Montgomeryshire Yeomanry
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The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was a
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
auxiliary unit 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 Gurkha ...
first formed in 1803. It served in home defence and for internal security, including deployments to deal with Chartist disturbances in the 1830s. It provided volunteers to 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 s ...
during the
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 So ...
and formed three regiments for service during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. It was broken up and converted to infantry and artillery in 1920.


Napoleonic Wars

During the
French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Pruss ...
of the 1790s a number of English and Welsh counties formed part-time units of
Yeomanry Cavalry The Yeomanry Cavalry was the mounted component of the British Volunteer Corps, a military auxiliary established in the late 18th century amid fears of invasion and insurrection during the French Revolutionary Wars. A yeoman was a person of r ...
and Volunteer Infantry for home defence and internal security duties. The Welsh county of
Montgomeryshire , HQ= Montgomery , Government= Montgomeryshire County Council (1889–1974)Montgomeryshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin= , Status= , Start= , End= ...
failed to raise any yeomanry or volunteers at this time. However, after 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 s ...
broke down in 1803, under the leadership of Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn,
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
for
Montgomeryshire , HQ= Montgomery , Government= Montgomeryshire County Council (1889–1974)Montgomeryshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin= , Status= , Start= , End= ...
, the county rapidly two formed
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 Tr ...
s of Yeomanry cavalry, at Montgomery and
Welshpool Welshpool ( cy, Y Trallwng) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, historically in the county of Montgomeryshire. The town is from the Wales–England border and low-lying on the River Severn; its Welsh language name ''Y Trallwng'' m ...
by August 1803. Williams-Wynn took command as
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 indicato ...
-Commandant, and a third troop soon followed at Newtown and
Abermule Abermule ( cy, Aber-miwl) is a village lying on the River Severn 6 km (4 miles) northeast of Newtown in Powys, mid Wales. The A483 Swansea to Chester trunk road, the Cambrian Line railway, connecting Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury, and the Mo ...
. By 2 November this had expanded into a large force, the Montgomeryshire Volunteer Legion. In contemporary terminology a 'Legion' was an all-arms force, and soon after its formation the Montgomeryshire unit comprised three
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 Tr ...
s of Yeomanry cavalry each 40 strong, and 20 Companies of Volunteer infantry, with Watkins-Wynn as
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 colo ...
-Commandant and commander of the legion's cavalry. Charles Hanbury-Tracy was the second lieutenant-colonel.Frederick, pp. 43–4.Owen, pp. 62–8.Montgomeryshire Yeomanry at Regiments.org.
/ref>Sleigh, p. 23. The legion's cavalry established its headquarters at Trehelig-gro, Welshpool. It carried out 14 days' training at Wrexham in 1804, and 21 days at Shrewsbury in 1805, after which activity declined. By 1808, Volunteers numbers were falling and government dissatisfaction led to their replacement by a force of Local Militia, whose ranks could if necessary be filled by compulsion using the
Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
ballot. Many Volunteer units chose to transfer to the new force ''en masse'', and the Montgomeryshire Legion infantry easily filled the new Eastern and Western Montgomeryshire Local Militia. The cavalry troops however remained in being as the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry Cavalry, increased to a strength of 184 all ranks by September 1809. Training was held at
Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough ...
in October 1809 (8 days), and at Welshpool in 1810 (12 days), 1812 (14 days) and 1813 (14 days) A further troop was raised at
Berriew Berriew ( cy, Aberriw) is a village and community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. It is on the Montgomeryshire Canal and the Afon Rhiw, near the confluence (Welsh: ''aber'') with the River Severn (Welsh: Afon Hafren) at , 79 miles (128 k ...
in May 1813, bringing the establishment of the unit (termed a 'corps') up to 238, and from that year the Yeomanry received
Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...
pay when training.Owen, pp. 75–9.


19th Century

The wars ended with the
Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armies of the Sevent ...
. The militia and local militia were stood down, but recognising their usefulness as an aid to the civil power, the government kept the yeomanry in being. The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was drawn out for training in 1815 and 1817. During the summer of 1819 it sent a troop to deal with disturbances in Newtown and Abermule and because of the unrest two further troops were raised in December that year, at
Llangedwyn Llangedwyn is a village in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. The population of the community at the 2011 census was 402. The community includes the hamlet of Pen-y-bont Llanerch Emrys. It lies in the Tanat Valley near to the Wales/ England border ...
and
Llanfyllin Llanfyllin ( – ) is a market town, community and electoral ward in a sparsely populated area in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. Llanfyllin's community population in 2011 was 1,532, of whom 34.1% could speak Welsh. Llanfyllin means ''church or ...
, giving the unit the status of a regiment. In 1821 the establishment of each troop was raised to 50 privates. Training was carried out each year until 1826, when the regiment was organised as follows: * 1st Troop (Newtown) –
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 ...
Edward Farmer, 48 men * 2nd Troop (Montgomery) – Capt Pryce Devereaux, 61 men * 3rd Troop (Llanfyllin) – Capt Wythen Jones, 48 men * 4th Troop (Llangedwyn) – Capt David Pugh, 53 men * 5th Troop (Berriew) – Capt Winder Lyon, 55 men * 6th Troop (Welshpool) – Capt A.D. Jones, 46 men However, in 1827 the government withdrew funding from the yeomanry. As the officers and men of the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry were unwilling to serve at their own expense, the regiment was disbanded in March 1828.


Chartist disturbances

Within three years, a wave of unrest across the country led to a number of yeomanry regiments being reformed. In view of the civil disturbances in north-east Wales, Charles Watkins-Wyn applied to reform the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry. Approval to reform a regiment of four troops was received on 13 January 1831 and they were organised as follows:Owen, pp. 80–5. * Berriew Troop – Capt J.W.L. Winder; disbanded by September 1831 * Newtown Troop – Capt H.A. Proctor * Montgomery Troop – Capt Rice Pryce Buckley Williams (promoted to major 4 May 1837) * Welshpool Troop – Capt J. Davies Corrie * Llangedwyn Troop – Capt A. Bonner Maurice; authorised 25 February 1831 The establishment of a troop was 50 privates, soon raised to 63, giving a total strength of 296 all ranks. They assembled at Welshpool for training in October 1831, most of the men having been in the earlier regiment. Training was carried out at Welshpool or Newtown almost each year thereafter. In the autumn of 1832 it provided the escort when the Duchess of Kent and Princess (later Queen) Victoria visited
Powis Castle Powis Castle ( cy, Castell Powys) is a British medieval castle, fortress and grand country house near Welshpool, in Powys. The seat of the Herbert family, Earls of Powis, the castle is known for its formal gardens and for its interiors, the fo ...
. Although the government reduced Yeomanry funding again in 1838, the Montgomeryshire regiment was unaffected because of the continuing unrest in the county. In December 1837 two troops had been called out to deal with Chartist disturbances at Caersws but the use of force was not required. Troops were called out again in May and December 1838. The worst trouble came in May 1839 when Chartist activities at
Llanidloes Llanidloes () is a town and community on the A470 and B4518 roads in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn), Wales. The population in 2011 was 2,929, of whom 15% could speak Welsh. It is the thi ...
led to the despatch of three police officers from London and the swearing-in of 200 Special constables. The arrest of three activists angered the Chartists, and an armed mob rescued the prisoners and caused damage to property. The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry, 200 strong, reinforced by four troops of the South Salopian Yeomanry marched from Welshpool to Llandiloes, arriving on 4 May, by which time the town was in the hands of the insurgents. The yeomanry immediately searched the town, making a number of arrests, uncovering arms caches, and restoring order. Further reinforced by two companies of the
14th Foot The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (14th Foot) was an infantry regiment of the British Army. In 1958 it amalgamated with the East Yorkshire Regiment (15th Foot) to form the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire which was, on ...
next day, the yeomanry conducted further searches and pursuits of the ringleaders. After thee days the area was quiet again and the yeomanry were stood down on 10 May. The
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all nationa ...
congratulated the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry on their prompt assembly when called out, and for their service. Lieutenant-Col Williams-Wynn retired at the age of 77 in 1844 and from 26 January the commanding officer (CO) was Lt-Col
Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet (22 May 1820 – 9 May 1885) was a Welsh Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1841 to 1885. Biography Williams-Wynn was born at the family's London property, the eldest son of ...
of Wynnstay, a former officer in the
1st Life Guards The 1st Regiment of Life Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1788 by the union of the 1st Troop of Horse Guards and 1st Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards. In 1922, it was amalgamated wi ...
(as were a number of the regiment's officers). He was simultaneously Lt-Col of the
1st Denbighshire Rifle Volunteers The 1st Denbighshire Rifle Volunteers, later 4th (Denbighshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Welsh unit of the British Army's auxiliary forces. First raised in 1860, it served as a pioneer battalion with the 47th (2nd London) Division ...
from 1862. Under his command the regiment's drill and efficiency was improved, and about 1850 its old flintlock pistols were replaced by
Carbines A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges. The smaller size and light ...
. From 1851 the regiment was organised as follows:''Army List'', various dates.''Burkes'': Williams-Wynn Baronets. * 1st (later A) Trp (Newtown) – Maj Viscount Seaham, later Earl Vane (formerly 1st LG) * 2nd (later B) Trp (Berriew) – Capt C.W. Williams-Wynn * 3rd (later C) Trp (Welshpool) – Capt R.D. Jones * 4th (later D) Trp (Llangedwyn) – Capt R.M.B. Maurice * E Trp (Lalnfyllin) – Capt John Dugdale of Llwyn; reformed 1862 * F Trp (Caersws) – Capt W.H. Adams; reformed 1862


Cardwell Reforms

The
Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...
of 1871 saw the Yeomanry transferred from the county Lords-Lieutenant to the
War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...
. Training was improved for officers and permanent staff drill-sergeants, musketry training was improved, and regiments were drilled as squadrons of two troops.Owen, pp. 86–90. Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn retired in June 1877 and became the regiment's Honorary Colonel. Major C.W. Williams-Wynn was promoted to succeed him, and in turn was replaced in June 1878 by Sir Watkin's nephew, Sir William Granville Williams, 4th Baronet of Bodelwyddan, The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry had been re-equipped with the
Westley Richards Westley Richards is a British manufacturer of guns and rifles and also a well established gunsmith. The company was founded in 1812 by William Westley Richards, who was responsible for the early innovation of many rifles used in wars featuring ...
.499 calibre breechloading carbine in 1871, and was rearmed again by 1881 with the Snider .577 carbine. Captain Aubone G. Fife, formerly of the
6th Dragoon Guards The Carabiniers (6th Dragoon Guards) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1685 as the Lord Lumley's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as His Majesty's 1st Regiment of Carabiniers in 1740, the 3rd Regiment of Horse (Carabi ...
, appointed
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 ...
in 1882, laid great emphasis on musketry training, but this was hampered by the lack of suitable ranges for these more powerful and longer-range weapons. A partial solution was provided by Capt R. Pryce Jones, who refurbished the old volunteer ranges at
Penarth Penarth (, ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg), Wales, exactly south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay. Penarth is a weal ...
at his own expense. The Snider was replaced by the
Martini–Henry The Martini–Henry is a breech-loading single-shot rifle with a lever action that was used by the British Army. It first entered service in 1871, eventually replacing the Snider–Enfield, a muzzle-loader converted to the cartridge system ...
.455 calibre carbine in 1886, and in 1889 a new range was built at Llangedwynn for the Llangedwynn and Llanfyllin troops. Regimental headquarters (RHQ) was fixed at Welshpool, and Newtown was not used for training after 1885 because there was insufficient space there for squadron training. In March 1885 Aubone Fife was promoted to command the regiment, and was succeeded in turn on 2 February 1889 by
Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet Sir Herbert Lloyd Watkin Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet, (1860–1944) was a Welsh politician and Yeomanry officer. Early life Williams-Wynn was born on 6 June 1860, the second (and eldest surviving) son of Colonel Herbert Watkin Williams-Wynn, M ...
of Wynnstay. Because of difficulties in finding sufficient officers, the Caersws Troop was disbanded in 1889, and the personnel were transferred to the Newtown Troop. However a new F Trp was raised at Guilsfield in 1892. A reorganisation of the Yeomanry in 1893 saw the troops formally reorganised into squadrons. For the Montgomery Yeomanry this gave the following organisation: * RHQ (Welshpool) – Lt-Col Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn * A Squadron (Llangedwyn & Llanfyllin) – Capt Robert Williams-Wynn * B Squadron (Welshpool & Guilsfield) – Capt A. Williams-Wynn * C Squadron (Newtown & Berriew) – Capt N. Robinson As part of the reorganisation, from April 1893 the ''Army List'' showed the Yeomanry regiments grouped into brigades for collective training. They were commanded by the senior regimental commanding officer but they did have a Regular Army
Brigade major A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army. They most commonly held the rank of major, although the appointment was also held by captains, and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section dire ...
. The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry together with the Denbighshire Hussars formed the 15th Yeomanry Brigade, part of 8th Division. The brigade first came together for training in 1895 at Welshpool under the command of Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn. Brigade camps were held at
Rhyl Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the historic boundaries of Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at the mouth of the River Clwyd ( Welsh: ''Afon Clwyd''). To the we ...
in 1897 and at the Williams-Wynn estate of Wynnstay in 1900. In 1896 the Montgomeryshires were among the first yeomanry regiments to be re-equipped with the Martini–Metford .303 calibre carbine; reduced charge ammunition was supplied for safe use on the ranges. In 1897 Major Edward Pryce-Jones, MP, was transferred from the regiment to form a new 5th Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers. Frederick, pp. 303–4.


Imperial Yeomanry


Second Boer War

Following a 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 early December 1899, the British government realised that it would need more troops than just the regular army to fight the
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 So ...
, particularly mounted troops. On 13 December, the
War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...
decided to allow volunteer forces to serve in the field, and a Royal Warrant was issued on 24 December that officially created 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 s ...
(IY). The Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry regiments to provide service companies of approximately 115 men each for one year. In addition to this, many British citizens (usually mid-upper class) volunteered to join the new force.Dunlop, pp. 104–18.Owen, pp. 128–44.IY at Anglo-Boer War
/ref> The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry raised two companies for the first contingent of the IY, which both landed in South Africa on 6 April 1900 and were assigned to the 9th (Welsh) Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry:Frederick, pp. 370–1.IY Companies at Roll of Honour.
/ref> * 31st (Montgomeryshire) Company * 49th (Montgomeryshire) Company When the first contingent returned home in 1901 after their one-year term of service, enough veterans of the 31st and 49th stayed on to reform the companies, while the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry raised two further companies for the second contingent, which also served in the 9th Battalion: *88th (Welsh Yeomanry) Company (sponsored by the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry) *89th (Montgomeryshire) Company This service earned the regiment its first
Battle honour 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 ...
: South Africa 1900–01.Leslie. Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, who was instrumental in raising the four companies, was awarded a CB in 1902. He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the regiment when he retired in 1907.
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 ...
Robert Williams-Wynn, younger brother of the CO, went to South Africa with 31st Company. During the campaign he was twice
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 was afterwards promoted to
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 indicato ...
and awarded the DSO.


Montgomeryshire Imperial Yeomanry

The Imperial Yeomanry were trained and equipped as mounted infantry. The concept was considered a success and before the war ended the existing Yeomanry regiments at home were converted into Imperial Yeomanry, with an establishment of RHQ and four squadrons with a machine gun section. This included the Montgomeryshire Imperial Yeomanry, with RHQ at Brook Street drill hall, Welshpool, which raised an additional squadron at
Rhayader Rhayader (; cy, Rhaeadr Gwy; ) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is located ...
in
Radnorshire , HQ = Presteigne , Government = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin = , Status = historic county, administrative county , Start ...
. The brigade system was abolished at the same time.Owen, pp. 95–8. In 1906 Major Robert Williams-Wynn, DSO, was promoted to command the regiment in succession to his brother, who became its Honorary Colonel the following year.


Territorial Force

The Imperial Yeomanry were subsumed into the new
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 ...
(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 e ...
of 1908. and the regiment was officially titled the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry (Dragoons) with the following organisation: * RHQ at Brook Street, Welshpool * A Squadron at Llanfyllin,Montgomeryshire Drill Stations at Drill Hall Project.
/ref> with detachments at
Meifod Meifod, formerly also written Meivod (), is a small village, community and electoral ward 7 miles north-west of Welshpool in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales, on the A495 road and located in the valley of the River Vyrnwy. The River Banwy has a ...
, Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa, Llangedwyn,
Trefonen Trefonen is a small village located approximately south-west of Oswestry, and three miles east of the England-Wales border, in Shropshire, England. The name translates into "village of the ash trees" in English. In 2001, the total population ...
,
Llanfair Caereinion Llanfair Caereinion is a market town and community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales upon the River Banwy (also known as the River Einion), around 8 miles west of Welshpool. In 2011 the ward had a population of 1,810; the town itself had a popul ...
, and
Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain is a large village (in the community of Llansantffraid) in Powys, Mid Wales, close to the border with Shropshire in England, about south west of Oswestry and north of Welshpool. It is on the A495 road and is at the co ...
* B Squadron at Welshpool, with detachments at Guilsfield,
Castle Caereinion Castle Caereinion ( Welsh: ''Castell Caereinion'') is a small village and community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales upon the River Banwy, around 8 miles west of Welshpool, and 4 miles east of Llanfair Caereinion. In 2011 the ward had a popula ...
, Four Crosses,
Chirbury Chirbury () is a village in west Shropshire, England. It is situated in the Vale of Montgomery, close to the Wales–England border ( at its nearest), which is to its north, west and south. The A490 and B4386 routes cross at Chirbury. It is t ...
, Berriew,
Trewern Trewern is a small village, community and electoral ward in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. The community includes the villages of Buttington and Middletown, situated 4.5 miles (7 km) northeast of Welshpool, 14.5 miles (23.5 km) west ...
and
Forden Forden ( cy, Ffordun) is a village near Welshpool in Powys, Wales, formerly in the historic county of Montgomeryshire. It forms part of the community (and community council) of Forden, Leighton and Trelystan with the neighbouring settlements ...
* C Squadron at Newtown, with detachments at Church Stoke, Caersws, New MiIls,
Llanbrynmair Llanbrynmair () is a village, community and electoral ward in Montgomeryshire, Powys, on the A470 road between Caersws and Machynlleth. Llanbrynmair, in area, is the second largest in Powys. In 2011, it had a population of 920. Description Th ...
, Montgomery,Montgomeryshire at Great War Centenary Drill Halls.
/ref>
Trefeglwys Trefeglwys is a village and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Montgomeryshire. The name derives from the Welsh language ''tref'' 'township' and ''eglwys'' 'church'. The village sits on the Afon Trannon. There are m ...
, Bettws Cedewain, Cemmaes Road, Dolfor and
Llangurig Llangurig is both a village and a community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. The population was 723 in the 2011 UK Census. The community includes the hamlet of Cwmbelan. The River Wye, the A470 and the A44 trunk roads pass through Llangurig, ...
* D Squadron at
Llandrindod Wells Llandrindod Wells (, ; cy, Llandrindod, /ɬanˈdɾindɔd/  "Trinity Parish"), sometimes known colloquially as Llandod, is a town and community in Powys, within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire, Wales. It serves as the seat of Powy ...
, with detachments at
Llanidloes Llanidloes () is a town and community on the A470 and B4518 roads in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn), Wales. The population in 2011 was 2,929, of whom 15% could speak Welsh. It is the thi ...
,
Builth Wells Builth Wells (; cy, Llanfair-ym-Muallt) is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh (or upper) part of ...
,Brecknockshire at Great War Centenary Drill Halls.
/ref> Ryhayader,Radnorshire at Great War Centenary Drill Halls.
/ref>
Llanbister Llanbister is a small village and community with a 2011 population of 382 in Powys, mid Wales, in the historic county of Radnorshire. Facilities The village is not directly served by a railway station: the nearest is Llanbister Road railway st ...
, Bowling Green Lane, Knighton and
Hay-on-Wye Hay-on-Wye ( cy, Y Gelli Gandryll), simply known locally as "Hay" ( cy, Y Gelli), is a market town and community in Powys, Wales; it was historically in the county of Brecknockshire. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as "the to ...
The regiment formed part of the TF's South Wales Mounted Brigade (SWMB), based at
Carmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...
.James, pp. 35–6.Montgomeryshire Yeomanry at Long, Long Trail.
/ref>


World War I


Mobilisation

When war was declared on 4 August 1914, the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry mobilised at Brook Street Drill Hall with Brevet
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
Robert Williams-Wynn, DSO, in command. It joined the SWMB at Carmarthen and then went with it by train to
Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester, England, Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. ...
.James, pp. 24–5. In accordance with the
Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (''7 Edw. 7, c.9'') was an Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the auxiliary forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer ...
(''
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 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, on 10 August 1914 the TF was invited to volunteer for overseas service. In the SWMB the Montgomeryshire and Glamorgan Yeomanry signed up ''en masse'' at Hereford, though the Pembroke Yeomanrywere less enthusiastic. On 15 August 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, the 2nd Line was prepared for overseas service and a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments.Rinaldi, p. 35.


1/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry

The 1/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry moved with the 1/1st SWMB 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 ...
and was stationed in
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 Nor ...
, at
Thetford Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland District of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just east of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , in 2015 had a population of 24, ...
by 29 August, moving to
Blickling Blickling is a village and civil parish in the Broadland district of Norfolk, England, about north-west of Aylsham. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 136 and covers , falling to 113 at the 2011 Census. Since the 17th century t ...
shortly afterwards. The following month the 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 ...
.Becke, Pt 2a, pp 1–7.Rinaldi, p. 60. In East Anglia the division was able to train while at the same time forming part of the defence forces for the East Coast.John, pp. 20–3. By September 1915 the 1/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was based at
Holt Holt or holte may refer to: Natural world *Holt (den), an otter den * Holt, an area of woodland Places Australia * Holt, Australian Capital Territory * Division of Holt, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives in Vic ...
. In October it moved to
Cromer Cromer ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is north of Norwich, north-northeast of London and east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline. The local government authorities are Nor ...
. In November the 1/1st SWMB was dismounted.


Egypt and Palestine

The 1/1st SWMB embarked at Devonport on 4 March 1916 and sailed to
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
in company with the 1/1st
Welsh Border Mounted Brigade The Welsh Border Mounted Brigade was a formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army, organised in 1908. After home defence service, it was posted to Egypt, where it was absorbed into the 4th Dismounted Brigade in March 1916. Formatio ...
from 1st Mtd Division. They disembarked 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, Alexandri ...
on 14–15 March and on 20 March the two brigades were merged to form the
4th Dismounted Brigade D4, D.IV, d4 or variants may refer to: Science and medicine * 22-Dihydroergocalciferol, vitamin D4 * D4-isoprostane, a type of isoprostane * ATC code D04, ''Antipruritics, including antihistamines, anesthetics, etc.'', a subgroup of the Anatomi ...
. At first this was placed in 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 popula ...
defences under
53rd (Welsh) Division The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service in ...
, with 1/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry at Beni Salama, but in April it came under the command of
Western Frontier Force The Western Frontier Force was raised from British Empire troops during the Senussi Campaign from November 1915 to February 1917, under the command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF). Orders for the formation of the force were issued on ...
.Dudley Ward, p. 20. In January 1917 the dismounted yeomanry of 4th Mtd Bde were permanently re-roled as infantry. The brigade became 231st Brigade, which joined
74th (Yeomanry) Division The 74th (Yeomanry) Division was a Territorial Force infantry division formed in Palestine in early 1917 from three dismounted yeomanry brigades. It served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War, mostly as part of XX Co ...
on its formation in March 1917.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 117–22.74th (Y) Division at Long, Long Trail.
/ref>Ward, pp. 25–8. On 4 March at Halmia, 1/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry amalgamated with 1/1st Welsh Horse Yeomanry to form 25th (Montgomery and Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers (RWF).Frederick, p. 304.James, p. 30.James, p. 68.Royal Welch Fusiliers at Long, Long Trail.
/ref> 74th (Y) Division was in reserve for the
Second Battle of Gaza The Second Battle of Gaza was fought on 17-19 April 1917, following the defeat of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) at the First Battle of Gaza in March, during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. Gaza was defended by ...
(17–19 April) and then saw action at the Third Battle of Gaza (27 October–7 November) including the Capture of Beersheba (31 October), where 25th RWF distinguished itself in storming the Turkish positions. It took part in the Capture of the Sheria feature (6 November), the Capture of Jerusalem (8–9 December) and its subsequent defence (27–30 December). Early in 1918 it fought in the
Battle of Tell 'Asur The Battle of Tell 'Asur, also known as the actions of Tel Asur or the Battle of Turmus 'Aya, took place 8–12 March 1918, after the decisive victory at the Battle of Jerusalem and the Capture of Jericho The Capture of Jericho occurred betwe ...
.


Western Front

In May 1918 the 74th (Y) Division was sent to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on 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 maj ...
. It participated in the Second Battle of Bapaume (2–3 September) and then fought through the battles of the
Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 1916 ...
including the Battle of Épehy on 18 September. Attacking on 18 September the battalion was stopped by massed machine gun fire, suffering heavy casualties among its officers and NCOs. Reduced to 120 men by the end of the day, it was temporarily reorganised into two companies commanded by 2nd Lieutenants. For his actions on 18 September, a pre-war member of the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry serving with the 25th RWF, Lance-Sergeant William Herbert Waring, won a posthumous
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...
. The battalion then served though the final advance in Artois and Flanders until the
Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
on 11 November. After the Armistice 25th RWF was reduced to
cadre Cadre may refer to: *Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff *Cadre (politics) In political contexts a cadre (, , ) consists of a person recognized as a capable militant within a political ...
in France and disbanded on 29 June 1919.


2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry

2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was formed at Welshpool in September 1914 and trained with 2/1st South Wales Mounted Brigade at Carmarthen. In July 1915 2/1st SWMB moved to Dorchester. In September 1915 it moved to
Southwold Southwold is a seaside town and civil parish on the English North Sea coast in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk. It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is ...
and the brigade joined 1st Mounted Division, replacing 1/1st SWMB as the latter prepared to sail to Egypt. On 4 March the regiment absorbed the
2/1st Welsh Horse Yeomanry The Welsh Horse Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army that served in the First World War. The regiment was raised shortly after the outbreak of the war. Initially it served in East Anglia on anti-invasion duties, before being ...
. On 31 March 1916, the remaining mounted brigades were numbered in a single sequence and the 2/1st South Wales Mounted Brigade brigade was numbered as 4th Mounted Brigade. In April 1916, the regiment went to
Rendlesham Rendlesham is a village and civil parish near Woodbridge, Suffolk, United Kingdom. It was a royal centre of authority for the king of the East Angles, of the Wuffinga line; the proximity of the Sutton Hoo ship burial may indicate a connection ...
with the brigade. In July 1916 it moved to Thornton Park near Brentwood and joined 2nd Mounted Brigade in the new
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 October 1916 the 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry became 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, amalgamating with the 2/1st Denbighshire Hussars to form the 3rd (Denbigh and Montgomery) Yeomanry Cyclist Regiment in the
1st Cyclist Brigade First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
at Worlingham near
Beccles Beccles ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . The town is shown on the milestone as from London via the A145 and A12 roads, north-east of London as the crow fl ...
. In March 1917 the regiment resumed its identity as 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry, still with the 1st Cyclist Brigade, still at Worlingham. By November 1917 it was at Gorleston where it remained until the end of the war. It was disbanded in 1919.


3/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry

The 3rd Line regiment was formed in June 1915 at Welshpool. In July it was at
Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the c ...
and then it was affiliated to the 6th Reserve Cavalry Regiment 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 ...
in Ireland. By September it was at Marlborough Barracks in Dublin, later moving to Arbour Hill Barracks. It participated in the action against the
Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with t ...
in Dublin in April 1916. In June 1916 the regiment was dismounted and attached to the 3rd Line Groups of the
Welsh Division The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service in ...
at Gobowen because its 1st Line was serving as infantry. The regiment was disbanded in January 1917 with personnel transferring to the 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry or to the 4th (Reserve) (Denbighshire) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers at
Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough ...
.


Postwar

Wartime experience had proved that there were too many mounted units, and when the TF was reconstituted as the Territorial Army (TA), only the 14 most senior Yeomanry regiments were retained as horsed cavalry, the remainder being converted to other roles. The Welsh Horse Yeomanry had only been raised on 18 August 1914 and had been absorbed by the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry in 1917; it was never reformed. One squadron of the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry combined with a company of the 1st Battalion,
Herefordshire Regiment The Herefordshire Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1861 to 1967. The regiment had no lineal connection with the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot. History Formation The 1st Administrative Battali ...
to form 332 (Radnorshire) Field Battery (Howitzers) at
Llandrindod Wells Llandrindod Wells (, ; cy, Llandrindod, /ɬanˈdɾindɔd/  "Trinity Parish"), sometimes known colloquially as Llandod, is a town and community in Powys, within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire, Wales. It serves as the seat of Powy ...
,
Radnorshire , HQ = Presteigne , Government = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin = , Status = historic county, administrative county , Start ...
, as part of 83rd (Welsh) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, while the rest of the regiment formed two companies in the
7th (Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers The 7th (Merionethshire & Montgomeryshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was a Welsh unit of Britain's Territorial Force. First raised in 1897, it fought at Gallipoli and in Palestine during World War I, and in the campaign in North West Eu ...
(originally the 5th Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers, ''see above'') on 3 March 1920, and the yeomanry linage was discontinued.


Heritage & ceremonial


Uniforms

When first formed the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry wore a
Light dragoon 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 ...
uniform with a Tarleton helmet. In 1820 or 1821 this was updated to the more modern uniform worn by the regular light dragoons of a black
Shako A shako (, , or ) is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top. It is usually adorned with an ornamental plate or badge on the front, metallic or otherwise; and often has a feather, plume (see hackle) ...
with drooping white horsehair plume, a scarlet double-breasted
Coatee A coatee was a type of tight fitting uniform coat or jacket, which was waist length at the front and had short tails behind. The coatee began to replace the long tail coat in western armies at the end of the eighteenth century, but was itself supe ...
with gold and crimson lancer girdle, and blue
overalls Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers". Overalls were ...
with a red stripe.Owen, p. 79. When the regiment was revived in 1831 the uniform was based on that of the 7th Dragoon Guards, with a high Roman style helmet with a black bearskin crest, a single-breasted scarlet coatee with black
facings A facing colour is a common tailoring technique for European military uniforms where the visible inside lining of a standard military jacket, coat or tunic is of a different colour to that of the garment itself.René Chartrand, William Younghusb ...
and lancer girdle, and blue overalls with a red stripe. In 1846 the helmet was replaced by a black helmet with black horsehair mane, similar to that adopted by the regular heavy cavalry, though the regiment's 'appointments' were those of light dragoons. In 1856 the
Albert helmet The Albert helmet is the current ceremonial headgear of the British Army's Household Cavalry. It was introduced by Prince Albert in 1842 and adopted by the Household Cavalry the following year. In 1847 the helmet was introduced to all heavy c ...
, worn by regulars since 1847, was introduced, in black japanned metal, and then in 1860 an infantry-style single-breasted
tunic A tunic is a garment for the body, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the knees. The name derives from the Latin ''tunica'', the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Ro ...
was adopted. Then in 1866 the Albert helmet was abandoned and a busby adopted, giving the regiment a hybrid half-dragoon, half-
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 ...
appearance. In 1882 the regiment reverted to a helmet, now similar to the
6th Dragoon Guards The Carabiniers (6th Dragoon Guards) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1685 as the Lord Lumley's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as His Majesty's 1st Regiment of Carabiniers in 1740, the 3rd Regiment of Horse (Carabi ...
but at first without the plume; a white falling horsehair plume was worn by 1899.Owen, pp. 90–5.Maj Roy Wilson, 'The Yeomanry cavalry', ''Military Modelling'' Vol 16, No 2, February 1986.


Insignia

The regimental badge was the Red dragon of Wales, and the motto was ''Anorchfygol'' ('Unconquered') used in various combinations. In 1821 the dragon and motto appeared on the shako plate, and the buttons had the dragon and letters 'M.Y.C.'. On the 1831, 1846 and 1856 helmet plates the dragon appeared within a garter belt inscribed with the motto, above which was a three-part scroll displaying 'MONTGOMERYSHIRE YEOMANRY CAVALRY'. On the 1883 helmet the oval belt enclosing the dragon carried this title rather than the motto.Owen, pp. 102–9. By 1899 the badge worn on the Forage cap and Service cap was a dragon over the letters 'MYC". When the regiment became imperial yeomanry the letters changed to 'MIY' on a scroll; similar badges were used on the collar. The buttons also had the dragon over 'MIY'. After the formation of the TF the brass collar badge and shoulder titles worn on the khaki field service dress were 'MONTGOMERY' with 'Y' (sometimes 'T' over 'Y') above.


Standards & guidons

Yeomanry cavalry were not authorised to carry standards or guidons, but most regiments ignored this and carried them unofficially. The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry's three troops were presented with swallow-tailed guidons in 1805. These were of crimson silk fringed in gold and sin the centre had a gold dragon on a green pale, beneath a gold scroll lettered 'ANORCHFYGOL'. In the upper canton nearest the pole and diagonally opposite were gold-edge green circles carrying the letters 'MY' in gold; in the opposite corners were red circles carrying the
White Horse of Hanover White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
. Lady Williams-Wynn presented new standards in 1852 and the old ones were laid up at Wynnstay where they were destroyed in a disastrous fire in 1856. The new standards were a Queen's standard and five troop standards. The Queen's was a crimson swallowtail with in the centre the rose, thistle and shamrock surmounted by a crown; beneath were two gold scrolls, the upper with the Royal motto 'DIEU ET MON DROIT', the lower with the regimental title. In the upper canton nearest the pole and in the opposite corner were the white horse in a gold-edged crimson circle, in the opposite corners were gold-edged black circles bearing the red dragon on a green pale with the motto 'ANORCHFYGOL'. The troop standards were gold-fringed black silk with in the centre the red dragon streaked with gold on a green pale, a gold scroll above bearing the regimental motto. In the upper canton and its opposite corner were the white horse, in the opposite corners were gold-edged red circles with 'MYC' in gold letters. Each standard had the troop number in black beneath the central device. The official guidon of the regiment in the TF had a circle lettered 'MONTGOMERYSHIRE YEOMANRY' beneath a crown and surrounded by a Union Wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks; beneath was the battle honour 'SOUTH AFRICA 1901'.Owen, pp. 84, 100–102.


Honorary Colonels

The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit: *
Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet (22 May 1820 – 9 May 1885) was a Welsh Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1841 to 1885. Biography Williams-Wynn was born at the family's London property, the eldest son of ...
, former CO, appointed 18 July 1877 *
Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet Sir Herbert Lloyd Watkin Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet, (1860–1944) was a Welsh politician and Yeomanry officer. Early life Williams-Wynn was born on 6 June 1860, the second (and eldest surviving) son of Colonel Herbert Watkin Williams-Wynn, M ...
, former CO, appointed 1 November 1907


Battle honours

The regiment was awarded the following
Battle honour 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 ...
s: * South Africa 1901 * Egypt, 1916–17 * Palestine, 1917–18 * France and Flanders, 1918


See also

*
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 s ...
* List of Yeomanry Regiments 1908 *
Yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army Reserve, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of different military roles. History Origins In the 1790s, f ...
*
Yeomanry order of precedence Precedence is the order in which the various corps of the British Army parade, from right to left, with the unit at the extreme right being highest. Precedence The British Army has frequently been the subject of amalgamation and re-organisation th ...
*
British yeomanry during the First World War The British yeomanry during the First World War were part of the British Army reserve Territorial Force. Initially, in 1914, there were fifty-seven regiments and fourteen mounted brigades. Soon after the declaration of war, second and third line ...
*
Second line yeomanry regiments of the British Army Yeomanry are part of the reserve for the British Army. At the start of First World War there were fifty-four yeomanry regiments in the British Army. Soon after the declaration of war, it was decided to increase the number of these volunteer mounte ...
* William Herbert Waring, VC


Notes


References


Bibliography

* L.S. Amery (ed)
''The Times History of the War in South Africa 1899-1902'', London: Sampson Low, Marston, 6 Vols 1900–09.
* Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8. * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions,'' London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8. * ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage,'' 100th Edn, London, 1953. * Col John K. Dunlop, ''The Development of the British Army 1899–1914'', London: Methuen, 1938. * Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918'', Vol IV, ''8th August–26th September: The Franco-British Offensive'', London: Macmillan, 1939/Uckfield: Imperial War Museum and Naval & Military, 2009, ISBN 978-1-845747-28-2. * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield, Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3. * Brig E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914–18'', London: Samson Books, 1978, ISBN 0-906304-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9. * Steven John, ''Welsh Yeomanry at War: A History of the 24th (Pemroke & Glamorgan Yeomanry) Battalion, The Welsh Regiment'', Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2016, ISBN 978-1-47383-362-3. * N.B. Leslie, ''Battle Honours of the British and Indian Armies 1695–1914'', London: Leo Cooper, 1970, . * Norman E.H. Litchfield, ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, . * * Bryn Owen, ''History of the Welsh Militia and Volunteer Corps 1757–1908: Montgomeryshire Regiments of Militia, Volunteers and Yeomanry Cavalry'', Wrexham: Bridge Books, 2000, ISBN 1-872424-85-6. * * Col H.C.B. Rogers, ''The Mounted Troops of the British Army 1066–1945'', London: Seeley Service, 1959.
Lt-Col Ernest Ryan, 'Arms, Uniforms and Equipment of the Yeomanry Cavalry', ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', September 1957, Vol 35, pp. 124–33.
* Arthur Sleigh, ''The Royal Militia and Yeomanry Cavalry Army List'', April 1850, London: British Army Despatch Press, 1850/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 1991, ISBN 978-1-84342-410-9. * Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, .
Philip Talbot, 'The English Yeomanry in the Nineteenth Century and the Great Boer War', ''Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research'', Vol 79, No 317 (Spring 2001), pp. 45–62.
* War Office, ''A List of the Officers of the Militia, the Gentlemen & Yeomanry Cavalry, and Volunteer Infantry of the United Kingdom'', 11th Edn, London: War Office, 14 October 1805/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2005, ISBN 978-1-84574-207-2. * Maj C.H. Dudley Ward, ''The 74th (Yeomanry) Division in Syria and France'', London: John Murray, 1922/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-843428-71-7.


External links


Anglo Boer War



Great War Centenary Drill Halls.

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


* ttp://www.roll-of-honour.com/index.html Roll of Honour {{British Cavalry Regiments World War I
Montgomeryshire , HQ= Montgomery , Government= Montgomeryshire County Council (1889–1974)Montgomeryshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin= , Status= , Start= , End= ...
Yeomanry regiments of the British Army in World War I Military units and formations in Wales Military units and formations in Montgomeryshire Military units and formations established in 1803 Military units and formations disestablished in 1920