Bedfordshire Yeomanry

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Bedfordshire Yeomanry, a unit of the British Army originally raised in 1797 as a body of independent troops, the Bedfordshire Yeomanry Cavalry was disbanded after the Napoleonic Wars and briefly reformed from 1817 to 1827.

In 1901 the Bedfordshire Yeomanry was re-constituted as the Bedfordshire Imperial Yeomanry for service in South Africa (Second Boer War).

From 1908 the Bedfordshire Yeomanry was part of the Territorial Force, training as Lancers, with its Headquarters at Bedford and sub-units and detachments as follows: • A Squadron at Bedford • B Squadron at Biggleswade (det at Shefford) • C Squadron at Dunstable (dets at Leighton Buzzard, Woburn, Ampthill) • D Squadron at Godmanchester (Hunts.) (dets at St. Neots, Kimbolton, Ramsey, Somersham, Sutton, Chatteris)

During World War I the 1/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry served in the territories of the French Third Republic, eventually dismounting to serve in the Battle of the Somme, Battle of Cambrai and the Hundred Days Offensive in 1918. The record of the unit’s service was set out by L. R. C. Southern (Lieutenant), an officer of the regiment, in The Bedfordshire Yeomanry in the Great War (Rush & Warwick, Bedford, 1935). 2/1st & 3/1st formations were also formed, remaining in the UK throughout the war.

After the Great War the unit was re-organised as an artillery regiment, in which form it saw out World War II.

In 1961 it was amalgamated to become the 286th (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.