pulpit-like machine gun ring, and following on from the Bishop and...
and the Sexton
Sexton
Sexton may refer to:*Sexton , a self-propelled artillery vehicle of World War II*Sexton , a church or synagogue officer charged with the maintenance of the church buildings and/or the surrounding graveyard; and ringing of the church bells...
self propelled guns.
In 1944 it was attached to British 2nd Army and participated in the following battles Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, Antwerp, Nimegen
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
, Ardennes
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, Rhine Crossing
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
, Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
.
135 (East Anglian)(Herts Yeo) Field Regiment RA(TA)
The 135 (East Anglian) (Herts Yeo) Field Regiment RA was formed in September 1939 it consisted of three batteries, the;- 344 (Hitchin) Battery
- 336 (Northampton) Battery
- 499 Battery
The Regiment remained in the United Kingdom until 1941 when it was sent to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and joined the 18th Indian Division
18th Indian Division
The 18th Indian Division was formed during World War I in 1917 from units of the British Indian Army, for service in Mesopotamia and Persia, in what was called the Mesopotamia Campaign...
and deployed to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
it was still serving with the 18th Indian Division when Singapore was captured by the Japanese.
Bridge on the River Kwai
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for heroism during the defence of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Because of his qualities of leadership, his superiors ordered him on 12 February 1942 to join the evacuation of Singapore, but Toosey refused so that he could remain with his men during their captivity.
He was the senior Allied officer in the Japanese prisoner-of-war camp at Tha Maa Kham (known as Tamarkan) in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
during World War II. The men at this camp built the Bridge on the River Kwai which was described in a book by Pierre Boulle
Pierre Boulle
Pierre Boulle was a French novelist largely known for two famous works, The Bridge over the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes .-Biography:...
and later in an Oscar-winning film in which Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
played the senior British officer. Both the book and film outraged former prisoners because Toosey did not collaborate, unlike the fictional Colonel Nicholson.
Post war
When the Territorial Army was reformed after the war the Hertfordshire Yeomanry was amalgamated with the Bedfordshire YeomanryBedfordshire Yeomanry
Bedfordshire Yeomanry, a unit of the British Army originally raised in 1797 as a body of independent troops, the Bedfordshire Yeomanry Cavalry was disbanded after the Napoleonic Wars and briefly reformed from 1817 to 1827....
and formed 201 (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire)Yeomanry Battery Royal Artillery Volunteers which is part of the 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery
100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery
100th Regiment Royal Artillery is a British Territorial Army Royal Artillery regiment that has three gun batteries, all equipped with the L118 Light Gun.- The Batteries are :...
(Volunteers). 201 Battery, is based in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
and Romford
Romford
Romford is a large suburban town in north east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan...
and is affiliated to the 7 Parachute Regiment
7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It serves in the field artillery role with 16 Air Assault Brigade, and is equipped with the L118 Light Gun.- History :...
, Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
, which it supports on operations.
Further reading
- The Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments, Royal Artillery - Pt 1 Field Rgts 1920-46, JD Sainsbury: Pub. Hart Books, Welwyn, 1999 - ISBN 0 948527 05 6
- The Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments, Royal Artillery - Pt 2 The HAA Rgt 1938-45 & the Searchlight Bty 1937-45, JD Sainsbury: Pub. Hart Books, Welwyn, 2003 - ISBN 0 948527 06 4