34-781: The Northamptonshire Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army , formed in 1794 as volunteer cavalry . It served in the Second Boer War , the First World War and the Second World War before being reduced to squadron level in 1956. It ceased to have a separate existence in 1971. In 1793, the prime minister, William Pitt the Younger , proposed that the English Counties form
68-571: A 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments. On mobilisation in August 1914, the 1st Line regiment was attached to the Eastern Mounted Brigade , which was part of the 1st Mounted Division . In November 1914, the regiment moved to France with the 8th Division . It remained with the 8th Division until April 1915, when it was split up: This lasted until May 1916, when
102-727: 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. The regiment was originally formed at Althorp, with George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer becoming Colonel of the Regiment, as the Northamptonshire Yeomanry Cavalry in 1794, but it was disbanded in 1828. It was raised again as independent troops in 1830 but disbanded again in 1873. A Northamptonshire Imperial Yeomanry regiment
136-597: A major role in suppressing the rebellion of 1798, was completely disbanded in 1838. For the next thirty years, the Yeomanry Force was retained as a second line of support for the regular cavalry within Britain. Recruiting difficulties led to serious consideration being given to the disbandment of the entire force in 1870, but instead measures were taken the following year to improve its effectiveness. These included requirements that individual yeomanry troopers attend
170-468: A minimum number of drills per year in return for a "permanent duty" allowance, and that units be maintained at a specific strength. Yeomanry officers and permanent drill instructors were required to undergo training at a newly established School of Instruction and the Secretary of State for War took over responsibility for the force, from individual Lords Lieutenant of counties. While these reforms improved
204-423: A more elaborate dark blue dragoon style uniform with plumed white-metal helmet had been adopted for officers as review order. Braiding on the tunic was silver, as were the shoulder and waist belts. The rank and file wore simpler blue patrols for parade and walking-out dress. All ranks retained the cornflower blue for facings. Yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units and sub-units in
238-506: A sub-unit of a larger unit: In 1907 the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was established as an all female volunteer organisation to provide a link between field hospitals and the front line, with their primary role being to rescue the wounded, rather than provide nursing care. Because the organisation as initially formed was mounted it adopted the yeomanry name. The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry is an independent charity that
272-814: The Battle of the Bulge . The regiment was re-formed and re-equipped with LVT 4 Buffalo amphibious armoured fighting vehicles for the Operation Plunder the Rhine crossing and was placed under the command of the 79th Armoured Division . After leaving the 20th Armoured Brigade in 1943, the 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry was converted to an Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment and assigned to the 11th Armoured Division. The regiment landed in Normandy in June 1944. In August, it
306-597: The British Army Reserve which are descended from volunteer cavalry regiments that now serve in a variety of different roles. In the 1790s, following the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte , the perceived threat of invasion of the Kingdom of Great Britain was high. To improve the country's defences, Volunteer regiments were raised in many counties from yeomen . While
340-660: The Second Boer War , companies of Imperial Yeomanry were formed to serve overseas from volunteers from the Yeomanry. In 1901, all yeomanry regiments were redesignated as "Imperial Yeomanry", and reorganised. In 1908, the Imperial Yeomanry was merged with the Volunteer Force to form the Territorial Force , of which it became the cavalry arm. The "Imperial" title was dropped at the same time. On
374-776: The 7th Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment was formed. However, the Northamptonshire Yeomanry Association, established on August 6th 1943, became a Charity in 1945, and was renamed the Northamptonshire Association Yeomanry Benevolent Fund. Under its president, the 9th Earl Spencer , this charity finally closed its doors in December 2024, exactly 230 years after being raised by the 2nd Earl Spencer in 1794. Upon establishment in February 1902
SECTION 10
#1732780317483408-876: The Corps of Royal Engineers and reorganised to form 250th (Northamptonshire Yeomanry) Independent Field Squadron, RE (TA) . When the TA was reorganised into the Territorial & Army Volunteer Reserve (T&AVR) on 31 March 1967, this unit was reduced to a Cadre with the Regiment being again placed in Suspended Animation. In April 1967, the Cadre of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry formed a successor unit as A (Northamptonshire Yeomanry) Company, The Northamptonshire Regiment Territorials until 1971, when
442-584: The Regiment re-formed, becoming the 6th Corps ' Cavalry Regiment. In November 1917, it moved to Italy , becoming 14th Corps ' Cavalry. The 2nd Line regiment was formed in September 1914. In November 1915, the regiment joined the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division . In April 1916, the regiment began to split up, with the RHQ and A Squadron joining the 69th (2nd East Anglian) Division in Yorkshire . One Squadron
476-467: The TA was reconstituted, the 1st and 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry were amalgamated and re-formed as The Northamptonshire Yeomanry, RAC (TA) . Reorganisations of the TA in 1956 resulted in the Regiment being reduced to a single squadron as "D" (Northamptonshire Yeomanry) Squadron , part of the Inns of Court Regiment , RAC (TA). This state of affairs lasted until April 1961, when "D" Squadron was transferred to
510-495: The amalgamation of some pairs of yeomanry regiments. There was a major reduction in reserve forces in 1967 with the formation of the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve; all existing yeomanry regiments were reduced to squadron, company or battery sub-units. A number of further reorganisations have taken place since then. In the current Army Reserve , several remnants of former Yeomanry regiments are still serving, usually as
544-425: The civil power over the previous decade. A number of independent troops were also dissolved. Following these reductions, the yeomanry establishment was fixed at 22 corps (regiments) receiving allowances and a further 16 serving without pay. During the 1830s, the number of yeomanry units fluctuated, reflecting the level of civil unrest in any particular region at any particular time. The Irish Yeomanry, which had played
578-624: The decision to increase the Territorial Army by forming duplicates of existing TA units. By 1939, it had become clear that a new European war was likely to break out, and the doubling of the Territorial Army was authorised, with each unit forming a duplicate. As a result of this move, the Northamptonshire Yeomanry was divided in May 1939 to form two Cavalry Light Tank Regiments: Both Regiments formed part of 20th Light Armoured Brigade (TA) and were mobilised on 1 September 1939. A nominal 4th NY
612-416: The eve of World War I in 1914, there were 55 Yeomanry regiments (with two more formed in August 1914), each of four squadrons instead of the three of the regular cavalry. Upon embodiment, these regiments were either brought together to form mounted brigades or allocated as divisional cavalry. For purposes of recruitment and administration, the Yeomanry were linked to specific counties or regions, identified in
646-504: The first half of the nineteenth century, Yeomanry Regiments were used extensively in support of the civil authority to quell riots and civil disturbances, including the Peterloo Massacre ; as police forces were created and took over this role, the Yeomanry concentrated on local defence. In 1827, it was decided for financial reasons to reduce the number of yeomanry regiments, disbanding those that had not been required to assist
680-429: The professionalism of the Yeomanry Force, numbers remained low (only 10,617 in 1881). In 1876, the role of the Yeomanry Force was fixed as that of light cavalry . During the previous decades, horse artillery troops had been raised to be attached to a number of yeomanry regiments and dismounted detachments appeared where horses were not available in sufficient numbers. These supernumerary units were now abolished. During
714-480: The regiment was issued with the new khaki uniform then being introduced as service dress for the British Army as a whole. The regimental distinctions for the Northamptonshire Yeomanry included pale blue ("cornflower") facings and piping, plus a cap and collar badge comprising a galloping white horse. This insignia had been part of that worn by the earlier Northamptonshire Yeomanry in the 1830-45 period. By 1905
SECTION 20
#1732780317483748-686: The regimental title. Some of the units still in existence in 1914 dated back to those created in the 1790s, while others had been created during a period of expansion following on the Boer War. After the First World War, the Territorial Force was disbanded and later reformed and redesignated as the Territorial Army . Following the experience of the war, only the fourteen senior yeomanry regiments retained their horses, with
782-488: The rest being re-designated as armoured car companies , artillery , engineers , or signals . Two regiments were disbanded. The converted units retained their yeomanry traditions, with some artillery regiments having individual batteries representing different yeomanry units. On the eve of the Second World War in 1939, the Territorial Army was doubled in size, with duplicate units formed; this led to some regiments being de-amalgamated. The last mounted regiment of yeomanry
816-631: The war, it was decided that only the fourteen most senior yeomanry regiments would be retained as horsed cavalry, with the rest being transferred to other roles. As a result, on 1 March 1922, the regiment was one of eight converted and reduced to 7th (Northamptonshire) Armoured Car Company, Tank Corps . In 1922, it was renumbered as 25th (Northamptonshire Yeomanry) Armoured Car Company, Tank Corps , in October 1923 as 25th (Northamptonshire Yeomanry) Armoured Car Company, Royal Tank Corps , and in April 1939 it
850-477: The word "yeoman" in normal use meant a small farmer who owned his land, Yeomanry officers were drawn from the nobility or the landed gentry, and many of the men were the officers' tenants or had other forms of obligation to the officers. At its formation, the force was referred to as the Yeomanry Cavalry . Members of the yeomanry were not obliged to serve overseas without their individual consent. During
884-615: Was at Le Mesnil-Patry, Rots on 11 June 1944. Further battles they were involved in were around Caen , including Operation Charnwood on 7 July, the battle to capture Caen. On 16 July 1944, it was involved in Operation Pomegranate , where it come under the command of the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division . On 8 August 1944, it was involved in Operation Totalize , a breakout from the Caen Salient. It
918-628: Was attached to the 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division in Kent in October 1916. During the following winter, the remaining squadron went to France , where it was absorbed into the Tank Corps around August 1917. Of the two squadrons remaining in the United Kingdom, one was absorbed into the 6th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Tidworth in March 1917, the other was disbanded. The 3rd Line regiment
952-409: Was disbanded and its members were drafted to other regiments. The 4th "regiment" was formed as a deception unit. It constructed and moved dummy tanks in order to deceive the enemy as to the disposition and strength of British armour. The 1st and 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry (TA) were both demobilised by 1946 and for a short period remained in a state of suspended animation. Then, on 1 January 1947,
986-403: Was during Operation Totalize that Joe Ekins , a Sherman Tank gunner of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, gained recognition for being the man who possibly killed the renowned German tank commander, Michael Wittmann , the 4th top scoring tank ace in history, near Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil , France . The regiment was briefly attached to the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division for the actions around
1020-851: Was formed during the Second Boer War. The regiment was based at Clare Street in Northampton at this time. In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ( 7 Edw. 7 , c.9 ) which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service . Therefore, TF units were split in August and September 1914 into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. Later,
1054-539: Was formed in 1915 and in the summer it was affiliated to the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Canterbury . Early in 1917, it was absorbed in the 6th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Tidworth. On 7 February 1920, the regiment was reconstituted in the Territorial Army with HQ at the Old Militia Barracks in Clare St, Northampton . It was initially established with three Squadrons. Following the experience of
Northamptonshire Yeomanry - Misplaced Pages Continue
1088-538: Was formed later. In 1944, as a part of the 33rd Armoured Brigade , the unit participated in the Invasion of Normandy , landing on Gold Beach in Normandy on 6 June. The brigade also included the 1st East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry and the 144 Regiment RAC. The Brigade's role was infantry support, therefore it rarely fought as an entity. One of the occasions when the Brigade did undertake an operation on its own
1122-581: Was the Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons , who were converted to an armoured role in March 1942, and later converted into an infantry battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry —KOYLI. Volunteers from the Yeomanry served in the Long Range Desert Group from 1940 through to 1943, incorporated into "Y Patrol". There were reductions in the size of the TA in both 1957 and 1961, which led to
1156-545: Was transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps . In November 1938, the formation of a Mechanised Cavalry Brigade (TA) was announced, to comprise three Cavalry Light Tank Regiments. The Northamptonshire Yeomanry was selected to form part of this Brigade and ordered to expand to full Regimental status. By early 1939, Regimental Headquarters and "A" Squadron were based at Northampton, with "B" Squadron at Daventry and "C" Squadron at Brackley. This expansion coincided with
#482517