The Denbighshire Hussars was a
Welsh Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units and sub-units in the British Army Reserve which are descended from volunteer cavalry regiments that now serve in a variety of different roles.
History
Origins
In the 1790s, following the ...
regiment of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
formed in 1794. It saw service in the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
before being converted into a unit of the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
. The lineage has been continued by 398 (Flint & Denbighshire Yeomanry) Squadron,
Royal Logistic Corps
The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army.
History
The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps:
* Royal Engine ...
.
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
After Britain was drawn into the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...
, the government of Prime Minister
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British statesman who served as the last prime minister of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1783 until the Acts of Union 1800, and then first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, p ...
proposed on 14 March 1794 that the counties should form Corps of
Yeomanry Cavalry
The Yeomanry Cavalry was the mounted component of the British Volunteer Corps, a military reserve force established in 1794 amid fears of invasion and insurrection during the French Revolutionary Wars. A yeoman was a person of respectable st ...
that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the
Lord Lieutenant
A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ov ...
to subdue any civil disorder within the county. A
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 Troo ...
of Gentlemen and Yeoman of Wrexham, also known as the Wrexham Troop, was formed on 23 May 1795 at
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...
, a rapidly growing industrial town in
Denbighshire
Denbighshire ( ; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthi ...
,
North Wales
North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...
. Another troop of Denbigh Cavalry under the command of
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Richard Lloyd was raised at the town of
Denbigh
Denbigh ( ; ) is a market town and a community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. It was the original county town of the Denbighshire (historic), historic county of Denbighshire created in 1536. Denbigh's Welsh name () translates to ...
on 4 July 1799. In 1803, when the short-lived
Peace of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens (, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France, the Spanish Empire, 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 set t ...
broke down and the
Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
began, two more troops were raised at Wrexham and the force there became a regiment as the Wrexham Yeomanry Cavalry on 29 July 1803, under
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
-Commandant
Sir Foster Cunliffe, 3rd Baronet
Sir Foster Cunliffe, 3rd Baronet (1755–1834) was the founder of the Royal Society of British Bowmen.
Biography
Foster Cunliffe was the son of Sir Robert Cunliffe, 2nd Baronet and Mary Wright. He succeeded to his father’s baronetcy on the ...
.
[Frederick, p. 28.][Sleigh, p. 5.][War Office, ''1805 list''.][Mileham, pp. 80–1.][Denbighshire Hussars at Uniformology.]
/ref>
19th century
By 26 January 1820, when the regiment became the Denbighshire Yeomanry Cavalry, there were five troops under Colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...
-Commandant Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet
Colonel Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet (25 October 1772 – 6 January 1840) was a Wales, Welsh landowner and Tory Party (UK), Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1794 to 1840.
Biography
Williams-Wynn was the son of Sir ...
.[ Although the Yeomanry generally declined in importance and numbers after the end of the French wars, the Denbigh regiment was sometimes called out to suppress riots in the 1820s and 1830s.][ When Government support for the Yeomanry was withdrawn in 1828 the regiment carried on without pay until 1831 when pay for drills and periods of service was restored.][
The regiment was used to quell a disturbance by colliery workers in ]Rhosllannerchrugog
RhosllanerchrugogDavies, Jenkins and Baines (eds) ''The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales'', 2008, p.752 (; Welsh Language Commissioner, standardised and also spelled as Rhosllannerchrugog, or simply Rhos) is a village and Community (Wales), ...
in 1830: the miners were angered by the truck shop system that forced them to spend their wages in shops owned by their employers and planned to destroy a truck shop owned by the British Ironworks Company. The regiment was ordered out on patrol under Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn to 'terrify the mob'. Their presence quieted matters and Williams Wynn and the civil officers persuaded the demonstrators to disperse. On their return march the Yeomanry passed Cinder Hill, a pile of blast furnace waste from which thousands of people were watching. A youth threw a piece of cinder, which hit one of the horses, whose rider and another man fired their pistols – luckily hitting no-one. Williams-Wynn and his officers immediately stopped their men from reacting further, but the 'Battle of Cinder Hill', became notorious. In 1831 the Denbighshire miners were still dissatisfied, and marched on Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...
, being turned back by the Shropshire Yeomanry
The Shropshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1795, which served as a cavalry and dismounted infantry regiment in the First World War and as a cavalry and an artillery regiment in the Second World War. It w ...
. Later they gathered at Acrefair and again the Denbighshire Yeomanry were called out under Williams-Wynn, who advised the masters and workers to negotiate.['Trouble in the Mining Industry' at Ruabon in Wrexham North Wales.]
/ref>
When Col Sir Watkin Williams Wynn retired, he was succeeded on 1 March 1838 as Major-Commandant by Sir William Lloyd, a former major in the Honourable East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
's army, who had seen action at the Battle of Seetabuldee
Sitabuldi Fort, site of the Battle of Sitabuldi in 1817, is located atop a hillock in central Nagpur, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The fort was built by the British after they won this area. Mudhoji II Senasaheb Subha was allowed to co ...
and Siege of Nagpore. Lloyd joined the regiment after his return to Wales and as a captain in December 1830 had played a prominent role in defusing the difficult situation at 'Cinder Hill'. In 1850 the regiment consisted of three troops of 44 men each, with Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) at Wrexham.[
Sir William Lloyd died on 16 May 1857 and Lieutenant-Colonel Charles John Tottenham of Plas Berwyn (late of the 2nd Life Guards and ]High Sheriff of Denbighshire
The first High Sheriff of Denbighshire was John Salusbury (died 1540s), John Salusbury, snr, appointed in 1540. The shrievalty of Denbighshire, together with that of Flintshire, continued until 1974 when it was abolished after the county and sh ...
) was appointed to the command on 12 June 1857. He was simultaneously CO of the Royal Merioneth Militia. In the 1860s, most of the regiment's officers were former officers in the 1st
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
or 2nd Life Guards. Tottenham held the Yeomanry command until he retired and became the regiment's Honorary Colonel on 30 May 1874.[''Army List'', various dates.] He was succeeded as CO by Lt-Col Tom Naylor-Leyland of Nantclwyd Hall
Nantclwyd Hall is a 17th-century Grade II* listed mansion near the village of Llanelidan, Denbighshire, Wales,[Llangollen
Llangollen () is a town and community (Wales), community, situated on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, in Denbighshire, Wales. Its riverside location forms the edge of the Berwyn range, and the Dee Valley section of the Clwydian Range and Dee Val ...](_blank)
, moving to Ruthin
Ruthin ( ; ) is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales, in the south of the Vale of Clwyd. The town, castle and St Peter's Square lie on a hill, skirted by villages such as Pwllglas and Rhewl. The name comes from the Welsh ''rhud ...
in the 1870s.[ The Regiment became the Denbighshire (Hussars) Yeomanry Cavalry in 1876.][
Following 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 attentio ...
a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the ''Army List'' from December 1875. This assigned 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 ...
and Yeomanry units places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for the 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The Denbighshire, Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
and Worcestershire Yeomanry were assigned to the Cavalry Brigade of VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to:
France
* VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army dur ...
based at Crewe
Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120. ...
, alongside a Regular Royal Horse Artillery
The Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) was formed in 1793 as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery (commonly termed Royal Artillery) to provide horse artillery support to the cavalry units of the British Army. Although the cavalry link rem ...
battery. This was never more than a paper organisation, but 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 direct ...
. The Denbighshire Hussars together with the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry
The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was a Welsh auxiliary unit of the British Army 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 ...
formed the 15th Yeomanry Brigade.[
In 1885 Capt Sydney Platt began recruiting for the Denbighshire Hussars in neighbouring ]Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire (; , ), previously spelled Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire, was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was located in the north-west of Wales.
Geography
The county ...
, which had no yeomanry.[Owen, pp. 209–16.]
Imperial Yeomanry
Second Boer War
The Yeomanry was not intended to serve overseas, but 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
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
, particularly mounted troops. On 13 December, the War Office
The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...
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. In addition to this, many British citizens (usually mid-upper class) volunteered to join the new force.[Dunlop, pp. 104–18.][IY at Anglo-Boer War.]
/ref>
The Denbighshire Hussars raised the 29th (Denbighshire) Company for the IY, which arrived in South Africa on 5 March 1900 and served with other Welsh companies in 9th Battalion, IY.[ The company served until 1901, earning 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 Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In ...
: South Africa 1900–01.[
]
Denbighshire Imperial Yeomanry
The Imperial Yeomanry were trained and equipped as Mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were infantry who rode horses instead of marching. Unlike cavalry, mounted infantry dismounted to fight on foot. The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry. According to the ''Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Editio ...
. The concept was considered a success and the existing Yeomanry regiments at home were converted into Imperial Yeomanry in 1901, with an establishment of RHQ and four squadrons with a machine gun section. This included the Denbighshire Hussars Imperial Yeomanry (DHIY), with RHQ at Denbigh. The new establishment represented almost a trebling of the regiment's strength, which allowed the raising of C (Carnarvon) Squadron, recruited by Capt Eric Platt in Caernarfonshire, including a troop from Anglesey
Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...
, and allocating D Squadron to Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...
. The Yeomanry Brigade system was abolished at the same time.[
C (Carnarvon) Sqn was represented at the 1901 regimental training at ]Ruabon
Ruabon (; ) is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough
Wrexham County Borough () is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough, with city status in the United Kingdom, city status, in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. I ...
, and was well enough organised and trained to provide mounted escorts for a visit to the county in May 1902 by the Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
and Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales (; ) is a title used since the 14th century by the wife of the Prince of Wales. The Princess is the apparent future queen consort, as "Prince of Wales" is a title reserved by custom for the heir apparent to the Monarchy of the ...
. It was organised as follows:[
* Squadron HQ: Bangor
** No 1 Troop: Bangor
** No 2 Troop: Anglesey (]Beaumaris
Beaumaris (; ) is a town and community (Wales), community on the Anglesey, Isle of Anglesey in Wales, of which it is the former county town. It is located at the eastern entrance to the Menai Strait, the tidal waterway separating Anglesey fro ...
and Amlwch
Amlwch () is a port town and community (Wales), community in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Anglesey, Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 road, A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. As well as Amlwch town and Am ...
)
** No 3 Troop: Caernarfon
Caernarfon (; ) is a List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom, royal town, Community (Wales), community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the easter ...
and Llandudno
Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 UK census, the community � ...
** No 4 Troop: Porthmadog
Porthmadog (), originally Portmadoc until 1972 and known locally as "Port", is a coastal town and community (Wales), community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, Wales, and the historic counties of Wales, historic county of Caernarfonshire. It li ...
and Llanrwst
; ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is on the east bank of the River Conwy and the A470 road, and lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Denbighshire (histori ...
D Squadron was based at Birkenhead
Birkenhead () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic co ...
in Cheshire.
A.G. Edwards, Bishop of St Asaph
The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.
The diocese covers the counties of Conwy county borough, Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The ...
, was appointed the Honorary Chaplain of the regiment on 2 August 1902, attaining the rank of Chaplain 1st Class (TF) in 1906.[
]
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 in ...
(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 Denbighshire Yeomanry (Hussars) with the following organisation:[Denbighshire Hussars at Long, Long Trail.]
/ref>
* RHQ at 1 Erdigg Road, Wrexham
* A Squadron at Wrexham, with detachments at Market Street, Llangollen,[Denbighshire at Great War Centenary Drill Halls.]
/ref> Earl Street, Mold, Flintshire
Mold ( ) is a town and community in Flintshire, Wales, on the River Alyn. It is the historic county town and was the administrative seat of Flintshire County Council from 1996 to 2025, as it was of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996. According to the 2011 ...
and Ruabon
Ruabon (; ) is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough
Wrexham County Borough () is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough, with city status in the United Kingdom, city status, in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. I ...
* B Squadron at Love Lane, Denbigh, with detachments at Prestatyn
Prestatyn (; ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Historically a part of Flintshire, it is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. Prestatyn has a population of 19,085.
Origin of name
The name Prestatyn d ...
, John Street, Rhyl
Rhyl (; , ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire in Wales. The town lies on the coast of North Wales, at the mouth of the River Clwyd.
To the west is Kinmel Bay and Towyn, to the east Prestatyn, and to the south-east Rhuddlan ...
, and Denbigh Road, Ruthin[
* C Squadron at Glynne Road, Bangor,][Caernarvonshire at Great War Centenary Drill Halls.]
/ref> with detachments at Caernarvon, Argyll Road, Llandudno
Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 UK census, the community � ...
[ and ]Beaumaris
Beaumaris (; ) is a town and community (Wales), community on the Anglesey, Isle of Anglesey in Wales, of which it is the former county town. It is located at the eastern entrance to the Menai Strait, the tidal waterway separating Anglesey fro ...
* D Squadron at 24 Clifon Road, Tranmere, Birkenhead
Birkenhead () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic co ...
, Cheshire
The regiment formed part of the TF's 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 ...
.[James, p. 36.]
In 1911 the Regiment had the honour of being the escort to the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
to his Investiture
Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian kn ...
at Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Castle (; ) is a medieval fortress in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The first fortification on the site was a motte-and-bailey castle built in the late 11th century, which King Edward I of England began to replace with the current st ...
.
World War I
Mobilisation
When war was declared on 4 August 1914, the Denbighshire Hussars mobilised at their drill halls under the command of Lt-Col H.P. Sykes, a retired RegularArmy captain who had been in command since 21 December 1910. The regiment assembled with the WBMB and then went with it to its war stations in East Anglia
East Anglia is an area of the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with parts of Essex sometimes also included.
The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, ...
.[Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 1–7.][James, p. 17.]
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 Territor ...
('' 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, on 10 August 1914 the TF was invited to volunteer for overseas service. 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 Denbighshire Hussars
The 1/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade joined the 1st Mounted Division
The 1st Mounted Division was a Yeomanry Division of the British Army active during World War I. It was formed in August 1914 for the home defence of the United Kingdom from four existing mounted brigades of the Territorial Force, each of thre ...
in September 1914. It was stationed around Bungay
Bungay () is a market town, civil parish and electoral ward in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . It lies in the Waveney Valley, west of Beccles on the edge of The Broads, and at th ...
, moving to Beccles
Beccles ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . The town is located along the A145 r ...
in February 1915. The brigade was dismounted in November 1915 and thereafter the regiments acted as infantry. Early in 1916 the 1/1st Welsh Border and 1/1st South Wales Mounted Brigade
The South Wales 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.
History ...
left 1st Mounted Division and were sent to Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, disembarking at Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
on 15 March. As soon as they arrived, on 20 March, they were amalgamated to form the 4th Dismounted Brigade.[Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 1–7.][1st Mounted Division at Long, Long Trail.]
/ref>
At first this brigade was placed in the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
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 ...
, with 1/1st Denbighshire Hussars at Moghara, 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 ...
(WFF).[Dudley Ward, p. 20.]
The brigade was with the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
Defences when, on 14 January 1917, Egyptian Expeditionary Force
The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a military formation of the British Empire, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–1915), at the ...
(EEF) Order No. 26 instructed that the 2nd
A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI).
Second, Seconds, The Second, or (The) 2nd may also refer to:
Mathematics
* 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'')
* Minute and second of arc, ...
, 3rd and 4th Dismounted Brigades be reorganised as the 229th, 230th and 231st Infantry Brigades. On 23 February, the General Officer Commanding
General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment.
Thus, a general might be the GOC ...
the EEF, Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...
Sir A.J. Murray, sought permission from the War Office
The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...
to form the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades into a new division. On 25 February, the War Office granted permission and the new 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 Corp ...
started to form. The 231st Brigade joined the division at Khan Yunis
Khan Yunis (), also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and serves as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate. It has been largely destroyed during the Gaza war.
Before the 14th century, Khan Y ...
on the border of Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
on 10 April.[Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 117–22.][74th (Yeomanry) Division at Long, Long Trail.]
/ref>
24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers
Meanwhile in February 1917 the dismounted Yeomanry regiments comprising the new division were converted into numbered battalions of an infantry regiment recruiting from the same area. Thus on 1 March 1/1st Denbighshire Hussars became 24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers () was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales's Division, that was founded in 1689, shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated a fusilier regiment and becam ...
.[Frederick, p. 304.][James, p. 68.][Royal Welch Fusiliers at Long, Long Trail.]
/ref>
74th (Y) Division took part in the Sinai and Palestine campaign
The Sinai and Palestine campaign was part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, taking place between January 1915 and October 1918. The British Empire, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy fought alongside the Arab Revol ...
in 1917–18. It 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 b ...
(17–19 April 1917) and then saw action at 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 Ba ...
(27 October–7 November) including the Capture of Beersheba (31 October), where 24th RWF led the attack on the Turkish positions, and the Capture of the Sheria feature (6 November). It took part in 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 (8–12 March).[
The ]German spring offensive
The German spring offensive, also known as ''Kaiserschlacht'' ("Kaiser's Battle") or the Ludendorff offensive, was a series of German Empire, German attacks along the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First Wor ...
in March 1918 led to an urgent call for the EEF to supply reinforcements for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front,. On 3 April 1918, 74th (Y) Division was warned that it would move to France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and by 30 April 1918 had completed embarkation at Alexandria. 24th RWF landed at Marseilles
Marseille (; ; see below) is a city in southern France, the prefecture of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the Provence region, it is located on the coast of the Mediterranean S ...
in early May. The division then began training for the battle conditions of the Western Front.[
Due to a lack of replacements, British infantry divisions on the Western Front had been reduced from 12 to nine battalions at the beginning of 1918.][Haythornthwaite, p. 217.] To conform with this new structure, one battalion left each brigade of 74th (Y) Division, 24th RWF being the battalion selected from 231st Bde. On 21 June the three battalions were used to reconstitute 94th Brigade of 31st Division, which was renamed the 94th (Yeomanry) Brigade on that date.[Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 11–9.][31st Division at Long, Long Trail.]
/ref>
The battalion remained with 94th (Y) Bde in 31st Division for the rest of the war, taking part in the Action of Le Becque (28 June), the Capture of Vieux-Berquin
Vieux-Berquin (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France.
Population
Heraldry
See also
*Communes of the Nord department
References
Co ...
(13 August) and the Final Advance in Flanders, including the Fifth Battle of Ypres
The Fifth Battle of Ypres, also called the Advance in Flanders and the Battle of the Peaks of Flanders () is an informal name used to identify a series of World War I battles in northern France and southern Belgium (Flanders) from late Septembe ...
(28 September–2 October) and the Action at Tieghem (31 October). After a period in reserve, the division was pushing forward through Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
from Avelghem
Avelgem (; ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Avelgem proper, Bossuit, Kerkhove, Outrijve and Waarmaarde. On January 1, 2006, Avelgem h ...
to Renaix
Ronse (; ) is a Belgian city and a municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality only encompasses the city of Ronse proper.
History
Early settlements to 14th century
The hills around Ronse show clues of human ac ...
when the Armistice with Germany {{Short description, none
This is a list of armistices signed by the German Empire (1871–1918) or Nazi Germany (1933–1945). An armistice is a temporary agreement to cease hostilities. The period of an armistice may be used to negotiate a peace t ...
came into force on 11 November.[
24th (Denbigh Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, was ]demobilised
Demobilization or demobilisation (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or becaus ...
in 1919.[
]
2/1st Denbighshire Hussars
The 2nd Line regiment was formed in September 1914 and joined the 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade in the Newcastle
Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
area of Northumberland
Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...
in January 1915. In November 1915 it moved into Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
[ The brigade was placed under the command of the 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division.][Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 49–54.] On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence and the brigade became 17th Mounted Brigade, still in Northumberland under Northern Command.[
In April 1916, it left 63rd (2nd N) Division and moved with its brigade to ]East Anglia
East Anglia is an area of the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with parts of Essex sometimes also included.
The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, ...
where it joined the 1st Mounted Division, replacing its 1st Line, which had left (dismounted) for Egypt.[ By July it had moved with its brigade to the ]Morpeth, Northumberland
Morpeth is a historic market town in Northumberland, England, lying on the River Wansbeck. Nearby towns include Ashington, Northumberland, Ashington and Bedlington, Northumberland, Bedlington. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census, th ...
area.[
In July 1916 there was a major reorganisation of 2nd Line yeomanry units in the United Kingdom. All but 12 regiments were converted to ]cyclists
Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world for pur ...
and as a consequence the regiment was dismounted and the brigade converted to 10th Cyclist Brigade in 1st Cyclist Division (the former 1st Mounted Division). Further reorganisation in October and November 1916 saw the division broken up and the brigade redesignated as 6th Cyclist Brigade in November, still in the Morpeth area.[
At this time the regiment departed for the ]1st Cyclist Brigade
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
at Beccles
Beccles ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . The town is located along the A145 r ...
in Suffolk
Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
where it was amalgamated with the 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry
The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was a Welsh auxiliary unit of the British Army 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 ...
as the 3rd (Denbigh and Montgomery) Yeomanry Cyclist Battalion. The regiment resumed its separate identity as 2/1st Denbighshire Hussars in March 1917. It moved to Worlingham
Worlingham is a village and civil parish in the East Suffolk (district), East Suffolk district of the English county of Suffolk. It is about east of Beccles, with the two places effectively joined to form one urban area. At the United Kingdom ...
(near Beccles) in July, to Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the English county, county of Suffolk, England, north of the River Alde. Its estimated population was 2,276 in 2019. It was home to the comp ...
in January 1918 and back to Worlingham in April. The battalion disbanded at Beccles on 29 October 1918.[
]
3/1st Denbighshire Hussars
The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1915 and in the summer it was affiliated to a Reserve Cavalry Regiment at The Curragh
The Curragh ( ; ) is a flat open plain in County Kildare, Ireland. This area is well known for horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is on the edge of Kildare town, beside the Irish National Stud#The Japanese Gardens, Japane ...
. In the summer of 1916 it was dismounted and attached to the 3rd Line Groups of the 55th (West Lancashire) Division as its 1st Line was serving as infantry. The regiment was disbanded in about February 1917 with the personnel transferring to the 2/1st Denbighshire Hussars or to the 4th (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers () was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales's Division, that was founded in 1689, shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated a fusilier regiment and becam ...
at Oswestry
Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the England–Wales border, Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5 road (Great Britain), A5, A483 road, A483 and A495 road, A495 ro ...
.[
]
Interwar
The Denbighshire Hussars reformed at Wrexham when the TF was reconstituted on 7 February 1920.[Frederick, pp. 723, 735.] Postwar, a commission was set up to consider the shape of the TF ( Territorial Army (TA) from 1 October 1921). Wartime experience showed that the army had too many mounted units, and so only the 14 most senior Yeomanry regiments were retained in the TA as horsed cavalry, the remainder being converted to other roles, mainly as artillery. On 1 March 1922 the Denbighshire Hussars were converted to artillery and merged with 61st Medium Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Artillery, Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse ...
(RGA). This had been reformed in 1920 from the prewar Welsh (Carnarvonshire) Heavy Battery as ''12th (Carnarvon and Denbigh) Medium Brigade, in the TF and then renumbered in the TA. The merged unit became the 61st Carnarvon and Denbigh (Yeomanry) Medium Brigade, RGA with the following organisation:[Litchfield, pp. 27–8.][Frederick, pp. 723, 735.]
* Brigade HQ at Drill Hall, Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay () is a town, Community (Wales), community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Denbighshire (h ...
, from Denbighshire Hussars
* 241st (Carnarvon) Med Bty at Bangor, from 61st Medium Bde
* 242nd (Carnarvon) Med Bty (Howitzer) at Llandudo, from Denbighshire Hussars
* 243rd (Denbigh) Med Bty (H) at Colwyn Bay, from Denbighshire Hussars
* 244th (Denbigh) Med Bty (H) at Wrexham from Denbighshire Hussars
No prewar officers of the Denbigh Yeomanry were carried over to the new brigade.[ On 1 June 1924 the RGA was subsumed into the ]Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
(RA) and the unit titles were adjusted.[ The brigade was defined as 'Army Troops' in 53rd (Welsh) Divisional Area.][
In 1938 the RA modernised its nomenclature and a lieutenant-colonel's command was designated a 'regiment' rather than a 'brigade'; this applied to TA brigades from 1 November 1938. The TA was doubled in size after the ]Munich Crisis
The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the German annexation of part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudete ...
, and most regiments formed duplicates. During 1939 61st (C&DY) Med Rgt divided as follows:[Frederick, p. 737.][Western Command, 3 September 1939, at Patriot Files.]
/ref>
61st (Carnarvon & Denbighshire) Medium Regiment
* Regimental HQ at Colwn Bay
* 242 (Carnarvon) Med Battery at Llandudno
* 243 (Denbigh) Med Battery at Colwyn Bay
69th Medium Regiment
* RHQ at Bangor
* 241 (Carnarvon) Med Battery at Bangor
* 244 (Denbigh) Med Battery at Wrexham
World War II
61st Carnarvon & Denbigh (Yeomanry) Medium Regiment
61st (C&DY) Medium Regiment deployed to France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
with the British Expeditionary Force during the Phoney war
The Phoney War (; ; ) was an eight-month period at the outset of World War II during which there were virtually no Allied military land operations on the Western Front from roughly September 1939 to May 1940. World War II began on 3 Septembe ...
. After the German invasion of the Low Countries in May 1940 it played a distinguished part in the Battle of France
The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
before being evacuated from Dunkirk with the loss of all its equipment.[Ellis, ''France & Flanders'', Appendix I.]
/ref>[Farndale, Annex A.][Joslen, p. 462.] After three years in home defence it was assigned to 21st Army Group
The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...
for the Allied invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the N ...
.[Joslen, p. 463.] Equipped with the 5.5-inch gun, the regiment landed in Normandy on 2 July 1944 as part of 8th Army Group Royal Artillery (8th AGRA) and fought with it through the remainder of the Normandy Campaign, including Operations Jupiter, Greenline and Bluecoat
The bluecoat is a style of dress code, traditionally worn in bluecoat schools ( English private schools deriving from charity schools).
The main element of the bluecoat is a long (dark blue or black) coat, belted at the waist, with white nec ...
.[
The regiment continued with 8th AGRA through the subsequent campaign in North West Europe, culminating in the crossing of the Rhine (]Operation Plunder
Operation Plunder was a military operation to cross the Rhine on the night of 23 March 1945, launched by the 21st Army Group under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The crossing of the river was at Rees, Wesel, and south of the river Lippe b ...
) in March 1945. The regiment entered suspended animation in British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was the name given to British Army occupation forces in the Rhineland, West Germany, after the First and Second World Wars, and during the Cold War, becoming part of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) tasked ...
(BAOR) 1–13 March 1946.[
]
69th Carnarvon & Denbigh (Yeomanry) Medium Regiment
The duplicate unit also saw action in the Battle of France before being evacuated from Dunkirk. On 17 February 1942 it was authorised to use its parent regiment's subtitle.[ Later that year it was sent to Western Desert, where it took part 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 ...
.[ It joined the ]2nd Army Group Royal Artillery
2nd Army Group Royal Artillery was a Brigade, brigade-sized formation organised by Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II to command medium and heavy guns. It served in the final stages of the Tunisian Campaign and throughout the Itali ...
and took part in the Italian Campaign from 1943 to 1945.[ It ended the war in North-West Europe with the 2nd Army.][ The regiment passed into suspended animation in BAOR 1–17 March 1946.][
]
Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, 69th Med Rgt was formally disbanded [ and 61st Med Rgt reformed as 361 (Carnarvon, and Denbigh Yeomanry) Medium Regiment at Colwyn Bay.][Frederick, pp. 1008–9.] The CO was Lt-Col Owen Williams-Wynn, son of the regiment's Honorary Colonel and himself the former adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), 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 ...
of the regiment 1936–39.[Williams-Wynn Baronets, ''Burke's''.]
On 31 October 1956 the regiment merged with 384th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Light Regiment to become 372 (Flintshire, and Denbighshire Yeomanry) Regiment.[372–413 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 on.]
/ref>
When the TA was reduced into the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve
The Army Reserve is the active-duty volunteer reserve force of the British Army. It is separate from the Regular Reserve whose members are ex-Regular personnel who retain a statutory liability for service. Descended from the Territorial Force ( ...
(TAVR) on 2 April 1967, the regiment became The Flintshire, and Denbighshire Yeomanry, Royal Artillery (Territorial):[Frederick, p. 1042.]
* RHQ at Prestatyn
* P (Flintshire) Battery at Holywell
Holywell may refer to:
England
* Holywell, Bedfordshire
* Holywell, Cambridgeshire
* Holywell, Cornwall
* Holywell, Dorset
* Holywell, Eastbourne, East Sussex
* Holywell, Gloucestershire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Ho-Hoo#Hol, location in ...
* Q (Denbighshire) Battery at Colwyn Bay
urther reductionsOn 1 April 1969 the regiment was reduced to a cadre at Prestatyn under 119 Independent Light Reconnaissance Platoon, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is the maintenance arm of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's professional engineers".
History
Prior t ...
(REME); some HQ personnel were absorbed into a platoon of A Company, Welsh Volunteers detached at Prestatyn, and others into the REME platoon; others from Q Bty were absorbed into a platoon of A Co Welsh Volunteers detached to Colwyn Bay.[
Finally, on 1 April 1971 the cadre was disbanded to reform as infantry, finding B (Flintshire and Denbighshire Yeomanry) Company in 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, ]Royal Welsh Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers () was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales's Division, that was founded in 1689, shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated a fusilier regiment and becam ...
.[ The Denbighshire Yeomanry lineage was discontinued from 1999 but on 1 April 2014 a new 398 (Flintshire & Denbighshire Yeomanry) Transport Squadron, ]Royal Logistic Corps
The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army.
History
The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps:
* Royal Engine ...
, was formed in the Army Reserve. It took on a new primary role as Drivers within 157 (Welsh) Regiment RLC
157 (Welsh) Regiment RLC is an Army Reserve regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps.
History
The regiment was formed in the Royal Corps of Transport as 157th (Wales and Midlands) Transport Regiment, RCT (Volunteers) in 1967. 224 Squadron was forme ...
. They have other secondary duties and can be trained as ammunition technicians, logistic specialists, logistic communications specialists and chefs among other trades open to all with the RLC.
Heritage and ceremonial
Uniforms and insignia
From the beginning the regiment wore a blue jacket with three vertical rows of silver buttons; there may have been lace loops across the front, but they had gone by 1820. A Tarleton helmet was worn from 1795, being replaced by a black japanned
Japanning is a type of Surface finishing, finish that originated as a European imitation of East Asian lacquerware#East Asia, lacquerwork. It was first used on furniture, but was later much used on small items in metal. The word originated in th ...
Romanesque helmet with bearskin crest by 1831. The crest was replaced by a flowing red plume in 1840.[ By 1850 the jacket had scarlet ]facings
A facing colour, also known as facings, 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 Char ...
and the badge was the Prince of Wales's feathers
The Prince of Wales's feathers are the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales, the heir to the British throne. The badge consists of three white ostrich feathers encircled by a gold coronet. A ribbon below the coronet bears the German motto (, ...
, coronet and 'Ich Dien' motto.[ In 1856 the regiment adopted a ]Hussar
A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...
uniform with six white loops across the front and a black 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 wi ...
helmet with red plume. In 1862 the helmet was replaced by a Hussar
A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...
busby with scarlet bag and white plume. Collars, cuffs and trouser stripes were also scarlet.[Maj Roy Wilson, 'The Yeomanry cavalry', ''Military Modelling'' Vol 16, No 2, February 1986.]
The full dress uniform of the Denbighshire Hussars Imperial Yeomanry reflected the Boer War experience of the IY alongside Colonial units. The head dress was a drab felt Slouch hat
A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat most commonly worn as part of a military uniform, often, although not always, with a chinstrap. It has been worn by military personnel from many different nations including Australia, Ireland, the ...
with a scarlet pagri
Phari or Pagri (; ) is a town in Yadong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China near the border with Bhutan. The border can be accessed through a secret road/trail connecting Tsento Gewog in Bhutan () known as Tremo La. the town had a popu ...
and white feather Hackle
The hackle is a clipped plume or short spray of coloured feathers that is attached to a military headdress, with different colours being associated with particular regiments.
In the British Army and the armies of some Commonwealth countries, ...
; the left side was turned up and displayed the regimental cap badge. For ordinary wear a drab Field service cap with scarlet piping was worn, officers also having a drab Peaked cap
A peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It d ...
with scarlet top and band. The double-breasted drab tunic
A tunic is a garment for the torso, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles. It might have arm-sleeves, either short or full-length. Most forms have no fastenings. The name deri ...
with scarlet collar and shoulder-straps had a lancer-style scarlet plastron front for full dress. The brass cap and collar badges from 1901 consisted of the Prince of Wales's insignia, the officers' cap badge in gilt or silver having the addition of a scroll underneath inscribed 'DENBIGHSHIRE HUSSARS'. Brass 'D.H.I.Y.' shoulder-titles were worn.[
By 1908 the regiment had reverted to the blue hussar uniform for full dress, but many yeomanry regiments wore a less elaborate parade dress comprising a blue patrol jacket and peaked cap (''see picture''), In other orders of dress the standard khaki cavalry uniform was worn.
In 1949 361 Med Rgt replaced the Royal Artillery 'gun' badge with one of their own design. It comprised the Prince of Wales's insignia above a scroll inscribed 'CAERNARVON & DENBIGH YEO'. The feathers and motto were in white metal and the coronet and scroll in gilt. RA 'bomb' collar badges' continued to be worn.][
]
Honorary Colonels
The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit:[
* Charles John Tottenham, former CO, appointed 30 May 1874
* Arthur Mesham, former CO, appointed 20 February 1892
* ]Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 9th Baronet
Colonel Sir Robert William Herbert Watkin Williams-Wynn, 9th Baronet, KCB, DSO (3 June 1862 – 23 November 1951) was a Welsh soldier and landowner.
He was Master of the Flint and Denbigh Foxhounds for 58 years and also Lord Lieutenant ...
, KCB, DSO, TD, appointed 7 February 1923[
* Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 10th Baronet, former CO of 361 Medium Rgt 1947–52, appointed 1952][
]
Memorials
There is a memorial to the 17 men of 29th (Denbighshire) Company Imperial Yeomanry who died on active service during the Second Boer War inside St Giles' Church in Wrexham.
A regimental memorial to the Denbighshire Hussars, commemorating the regiment from raising in 1796 to the end of its cavalry incarnation in 1920 and listing its battle honours, is near the north door of the nave of St Asaph Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saints Asaph and Cyndeyrn, commonly called St Asaph Cathedral (), is a cathedral in St Asaph, Denbighshire, north Wales. It is the episcopal seat of the Bishop of St Asaph. The cathedral dates back 1,400 years, while t ...
.[Guide to the cathedral.]
Battle honours
The Denbighshire Yeomanry 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 Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In ...
s (honours in bold are emblazoned on the guidon):[
]
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 and sub-units in the British Army Reserve which are descended from volunteer cavalry regiments that now serve in a variety of different roles.
History
Origins
In the 1790s, following the ...
* 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 lin ...
* 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 ...
*
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; Appendix to Chapters I-XIV, pp. 503–14.
* Anon, ''British Army of the Rhine Battlefield Tour: Operation Bluecoat'', Germany: BAOR, 1947/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2021, .
* Anon, ''British Army of the Rhine Battlefield Tour: Operation Plunder'', Germany: BAOR, 1947/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2022, .
* 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, .
* 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, .
* Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3b: New Army Divisions (30–41) and 63rd (R.N.) Division'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1939/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, .
* ''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.
* Maj L.F. Ellis
''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1954/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, 978-1-85457-056-6.
* Gen Sir Martin Farndale
General Sir Martin Baker Farndale, (6 January 1929 – 10 May 2000) was a British Army officer who reached high office in the 1980s.
Military career
Educated at Yorebridge Grammar School, Askrigg, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Farn ...
, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941'', Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, .
* J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, .
* J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, .
*
* Brig E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914–18'', London: Samson Books, 1978, /Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, .
* Steven John, ''Welsh Yeomanry at War: A History of the 24th (Pembroke & Glamorgan Yeomanry) Battalion, The Welsh Regiment'', Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2016, .
* Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, ''Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/London: London Stamp Exchange, 1990, /Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, .
* 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: 1: Anglesey and Caernarfonshire'', Caernarfon: Palace Books, 1989, .
*
* 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.
* Lt-Col J.D. Sainsbury, ''The Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments, Royal Artillery, Part 1: The Field Regiments 1920-1946'', Welwyn: Hertfordshire Yeomanry and Artillery Trust/Hart Books, 1999, .
* Arthur Sleigh, ''The Royal Militia and Yeomanry Cavalry Army List'', April 1850, London: British Army Despatch Press, 1850/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 1991, .
* R.J. Smith & C.R. Coogan, ''The Uniforms of the British Yeomanry Force 1794–1914, 15: Staffordshire Yeomanry'', Feltham: Robert Ogilby Trust/Chippenham: Picton Publishing, 1993, .
* 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'', Spring 2001, Vol 79, No 317, pp. 45–62.
* Lt-Col Will Townend & Frank Baldwin, ''Gunners in Normandy: The History of the Royal Artillery in North-West Europe January 1942 to August 1944'', Cheltenham: History Press, 2020, .
* 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, .
* Maj C.H. Dudley Ward, ''The 74th (Yeomanry) Division in Syria and France'', London: John Murray, 1922/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2004, .
External links
Anglo Boer War
British Army units from 1945 on
Clwyd Family History
Great War Centenary Drill Halls.
Imperial War Museum, War Memorials Register
Chris Baker, ''The Long, Long Trail''
* ttp://www.roll-of-honour.com/index.html Roll of Honour
Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum
{{Authority control
Denbighshire Yeomanry
Denbighshire
Denbighshire ( ; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthi ...
Yeomanry regiments of the British Army in World War I
Military units and formations in Wales
Military units and formations in Denbighshire
Military units and formations in Wrexham
Military units and formations established in 1794
Military units and formations disestablished in 1921
Regiments of the British Army in World War II