South Irish Horse

South Irish Horse

Regimental Badge
Active 1902-1922
Country United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Branch Army
Type Yeomanry
Role Cavalry
Commanders
Current
commander		 Defunct
Colonel-in-Chief Field Marshal HRH Arthur W. P. A., Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, KG, KT, KP, GCB, GCSI

The South Irish Horse was a Special Reserve cavalry regiment of the British Army. Formed on 2 January 1902 as the South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry. It was renamed as the South Irish Horse from 7 July 1908 and transferred to the Special Reserve (Cavalry). After fighting in the Great War the unit was disbanded in 1922 following the implementation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

History

Memorial to the fallen of the South Irish Horse in World War I at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
South Irish Horse, a Dubliner resting on his way to Arras Front, drawing by William Orpen, 1917
A "Sweetheart pin" with the emblem of the South Irish Horse (SIH), sent by a soldier to his girlfriend as a memento

The declaration of war against Germany in August 1914 found the South Irish Horse at summer camp, as was its sister regiment the North Irish Horse. Together they supplied a composite regiment who acted as GHQ (General Headquarters) troops in the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) in France, B Squadron from the South Irish Horse and two from the North Irish Horse.

Squadrons:

Briefly, the regiment served as separate divisional cavalry squadrons and then as two corps cavalry regiments. In September 1917 the officers and men of both regiments were retrained as infantry and formed 7th (South Irish Horse) Battalion Royal Irish Regiment. The battalion was posted to 49th Infantry Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division. A look at the list of war dead will show 21 men recorded as Killed in Action on 12 December 1917 and a further nine Died of Wounds by the end of the month. All of these men had previously been in the South Irish Horse.

On 21 March 1918 the battalion was caught in the maelstrom of the German Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser's Battle) Spring offensive. The Official History records that, "2 Coys of 7/Royal Irish posted in forward zone suffered terribly; not a man succeeded in escaping." 77 officers and men of 7th (SIH) Royal Irish Regiment were killed in action that day, 42 were formerly South Irish Horse. 14 officers of the battalion were captured that day 6 of whom were formerly South Irish Horse. By the end of the month over 90 men of the battalion were dead or dying. According to the War Diary of 49th Infantry Brigade the battalion strength on 30 March 1918 was 1 officer and 34 other ranks. The battalion strength on 20 March is not known but a sister battalion (2nd Royal Irish Regiment) in the brigade had a strength of 18 officers and 514 men before the battle and 1 officer and 31 other ranks on 30 March. 15 officers of this battalion were also captured (two of whom were also formerly South Irish Horse).

With the end of the war the regiment was listed as "disembodied", with its rank and file demobilized, the remaining horses transferred to regular mounted units and only a cadre of officers retained without peacetime training commitments. The South Irish Horse remained however on the Army List under the heading of "Cavalry Special Reserve".

The regiment was one of the six British Army regiments disbanded in 1922 as a result of the Partition of Ireland, having only existed for 20 years.[1]

Battle honours

Loos - Somme, 1916, 1918 - Albert, 1916 - St Quentin - Rosières - Avre - Ypres, 1918 - Courtrai - France and Flanders, 1915-18.

Uniform

The parade dress of the South Irish Horse worn until 1914 included a dark green peaked cap and tunic with scarlet facings. Overalls (tight fitting cavalry breeches)[2] were green with double scarlet stripes.[3] During World War I standard khaki service uniforms were worn.

Association

The regiment no longer has an association but dependents may still get assistance from the Army Benevolent Fund.[4] The Combined Irish Regiments Association also remains as a source of information and for those who wish to remember the disbanded regiments.[5]

Great War Memorials

References

  1. ↑ "The South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry & The South Irish Horse". Southirishhorse.com. Retrieved 2017-01-03.
  2. ↑ Carman, W.Y. A Dictionary of Military Uniform. p. 97. ISBN 0-684-15130-8.
  3. ↑ Smith, R.J. The Yeomanry Force at the 1911 Coronation. p. 29. ISBN 0-948251-26-3.
  4. ↑ "Army Benevolent Fund".
  5. ↑ "Combined Irish Regiments". Combined Irish Regiments.
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