The 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) was a

Yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army, British Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve, descended from volunteer British Cavalry, cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. It was raised in 1901 from

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

veterans of the

Imperial Yeomanry The Imperial Yeomanry was a volunteer mounted force of the British Army that mainly saw action during the Second Boer War. Created on 2 January 1900, the force was initially recruited from the middle classes and traditional yeomanry sources, but su ...

. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

it served dismounted at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

, was remounted to serve in Macedonia, Egypt and Palestine, before being converted to machine gunners for service on the Western Front. 2nd and 3rd Line units remained in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

throughout. Between the wars, it was converted to an Armoured Car Company before being expanded back to regimental size and forming a duplicate regiment, the 4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters). Both regiments served throughout the North African Campaign (notably at

El Alamein El Alamein ( ar, العلمين, translit=al-ʿAlamayn, lit=the two flags, ) is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Arab's Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. , it had ...

), before moving on to

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

(3rd CLY) and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. Both regiments returned to the United Kingdom in time to prepare for the opening of the

Second Front The Western Front was a military theatre of World War II encompassing Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The Italian front is considered a separate but related theater. The Wester ...

. Due to losses, and a shortage of replacement personnel and equipment, the regiments were amalgamated in August 1944 as 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters). The regiment went on to serve throughout the North-West Europe Campaign, ending the war in Germany. Post-war, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) reformed as a Territorial Army armoured regiment in 1947. In 1961 the regiment merged with the

Kent Yeomanry The Kent Yeomanry was an artillery regiment of the Territorial Army (TA) formed in 1920 by the amalgamation of the Royal East Kent (The Duke of Connaught's Own) Yeomanry (Mounted Rifles) and West Kent Yeomanry (Queen's Own). For the Second Wor ...

to form the

Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry The Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry was a unit of the Territorial Army ('TA') that was formed in 1961 as the Kent and County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) by the amalgamation of 297 (Kent Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Artillery and 3rd/4th Cou ...

Imperial Yeomanry

On 13 December 1899, the decision to allow volunteer forces serve in the

was made. Due to the string of defeats during

Black Week Black Week refers to the week of 10–17 December 1899 during the Second Boer War, when the British Army suffered three devastating defeats by the Boer Republics at the battles of Stormberg, Magersfontein and Colenso. In total, 2,776 British ...

in December 1899, the British government realised that they were going to need more troops than just the regular army, thus issuing a Royal Warrant on 24 December 1899. This warrant officially created the

. The 18th Battalion was raised on 7 March 1900 by the

Earl of Dunraven Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (usually referred to as Earl of Dunraven) was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 5 February 1822 for Valentine Quin, 1st Viscount Mount-Earl. Quin had already been created a Baronet, of Adare ...

and designated as "Sharpshooters". Unlike most IY battalions, which were formed from the existing

regiments providing service companies of approximately 115 men each, the Sharpshooters were selected from volunteers who could prove their skill with a rifle and their horsemanship. The 18th Battalion comprised 67th, 71st and 75th (Sharpshooters) Companies recruited in London and 70th (Scottish or HQ) Company recruited in Scotland. The experiment was considered a success, and in 1901 three further battalions were raised by the Sharpshooters Committee: * 21st (2nd Sharpshooters) Battalion – raised 9 March ** 80th–83rd (Sharpshooters) Companies * 23rd (3rd Sharpshooters) Battalion – raised 5 March ** 90th–93rd (Sharpshooters) Companies * 25th (Sharpshooters) Battalion – raised 19 October ** 115th–118th (Sharpshooters) Companies On 23 July 1901, the 3rd County of London Imperial Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) was formed from South African War veterans to perpetuate the 18th, 21st and 23rd Battalions, IY: * Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) at

Cockspur Street Cockspur Street is a short street in the City of Westminster, London, within which a very short part of Trafalgar Square links Charing Cross to Pall Mall/Pall Mall East at the point where that road changes name, opposite the traffic exit from ...

, London, moving to

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...

in 1901 * A Squadron: from veterans of 18th Battalion * B Squadron: from veterans of 21st and 23rd Battalions, incorporating the Mounted Infantry Company of the 1st Middlesex (Victoria and St George's) Volunteer Rifles * C Squadron: from 'other yeomen and ex-soldiers' * D Squadron: from new recruits * Machine Gun Section

Territorial Force

On 1 April 1908, the regiment was renamed as the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) and transferred to the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...

, trained and equipped as

hussars A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

. In 1912, the regiment moved to Henry Street (renamed Allitsen Road in 1938) in

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...

. It was ranked as 48th (of 55) in the

order of precedence An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...

of the Yeomanry Regiments in the Army List of 1914. It was assigned to the

London Mounted Brigade London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

.3rd CLY at Long, Long Trail.
/ref>

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, c.9'') which brought the

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.

1/3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

The 1st Line regiment mobilized with its brigade and concentrated in

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

at the outbreak of war. It joined

2nd Mounted Division The 2nd Mounted Division was a yeomanry ( Territorial Army cavalry) division that served in the First World War. At the outbreak of war it was assigned to defence of the Norfolk coast. In March 1915 it formed a 2nd Line duplicate of itself, the ...

on 2 September and moved with the division to

East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...

in November 1914. On 14 April 1915, the regiment departed

Avonmouth Avonmouth is a port and outer suburb of Bristol, England, facing two rivers: the reinforced north bank of the final stage of the Avon which rises at sources in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset; and the eastern shore of the Severn Estuar ...

for

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

, arriving at

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

on 27 April. It was posted to the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

Defences (near

Ismaïlia Ismailia ( ar, الإسماعيلية ', ) is a city in north-eastern Egypt. Situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, it is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate. The city has a population of 1,406,699 (or approximately 750,000, includi ...

) by the middle of May and its parent brigade was designated 4th (London) Mounted Brigade. The regiment was dismounted in August 1915 for service in the Gallipoli Campaign. It left a

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

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 ...

and two

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troop Ro ...

s (about 100 officers and men) in Egypt to look after the horses. The regiment landed at Suvla Bay on the morning of 18 August and moved into reserve positions at Karakol Dagh. It moved to "C" Beach, Lala Baba on 20 August. On 21 August it advanced to Chocolate Hill under heavy fire and took part in the attack on Hill 112. Due to losses during the

Battle of Scimitar Hill The Battle of Scimitar Hill ( Turkish: Yusufçuk Tepe Muharebesi, literally: ''Battle of the Dragonfly Hill'') was the last offensive mounted by the British at Suvla during the Battle of Gallipoli in World War I. It was also the largest single-d ...

and wastage during August 1915, the 2nd Mounted Division had to be reorganised. On 4 September 1915, the

2nd Composite Mounted Brigade The 2nd Composite Mounted BrigadeDespite the name, the brigade was dismouted throughout its existence. was a formation of the British Army in World War I. It was formed by the 2nd Mounted Division during the Gallipoli Campaign on 4 September 191 ...

was formed from the 3rd (Notts and Derby) and 4th (London) Mounted Brigades. The regiment formed part of a battalion sized unit ''4th London Regiment''. The regiment embarked for

Mudros Moudros ( el, Μούδρος) is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lemnos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the entire eas ...

on 2 November and, in December 1915, returned to Egypt, where it was reformed and remounted. The regiment (and its brigade) left the 2nd Mounted Division on 18 January 1916 and was sent to

Abbassia Abbassia ( ar, العباسية ) is a neighbourhood in Cairo, Egypt. The Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo is located in Abbassia. The medical faculty of Ain Shams University and its affiliate hospital units are located in Ab ...

. It once again served as part of the

Defences. In March 1916, the brigade was redesignated as 8th Mounted Brigade. From November 1916 to June 1917, the regiment took part in the

Salonika Campaign The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of German ...

, serving as GHQ Troops with the

British Salonika Army The British Salonika Army was a field army of the British Army during World War I. After the armistice in November 1918, it was disbanded, but component units became the newly formed Army of the Black Sea, and General Milne remained in command. Fi ...

. The regiment arrived back in Egypt from Salonika with its brigade on 8 June 1917. It moved forward and joined the newly formed

Yeomanry Mounted Division The Yeomanry Mounted Division was a Territorial Force cavalry division formed at Khan Yunis in Palestine in June 1917 from three yeomanry mounted brigades. It served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War, mostly as part of ...

on 21 July 1917 at el Fuqari. From 31 October, it took part in the

Third Battle of Gaza The Third Battle of Gaza was fought on the night of 1–2 November 1917 between British and Ottoman forces during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I and came after the British Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) victory at the B ...

, including the Battle of Beersheba and the Capture of the Sheria Position. It took part in the

Battle of Mughar Ridge The Battle of Mughar Ridge, officially known by the British as the action of El Mughar, took place on 13 November 1917 during the Pursuit phase of the Southern Palestine Offensive of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in the First World War. Fi ...

on 13 and 14 November and the

Battle of Nebi Samwil The Battle of Nebi Samwil, (17–24 November 1917), was fought during the decisive British Empire victory at the Battle of Jerusalem between the forces of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force and the Ottoman Empire's Yildirim Army Group during the S ...

for 17 to 24 November. From 27 to 29 November, it withstood the Turkish counter-attacks during the Capture of Jerusalem. In March 1918, the

1st Indian Cavalry Division The 1st Indian Cavalry Division was a division of the British Indian Army which was formed at the outbreak of the First World War. It served on the Western Front, and was renamed the 4th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916. In March 1918, the ...

was broken up in France. The British units (notably

6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons The 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1689 as Sir Albert Cunningham's Regiment of Dragoons. One of the regiment's most notable battles was the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. It became th ...

17th Lancers The 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1759 and notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. The regiment was amalgamated with the 21st Lanc ...

, 1/1st

Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons The Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1794 to 1956. It was formed as a volunteer cavalry force in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars. Its volunteer companies played an active role ...

and A, Q and U Batteries RHA) remained in France and the Indian elements were sent to Egypt. By an

Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–15), at the beginning of ...

GHQ Order of 12 April 1918, the mounted troops of the EEF were reorganised when the Indian Army units arrived in

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

. On 24 April 1918, the Yeomanry Mounted Division was ''indianized'' and its title was changed to 1st Mounted Division, the third distinct division to bear this title. On 24 April 1918, the 8th Mounted Brigade was merged with elements of the

8th (Lucknow) Cavalry Brigade The Lucknow Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army formed in 1911 as a result of the Kitchener Reforms. It was mobilized as 8th (Lucknow) Cavalry Brigade at the outbreak of the First World War as part of the 1st Indian ...

: the Sharpshooters and the

City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) The City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) was a yeomanry regiment of the British Territorial Army, formed in 1901 from veterans of the Second Boer War. In World War I it served dismounted in the Gallipoli Campaign but reverted to the mounted r ...

left the brigade on 7 April and were merged to form E Battalion,

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in the First World War. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tank ...

. They were replaced by 29th Lancers (Deccan Horse) and

36th Jacob's Horse The 36th Jacob's Horse were a unit of cavalry of the British Indian Army. Origins They were raised by Lieut. John Jacob of the Bombay Artillery, as a unit of Irregular Horse, originally in 1839 (reformed 1846) to patrol the area of ' Scinde' ...

from 8th (Lucknow) Cavalry Brigade. E Battalion, MGC was posted to France, arriving on 1 June 1918. On 17 August 1918, it was renumberedCLY (Rough Riders) at Long, Long Trail.
/ref> as 103rd (City & 3rd Cty. of London Yeo.) Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. It remained on the Western Front for the rest of the war. At the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...

, it was serving as Army Troops with the First Army.

2/3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

The 2nd Line regiment was formed in London in August 1914. By March 1915, it was with 2/1st London Mounted Brigade in

2/2nd Mounted Division The 3rd Mounted Division was a Yeomanry 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 was being sent abroad ...

and was at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence; the brigade was numbered as 12th Mounted Brigade and the division as

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 ...

. In July 1916, the regiment was converted to a

cyclist Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

unit in

4th Cyclist Brigade Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

1st Cyclist 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 ...

and was stationed at

North Walsham North Walsham is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England, within the North Norfolk district. Demography The civil parish has an area of and in the 2011 census had a population of 12,634. For the purposes of local government, the pa ...

. In November 1916, the division was broken up and regiment was merged with the 2/1st County of London Yeomanry to form 6th (1st and 3rd County of London) Yeomanry Cyclist Regiment in 2nd Cyclist Brigade, probably at Reepham. In March 1917, it resumed its identity as 2/3rd County of London Yeomanry and was at

Worstead Worstead is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies south of North Walsham, north of Wroxham, and north of Norwich. The village is served by Worstead railway station on the Bittern Line. For the purposes of local ...

near North Walsham. By July 1917, the regiment moved to

Overstrand Overstrand is a village (population 1,030) on the north coast of Norfolk in England, two miles east of Cromer. It was once a modest fishing station, with all or part of the fishing station being known as Beck Hythe. In the latter part of the 19t ...

and in 1918 to

Coltishall Coltishall is a village on the River Bure, west of Wroxham, in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located within the Norfolk Broads. History Coltishall's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for Cohhede's lan ...

. In May 1918, the regiment moved to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and was stationed at

The Curragh The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the f ...

and

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...

, still in 2nd Cyclist Brigade, until the end of the war.

3/3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1915 and in the summer it was affiliated to a Reserve Cavalry Regiment in Eastern Command. In the summer of 1916, it was affiliated to the 9th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at

. Early in 1917, it was absorbed into the 2nd Reserve Cavalry Regiment at The Curragh.

Between the wars

On 7 February 1920, the Regiment was reconstituted in the Territorial Army with HQ still at

. Following the experience of the war, it was decided that only the fourteen most senior yeomanry regiments would be retained as horsed cavalry, with the rest being transferred to other roles. As a result, on 29 September 1920, the Regiment was one of eight converted and reduced to 5th (London) Armoured Car Company, Tank Corps. In June 1922, it was renumbered as the 23rd (London) Armoured Car Company,

Royal Tank Corps The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as t ...

and on 30 April 1939 it was transferred to the

Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the component of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 Tank and the Scimitar Reconnaissance Vehicle. It includes most of the A ...

. By 1939, it had become clear that a new European war was likely to break out, and the doubling of the Territorial Army was authorised, with each unit forming a duplicate. The Sharpshooters was expanded to an armoured regiment and on 24 August 1939 regained its original title as the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters). On 29 September, it provided a nucleus for its duplicate 4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters).

World War II

3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

The two regiments had very similar histories during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

until September 1942, as the battle honours earned by both regiments attest. and in September 1939, the 3rd and 4th CLY were assigned to the 22nd Heavy Armoured Brigade – 22nd Armoured Brigade from April 1940 – along with the

2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was a volunteer yeomanry regiment which, in the 20th century, became part of the British Army Reserve. It traced its origins to the First or Cheltenham Troop of Gloucestershire Gentleman and Yeomanry raised in ...

(2nd RGH). Initially in Southern Command, the brigade joined the 2nd Armoured Division in January 1940 and the 1st Armoured Division in October 1940. The regiment remained in the United Kingdom until moving to North Africa in October 1941. Both regiments took part in

Operation Crusader Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War by the British Eighth Army (United Kingdom), Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) ...

(18 November–30 December 1941), the

Battle of Gazala The Battle of Gazala (near the village of ) was fought during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, west of the port of Tobruk in Libya, from 26 May to 21 June 1942. Axis troops of the ( Erwin Rommel) consisting of German and I ...

(26 May – 21 June 1942), and the

First Battle of El Alamein The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert campaign of the Second World War, fought in Egypt between Axis (German and Italian) forces of the Panzer Army Africa—which included the under Field Marshal ...

(1–27 July 1942) as part of the 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions. On 16 September 1942, the 3rd CLY left the 22nd Armoured Brigade and was placed under command of GHQ,

British Troops in Egypt British Troops in Egypt was a command of the British Army. History A British Army commander was appointed in the late 19th century after the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882. The British Army remained in Egypt throughout the First World War and, after t ...

. It was posted to Mareopolis and then

Khatatba Khatatba is a town in the Monufia Governorate in Lower Egypt, 43 kilometers north of the Egyptian capital Cairo. It is just above the Khatatba Canal which branches off the Nile River. History Historically, the town served the role of a departure ...

where it underwent training and was refitted. The regiment spent the early part of 1943 in routine training and conversion to the

Sherman tank } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It w ...

The 3rd CLY joined the 4th Armoured Brigade on 13 July 1943 in Sicily: it was to remain with the brigade until amalgamation. With the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces, ...

, the regiment took part in the landing and

Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers ( Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany). It bega ...

, before moving on to take part in the Italian campaign, notably the advance across the Sangro. In January 1944, the regiment left Italy for the United Kingdom, where it prepared for the upcoming invasion of Northern France. The regiment landed in Normandy on 7 June 1944, the day after

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 ...

. In the following two months, it took park in

Operation Epsom Operation Epsom, also known as the First Battle of the Odon, was a British offensive in the Second World War between 26 and 30 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy. The offensive was intended to outflank and seize the German-occupied city ...

(26 June – 2 July) and the

Battle for Caen The Battle for Caen (June to August 1944) is the name given to fighting between the British Second Army and the German in the Second World War for control of the city of Caen and its vicinity during the larger Battle of Normandy. The battles ...

, the attempts by the

British Second Army The British Second Army was a field army active during the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front throughout most of the war and later active in Italy. During the Second World War the army ...

to seize the German-occupied city of

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Villers-Bocage, the two Sharpshooters regiments were amalgamated on 1 August 1944 at Carpiquet to form 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters).

4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

The 4th CLY was formed on 27 September 1939 as a duplicate of – and from a nucleus of – the 3rd CLY. It shared its title with an earlier regiment, but was otherwise unconnected. On formation, it was assigned to the 22nd Armoured Brigade and its early actions mirrored that of the 3rd CLY, taking part in Operation Crusader, the Battle of Gazala, and the First Battle of El Alamein as part of the 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions. In September 1942, 3rd CLY and 2nd RGH left the brigade and were replaced by the 1st and 5th Royal Tank Regiments. 4th CLY remained with 22nd Armoured Brigade and 7th Armoured Division until amalgamation. The regiment particularly distinguished themselves in the

Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian Railway station, railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa ...

(23 October–11 November 1942) and took part in the subsequent advance into Tunisia (17 November 1942 – 13 May 1943). It did not take part in the

Sicilian campaign The Sicilian Expedition was an Athenian military expedition to Sicily, which took place from 415–413 BC during the Peloponnesian War between Athens on one side and Sparta, Syracuse and Corinth on the other. The expedition ended in a devas ...

but landed in Italy in September 1943. It participated in the capture of Naples and the crossing of the Volturno. In December 1943, the regiment left Italy for the United Kingdom where it prepared for the upcoming invasion of

North West Europe Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The region can be defined both geographically and ethnographically. Geographic definitions Geographically, Northw ...

The British Army in the Normandy Campaign 1944 B5128

The regiment landed in Normandy on 7 June 1944, the day after

. During the

Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norma ...

, 4th CLY served as part of the 7th Armoured Division. On 13 June, they led the advance of 22nd Armoured Brigade with A Company of 1st Battalion,

Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

by road from Villers-Bocage and were ambushed by a detachment comprising five

Tiger tank Tiger tank may refer to: *Tiger I, or ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf. E'', a German heavy tank produced from 1942 to 1944 *Tiger II, or ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf. B'', a German heavy tank produced from 1943 to 1945, also known as ''Kön ...

s.Taylor, Daniel (1999) ''Villers-Bocage, though the Lens.'' Battle of Britain Intl. One of the Tigers, commanded by SS-Obersturmführer

Michael Wittmann Michael Wittmann (22 April 19148 August 1944) was a German Waffen-SS tank commander during the Second World War. He is known for his ambush of elements of the British 7th Armored Division during the Battle of Villers-Bocage on 13 June 1944. Whil ...

, cut in behind the lead squadron, cutting them off and destroying the soft-skinned vehicles of the Rifle Brigade before running into the Sharpshooters Headquarters Troop and accompanying artillery observation tanks. Wittmann is credited with up to ten of the kills before his tank was immobilised and he escaped on foot. The cut-off squadron was later forced to surrender after the arrival of a further ten Tiger tanks. These Tigers, with elements of

Panzer-Lehr-Division The Panzer-Lehr-Division (in the meaning of: Armoured training division) was an elite German armoured division during World War II. It was formed in 1943 onwards from training and demonstration troops (''Lehr'' = "teach") stationed in Germany, t ...

and 2nd Panzer Division, then counter-attacked the British in the town, but lost up to eight Tigers and two Panzer IVs before the British withdrew. 4th CLY lost its commander,

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

The Viscount Cranley, and

second-in-command Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation. Usage In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, ...

; "A" Squadron was destroyed. 4 CLY's losses for the day amounted to 20

Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

s, four

Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...

s, three

Humber Scout Car The Humber Scout Car was a British light scout car used in the Second World War. It entered service in 1942 and continued in production until 1945. Designed for reconnaissance, and liaison between armoured units, it provided protection only a ...

s, three Stuarts and a half track. The lost squadron was reformed within a week and the Regiment fought through to the amalgamation, taking part in Operation Goodwood. Due to losses sustained, particularly by 4th CLY at Villers-Bocage, the two Sharpshooters regiments were amalgamated on 1 August 1944 at Carpiquet to form 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters). The 4th CLY was replaced in 22nd Armoured Brigade by the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards from the 28th Armoured Brigade in the United Kingdom.

3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

3rd/4th CLY was formed on 1 August 1944 at Carpiquet (near

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) The 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army. It was raised in 1901 from Second Boer War veterans of the Imperial Yeomanry. During the First World War it served dismounted at Gallipoli, was remount ...

and 4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters). The combined regiment replaced 3rd CLY in 4th Armoured Brigade, and served with it (under

Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

– later

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

–

Michael Carver Field Marshal Richard Michael Power Carver, Baron Carver, (24 April 1915 – 9 December 2001) was a senior British Army officer. Lord Carver served as the Chief of the General Staff (CGS), the professional head of the British Army, and then as t ...

) for the remainder of the Second World War. It took part in the Battle of Mont Pincon (30 July – 9 August), The Nederrijn (17 – 27 September), The Rhineland (8 February – 10 March 1945), and

The Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , sou ...

(23 March – 1 April).

Postwar

In September 1946, the regiment was placed in suspended animation in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It was reconstituted as 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) on 1 January 1947 in the Territorial Army with HQ and three squadrons in London. In 1956, B Squadron moved to

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

and C Squadron to Harrow. The Sharpshooters initially served as an armoured regiment in the 56th (London) Armoured Division. It changed role in 1956 as a result of TA reorganisation and became the reconnaissance regiment for the 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division. In 1959, the affiliation with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment ended and the

1st Royal Dragoons The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons) was a heavy cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1661 as the Tangier Horse. It served for three centuries and was in action during the First and the Second World Wars. It was amalgama ...

became the parent regiment. In 1960, the number of Yeomanry Regiments was halved, and on 1 May 1961 the Sharpshooters was amalgamated with the

– descended from the

Royal East Kent Yeomanry The Royal East Kent Yeomanry was a British Army regiment formed in 1794. It saw action in the Second Boer War and the First World War. History Formation and early history The regiment was formed in 1794, originally as a series of independent tro ...

and the

Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry The Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry was a British Army regiment formed in 1794. It served in the Second Boer War and the First World War. It amalgamated with the Royal East Kent (The Duke of Connaught's Own) Yeomanry (Mounted Rifles) to form the ...

– to form the

Kent and County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) The Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry was a unit of the Territorial Army ('TA') that was formed in 1961 as the Kent and County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) by the amalgamation of 297 (Kent Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Artillery and 3rd/4th Cou ...

Heritage & ceremonial

Uniforms

On active service in South Africa the three battalions wore the standard khaki serge clothing and drab slouch hats. On reorganisation as a permanent unit in 1902, the Sharpshooters were authorised to wear a distinctive "bright dark green" full dress of

hussar A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

style with gold braiding for officers and bright yellow cording for other ranks. For review order fur busbies with green and yellow plumes were worn. Special uniforms in the unique green and yellow shades included levee order for appearance at court and

mess dress Mess dress uniform is the most formal (or semi-formal, depending on the country) type of uniforms used by military personnel, police personnel, and other uniformed services members. It frequently consists of a mess jacket, trousers, white d ...

for evening functions. Even

khaki The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge. Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage relative to sandy ...

field service dress was brightened by green facings piped in yellow and the full dress plumes transferred from busby to slouch hat. The colourful appearance of the regiment may have assisted recruiting but between 1902 and 1914 a number of modifications aimed at simplification and economy were adopted. These included the substitution of a more sombre shade of bluish green for dress uniforms and the issuing of the plain khaki service dress of the regular cavalry. For the remainder of its existence after 1914 the regiment wore the standard field and

battle dress A combat uniform, also called field uniform, battledress or military fatigues, is a casual wear, casual type of uniform used by military, police, firefighter, fire and other public uniformed services for everyday fieldwork and combat duty purpo ...

of the British Army, although traditional features such as the green and yellow cap (see illustration above), mess uniforms and patrol jackets were preserved where possible."Regiment. The Military Heritage Collection", page 55, Issue Five December 1994 "The Yeomanry 1794-1994"

Battle honours

The 3rd, 4th and 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) have been awarded the following

battle honours A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

: ;Second Boer War

South Africa 1900–02 The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

;First World War

Pursuit to Mons Pursuit may refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Pursuit'' (1935 film), a 1935 American action film * ''Pursuit'' (1972 American film), a made-for-TV film directed by Michael Crichton * ''Pursuit'' (1972 Hong Kong film), a Shaw Brot ...

France and Flanders 1918 France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area e ...

, Macedonia 1916–17, Landing at Suvla Bay, Suvla, Battle of Scimitar Hill, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1915–16, Gaza (Battle honour), Gaza, Battle of Mughar Ridge, El Mughar, Battle of Nebi Samwil, Nebi Samwil, Palestine 1917–18 ;Second World War ''Awarded to 3rd/4th CLY other than where designated: ³ awarded to 3rd CLY and ⁴ awarded to 4th CLY.''
Battle of Villers-Bocage, Villers Bocage,⁴ First Battle of the Odon, Odon,³ Defence of Rauray,³ Battle for Caen, Caen,⁴ Operation Goodwood, Bourguébus Ridge,⁴ Falaise Pocket, Falaise, Battle of the Scheldt, Lower Maas, Operation Veritable, Rhineland, Operation Blockbuster, Hochwald, Operation Plunder, Rhine, Liberation of Arnhem, Aller, North-West Europe 1944–45, Operation Crusader, Tobruk 1941,^3,4 Action at Bir el Gubi (November 1941), Bir el Gubi,^3,4 Erwin Rommel#Operation Crusader, Gabr Saleh,^3,4 Sidi Rezegh, Sidi Rezegh 1941,^3,4 Operation Crusader, Chor es Sufan,^3,4 Battle of Gazala, Gazala,^3,4 Battle of Gazala#Panzerarmee Afrika in "the Cauldron", Cauldron,^3,4 Battle of Gazala, Hagiag er Raml,^3,4 First Battle of El Alamein#Battle of Mersa Matruh, Mersa Matruh,^3,4 First Battle of El Alamein#Battle of Mersa Matruh, Minqar Qaim,^3,4 First Battle of El Alamein, Defence of Alamein Line,⁴ Battle of Deir el Shein, Deir el Shein,⁴ Battle of Ruweisat, Ruweisat,⁴ First Battle of El Alamein, Point 93,³ First Battle of Ruweisat Ridge, Ruweisat Ridge,³ Battle of Alam el Halfa, Alam el Halfa,³

,⁴ Operation Pugilist#Supercharge II, Akarit,⁴ Battle of Wadi Akarit, Djebel Roumana,⁴ Tunisian campaign, Tunis,⁴ North Africa 1941–43,^3,4 Landing in Sicily,⁴ Allied invasion of Sicily, Lentini,⁴ Allied invasion of Sicily, Simeto Bridgehead,⁴ Sicily 1943,⁴ Volturno Line, Termoli,³ Bernhardt Line, Sangro,³ Bernhardt Line, Fossacesia,³ Volturno Line, Volturno Crossing,⁴ Italy 1943^3,4

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Chris Baker, ''The Long, Long Trail''

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:County of London Yeomanry 1 3 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), Yeomanry regiments of the British Army Yeomanry regiments of the British Army in World War I Armoured regiments of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1901 1901 establishments in the United Kingdom County of London, Yeomanry Military units and formations in London Military units and formations disestablished in 1961