Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse

Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse

Cap badge of the FFY/SH
Active 1956-Present
Country  United Kingdom
Branch Territorial Army
Type Yeomanry
Role Formation Reconnaissance
Size Since 1992 only one squadron
Part of Queen's Own Yeomanry
Garrison/HQ HQ at Yeomanry House Cupar
Detachment in Forfar
Nickname The Highland Cavalry
Motto Pro Aris et Focis (For Hearth and Home)
March Quick - Wee Cooper of Fife (band); The Scottish Horse (pipes and drums)
Slow - The Garb of Old Gaul (band); Bonnie Dundee (pipes and drums)
Commanders
Honorary Colonel Colonel Sir John Gilmour Bt. DL
Notable
commanders		 Duke of Atholl
Sir John Gilmour 2nd Bt
Sir John Gilmour, 3rd Bt
Earl of Lindsay
Insignia
Tartan Murray of Atholl

The Fife & Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse (FFY/SH) is a Yeomanry Squadron of the Queen's Own Yeomanry part of the British Territorial Army. It was formed following the amalgamation of The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry and The Scottish Horse regiments.

The squadron is C Squadron of the Queen's Own Yeomanry which is assigned to the 15 (North East) Brigade, 2nd Division. Because of the geographic spread of the regiment C Squadron is administered by 51st (Scottish) Brigade.

The Queen's Own Yeomanry is the only yeomanry regiment that serves in the formation reconnaissance role, equipped with the Scimitar and Spartan armoured reconnaissance vehicles. On mobilisation, it would reinforce one of the regular army formation reconnaissance regiments. The squadron provided personnel for active service during Operation TELIC, where they served with their regular counterparts in the Royal Armoured Corps.

The FFY/SH and its antecedent Regiments have won numerous battle honours and one Victoria Cross.

Organisation

C (FFY/SH) Squadron QOY is based at Yeomanry House on Castlebank Road in Cupar and consists of a Squadron Headquarters Element (SHQ), two Sabre Troops, a Squadron Quarter Master Sergeant (SQMS) Department and a REME Light Aid Detachment (LAD).

One additional troop is located at Strathmore Cavalry Barracks in Forfar but is administered from the Cupar SHQ.

The squadron is supported by Adjutant General's Corps clerks, Royal Logistics Corps chefs and Royal Army Medical Corps medics.

The TA officers and soldiers hold all of the command appointments but on a day-to-day basis the unit is managed by a team of Non-Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), Permanent Staff Instructors (PSIs) (SNCO instructors posted from the Regular Army) and civil servants.

History

The Regiment 1956-1967

On 1 November 1956 The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse was formed by the amalgamation of two Royal Armoured Corps Regiments: The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry (FFY) which traces it history back to 1793 and The Scottish Horse (SH) which is unique in that it was originally raised, not in Scotland, but in South Africa in 1900.

The FFY/SH received all its staff instructors, RSM and Adjutants from the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards.

The FFY/SH was the only armoured regiment in 51st (Highland) Division in this period and whilst not mobilised as a Regiment it did despatch some individuals as replacements on operational tours with the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards during the Aden Emergency.

The Cadre 1967-1975

In 1967 the Regiment was put into suspended animation (and not allowed to recruit). A RCT Squadron was formed under the name "Highland Yeomanry" but this was not take the lineage of the Squadron though they were allowed the honour of wearing the Atholl Bonnet.

By 1969 the FFY/SH Regiment, that was in suspended animation, was reduced to a cadre strength by the Royal Armoured Corps HQ which saw the Regiment continue training but on an unpaid basis and dismounted (its armoured cars had been removed).

During this period the training was basic but assistance from Regular Army Regiments was sought and the FFY/SH continued only so it could be revived in case of national emergency.

The FFY/SH cadre was officially dissolved in 1975.

The Scottish Yeomanry 1992-1999

In 1992, the transport squadron was moved to Glenrothes and Yeomanry House was reclaimed by the Yeomanry with the remaining troops converted back to the reconnaissance role, becoming C Squadron (Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse) of The Scottish Yeomanry.

Scimitar vehicles as used by the FFY/SH Squadron today

In The Queen's Own Yeomanry 1999-present

With the Strategic Defence Review in 1999, The Scottish Yeomanry and The Queen's Own Yeomanry were amalgamated. In 2003 many of the Squadron were mobilised serve in the Invasion of Iraq on Operation TELIC, tThis was the first large scale call-out of the Territorial Army since the Suez Crisis. Since then the Squadron has had Soldiers and Officers serve in both Iraq and Operation HERRICK in Afghanistan with their regular counterparts in the Royal Armoured Corps and other arms and services. It was announced as part of FR2020 that the Squadron would transfer to a new regiment to be named the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry

Battle honours

The combined battle honours of the FFY/SH were displayed on the FFY/SH guidon and are represented today on the guidon of The Queen's Own Yeomanry.

This table shows the FFY/SH Regiment's battle honours and their origin with either the FFY or the SH.

Guidon

FFY/SH Guidon

The Regiment was presented a new guidon which displayed the combined battle honours of the FFY and the SH on 19 July 1958 at Dundonald Camp by Lieutenant-General R.G. Collingwood.

The guidon was laid up on the 30 November 1975 in Dundee Parish Church (St Mary's).

The guidon was briefly returned to the custody of the FFY/SH quadron in 2007 [1] for a parade to mark the receipt of The Queen's Own Yeomanry's first guidon from The Prince of Wales. They were then returned in brief ceremony to Dundee Parish Church (St Mary's) in late 2007.

The FFY/SH crest appears on the current Queen's Own Yeomanry guidon.

Decorations and awards

The Squadron has one Victoria Cross winner in its history; Lt Col W J English, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroism in 1901 in South Africa whilst serving as a Lieutenant in The Scottish Horse.

Honorary Colonels and Commanding Officers 1956- present

Honorary Colonels Commanding Officers
/Officer Commanding
The FFY/SH Regiment
(1956–1967)		 Col R Appleby Bartram MC TD DL(1956-1957[2])
Col Earl of Lindsay DL(1957[3]-1962[4])
Col RMTC Campbell-Preston OBE MC TD JP DL (1962[4]-1967[5])
Col Sir William Walker Kt. TD DL[6]		 Lt Colonel HRS Stewart TD
Lt Colonel N Mathewson TD
Lt Colonel M Anstice MC
The FFY/SH Cadre
(1967–1975)		 Col Sir William Walker, Kt TD DL
Col Sir John Gilmour Bt DSO TD JP DL MP		 Maj MGN Walker (1969[7]-1972)
Maj IS Taylor TD (1972[8]-1975[9])
The FFY/SH
Suspended Animation
(1975–1992)		 None None
C(FFY/SH) Squadron
of The Scots Yeo
(1992–1999)		 Col MJC Anstice MC TD DL Maj C Roads (1992–1994)
Maj I Thornton-Kemsley TD (1994–1996)
Maj WHR Wilson (1996–1999)
C(FFY/SH) Squadron
of The QOY
(1999–Present)		 Col Sir John Gilmour, 4th Bt (-Present) Maj WHR Wilson (1999–2000)
Maj NWE Potter TD (2000–2002)
Maj MC Hutchinson TD (2002–2007)
Maj C Chayko (2007–2008)
Maj NWE Potter TD (2008–Present)

Other notable officers in the FFY/SH include:

Seniority in The Queen’s Own Yeomanry

The FFY/SH Squadron is officially recognised as the fourth of five Squadrons in The Queen's Own Yeomanry.

Preceded by
D (Northumberland Hussars)
Squadron		 Order of Precedence in
The Queen's Own Yeomanry 		Succeeded by
B (North Irish Horse)
Squadron

Dress and accoutrements

Murray of Atholl Tartan
Regimental Cap Badge

The cap badge of the FFY/SH is a mounted knight (The Thane of Fife) with a Cross of St Andrews behind. The cross contains both laurel and juniper leaves. It is worn on the collars of the officers and men of the Squadron and on the arms above the chevrons of all Senior non-commissioned officers.

Crops

The officers and Senior NCOs of the Squadron all carry a riding crop (or the longer schooling whip) when on parade without Sabres or Rifles.

Tartan

The Regiment's tartan is Murray of Atholl inherited from the Scottish Horse. However, the pipers kilts and plaids are in Tullibardine Tartan.

Warrant Officer's Dress

Unlike all other ranks the Squadron Sergeant Major (and the SQMS) wear a brown leather cross belt with No 2 Dress, officers cap badges, brown shoes and brown gloves.

FFY/SH Stable Belt
Regimental Head Dress

The FFY/SH regimental headdress was the Atholl Bonnet. A navy tam o’shanter type hat with red, white and green checked band and red tourrie (bobble) on top. This is only seen very rarely with the Atholl Grey mess dress of SNCOs and officers.

Officer's Side Hat

The officer's side hat is navy with silver piping in a pattern first worn by the Fife Light Horse.

Stable Belt Colours

The FFY/SH wear a stable belt in the regimental colours of crimson and gold with a black stripe. C (FFY/SH) Squadron QOY wears a stablebelt in the colours of the Queen's Own Yeomanry.

Bands

The FFY/SH regiment had its own both its own brass band and Pipes and Drums.

Today one of the three Royal Armoured Corps bands provides music for parades.

Alliances

See also

References

External links