Goodwood Troop Of Yeomanry Artillery

The Sussex Yeomanry is a yeomanry regiment of the British Army dating from 1794. It was initially formed when there was a threat of French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars. After being reformed in the Second Boer War, it served in the First World War and the Second World War, when it served in the East African Campaign and the Siege of Tobruk. The lineage is maintained by 1 (Sussex Yeomanry) Field Troop, 579 Field Squadron (EOD), part of 101 (London) Engineer Regiment ( Explosive Ordnance Disposal) (Volunteers).

French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

After Britain was drawn into the French Revolutionary Wars, Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger proposed on 14 March 1794 that the counties should form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry ( Yeomanry) 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 county. By the end of the year, 27 counties had raised Yeomanry, including Sussex. A unit of four troops under the designation of Sussex Troops of Gentlemen and Yeomen Cavalry was formed on 23 June 1794, with its headquarters (HQ) at Petworth House, the estate of George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, who took command of the force as Colonel, as well as commanding the Petworth Troop:Barlow & Smith, pp. 1–4.Maj A. McK, Annand, 'George O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Egremont, as Colonel of the Sussex Yeomanry, 1798', ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Vol XLVI, No 185, Spring 1968, pp. 31–2.
* Petworth Cavalry
* Henfield Cavalry
* West Hoathly Cavalry
* Forest Row Cavalry, with a detachment at Ashdown

Other Troops were soon added:
* Hastings Cavalry, raised 26 July 1794 as an independent troop, regimented by 1802
* Rye Cavalry, raised 31 July 1794 as an independent troop, regimented by 1802
* Midhurst Cavalry, raised 24 November 1794, with a detachment at Cowdray
* Lewes Cavalry, raised 3 June 1795, with a detachment at Coombes
* Parham Cavalry, raised 8 October 1795 by Sir Cecil Bisshopp, 8th Baronet. It usually exercised at his estate at Parham Park, drilling in the gallery of the house when the weather was wet. The troop reached a strength of 80 officers and men.Maj A. McK, Annand, 'Sir Cecil Bysshopp, Bart. (later 12th Baron Zouche) and the Parham Troop of Sussex Yeomanry, c. 1798', ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Vol XLV, No 181, Spring 1967, pp. 17–23.
* Rape of Chichester Cavalry, raised 17 June 1797, with a detachment at Watergate
* Eastbourne Cavalry, raised 20 June 1798, with a detachment at Willingdon
* Ashburnham Cavalry, raised 27 June 1798
* Brightling Cavalry, raised 27 June 1798 with a detachment at Rose Hill

In 1794, the Churchwardens of the Lewes Visitation pledged to raised the 'Sussex Churchwardens' Corps' with blue uniforms, but in the event the troop was never formed.

A Yeomanry artillery troop, the Duke of Richmond's Light Horse Artillery was raised by Field Marshal Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond on 15 June 1797 at his estate at Goodwood House. The Duke was a proponent of Horse artillery, and the troop was equipped with his own design of Curricle gun carriage, pulled by four horses (two of which were ridden), with three gunners sitting on the carriage. The troop consisted of two sections and was armed with two 3-pounder guns and two 4.5-inch Coehorn mortars.Barlow & Smith, p. 7.

The Treaty of Amiens in 1802 saw most of the Yeomanry disbanded, leaving six troops in Sussex (Petworth, West Hoathly, Midhurst, Lewes, Parham and Chichester). The peace was short-lived and Britain declared war on France again in May 1803, beginning the Napoleonic Wars. The Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry was quickly reformed, including the following additional troops:
* Firle Cavalry, raised 28 July 1803
* Ringmer Cavalry, raised 2 September 1803
* Rye Cavalry, reformed 1 October 1803
* Goodwood Artillery Troop, reformed 15 October 1803
* Ashburnham Cavalry, reformed 17 November 1803

By 1806, there was also a cavalry troop forming part of the North Pevensey Legion, but this was raised under the Volunteer Act of 1804 and did not form part of the Yeomanry. The Sussex Cavalry (three troops) and Sussex Guides were raised in 1803, but these were probably also Volunteers. For a while, the Yeomanry and infantry volunteers were combined to form the Sussex Legion, but the Volunteers were disbanded at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and the Yeomanry reverted to their previous title.

19th Century

The Yeomanry declined in importance and strength after the end of the French wars, and by 1817 only three of the original troops (Petworth, Lewes and Midhurst) survived, joined by a new West Coast Troop raised at Yapton on 30 July 1816. However, a new Goodwood Troop of Yeomanry Artillery was raised on 19 October 1817 by Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Darnley (later 5th Duke of Richmond). The unit consisted of four detachments, each of one gun with two pairs of horses, two sergeants and eight gunners. At an inspection in Goodwood Park in 1824, the troop marched past with four 3-pounders (possibly the same guns laid up by the earlier troop) and an ammunition wagon. The troop was disbanded in December 1827.

The remaining troops of Sussex Yeomanry were disbanded when government support was withdrawn in 1828. However, a wave of civil unrest across Britain from 1830 led to a revival of the Yeomanry. The Petworth Troop was reformed on 28 March 1831 and the Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry was reformed as a regiment on 18 May that year, with its HQ at Arundel and the following organisation:Barlow & Smith, pp. 5–6.
* Petworth Troop, disbanded by 1843
* Arundel and Bramber Yeomanry Cavalry (two troops), disbanded 1848

In 1871, the 1st Sussex Light Horse Volunteers were formed at Brighton, but these were part of the post-1859 Volunteer Force and not Yeomanry. They were disbanded in 1875.

Second Boer War

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 serve in the field was made, and a Royal Warrant was issued on 24 December. This officially created the Imperial Yeomanry (IY). The force was organised as county service companies of approximately 115 men, and volunteers (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 first contingent of 20 IY battalions arrived in South Africa between February and April and upon arrival were sent throughout the zone of operations. 69th (Sussex) Company, Imperial Yeomanry, disembarked in South Africa on 24 April 1900, and initially served in 14th Battalion, IY, transferring to 7th Battalion in 1902.

On 14 June 1901, approval was given for a new regiment of Sussex Imperial Yeomanry (all Yeomanry were designated Imperial Yeomanry from 1901 to 1907) to be formed under the command of Lt-Col Charles Wyndham, 3rd Baron Leconfield of Petworth, a former officer in the 1st Life Guards. The returned veterans of 69th (Sussex) Company formed the cadre for the new regiment, which had the following organisation:''Army List'', various dates.Barlow & Smith, pp. 7–15.
* Regimental HQ (RHQ) at 10 Great College Street, Brighton, moving to 26 Silwood Street in 1902 and Church Street in Autumn 1913
* A Squadron at Hove
* B Squadron at Lewes
* C Squadron at Chichester
* D Squadron at Hastings and Rye, later at Eastbourne

Enlistment for the new unit began on 1 October, and by 2 April 1902 69 men had been sent to South Africa to join the various IY companies still serving there. By the time the regiment carried out its first training camp at Lewes, in May 1902, it had a strength of 413.

Territorial Force

The Imperial Yeomanry were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908. The Sussex Yeomanry (TF) were organised as follows:Sussex Yeomanry at Long, Long Trail.
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* RHQ at Drill Hall, Church Street, Brighton
* A Squadron at Brighton, with detachments at Horsham, Worthing, Haywards Heath and Crawley
* B Squadron at Lewes, with detachments at Burgess Hill, Eridge, Brighton, Uckfield, Tunbridge Wells and Haywards Heath
* C Squadron at Chichester, with a detachment at Bognor
* D Squadron at Eastbourne, with detachments at St Leonards, Bexhill and Rye

The Sussex Yeomanry formed part of the TF's South Eastern Mounted Brigade.

First World War

Mobilisation

The Sussex Yeomanry were mobilised on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914 under the Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March, DSO, who had only taken command on 3 July.''Burkes''. Under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (''7 Edw. 7, c.9''), which brought the TF into being, it was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, after the outbreak of war, TF units were invited to volunteer for ' Imperial Service'. On 15 August 1914, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way, duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Later, a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments.

1/1st Sussex Yeomanry

The 1st Line regiment went to its war station at Canterbury (under Second Army of Central Force)) until September 1915.James, p. 29. It was dismounted and left Kent for Liverpool; on 24 September, it boarded RMS Olympic and sailed the next day. It arrived at Lemnos on 1 October. The regiment landed in Gallipoli on 8 October and was attached to the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. Within days of the landing the Regiment reported many men suffering from enteritis. While at Gallipoli they spent time in the trenches at Border Barricade and Fusilier Bluff. On 30 December it was evacuated to Mudros with 42nd Division; it left the Division at Mudros on 2 January 1916.

The brigade, with the regiment, was withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 and formed part of the Suez Canal Defences. On 22 February, South Eastern Mounted Brigade was absorbed into the 3rd Dismounted Brigade (along with the Eastern Mounted Brigade). The brigade served as part of the Suez Canal Defences from 14 March to 26 July attached to 42nd (East Lancashire) Division; it then joined the Western Frontier Force. By the end of the year, it was back on the Suez.3 Dismounted Bde at Regimental Warpath.
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The brigade was with the Suez Canal Defences when, on 14 January 1917, Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) Order No. 26 instructed that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Dismounted Brigades be reorganized as the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades. The brigade units were reorganized in January and February 1917. As a result, the 1/1st Sussex Yeomanry was converted to infantry at Mersa Matruh on 3 January 1917 and redesignated 16th (Sussex Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment.Barlow & Smith, pp. 15–16.Becke, Pt b, pp. 117–22.James, p. 78.

On 23 February, the GOC EEF (Lt-Gen Sir A.J. Murray) sought permission from the War Office to form the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades into a new division. The War Office granted permission and the new 74th (Yeomanry) Division started to form. The 230th Brigade joined the division at Deir el Balah between 9 and 13 April. The battalion remained with 230th Brigade in 74th (Yeomanry) Division for the rest of the war.

With the 74th Division, the battalion took part in the invasion of Palestine in 1917 and 1918. It fought in the Second and Third Battles of Gaza (including the capture of Beersheba and the Sheria Position). At the end of 1917, it took part in the capture and defence of Jerusalem and in March 1918 in the Battle of Tell 'Asur. On 3 April 1918, the Division was warned that it would move to France and by 30 April 1918 had completed embarkation at Alexandria.74th Division at Long, Long Trail.
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In May 1918, the battalion landed at Marseilles, France with 74th (Yeomanry) Division. It served in France and Flanders with the division for the rest of the war. By 18 May, the division had concentrated around Rue in the Abbeville area. Here the dismounted Yeomanry underwent training for service on the Western Front, particularly gas defence.

On 14 July 1918, the Yeomanry Division went into the line for the first time, near Merville on the right of XI Corps. From September 1918, as part of III Corps of Fourth Army, it took part in the Hundred Days Offensive including the Second Battle of the Somme ( Second Battle of Bapaume) and the Battles of the Hindenburg Line ( Battle of Épehy). In October and November 1918, it took part in the Final Advance in Artois and Flanders. By the Armistice, it was near Tournai, Belgium, still with 74th (Yeomanry) Division.

With the end of the war, the troops of 74th Division were engaged in railway repair work and education was undertaken while demobilisation began. The division and its subformations were disbanded on 10 July 1919.

2/1st Sussex Yeomanry

The 2nd Line regiment was formed at Brighton in September 1914 and remained there until May 1915. It then moved to Maresfield and joined 2/1st South Eastern Mounted Brigade; there it took over the horses of 2nd King Edward's Horse who were going dismounted to the Western Front. In October 1915, the regiment was at Canterbury. On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence; the brigade was numbered as 14th Mounted Brigade and joined 4th Mounted Division.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 27–30.James, p. 36.

In July 1916, 4th Mounted Division became 2nd Cyclist Division and the regiment was converted to a cyclist unit in 5th Cyclist Brigade at Great Bentley. In November 1916, the division was broken up and the regiment was merged with the 2/1st Surrey Yeomanry to form 8th (Surrey and Sussex) Yeomanry Cyclist Regiment in 3rd Cyclist Brigade at Ipswich. In March 1917, it resumed its identity as 2/1st Sussex Yeomanry at Ipswich, and later moved to the Woodbridge area. In April 1918, the regiment moved with 3rd Cyclist Brigade to Ireland, landing in Dublin on 21 April. Initially, it was stationed at Clandeboye and in September 1918 to Boyle; there was no further change before the end of the war.

3/1st Sussex Yeomanry

The 3rd Line regiment was formed in July 1915 at Brighton and affiliated to the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Canterbury. In the summer of 1916, it was dismounted and attached to the 3rd Line Groups of the Home Counties Division at Crowborough as its 1st Line was serving as infantry. The regiment was disbanded in January 1917 with personnel transferring to the 2nd Line regiment or to the 4th (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment at Tunbridge Wells.

Between the wars

After the First World War, the TF was reformed as the Territorial Army (TA). The 14 senior Yeomanry regiments remained horsed cavalry regiments (6 forming the 5th and 6th Cavalry Brigades) while the remaining Yeomanry Regiments were reassigned as artillery. In 1920 the regiment reformed as the 13th (Sussex Yeomanry) Army Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA), but in 1921 this was redesignated 98th (Sussex Yeomanry) Brigade, RFA. Then in 1922 it amalgamated with two batteries newly converted from the Surrey Yeomanry to form 98th (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery with 389 and 390 (Sussex Yeomanry) Field Batteries, and 391 and 392 (Surrey Yeomanry) Field Batteries. In 1924 it was redesignated 98th (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Army Field Brigade, Royal Artillery, and the Regimental Headquarters moved from Brighton to Clapham Park. The regiment was among the 'Army Troops' administered by 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Divisional Area. When the TA was doubled in size following the Munich Crisis, 389 and 390 (Sussex Yeomanry) Batteries left to form a duplicate regiment, 144th Field Regiment, RA at Brighton in 1939. Both regiments were considered to be 'Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry', and 144th received the 'Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's' subtitle in 1942.Litchfield, pp. 222, 233; Appendix VII.144 (S&SY) Fd Rgt at RA 1939–45.
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Second World War

98th Field Regiment (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry Queen Mary's)

::''See main article 98th Field Regiment (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry Queen Mary's)''
On mobilisation in 1939, the Regiment was part of the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) that was sent to France, initially attached to the 1st Infantry Division in the Lille area. In May 1940, it would be attached in turn to the 46th and 44th Infantry Divisions during the German advance the regiments Guns and vehicles were caught in a traffic jam and had to be destroyed, with the troops proceeding on foot to Dunkirk.98 (S&SY) Fd Rgt at RA 39–45.
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Back in the United Kingdom the regiment was attached to the 1st Infantry Brigade while it reformed it remained in the United Kingdom until September 1942 when it was sent out to the Middle East and attached to the 10th Armoured Division in Egypt where it participated in the Second Battle of El Alamein, when 10th Armoured was disbanded the regiment was part of the 8th Army Artillery and served in Sicily and Italy being involved in the Battle of Monte Cassino amongst others before leaving Italy in March 1945 and joining the 2nd Army in France and Belgium ending the war in the Netherlands. In April 1945 the Regiment moved to the Lübeck area of Germany as occupation forces and demobilisation was started in October 1945 with the Regiment being placed in suspended animation in June 1946.

144th Field Regiment (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry Queen Mary's)

Home Defence

On the outbreak of war in September 1939, the regiment mobilised at Brighton as an Army field regiment in Eastern Command. It was equipped with 12 x 4.5-inch howitzers of First World War vintage, but within days it had handed over eight of these guns to 123 Officer Cadet Training Unit at Catterick Garrison and all its vehicles to 98th (S&SY) Fd Rgt, which was preparing to go to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). In the following weeks, the regiment received 18 x 18-pounder Mk II guns, and 15 assorted civilian vehicles. In December 1939 the regiment supplied a cadre of trained officers and men to provide the basis of a new 74th Medium Regiment that was forming at Preston Park, Brighton (''see below'').Frederick, p. 738. In April 1940, 144th Fd Rgt went to Dursley in Gloucestershire to join IV Corps, and began to receive modern 25-pounder guns and Quad tractors. By June, when the BEF had been evacuated from Dunkirk

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