The Essex Yeomanry was a Reserve unit of the British Army that originated in 1797 as local Yeomanry Cavalry Troops in Essex. Reformed after the experience gained in the Second Boer War, it saw active service as cavalry in World War I and as artillery in World War II. Its lineage is maintained by 36 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron, part of 71 (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment,

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

History

French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

After Britain was drawn into the French Revolutionary Wars, the government of prime minister William Pitt the Younger proposed on 14 March 1794 that the counties should form Corps of Yeomanry Cavalry that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

to subdue any civil disorder within the county. Prominent landowners came forward to recruit the new force. The first Troop of Yeomanry in Essex was formed in 1797 by John Conyers of Copped Hall near Epping. The 2nd Troop was recruited in the Chelmsford district in February 1798 by William Tufnell of Langleys at Great Waltham, and the 3rd Troop was raised in March by John Archer-Houblon of

Great Hallingbury __NOTOC__ Great Hallingbury is a village and a civil parish in the Uttlesford District of Essex, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 713. It is near the town of Bishop's Stortford, and the M11 motorway. Great H ...

. By the end of May that year there were 15 Troops across Essex, with an establishment of 640 men.Foakes & Mckenzie-Bell, p. 6. In 1803, when the shortlived

Peace of Amiens The Treaty of Amiens (french: la paix d'Amiens, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it se ...

broke down and the Napoleonic Wars began, there was a resurgence in recruiting for the Yeomanry, and by December that year there were 23 Troops in Essex, with a strength of 1251 men. The largest was the 5th Troop raised at

Harlow Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upp ...

by Montagu Burgoyne, which had 160 men. By 1813 the threat from France had disappeared and the Yeomanry were in decline: the number of Troops in Essex had fallen to 12. The government suggested that the independent Troops should be regimented, and in February seven of the Essex Troops became the 1st Essex Yeomanry Cavalry under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Archer-Houblon.Mileham, pp. 84–5. The remaining Troops continued as parts of independent units: * 1st Squadron of Essex Yeomanry Cavalry (

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Conyers) * Essex Union Legion Cavalry (Lt-Col Burgoyne) * Havering Yeomanry Cavalry (

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Crosse) * 1st East Essex Cavalry (Capt Bawtree)

19th Century

After the Battle of Waterloo the Yeomanry were kept in being in case of civil disorder, but there was little unrest in Essex and by 1827 only four Troops remained in the county, with a strength of just 120. When Government support for the Yeomanry was withdrawn in 1828 the Tufnell Troop was the last to be disbanded.Foakes & Mckenzie-Bell, pp. 7–8. However, just two years later a wave of unrest swept the country and the government restored Yeomanry pay for drills and periods of service in aid of the civil power. George Palmer of

Nazeing Park Nazeing is a village and parish in Essex, England. Within the parish are the separate settlements of Upper Nazeing, Middle Nazeing, and Lower Nazeing. The Prime Meridian passes to the west of Lower Nazeing. Location and topography Nazeing is ...

raised a new Troop known as the West Essex Corps of Yeomanry Cavalry, whose primary purpose was to protect the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills and the

Royal Small Arms Factory The Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) was a UK government-owned rifle factory in Enfield (though some parts were in Waltham Abbey), adjoining the Lee Navigation in the Lea Valley. The factory produced British military rifles, muskets and swords f ...

at Enfield Lock. From 1838 to 1843 Lt-Col Palmer had to bear the costs of the unit himself. It eventually grew to five Troops as the West Essex Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry:''Army List'', various dates. * A Troop (Capt Jessopp) at Waltham Abbey * B Troop (Maj J.W.P. Watlington) at Harlow * C Troop (Capt the Hon Francis Petre) from the estates of Lord Petre * D Troop (Light Artillery) (Capt S. Bolton Edenborough of Thrift Hall) at Waltham Abbey * E Troop (Light Artillery) Lieutenant-Col Palmer retired from the command in 1868 and was followed by a series of commanding officers (COs) in quick succession. In 1871 the declining unit reverted to its old title of Essex Yeomanry Cavalry. The government ordered the disbandment of the artillery troops in 1876, and when there were only 46 men on parade in September that year it ordered the CO, Lt-Col T. Duff Cater, to wind up the whole unit. It was disbanded on 31 March 1877. Yeomanry activity in the county did not entirely disappear: Captain Richard Colvin raised an Essex Troop of the

Loyal Suffolk Hussars The Duke of York's Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army. Originally formed as a volunteer cavalry force in 1793, it fought in the Second Boer war as part of the Imperial Yeomanry. In the World War I the regim ...

in 1889.Foakes & Mckenzie-Bell, p. 8.

Imperial Yeomanry

Following a string of defeats during Black Week in early December 1899, the British government realised that it would need more troops than just the regular army to fight the Second Boer War. On 13 December, the decision to allow volunteer forces to serve in South Africa was made, and a

Royal Warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law. Royal warrant may refer to: * Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...

was issued on 24 December. This officially created the Imperial Yeomanry (IY). The force was organised as county service companies of approximately 115 men signed up for one year, and volunteers from the Yeomanry and civilians (usually middle and upper class) quickly filled the new force, which was equipped to operate as Mounted infantry.Dunlop, pp. 104–18.IY at Anglo-Boer War.
/ref> The Loyal Suffolk Hussars raised the 43rd and 44th (Suffolk) Companies, including volunteers from the Essex Troop. These two companies, which landed in South Africa on 23 February and 28 March respectively, served in 12th Battalion, IY. In addition, Capt (now Lt-Col) Colvin of the Essex Troop commanded the 20th (Rough Riders) Battalion IY, which was raised on 17 March 1900 in the City of London and landed in South Africa on 3 May. The First Contingent of the Imperial Yeomanry completed their year's term of service in 1901, and Lt-Col Colvin was

Mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

and awarded a Companionship of the Bath (CB) The Imperial Yeomanry concept was considered a success and before the war ended the existing Yeomanry regiments at home were converted into Imperial Yeomanry, and new regiments raised, including the Essex Imperial Yeomanry. The Lord Lieutenant of Essex, the Earl of Warwick (who became the unit's Honorary Colonel), appointed Lt-Col Colvin to raise and command the new regiment.''London Gazette'', 15 November 1901.
/ref> Colvin arranged the squadrons on the basis of fox hunts in the county, giving the following organisation:Essex Yeomanry at Long, Long Trail.
/ref> * Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) (Maj John Patterson, DSO, former captain in the IY, as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

) at 17 Sir Isaac's Walk, Colchester * A Squadron (Maj Henry Lermitte, retired captain in the

Royal Scots Fusiliers The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1678 until 1959 when it was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Mar ...

) at Colchester, with detachments at High Street,

Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...

, Marine Hall, Old Pier Street, Walton-on-the-Naze, Ardleigh and Clacton-on-Sea (No 4 Trp HQ at Warwick Castle Hotel, drill hall at Osborne Hotel) – ''from the

Essex and Suffolk Hunt The Essex and Suffolk Hunt is an English fox hunting pack founded in 1791. History The hunt is reputed to have been founded in 1791 by Sir William Rowley from a pack of hounds purchased from the Duke of York. Essex and Suffolk Hunt. The pack ...

'' * B Squadron (Maj Edmund Deacon, retired lieutenant in the

King's Dragoon Guards The 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was raised by Sir John Lanier in 1685 as the 2nd Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed the 2nd Ki ...

(KDG)) at Drill Hall, Victoria Street, Braintree, with detachments at Queen's Hall, 47 New Street, Halstead, Chelmsford and Tiptree – ''from the East Essex Hunt'' * C Squadron (Maj Leonard Pelly, former lieutenant in the 20th (Rough Riders) Bn, IY) at Honey Lane, Waltham Abbey, with detachments at Forest Road, Loughton,

Bishop's Stortford Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, just west of the M11 motorway on the county boundary with Essex, north-east of central London, and by rail from Liverpool Street station. Stortford had an estimated po ...

(

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

) and Great Dunmow – ''from the Essex Hunt'' * D Squadron (Maj Francis Whitmore of Orsett Hall, formerly of the

1st Essex Artillery Volunteers The 1st Essex Artillery Volunteers was a unit of Britain's part-time auxiliary forces raised in Essex in 1860 in response to an invasion scare. It served under various designations as field artillery in Sinai and Palestine Campaign, Palestine duri ...

) at Drill Hall, East Street, Southend-on-Sea, with detachments at Drill Hall, Ongar Road, Brentwood, Artillery Drill Hall, Brook Road,

Grays Grays or Greys may refer to: Places * Grays Bay, Nunavut, Canada * Grays, Essex, a town in Essex, England ** Grays railway station ** Grays School * Grays, Kent, a hamlet in Kent, England * Rotherfield Greys or Greys, a village in Oxfordshire, En ...

, Stratford and Orsett – ''from the Essex Union Hunt'' * Machine Gun Section * Honorary

Chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

: Henry Johnson, Bishop of Colchester (former

Cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a sopr ...

in the 1st Royal Dragoons) The Boer War was still going on, and further volunteers went out to South Africa with the second contingent of the IY. Major J.H. Patterson, DSO, of the Essex IY, was appointed Temporary Lt-Col to command the 33rd Battalion on 17 January 1902.

Territorial Force

The Imperial Yeomanry were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the

Haldane Reforms The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the " Childers Reforms" of the ...

of 1908. The regiment simply dropped 'Imperial' from the title and was designated as

Dragoons Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat ...

. Lieutenant-Col Colvin handed over command of the regiment to Lt-Col 'Ned' Deacon in February 1911.Foakes & Mckenzie-Bell, p. 10.

World War I

In accordance with the

Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ('' 7 Edw. 7, c.9'') was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the auxiliary forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer and Yeomanry units into a new Territori ...

(''

7 Edw. 7 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

, 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.

1/1st Essex Yeomanry

=Mobilisation

= The 1st Line regiment was mobilized at Colchester on the outbreak of war and, with the Eastern Mounted Brigade, joined the

1st Mounted Division The 1st Mounted Division was a Yeomanry Division of the British Army active during World War I. It was formed in August 1914 for the home defence of the United Kingdom from four existing mounted brigades of the Territorial Force, each of three ...

in the Ipswich area. By the end of August 1914 it was in the

Woodbridge Woodbridge may refer to: Places Australia *Woodbridge, Western Australia formerly called ''West Midland'' *Woodbridge, Tasmania Canada *Woodbridge, Ontario England *Woodbridge, Suffolk, the location of ** Woodbridge (UK Parliament constituency ...

area. After mobilisation the Essex Yeomanry reorganised on a three-squadron basis:Foakes & Mckenzie-Bell, pp. 11–5. * RHQ: 6 officers and 34 men, commanded by Lt-Col Deacon * A Sqn: Colchester, Ardleigh Harwich, Clacton and Walton-on-the-Naze Trps, with the Southend Trp from D Sqn – 6 officers and 136 men commanded by Maj Eustace Hill * B Sqn: Braintree and Finchingfield, Tiptree and Maldon, Halstead and Chelmsford Trps, with the Orsett Trp from D Sqn – 6 officers and 138 men commanded by Maj Guy Gold * C Sqn: Waltham Abbey, Epping, Dunmow and Bishop's Stortford Trps, with the Brentwood and Stratford Trp from D Sqn – 6 officers and 135 men commanded by Maj Andrew Roddick * Machine Gun Section – 25 men commanded by Lt Tom Buxton The CO reported that the men were all medically fit, fully trained, and aged 19 years or older, and the regiment was accepted for overseas service. However, delays in obtaining replacement kit and new saddles delayed the regiment's departure for the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

until late November, and it just missed being eligible for the ' Mons Star' issued to the ' Old Contemptibles'. The regiment landed at Le Havre on 1 December and joined the

Royal Horse Guards The Royal Regiment of Horse Guards (The Blues) (RHG) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. Raised in August 1650 at Newcastle upon Tyne and County Durham by Sir Arthur Haselrigge on the orders of Oliver Cr ...

(RHG) and the

10th Royal Hussars The 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the First World War and Second World War but then amalgamated with the 11th Hussars (Prince A ...

in France on 12 December 1914 as part of 8th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division near Hazebrouck.Becke, pp. 17–23.3rd cavalry Division at Long, Long Trail.
/ref> It remained on the Western Front for the rest of the war.

=Frezenberg Ridge

= The regiment saw its first action at the

Battle of Frezenberg Ridge A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

on 13 May, when in pouring rain it made a dismounted bayonet charge that recaptured the disputed German front line trench. But having suffered substantial casualties from artillery fire, it was ordered to withdraw with the rest of the brigade. All told it suffered 51 killed, 91 wounded and 19 missing: a total of 161out of 302 who went into action. Among the dead were the CO, Lt-Col Deacon, and his acting second-in-command, Maj Roddick. Most of the dead, including Lt-Col Deacon, were buried in unmarked graves and are now commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing at Ypres. The regiment later chose Ypres 1915 and Frezenberg as the first two Battle Honours to be emblazoned on its guidon. The surviving 149 Yeoman under the command of Maj Tony Buxton went into reserve at Hooge. A Regular Army officer, Lt-Col Wickham of the KDG, was brought in as CO to train and integrate the replacement drafts into the regiment. Major Whitmore, who had been wounded on the morning of 13 May and thus missed the afternoon assault on Frezenberg Ridge, returned in September and took command with the rank of Lt-Col. Popularly known as ' Brasso' he remained in command until 1918. The regiment was present with the rest of 3rd Cavalry Division defending Loos during the Battle of Loos (26–8 September 1915), but did not see serious action again until 1917. The regimental machine gun section was combined with those of the other regiments to form the 8th Brigade Machine Gun Squadron, Machine Gun Corps (MGC), on 29 February 1916.

=Monchy-le-Preux

= On 11 April, the second day of the Battle of the Scarpe that launched the Arras Offensive, 8th Cavalry Bde was ordered to advance mounted, over open country, to occupy high ground east and northeast of Monchy-le-Preux, a key position between the rivers Scarpe and Sensée. The Essex Yeomanry led the movement, with the 10th Hussars on its left and the RHG in reserve. C Squadron, leading, came under heavy machine gun fire while crossing a bridge and the Stortford and Dunmow Trps were almost annihilated. The Yeomanry and Hussars pressed on and occupied Monchy, where they dug in. The CO of the 10th Hussars having become a casualty, Lt-Col Whitmore commanded all the troops in Monchy. The two regiments and machine gun sqn held their positions in and around the town against determined German attacks for 18 hours before being relieved by infantry. The Essex Yeomanry suffered 135 casualties ad almost all their horses were killed. Lance-Corporal Mugford of the MG Sqn won a Victoria Cross in this action. On 14 March 1918, the 1/1st Essex Yeomanry left the brigade to become a cyclist unit, then to form a machine gun battalion with the Bedfordshire Yeomanry. The German spring offensive forestalled this plan, and the regiment was remounted on 28 March and sent to the 1st Cavalry Division. From 4 April, it was split up with a squadron joining each regiment in 1st Cavalry Brigade (

2nd Dragoon Guards The 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was first raised in 1685 by the Earl of Peterborough as the Earl of Peterborough's Regiment of Horse by merging four existing troops of horse. Renamed several ti ...

5th Dragoon Guards The 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards was a British army cavalry regiment, officially formed in January 1686 as Shrewsbury's Regiment of Horse. Following a number of name changes, it became the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) ...

and

11th Hussars The 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army established in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the First World War and Second World War but then amalgamated with the 10th Royal Hussars (Pri ...

). The squadrons' contributions were credited towards the regiment's battle honours. After the regiment was broken up, Lt-Col Whitmore commanded the 10th Hussars until 1919, the only TF officer without previous regular service to command a regular cavalry regiment during the war.

2/1st Essex Yeomanry

The 2nd Line regiment was formed at Colchester in 1914. In October, it moved to Wickham Market and by January 1915 it was in the

2/1st Eastern Mounted Brigade E21 may refer to: * BMW E21, an automobile platform * HMS E21 * European route E21 * DRG series E 21, different locomotives of the German National Railroad * E21 - Code that it designates the Astronomical observatory of Norm Roses, Leyburn * E21 - ...

at Huntingdon. From June 1915 to March 1916, it was at Hounslow. On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence; the brigade was numbered as

13th Mounted Brigade The 4th Mounted Division was a short-lived Yeomanry Division of the British Army active during World War I. It was formed on 20 March 1916, converted to 2nd Cyclist Division in July 1916 and broken up on 16 November 1916. It remained in England ...

and joined

4th Mounted Division The 4th Mounted Division was a short-lived Yeomanry Division of the British Army active during World War I. It was formed on 20 March 1916, converted to 2nd Cyclist Division in July 1916 and broken up on 16 November 1916. It remained in England ...

at Great Bentley. In July 1916, there was a major reorganization of 2nd Line yeomanry units in the United Kingdom. All but 12 regiments were converted to cyclists; the 2/1st Essex Yeomanry remained mounted and transferred to the 3rd Mounted Brigade in the new 1st Mounted Division (

3rd Mounted Division The 3rd Mounted Division was a Yeomanry Division (military), Division of the British Army active during World War I. It was formed on 6 March 1915 as the 2/2nd Mounted Division, a replacement/depot formation for the 2nd Mounted Division which wa ...

redesignated) at Leybourne Park, Kent. It moved to

Brasted Brasted is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. Brasted lies on the A25 road, between Sundridge and Westerham; the road is named Westerham Road, High Street and Main Road as it passes through the village east to ...

near Sevenoaks in March 1917. In September 1917, the 1st Mounted Division was converted to The Cyclist Division and the regiment became a cyclist unit in

13th Cyclist Brigade In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octave ...

of the division at Sevenoaks. In December 1917, the 13th Cyclist Brigade was broken up and the regiment was posted to the 6th Cyclist Brigade in Ireland in January 1918. It remained with the 6th Cyclist Brigade until the end of the war, stationed at The Curragh.

3/1st Essex Yeomanry

The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1915 and in the summer it was affiliated to a Reserve Cavalry Regiment in Eastern Command. In April 1916 it was affiliated to the

2nd Reserve Cavalry Regiment Seventeen Cavalry Reserve Regiments were formed by the British Army on the outbreak of the Great War in August, 1914. These were affiliated with one or more active cavalry regiments, their purpose being to train replacement drafts for the active r ...

at Aldershot. Early in 1917 it was absorbed into the

4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment Seventeen Cavalry Reserve Regiments were formed by the British Army on the outbreak of the Great War in August, 1914. These were affiliated with one or more active cavalry regiments, their purpose being to train replacement drafts for the active r ...

, also at Aldershot.

Victoria Cross

One Essex Yeoman was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) during World War I.

Harold Sandford Mugford Lance Corporal Harold Sandford Mugford VC (31 August 1894 – 16 June 1958) was a British Army soldier and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be ...

, a shipping clerk born in Bermondsey in 1894 and brought up in

East Ham East Ham is a district of the London Borough of Newham, England, 8 miles (12.8 km) east of Charing Cross. East Ham is identified in the London Plan as a Major Centre. The population is 76,186. It was originally part of the Becontree Hun ...

, had joined the Essex Yeomanry in 1912. Mobilised in August 1914, he had served with the regiment at Frezenberg Ridge and Loos. In March 1916, as a member of the regiment's machine gun section he was transferred to the 8th Squadron, MGC, which supported 8th Cavalry Brigade. After the brigade had taken Monchy on 11 April 1917, L/Cpl Mugford placed his machine gun in an exposed forward position and drove off the enemy who were massing for a counter-attack. His No 2 was killed almost immediately and Mugford was severely wounded, but he refused to go to the dressing-station and continued to operate his gun, inflicting further losses on the enemy. A short time later a shell broke both his legs, but he remained at his gun, urging his comrades to take cover. He was then removed to the dressing-station, where he was also wounded in the arm. Mugford survived, despite the los of both legs, and was awarded the VC for his conspicuous bravery.Harold Mugford, VC, at Western Front Association.
/ref>

Between the wars

The regiment was reconstituted in 1920 as part of the Territorial Army with regimental headquarters at Colchester. In 1921, the regiment was converted from cavalry to artillery and became the 104th (Essex Yeomanry) Brigade,

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of t ...

.Litchfield, pp. 67–8. * Regimental Headquarters was at Colchester * 413 (Essex Yeomanry) Battery was based at Colchester * 414 (Essex Yeomanry) Battery was based at

In 1932, with regimental headquarters and 413 Battery transferred to Chelmsford, the regiment gained 339 ( Essex Royal Horse Artillery) Battery based at Colchester, transferred from 85th (East Anglian) Field Brigade. In 1938, the regiment was renamed 104th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (RHA).

World War II

At the outbreak of the World War II in 1939, the "104th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, RHA" formed a duplicate regiment as part of the increase in British military manpower. The second Essex Yeomanry regiment was designated 147 Regiment RHA (Essex Yeomanry), and reclassified as a field regiment in 1941. In 1942 both 147th (Essex Yeomanry) and 86th (East Anglian) (Herts Yeomanry) Field Regiments supplied cadres to help form

191st (Hertfordshire and Essex Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery The 191st (Hertfordshire and Essex Yeomanry) Field Regiment was a unit of Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) formed during World War II. Created around experienced drafts from existing Territorial Army units, it trained as mobile artillery with an ar ...

104th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, RHA

The first line regiment went to the Middle East in 1940 and served in most of the Western Desert battles, notably the Battle of El Alamein and the

Siege of Tobruk The siege of Tobruk lasted for 241 days in 1941, after Axis forces advanced through Cyrenaica from El Agheila in Operation Sonnenblume against Allied forces in Libya, during the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) of the Second World War. ...

. It went on to fight in the Italian Campaign and was stood-down in Austria in 1946.

147th (Essex Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA

The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 B12023

The new regiment landed on the beaches of Normandy on

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

, 1944. It was equipped with Sexton Self Propelled 25 Pounder guns and fought with the British 8th Armoured Brigade as a spearhead unit through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and into Germany.

14th Regiment, RHA

Another regiment, 14th RHA, was formed in India on 1 September 1942. It commanded 414th (Essex Yeomanry) Battery from 104th RHA, 524th Battery (formerly independent) and the newly formed 525th Battery. The Regimental

Headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...

, 524th and 525th Batteries were disbanded on 27 April 1946 and 414th Battery was placed in suspended animation in Middle East Land Forces on the same date. 414th Battery was reconstituted in 304th (Essex Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery on 1 January 1947.

Postwar

The regiment was re-raised on 1 June 1947 as 304th (Essex Yeomanry) Field Regiment RA with headquarters at Chelmsford and batteries at Colchester (P), Southend (Q), and Harlow (R). The Royal Horse Artillery designation was restored in February 1955. Following the defence cuts of 1967, the unit was reduced to squadron status as 70 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron, part of 71 Yeomanry Signal Regiment,

. On 25 April 2009, 70 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron was awarded the freedom of Harlow. Following the reorganisation of the Royal Signals Reserves in 2009, 68 ( Inns of Court & City Yeomanry) Signal Squadron merged with 70 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron to form 68 (Inns of Court & City and Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron. Under Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2014, 907 Signal Troop was subordinated to 36 Signal Squadron, which then became 36 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron, part of 71 (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment.

Heritage and ceremonial

Uniforms and insignia

The Essex Imperial Yeomanry adopted the same colours for its full dress uniform as the neighbouring Loyal Sussex Hussars: green with scarlet facings. The Khaki service dress had green facings from 1901 to 1905, the red facings until 1908. Slouch hats with the left side turned up were worn in both orders of dress. In the TF, brass dragoon helmets with scarlet plumes, worn with white gauntlet gloves, were introduced in full dress for the 1911 Coronation. On becoming Royal Artillery the regiment retained its Yeomanry cap and collar badges and buttons, which were worn by all ranks until 1975.Anon, ''Regimental Badges'', 1941. When the Essex RHA joined in 1933, the whole regiment adopted RHA-style ball buttons, but they bore the Yeomanry badge. In 1943, 147th Field Rgt adopted an embroidered regimental badge worn on both arms, consisting of three seaxes with green blades and yellow hilts on a red diamond. This was adopted by the whole regiment from 1947 to 1965. While attached to 8th Armoured Brigade, 1944–46, 147th Field Rgt wore a black Royal Armoured Corps beret. Post World War II, all ranks wore Rifle green berets with the Yeomanry badge in brass (embroidered gold wire for officers). The No 1 dress was rifle green with two scarlet stripes down the overalls. Cavalry shoulder chains were added to the green No 1 dress in 1955 when the RHA title was restored to the regiment. 70 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron wore

cap badges on the green beret of the Essex Yeomanry.

Essex Yeomanry Band

The Essex Yeomanry Band is one of the oldest established Military bands in the

East of England The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. This region was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics purposes from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire ...

, being originally formed in 1809. In 1830, the Commanding Officer of the West Essex Yeomanry was financially supporting the Band out of his own pocket. An 1846 engraving shows a black drummer mounted on a white horse, sporting a plumed turban. The other mounted bandsmen wore the Yeomanry uniform of the period. In 1877, the West Essex Yeomanry was disbanded, but later reformed to become the Waltham Abbey Town Band. However, this newly formed band proudly continued to wear the Yeomanry uniform. The Essex Yeomanry became gunners in 1921, but still retained the Band. By 1937, the band was in the full dress uniform of the Regiment, complete with plumed brass helmets. During the Second World War, the Essex Yeomanry Band was disbanded, but reformed in 1947. This was a difficult time for the players, as all the uniforms had been destroyed with the bombing of Chelmsford in 1943. In 1952, official recognition of the band was given by the War Office, but like the Regiment, it was withdrawn in 1968.

Regimental marches

The regimental march before World War I was ''Hoch Habsburg'' ('Hail Habsburg'), which was probably discontinued as inappropriate once war broke out with Austria-Hungary. In 1962 the CO, Col Hugh Hunter Jones, introduced ''The Coggeshall Man's Wedding'' as the regimental march. The regimental slow march is the ''Slow March of the Royal Artillery'', but ''Duke of York'' may have been used ''ca'' 1959.Foakes & Mckenzie-Bell, p. 33.

Battle honours

The Essex Yeomanry was awarded the following battle honours: ;First World War Ypres 1915, St. Julien, Frezenberg, Loos, Arras 1917,

Scarpe 1917 The Battle of Arras (also known as the Second Battle of Arras) was a British offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the ...

Somme 1918 Somme 1918 was a battle honour awarded to units of the British and Imperial Armies that took part in one or more of the following engagements in the Great War:T.F. MillFrance and Flanders(archive of Regiments.org page) *First Battle of the Somme (19 ...

, Amiens,

Albert 1918 Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert C ...

, Hindenburg Line, St. Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir,

Cambrai 1918 Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Esca ...

, Pursuit to Mons,

France and Flanders 1914–18 The Western Front was one of the main theatres of war during the First World War. Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of import ...

;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.

Memorials

The regimental war memorials to the Essex Yeomen who died in the two world wars are in St Peter's Chapel in

Chelmsford Cathedral Chelmsford Cathedral in the city of Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom, is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, St Peter and St Cedd. It became a cathedral when the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford was created in 1914 and is the seat of the Bishop o ...

, together with individual memorials to L/Cpl Harold Mugford, VC, (unveiled in June 2006) to Brig-Gen Sir Richard Colvin and to Col Sir Francis Whitmore.IWM War Memorial Register Ref 78260.
/ref> There is also a memorial window to Sir Richard Colvin in the Lady Chapel of Waltham Abbey Church. A memorial to the men of 3 Troop, D Sqn, Essex Yeomanry, and other local Territorials who died in World War I was at the Army Reserve Centre at Romford. In May 2009 a memorial was dedicated in Saint George's Memorial Church, Ypres, to commemorate Essex Yeomen who died in the Ypres Salient, most of whom have no known grave and are listed on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing. The regimental memorial in Normandy is at Asnelles on

Gold Beach Gold, commonly known as Gold Beach, was the code name for one of the five areas of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. Gold, the central of the five areas, was lo ...

Honorary Colonels

The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit: * Francis Greville, 5th Earl of Warwick, appointed 16 November 1901 * Brig-Gen Sir Richard Colvin, former CO, 1922 to 1935 * Col Sir Francis Whitmore, 1st Baronet, former CO, 1936 to 1950 * Maj-Gen Reginald Hobbs, CB, DSO,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, former CO, appointed 1961Foakes & McKenzie-Bell, pp. 17–8. * Col G.R. Judd, TD, former CO, from ? to ?; reappointed to the Essex Yeomanry (RHA), 1 April 1967

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Anon, ''Regimental Badges and Service Caps'', London: George Philip & Sons, 1941. * Maj R. Money Barnes, ''The Soldiers of London'', London: Seeley Service, 1963. * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 1: The Regular British Divisions'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1934/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * Col John K. Dunlop, ''The Development of the British Army 1899–1914'', London: Methuen, 1938. * * * * * Norman E.H. Litchfield, ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, . * * * * Col H.C.B. Rogers, ''The Mounted Troops of the British Army 1066–1945'', London: Seeley Service, 1959. * Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, .

External links

Anglo Boer War
*

* * * * *
907 (Essex Yeomanary) Signal Troop
*
Imperial War Museum, War Memorials Register

The Long, Long Trail

* ttp://www.roll-of-honour.com/index.html Roll of Honour
Western Front Association.
{{Royal Horse Artillery Yeomanry regiments of the British Army Yeomanry regiments of the British Army in World War I Military units and formations established in 1797 Military units and formations in Essex History of Colchester Regiments of the British Army in World War II