84-1002: The Sussex Yeomanry is a yeomanry regiment of the British Army dating from 1794. It was initially formed when there was a threat of French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars . After being reformed in the Second Boer War , it served in the First World War and the Second World War , when it served in the East African Campaign and the Siege of Tobruk . The lineage is maintained by 1 (Sussex Yeomanry) Field Troop, 579 Field Squadron (EOD) , part of 101 (London) Engineer Regiment ( Explosive Ordnance Disposal ) (Volunteers). After Britain
168-469: A former officer in the 1st Life Guards . The returned veterans of 69th (Sussex) Company formed the cadre for the new regiment, which had the following organisation: Enlistment for the new unit began on 1 October, and by 2 April 1902 69 men had been sent to South Africa to join the various IY companies still serving there. By the time the regiment carried out its first training camp at Lewes, in May 1902, it had
252-597: 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
336-468: 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
420-597: A museum and comes second behind much larger Chichester in its number of listed buildings in West Sussex. The River Arun runs through the eastern side of the town. Arundel was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Reform Act 1835 . From 1836 to 1889 the town had its own Borough police force with a strength of three. In 1974 it became part of the Arun district , and is now a civil parish with
504-594: A series of hill features while covered by a timed artillery fireplan. The following day, Major Munn accompanied 1st Bn Worcestershire Regiment as they took Middle Hill supported by a powerful artillery attack. Further advance on this line was impossible, but the main Italian force in East Africa surrendered on 19 May. At the end of the campaign, 5th Indian Division returned to Egypt. 144th Field Rgt sailed from for Suez on 24 June, arriving two days later. In August, it
588-624: A strength of 413. The Imperial Yeomanry were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908. The Sussex Yeomanry (TF) were organised as follows: The Sussex Yeomanry formed part of the TF's South Eastern Mounted Brigade . The Sussex Yeomanry were mobilised on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914 under the Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March , DSO , who had only taken command on 3 July. Under
672-506: 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
756-707: A three-battery organisation earlier in the war, and 144th Fd Rgt finally reorganised its 24 guns into three batteries (389, 390 and 552) in January 1943. In October 1943, 31st Indian Armoured Division moved to Egypt, apparently to join the Italian Campaign , but this never happened. The regiment served for a while as depot regiment at the Middle East School of Artillery at Almaza. It moved to Palestine with 31st Indian Armd Division on 24 February 1944, and received M4 Sherman tanks as OPs. In May 1944, it
840-595: A town council. The name comes from the Old English Hārhūnedell , meaning "valley of horehound ", and was first recorded in the Domesday Book . Folk etymology , however, connects the name with the Old French word arondelle , meaning "swallow", and swallows appear on the town's arms. An electoral ward of the same name exists. This ward stretches north to Houghton with a total population at
924-672: A traffic jam and had to be destroyed, with the troops proceeding on foot to Dunkirk for evacuation . Back in the United Kingdom the regiment was attached to the 1st Infantry Brigade while it reformed it remained in the United Kingdom until September 1942 when it was sent out to the Middle East and attached to the 10th Armoured Division in Egypt where it participated in the Second Battle of El Alamein , when 10th Armoured
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#17327904233331008-657: Is a designation used by a number of units and sub-units in 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
1092-622: Is not part of the Armed Forces, today it provides teams to aid civil agencies. Other uses of yeoman : Arundel Arundel ( / ˈ ær ə n d əl / ARR -ən-dəl or locally / ˈ ɑː n d əl / AHN -dəl ) is a market town and civil parish in the Arun District of the South Downs , West Sussex , England. The much-conserved town has a medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral . Arundel has
1176-690: Is on the Arun Valley Line . The Monarch's Way long-distance footpath passes through the town and crosses the river here, while just under five miles (eight kilometres) north and northwest of the town the route of the South Downs Way runs. The town itself lies outside the boundaries of the South Downs National Park . Arundel is home to Arundel Castle , seat of the Duke of Norfolk ; and to Arundel Cathedral , seat of
1260-627: The 5th and 6th Cavalry Brigades ) while the remaining Yeomanry Regiments were reassigned as artillery. In 1920 the regiment reformed as the 13th (Sussex Yeomanry) Army Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA), but in 1921 this was redesignated 98th (Sussex Yeomanry) Brigade, RFA . Then in 1922 it amalgamated with two batteries newly converted from the Surrey Yeomanry to form 98th (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery with 389 and 390 (Sussex Yeomanry) Field Batteries, and 391 and 392 (Surrey Yeomanry) Field Batteries. In 1924 it
1344-516: The GOC EEF ( Lt-Gen Sir A.J. Murray ) sought permission from the War Office to form the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades into a new division. The War Office granted permission and the new 74th (Yeomanry) Division started to form. The 230th Brigade joined the division at Deir el Balah between 9 and 13 April. The battalion remained with 230th Brigade in 74th (Yeomanry) Division for the rest of
1428-580: The Italian Campaign . For example, it fired in support of 201st Guards Brigade attack on 'Bare Arse Ridge' on 6 November during the Battle of Monte Camino , and in support of 56th (London) Division during the assault crossing of the Garigliano in January 1944. In February 1944, 2nd AGRA was sent to support the New Zealand Corps . By late May, 2nd AGRA, with 74th Medium Rgt under command,
1512-579: The Savoia Grenadiers . The eight-week Battle of Keren followed. The steep mountainsides caused problems for the OPs and the guns. 'Brig's Peak' and 'Acqua Col' were unsuccessfully attacked. On 10 February, the 4/6th Rapjputana Rifles (the 'Rajrifs') made another assault on the Acqua Col, Major Mansergh and his party going up with the battalion HQ. Despite the battery firing 2816 rounds in the day,
1596-660: 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
1680-745: The Suez Canal Defences. On 22 February, South Eastern Mounted Brigade was absorbed into the 3rd Dismounted Brigade (along with the Eastern Mounted Brigade ). The brigade served as part of the Suez Canal Defences from 14 March to 26 July attached to 42nd (East Lancashire) Division; it then joined the Western Frontier Force . By the end of the year, it was back on the Suez. The brigade was with
1764-673: The Sussex Legion , but the Volunteers were disbanded at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and the Yeomanry reverted to their previous title. The Yeomanry declined in importance and strength after the end of the French wars, and by 1817 only three of the original troops (Petworth, Lewes and Midhurst) survived, joined by a new West Coast Troop raised at Yapton on 30 July 1816. However, a new Goodwood Troop of Yeomanry Artillery
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#17327904233331848-558: The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ( 7 Edw. 7 , c.9 ), which brought the TF into being, it was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, after the outbreak of war, TF units were invited to volunteer for ' Imperial Service '. On 15 August 1914, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August,
1932-654: The 'Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's' subtitle in 1942. On mobilisation in 1939, the Regiment was part of the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) that was sent to France, initially attached to the 1st Infantry Division in the Lille area. In May 1940, it would be attached in turn to the 46th and 44th Infantry Divisions during the German advance the regiments Guns and vehicles were caught in
2016-693: The (Catholic) Bishop of Arundel and Brighton . On 6 July 2004, Arundel was granted Fairtrade Town status. People born in Arundel are known locally as Mullets, due to the presence of mullet in the River Arun. Arundel is home to one of the oldest Scout Groups in the world. 1st Arundel (Earl of Arundel's Own) Scout Group was formed in 1908 only a few weeks after Scouting began. Based in an HQ in Green Lane Close, it has active sections of Beaver Scouts , Cub Scouts and Scouts. Arundel has
2100-483: The 1st Sussex Light Horse Volunteers were formed at Brighton , but these were part of the post-1859 Volunteer Force and not Yeomanry. They were disbanded in 1875. Following a string of defeats during Black Week in early December 1899, the British government realised that it would need more troops than just the regular army to fight the Second Boer War . On 13 December, the decision to allow volunteer forces serve in
2184-489: The 2011 census of 4,298. Arundel Town Council is based at Arundel Town Hall . Arundel civil parish occupies an area somewhat larger than its built-up clusters, with the old town towards the north and the new to the south, separated by a main road. Arundel town is a major bridging point over the River Arun as it was the lowest road bridge until the opening of the Littlehampton swing bridge in 1908. Arundel Castle
2268-728: The 3rd Line Groups of the Home Counties Division at Crowborough as its 1st Line was serving as infantry. The regiment was disbanded in January 1917 with personnel transferring to the 2nd Line regiment or to the 4th (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment at Tunbridge Wells . After the First World War, the TF was reformed as the Territorial Army (TA). The 14 senior Yeomanry regiments remained horsed cavalry regiments (6 forming
2352-749: The BEF had been evacuated from Dunkirk without any of its guns, 144th Fd Rgt was one of the few field regiments in the UK with its full allotment of 24 × 25-pounders. It was attached to the Regular Army 4th Division , which was refitting in Hampshire , before returning to IV Corps in August. After Italy declared war in the summer of 1940, the War Office sent reinforcements to protect the British bases in Egypt ,
2436-605: The British force advanced against Kassala and the Italians withdrew. Gazelle Force was sent in pursuit. On 21 January, it was approaching Keru when D and F Troops of 390 Bty were charged by about 60 Eritrean cavalry led by two Italian officers on grey horses – probably the last time British forces faced a cavalry charge. The horsemen were driven off by the guns firing over open sights and gunners of 25th Fd Rgt using rifles. The battery's observation posts (OPs) also drove off enemy infantry and dismounted cavalry who were working round
2520-578: The Italian guns out of action with seven rounds. On 3 February, the battery reached the main Italian defensive position at Dongolass Gorge that shut off the Keren Plateau and began shelling the defences. Reinforced, Gazelle Force attempted to seize the gorge by scaling the heights either side of it. A company of 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders , accompanied by a Forward Observation Officer's (FOO) party from 390 Bty, scaled Point 1616 (later known as Cameron Ridge), pushing off defenders of
2604-449: The OP on Cameron Ridge was able to bring down F Trp's fire on enemy reinforcements massing for a counter-attack. That night the OP reported the British and Indian troops were only yards for their objectives. F Troop tried to silence the enemy mortars and 390 Bty continued firing against divisional targets all next day. On 18 March the OP reported that the enemy had recaptured Sanchil, and at 05.15
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2688-604: The Regiment being placed in suspended animation in June 1946. On the outbreak of war in September 1939, the regiment mobilised at Brighton as an Army field regiment in Eastern Command . It was equipped with 12 × 4.5-inch howitzers of First World War vintage, but within days it had handed over eight of these guns to 123 Officer Cadet Training Unit at Catterick Garrison and all its vehicles to 98th (S&SY) Fd Rgt, which
2772-483: The Suez Canal Defences when, on 14 January 1917, Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) Order No. 26 instructed that the 2nd , 3rd and 4th Dismounted Brigades be reorganized as the 229th , 230th and 231st Brigades . The brigade units were reorganized in January and February 1917. As a result, the 1/1st Sussex Yeomanry was converted to infantry at Mersa Matruh on 3 January 1917 and redesignated 16th (Sussex Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment . On 23 February,
2856-495: 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
2940-463: The basis for 74th Medium Regiment was supplied by 144th (S&SY) Fd Rgt, but it was considered a war-formed unit, not part of the TA, and was not granted the Yeomanry subtitle. The cadre was formed on 5 December 1939 and the new regiment came into existence at Preston Park, Brighton , on 2 January 1940. Its two batteries were initially lettered A and B, changing to P and Q on 11 March 1942 At this stage of
3024-649: The battalion landed at Marseilles , France , with 74th (Yeomanry) Division. It served in France and Flanders with the division for the rest of the war. By 18 May, the division had concentrated around Rue in the Abbeville area. Here the dismounted Yeomanry underwent training for service on the Western Front , particularly gas defence . On 14 July 1918, the Yeomanry Division went into the line for
3108-482: The carriage. The troop consisted of two sections and was armed with two 3-pounder guns and two 4.5-inch Coehorn mortars . The Treaty of Amiens in 1802 saw most of the Yeomanry disbanded, leaving six troops in Sussex (Petworth, West Hoathly, Midhurst, Lewes, Parham and Chichester). The peace was short-lived and Britain declared war on France again in May 1803, beginning the Napoleonic Wars . The Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry
3192-425: 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
3276-593: The command of Major E.C.R. Mansergh, was sent to Mekali Wells to join 'Gazelle Force' on 11 December. Organised around the divisional motor cavalry regiment ( Skinner's Horse ) and two motor machine gun companies of the Sudan Defence Force , Gazelle Force under the command of Colonel Frank Messervy had been raiding Italian frontier posts since October, and 390 Bty's 25-pounders replaced an earlier battery of 18-pounders. F Troop, which had been detached to Gebeit, rejoined 390 Bty on 17 January. In January 1941,
3360-584: The convoys taking the longer but safer round the Cape of Good Hope to the Red Sea ports. These reinforcements included three field regiments sent before the end of 1940, including 144th (S&SY). On 16 November, the regiment under Lt-Col H.T.W. Clements landed at Suez , and by 8 December it been taken back to Port Sudan to join 5th Indian Division at Haiya in the Sudan . On arrival, 390 Bty (less F Troop) under
3444-660: The designation of Sussex Troops of Gentlemen and Yeomen Cavalry was formed on 23 June 1794, with its headquarters (HQ) at Petworth House , the estate of George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont , who took command of the force as colonel , as well as commanding the Petworth Troop: Other Troops were soon added: In 1794, the Churchwardens of the Lewes Visitation pledged to raised the 'Sussex Churchwardens' Corps' with blue uniforms, but in
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3528-416: 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
3612-436: The event the troop was never formed. A Yeomanry artillery troop, the Duke of Richmond's Light Horse Artillery was raised by Field Marshal Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond on 15 June 1797 at his estate at Goodwood House . The Duke was a proponent of Horse artillery , and the troop was equipped with his own design of Curricle gun carriage, pulled by four horses (two of which were ridden), with three gunners sitting on
3696-463: The field was made, and a Royal Warrant was issued on 24 December. This officially created the Imperial Yeomanry (IY). The force was organised as county service companies of approximately 115 men, and volunteers (usually middle and upper class) quickly filled the new force, which was equipped to operate as Mounted infantry . The first contingent of 20 IY battalions arrived in South Africa between February and April and upon arrival were sent throughout
3780-437: 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
3864-411: The first time, near Merville on the right of XI Corps . From September 1918, as part of III Corps of Fourth Army , it took part in the Hundred Days Offensive including the Second Battle of the Somme ( Second Battle of Bapaume ) and the Battles of the Hindenburg Line ( Battle of Épehy ). In October and November 1918, it took part in the Final Advance in Artois and Flanders. By the Armistice , it
3948-403: The formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way, duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Later, a 3rd Line
4032-409: The horses of 2nd King Edward's Horse who were going dismounted to the Western Front . In October 1915, the regiment was at Canterbury . On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence; the brigade was numbered as 14th Mounted Brigade and joined 4th Mounted Division . In July 1916, 4th Mounted Division became 2nd Cyclist Division and the regiment
4116-475: The last time on 10 May 1942 and was sent to Habbaniyah in Iraq to join Tenth Army . Here, it was joined for a month by 103 Bty from 79th A/T Rgt , in an experimental organisation used in the region. On 4 July, the regiment was sent to Aleppo in Syria to join 17th Indian Infantry Brigade , and then on 24 August to Persia to join 31st Indian Armoured Division . It moved with the division into Iraq on 20 November. Royal Artillery field regiments had adopted
4200-430: The next morning the Alpini battalion of the Savoia Grenadiers was seen running down the gorge, until an effective Defensive Fire (DF) task was called down on them. Meanwhile, 389 Bty under Major A.G. Munn was supporting Brigadier Messervy's attack on Fort Dolgorodoc. Munn accompanied 2nd Bn Highland Light Infantry and was wounded, while his signaller won a Military Medal for laying out a telephone line under fire when
4284-444: The opposition proved too strong for the Rajrifs. Meanwhile, the rest of the regiment with 5th Indian Division had been fighting hard for Barentu , until the defenders withdrew after the fall of Agordat. Now the force was concentrated to take Keren and regiment was reunited. The regiment came into action in the Hagas Valley at 20.30 on 14 February. All the artillery of two divisions was concentrated against Mount Sanchil on 16 March, and
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#17327904233334368-404: The position. After the enemy had been winkled out of Keru Gorge, a three-day fight for Agordat followed, with the guns supporting infantry fighting their way up steep hills. By 1 February, the advance was continuing at high speed, the guns driving at 35 mph until they were stopped by artillery fire 1 mile (1.6 km) short of Ponte Mussolini on the Barka River . E Troop unlimbered and put
4452-429: 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
4536-481: The radio failed. 144th Field Rgt was in constant action beating off enemy counter-attacks, but was sustaining casualties from return fire. On 25 March 398 Bty engaged and dispersed a force of enemy tanks, but that day a mobile column broke through the roadblock in the Dongolass gorge and Keren fell two days later. Afterwards, 144th Fd Rgt was concentrated with 5th Indian Division in the final push on Addis Ababa . At Amba Alagi on 4 May, 29th Indian Infantry Brigade took
4620-410: The regiment moved with 3rd Cyclist Brigade to Ireland, landing in Dublin on 21 April. Initially, it was stationed at Clandeboye and in September 1918 to Boyle ; there was no further change before the end of the war. The 3rd Line regiment was formed in July 1915 at Brighton and affiliated to the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Canterbury . In the summer of 1916, it was dismounted and attached to
4704-431: 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
4788-488: 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
4872-480: The town centre by a short and congested single carriageway bypass . Plans for a more extensive, HQDC bypass were debated intensely between 1980 and 2010 and a junction was built for it at Crossbush. In Spring 2018, Highways England published their preferred route for the new bypass. During 2018-19 there is a further period of consultation when views on a more detailed design for the four-mile (six-kilometre) dual carriageway will be sought. Arundel railway station
4956-437: The town on 29 November. Fighting continued: on 30 November, the regiment halted an enemy infantry counter-attack with a DF programme, though one gun of D Trp was knocked out by a direct hit. The full link-up between Eighth Army and the Tobruk garrison was achieved on 5 December, and by 10 December all enemy troops had withdrawn from the perimeter. On 28 January 1942, the regiment came under the command of 4th Indian Division and
5040-573: The two batteries were numbered as 99 and 110 Medium Btys. 74th Medium Regiment served in North Africa with First Army as part of the new style Army Groups Royal Artillery (AGRAs), developed by the gunnery tacticians as powerful artillery brigades, usually comprising three medium regiments and one heavy regiment, which could be rapidly moved about the battlefield, and had the punch to destroy enemy artillery. The first AGRA HQs had been formed in August 1942 and officially sanctioned in November in time for Torch. 74th Heavy Regiment served in 2nd AGRA during
5124-414: The war each battery of a medium regiment would consist of eight guns, either 6-inch howitzers or 60-pounders of First World War vintage. The regiment was formed too late for the Battle of France, but by the end of 1940 it was serving in XII Corps of Home Forces, stationed in the critical invasion area of South-East England. By March 1941 it had its own signal section of the Royal Corps of Signals and
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#17327904233335208-496: The war. With the 74th Division, the battalion took part in the invasion of Palestine in 1917 and 1918. It fought in the Second and Third Battles of Gaza (including the capture of Beersheba and the Sheria Position). At the end of 1917, it took part in the capture and defence of Jerusalem and in March 1918 in the Battle of Tell 'Asur . On 3 April 1918, the Division was warned that it would move to France and by 30 April 1918 had completed embarkation at Alexandria. In May 1918,
5292-411: 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
5376-444: The zone of operations. 69th (Sussex) Company, Imperial Yeomanry , disembarked in South Africa on 24 April 1900, and initially served in 14th Battalion, IY, transferring to 7th Battalion in 1902. On 14 June 1901, approval was given for a new regiment of Sussex Imperial Yeomanry (all Yeomanry were designated Imperial Yeomanry from 1901 to 1907) to be formed under the command of Lt-Col Charles Wyndham, 3rd Baron Leconfield of Petworth,
5460-523: Was a rearrangement, with E Trp taking over 4.5-inch, D Trp 100mm, B & C Trps 18-pdrs, and RHQ manning Austrian-made 150mm howitzers . On 21 November, 70th Division began its breakout from Tobruk to link up with Eighth Army 's Operation Crusader . 144th Field Rgt's FOOs were able to watch the capture of key enemy positions such as 'Tiger', and to direct the 18-pounders of B and C Trps against enemy A/T guns. After hard fighting, covered by 144th Fd Rgt, 70th Division broke through and XIII Corps' HQ entered
5544-415: Was affiliated to 43rd (Wessex) Division defending East Kent . This continued into 1942, the regiment gaining its own transport platoon of the Royal Army Service Corps and Light Aid Detachment of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers , ready for mobile warfare. In October 1942 the regiment was assigned to First Army preparing for the landings in North Africa ( Operation Torch ). On 1 January 1943
5628-472: Was attached to 70th Division , replacing the 9th Australian Division which had garrisoned the place during the first part of the siege . On arrival, the regiment took over an assortment of old guns from 2/12th Australian Fd Rgt, which had been the garrison's primary counter-battery unit: The CO, Lt-Col Clements, described these as 'what must have been the most extraordinary collection of junk with which any British regiment went into battle'. In October there
5712-442: Was attached to the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division . Within days of the landing the Regiment reported many men suffering from enteritis. While at Gallipoli they spent time in the trenches at Border Barricade and Fusilier Bluff . On 30 December it was evacuated to Mudros with 42nd Division; it left the Division at Mudros on 2 January 1916. The brigade, with the regiment, was withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 and formed part of
5796-413: Was built by the Normans to protect that vulnerable fairly wooded plain to the north of the valley through the South Downs. The town later grew up on the slope below the castle to the south. The river was previously called the Tarrant and was renamed after the town by antiquarians in a back-formation . Arundel includes meadows to the south but is clustered north of the A27 road , which narrowly avoids
5880-418: Was converted to a cyclist unit in 5th Cyclist Brigade at Great Bentley . In November 1916, the division was broken up and the regiment was merged with the 2/1st Surrey Yeomanry to form 8th (Surrey and Sussex) Yeomanry Cyclist Regiment in 3rd Cyclist Brigade at Ipswich . In March 1917, it resumed its identity as 2/1st Sussex Yeomanry at Ipswich, and later moved to the Woodbridge area. In April 1918,
5964-423: Was disbanded in December 1827. The remaining troops of Sussex Yeomanry were disbanded when government support was withdrawn in 1828. However, a wave of civil unrest across Britain from 1830 led to a revival of the Yeomanry. The Petworth Troop was reformed on 28 March 1831 and the Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry was reformed as a regiment on 18 May that year, with its HQ at Arundel and the following organisation: In 1871,
6048-741: Was disbanded the regiment was part of the 8th Army Artillery and served in Sicily and Italy being involved in the Battle of Monte Cassino amongst others before leaving Italy in March 1945 and joining the 2nd Army in France and Belgium ending the war in the Netherlands . In April 1945 the Regiment moved to the Lübeck area of Germany as occupation forces and demobilisation was started in October 1945 with
6132-698: Was drawn into the French Revolutionary Wars , Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger proposed on 14 March 1794 that the counties should form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry ( Yeomanry ) 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 county. By the end of the year, 27 counties had raised Yeomanry, including Sussex . A unit of four troops under
6216-485: Was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments. The 1st Line regiment went to its war station at Canterbury (under Second Army of Central Force )) until September 1915. It was dismounted and left Kent for Liverpool ; on 24 September, it boarded RMS Olympic and sailed the next day. It arrived at Lemnos on 1 October. The regiment landed in Gallipoli on 8 October and
6300-483: Was near Tournai , Belgium , still with 74th (Yeomanry) Division. With the end of the war, the troops of 74th Division were engaged in railway repair work and education was undertaken while demobilisation began. The division and its subformations were disbanded on 10 July 1919. The 2nd Line regiment was formed at Brighton in September 1914 and remained there until May 1915. It then moved to Maresfield and joined 2/1st South Eastern Mounted Brigade ; there it took over
6384-518: Was preparing defensive positions at El Alamein . Then, in September, it came under the direct command of British Troops in Egypt , handed in all its guns and equipment at Alexandria , and the personnel were shipped into the besieged port of Tobruk aboard HMAS Nizam and HMAS Napier on 18/19 September in one of the regular night supply runs by the Royal Navy 's Inshore Squadron. At Tobruk, it
6468-661: Was preparing to go to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). In the following weeks, the regiment received 18 × 18-pounder Mk II guns , and 15 assorted civilian vehicles. In December 1939 the regiment supplied a cadre of trained officers and men to provide the basis of a new 74th Medium Regiment that was forming at Preston Park, Brighton ( see below ). In April 1940, 144th Fd Rgt went to Dursley in Gloucestershire to join IV Corps , and began to receive modern 25-pounder guns and Quad tractors. By June, when
6552-564: Was quickly reformed, including the following additional troops: By 1806, there was also a cavalry troop forming part of the North Pevensey Legion, but this was raised under the Volunteer Act of 1804 and did not form part of the Yeomanry. The Sussex Cavalry (three troops) and Sussex Guides were raised in 1803, but these were probably also Volunteers. For a while, the Yeomanry and infantry volunteers were combined to form
6636-471: Was raised on 19 October 1817 by Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Darnley (later 5th Duke of Richmond ). The unit consisted of four detachments, each of one gun with two pairs of horses, two sergeants and eight gunners . At an inspection in Goodwood Park in 1824, the troop marched past with four 3-pounders (possibly the same guns laid up by the earlier troop) and an ammunition wagon. The troop
6720-585: Was re-issued with 25-pdrs. 4th Indian had just retired to the Gazala Line , where Eighth Army dug in during a lull in the fighting. On 23 February, the regiment came under 1st Armoured Division . The Gazala Line was screened by small mobile columns: 390 Bty formed part of one mobile column until April, and 389 Bty joined 'Mooncol' in April. On 27 April, the regiment reverted to 5th Indian Division at Sollum . 144th (S&SY) Field Rgt left 5th Indian Division for
6804-692: Was redesignated 98th (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Army Field Brigade, Royal Artillery , and the Regimental Headquarters moved from Brighton to Clapham Park . The regiment was among the 'Army Troops' administered by 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Divisional Area . When the TA was doubled in size following the Munich Crisis , 389 and 390 (Sussex Yeomanry) Batteries left to form a duplicate regiment, 144th Field Regiment, RA at Brighton in 1939. Both regiments were considered to be 'Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry', and 144th received
6888-661: Was supporting X Corps' advance after Operation Diadem had broken through the German Winter Line , and the subsequent pursuit to Lake Trasimeno and advance to Florence . It continued with X Corps during Operation Olive to breach the Gothic Line. 2nd AGRA was part of a large concentration of artillery supporting Eighth Army in the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy (Operation Grapeshot). Yeomanry Yeomanry
6972-581: 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
7056-554: Was the depot regiment at the Mountain Warfare Training Centre at Bsarma in Lebanon . It remained garrisoning Palestine, Lebanon and Syria for the rest of the war – latterly only 390 Bty having guns, the remainder as infantry – and saw no further action. 144th (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry QMR) Field Regiment was placed in suspended animation at Almaza, Egypt, in September 1945. The cadre that provided
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