| West Somerset Yeomanry | |
|---|---|
| Active | 17974 - 1967 |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Yeomanry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Part of | Boer War Imperial Yeomanry World War I Yeomanry Infantry World War II Royal Artillery |
| Battle honours | Boer War South Africa 1900-01 World War I Battle of the Somme 1918 Bapaume 1918 Hindenburg Line Epehy Pursuit to Mons France and Flanders 1918 Battle of Gallipoli 1915 Egypt 1916-17 First Battle of Gaza Second Battle of Gaza Third Battle of Gaza Jerusalem Tell 'Asur Palestine 1917-18 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 West Somerset Yeomanry was formed in 1794, when King George III was on the throne, William Pitt the Younger was the Prime Minister of Great Britain and, across the English Channel, Britain was faced by a French nation that had recently guillotined its King and possessed a revolutionary army numbering half a million men. The Prime Minister proposed that the English Counties form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant to subdue any civil disorder within the country.[2]
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On 13 December 1899, the decision was made to allow volunteer forces to serve in the Second Boer War. Due to the string of defeats during Black Week in December 1899, the British government realized it wa going to need more troops than just the regular army, thus issuing a Royal Warrant on 24 December 1899. This warrant officially created the Imperial Yeomanry.
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 regiment.[3] Although there were strict requirements, many volunteers were accepted with substandard horsemanship/marksmanship, however they had significant time to train while awaiting transport.
The first contingent of recruits contained 550 officers, 10,371 men with 20 battalions and 4 companies[4], which arrived in South Africa between February and April 1900.[5] Upon arrival, the regiment was sent throughout the zone of operations.
The inscription "South Africa" on the Regimental crest commemorates service in the Boer War. The regiment provided troops for the 7th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, and sailed for the Cape in March 1900.
During World War I the regiment formed second (2/1st) and third (3/1st) line regiments. [6]
On mobilisation the original regiment, now known as the 1/1st West Somerset Yeomanry, was attached to the 2nd Mounted Brigade of the 1st Mounted Division.[6] In October 1915, they were dismounted, and moved overseas to take part in the Dardanelles campaign and landed at Suvla Bay in Gallipoli where they were attached to the 11th (Northern) Division. This lasted until the 5 November 1915, when they were attached to the 2nd Mounted Division.[6]
After the evacuation of Gallipoli, they moved to Egypt and became part of the 2nd Dismounted Brigade, part of the Western Frontier Force.[6]
On 4 January 1917, the regiment was converted to an infantry unit and formed the 12th Battalion, (West Somerset Yeomanry), Somerset Light Infantry, now attached to the 229th Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division. It was as part of the 74th (Yeomanry) Division that they moved to the Western Front in France until the end of the war.[6]
The 2/1st West Somerset Yeomanry was formed in September 1914 and converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. It remained in the United Kingdom until moving to Ireland in May 1918, until the end of the war.[6]
The third line regiment the 3/1st West Somerset Yeomanry was formed in 1915. It remained in the United Kingdom until disbanded in early 1917.[6]
The Regiment was reformed in 1920 as a Gunner Brigade. On re-organisation in 1927, two West Somerset Yeomanry Batteries were brigaded with two Batteries of the Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry forming the 94th Brigade R.F.A.
On mobilisation in 1939, the Regiment, now known as the 55 (Wessex) Field Regiment R.A., formed a seciond line Regiment known as the 112 Field Regiment RA.[7]
The regiment was formed around two batteries the 373 (W Somerset Yeo) and 374 (W Somerset Yeo) both equipped with 25 pounder guns and initially attached to the 45th Infantry Division.[7]
The regiment remained in the United Kingdom, until landing in Normandy on D-Day plus 21 as part of the Guards Armoured Division which it had joined in 1942.[7]
It saw its first action at Pubot en Bassin and was involved in the battles for Carpiquet Areodrome, Caen and the Miny Bocage.[7]
It was with the Guards Armoured Division's when it advanced from the Falaise Gap to the capture of Brussels and in the assaults on the Albert Canal and the Escaut Canal. Italso participated in the Battle of the Reichswald and provided support for the assault river crossing of the Rhine.[7]
It ended the war at Aachen where it was deployed in an occupational role.[7]
This regiment was a second line regiment formed from the 55 (Wessex) Field Regiment. It consisted of two batteries, the 217 and 220 (Wiltshire). It remained in the United Kingdom until June 1944 when it was deployed to France, with the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division.
In 1947, the Regiment was reformed with the title 55th Field Regiment R.A. until February 1967, when with the reduction of the Territorial Army it ceased to exist as a regiment. Some elements of the Regiment, along with elements of the North Somerset Yeomanry, were combined with the Somerset Light Infantry to form the Somerset Yeomanry and Light Infantry, which changed title again in 1971 to become the 6th Battalion The Light Infantry (Volunteers).