Northumberland Hussars
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| Northumberland Hussars | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1794-Present |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Line Cavalry |
| Role | Formation Reconnaissance |
| Size | One Squadron |
| Part of | Royal Armoured Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Nickname | the Noodles |
| Engagements | Battle of Greece Battle of Crete Operation Crusader Battle of Gazala First Battle of El Alamein Second Battle of El Alamein Mareth Line Operation Perch Operation Husky Salerno Gold Beach D Day Invasion of Normandy Battle for Caen Battle of Villers-Bocage Operation Bluecoat Operation Pugilist Operation Market Garden |
| Battle honours | South Africa World War II No battle honours were awarded. It is tradition within artillery units that the regiment's guns represent its colours and battle honours.[1] |
The Northumberland Hussars is a Squadron of The Queen's Own Yeomanry (QOY) is an armoured Squadron of the British Territorial Army. It is part of a Formation Reconnaissance Regiment, equipped with the FV107 Scimitar and FV103 Spartan type armoured reconnaissance vehicles. They are based in Newcastle upon Tyne and are part of the 15th (North East) Brigade of the 2nd Division.
On mobilisation, it provides a reinforcemant squadron to reinforce the regular formation reconnaissance regiments. It has provided personnel on Operation telic, Operation Herrick, who have served with their regular counterparts in the Royal Armoured Corps.
Contents |
[edit] Formation and early years
In 1794 , King George III , was on the throne, William Pitt the Younger was Prime Minister of great Britain , and across the Channel , Britain was faced by a French nation which had recently guillotined its King and which possessed a revolutionary army numbering half a million men. The Prime Minister proposed that the Counties form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry which could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant to subdue any civil disorder within the country.[2] Then in 1819 , the regiment was renamed The Newcastle Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry.Shortley after in 1831 , the regiment was used against its own countrymen , putting down the miners strikes of that year.In 1876 , they were again renamed this time as the Northumberland Hussars.
[edit] Boer War
The Imperial Yeomanry was raised to match the Boers' skill as fast moving, mounted infantry. The Boer War brought unexpected defeats for the British army at the hands of the Boers in "Black Week", December 1899. This was attributed to the skill and determination of the Boer farmers-fast moving, highly skilled horsemen operating in open country.[3] Britain's answer to the Boers was the Imperial Yeomanry, hurriedly dispatched in January 1900. Among the officers chosen to organise this force was Viscount Valentia, CO of the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars , who became Assistant Adjutant General. The 9th Duke of Marlborough was also appointed to the Headquarters Staff.[4] Volunteers were called for from present and past members of Yeomanry regiments and from new recruits. Over 20,000 men came forward in two years.[3] The regiment was sent to South Africa as part of the Imperial Yeomanry during the Anglo Second Boer War. They first saw action in May of that year. Awarded the battle honour “South Africa”.
[edit] World War I
In the first World War the Northumberland Hussars formed second and third line regiments , the regimental names would be the 1/1st Northumberland Hussars , 2/1st Northumberland Hussars and the 3/1st Northumberland Hussars.
[edit] 1/1st Northumberland Hussars
The 1/1st were mobilised in August 1914 , in Newcastle upon Tyne and attached to the Yorkshire Mounted Brigade. In September 1914 , they joined the 7th Division. In April 1915 the regiment was split up with regimental Head Quarters and A Squadron remaining with the 7th Division , while B Squadron joined the 1st Division, C Squadron joined the 8th Division.This lasted until May 1916 , when all the units reformed in France , to form the XIII Corps Cavalry. They would then move between Corps being attached to the VIII Corps in August 1917 , III Corps , in November 1917 and finally XII Corps in October 1918.
[edit] 2/1st Northumberland Hussars
The 2/1st were formed in October 1914 and remained in the United Kingdom , in April 1916 , the regiment was split up with the regimental head quarters and B Squadron joining the 62nd Division , A Squadron would operate as an independent unit based in Scarborough , C Squadron joined the 59th Division. This lasted until February 1917 , when all the regimental units reformed in England , prior to moving to France on March 19, 1917 , they joined the XIX Corps , Cavalry a few days later. They were then designated for infantry training and on August 28, 1917 , they moved to Etaples for infantry training. Having completed the training on September 25, 1917 , they were re designated and became the 9th (Northumberland Hussars Yeomanry) Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers.
[edit] 3/1st Northumberland Hussars
The 3/1st were formed in February 1915 , they remained in United Kingdom until absorbed by the 5th Reserve Cavalry Regiment in early 1917.
[edit] Menin Gate
Northumberland Hussars who have no known grave from World War 1 between 1914 and August 1917 are commemorated on panel 5 of the Menin Gate.
[edit] Between the Wars
On reforming the TA, the 14 senior Yeomanry Regiments would remain as horsed cavalry regiments (forming the 5th and 6th Cavalry Brigades). The Northumberland Hussars initially remained a horsed unit but would convert to an artillery regiment early in World War II.
[edit] World War II
In December 1939 , the regiment was re rolled to become a Royal Artillery , Anti-Tank Regiment , the 102nd Royal Horse Artillery(Northumberland Hussars) , they were equipped with 36 x 2 pounder Anti Tank guns. In 1941 , the regiment was attached to the 2nd Support Group, of the 2nd Armoured Division in North Africa, they then joined the 1st Armoured Brigade in Greece. They were deployed to hold the Metamorphos Pass , with the Greek Horse Artillery. ON April 22 , they were subjected to Dive bombing and tank attacks. They were now in a rearguard action together with their New Zealand allies. They reached Athens on April 25 , after a 12 hour battle and 160 mile march through the night.By April 26 , they arrived at Rafina Beach , near Athens and waited to be evacuated having destroyed all there guns and equipment. They were taken aboard HMS Havoc on April 27 and landed at Suda on the island of Crete. Here they were equipped with rifles to fight as infantry on the Akrotiri Peninsula between Canea and Suda. From May 15 , they were again under air attack and 11 gliders landed in the regimental area but by the May 26 , the peninsula was under allied control and all gliders destroyed. Then on May 27 , the Evacuation of Crete was decided. The regiment had to withdraw across the mountains from the town of Suda to Sphakia , a distance of 50 miles, to the evacuation beeches. A lot of troops did get away but owing to heavy shipping losses the embarkation was stopped and those who were left had orders to capitulate to the advancing German forces on May 31. After being evacuated to Egypt in June 1941 , the regiment was strengthened by men from the suspended 106th Royal Horse Artillery , the regiment was then attached to the 7th Armoured Division, for Operation Crusader in November 1941 and at the Battle of Gazala in 1942 as an Anti-Tank unit. Theyt then reverted to Royal Artillery status and served with 50th (Northumbrian) Division at El Alamein and in Sicily and landed at Salerno in Italy. The regiment landed at Liverpool on November 5, 1943 , they had been away for 12 days less then 3 years. The Northumberland Hussars were by this stage a very experienced unit with six major battle honours including two amphibious landings under their belts. They were an obvious choice to be placed at the forefront of Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings. For the next six months they joined thousands of allied servicemen training in Britain for the assault on the French Coast. The regiment was to land at Gold Beach on D Day with the 50th (Northumbrian) Division as part the 69th Infantry Brigade and 231st Infantry Brigade. 69th Infantry Brigade would land at La Riviere and move south by Crepon and Creuilly to St. Leger on the strategically important Bayeux-Caen road. The Anti-Tank Plan was for "A" Battery to remain with 69th Infantry Brigade until reaching St. Leger. "C" Battery would stay with 231st Infantry Brigade for the first phase only and then change over, the Battery going to 151st Infantry Brigade (less one troop who went to 56th Infantry Brigade). They would then be relieved by "B" and "D" Batteries and would then go on an "exploitation" role with 8th Armoured Brigade.
"A" and "C" Batteries would be the first of the regiment to land at about H-Hour plus one followed by the two self-propelled units with "B" and "D" Batteries coming after. In addition to themselves the regiment was allotted two self-propelled Anti-Tank Batteries (189th and 234th Anti-Tank Batteries of the 73rd Anti-Tank Regiment R.A) who were to be placed under the direct command of the Northumberland Hussars. [5]. The 231st Infantry Brigade (previously an independent unit formed from regular troops stationed on Malta) permanently attached, and the 56th Infantry Brigade temporarily attached to the 50th (Northumbrian)Division. The 50th (Northumbrian) Division was considered to have performed very well in Normandy; out of the three divisions that were veterans of the desert (the others being 7th Armoured Division and 51st Highland Division), it was considered to have performed the best. It was one of the driving forces behind the British advance, and was exhausted by the end of the battle. It later played a minor role in Operation Market Garden, where the 231st Infantry Brigade was detached to help support the advance of Guards Armoured Division. The division stayed in north west Europe until December 1944, when it was again returned to Britain. When the 50th (Northumbrian) Division returned to the UK the Northumberland Hussars joined 15th (Scottish) Division, with which it remained until the end of the war in Northern Europe.
[edit] World War II timeline
- UK 1940-1 - 2nd Armoured Division
- Greece 1941 - 1st Armourd Brigade
- N Africa 1941-2 - 7th Armoured Division
- N Africa 1942-3 - 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
- El Alamein 10/42 - 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
- Sicily 1943 - 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
- UK 1943-4 - 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
- D Day 1944 - 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
- NW Europe 1944 - 50th (Northumbrian Infantry Division
- NW Europe 1944-5 - 15th (Scottish) Division
[edit] Post-War
- 1946 – The regiment was disbanded from Regular service in the Royal Artillery and returned to the TA Order of battle.
- 1949 – Equipped with Cruiser Tank as The Northumberland Hussars.
- 1967 – Reduced to Cadre strength after the formation of the TAVR.
- 1971 – Reformed as HQ Sqn (The Northumberland Hussars) The Queen’s Own Yeomanry. Equipped with Ferret Armoured Cars and Alvis Saracen Armoured Cars.
- 1986 – D Sqn ( The Northumberland Hussars) formed at Cramlington, Northumberland. Equipped With Fox Armoured Reconnaissance vehicle.
- 1999 – D Sqn and HQ Sqn amalgamated to form D Sqn (The Northumberland Hussars) in Fenham Barracks , Newcastle upon Tyne , Equipped with CVR(T) Sabre then FV107 Scimitar Tracked Armoured Reconnaissance cars.
[edit] Iraq and Afghanistan
The Northumberland Hussars have not been deployed as a unit in Iraq or Afghanistan but it has provided personnel for Op Telic and Op Herrick.
[edit] Battle honours
- South Africa 1900
[edit] Notable Old Comrades
- Major Lawrence Johnston (1871–1958), created Hidcote Manor Garden, now in the care of the National Trust, Boer War and World War I.
- Sir Hubert Swinburne, of Capheaton, 8th Baron Swinburne, Boer War.
- William Henry Armstrong Fitzpatrick Watson-Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong, World War I.
- Stanley Norman Evans (1898 – 1970) was a British industrialist and Labour Party politician, World War I.
- John Arthur Tournay Middleton (1906 - 1939), Lieutenant, He held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for Northumberland , World War I.
- Colonel Douglas Clifton Brown, 1st and last Viscount Ruffside, (1879 - 1958) , He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the service of the Northumberland Hussars Yeomanry Territorial Army,He gained the rank of Brevet Colonel in the service of the Northumberland Hussars Yeomanry (Territorial Army).He held the office of Member of Parliament (MP) for Hexham between 1918 and 1923 and between 1924 and 1951. He held the office of Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons between 1938 and 1943. He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.) in 1941. He held the office of Speaker of the House of Commons between 1943 and 1951, World War I
- Hugh Percy 10th Duke of Northumberland, World War II.
- Major David Muir Langton (1912 – 1994), actor best remembered for playing Richard Bellamy in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs, World War II.
- Captain Sir Laurence Pumphrey, Eichstatt , Oflag VII-B POW tunnel escaper (63 escaped), sent to Colditz July 1943, World War II.
- (Harry) John Neville Vane, 11th Baron Barnard (b. 1923) of Barnard Castle, Lt Col 1964-1966, Post-War
- Matthew White Ridley, 4th Viscount Ridley, Brevet Colonel in the Northumberland Hussars, he would become Honorary Colonel in 1979, Post-War.
[edit] Nicknames
- The Noodles
[edit] Alliances
[edit] Contact information
P.S.A.O. D (Northumberland Hussars) Squadron Queen's Own Yeomanry Fenham Barracks Barrack Road Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4NP
- Day contact Tel: 0191 239 3127
- Evenings 0191 239 3142
- Military Tel: 94721 3127
- Fax: 0191 239 3187
- Military Fax: 94721 3187
- E. Mail qoy-d-psao@mod.uk
[edit] References
- ^ mod.uk.
- ^ worcestershire.€
- ^ a b The story of Oxfordshire Yeomanry - Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars - Boer War. Oxfordshire County Council Museum Service. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
- ^ The story of Oxfordshire Yeomanry - Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars - Viscount Valentia. Oxfordshire County Council Museum Service. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
- ^ Insert footnote text here
1.Sources: CWGC, Army List, "Overlord" by Max Hastings and "The Northumberland Hussars 1924-1949 by Joan Bright
