147-694: Second World War The Westminster Dragoons (WDs) was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army Army Reserve , located in central London . Its lineage is continued by one of the Royal Yeomanry 's six squadrons . Formed in the aftermath of Second Boer War as part of the County of London Yeomanry , the WDs fought in the Battle of Gallipoli and led British forces onto the beaches during
294-659: A Neutrality Pact in April 1941, and Japan adopted the doctrine of Nanshin-ron , promoted by the Navy, which took its focus southward and eventually led to war with the United States and the Western Allies. In Europe, Germany and Italy were becoming more aggressive. In March 1938, Germany annexed Austria , again provoking little response from other European powers. Encouraged, Hitler began pressing German claims on
441-526: A cautious French probe into the Saarland . The Western Allies also began a naval blockade of Germany , which aimed to damage the country's economy and war effort. Germany responded by ordering U-boat warfare against Allied merchant and warships, which would later escalate into the Battle of the Atlantic . On 8 September, German troops reached the suburbs of Warsaw . The Polish counter-offensive to
588-469: A 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments. The regiment sailed on 10 September for Egypt , thereby being one of the first Yeomanry regiments to go overseas on active service. It arrived at Alexandria on 25 September and went to relieve the 3rd Dragoon Guards as the Cairo Garrison cavalry regiment. On 19 January 1915, it joined
735-466: A concrete mock-up of a tank landing craft (LCT), the entrance of which was only 7 inches (18 cm) wider than the rotor of the Crab. It also practised indirect gunfire techniques controlled by a Forward Observation Officer (FOO). In March the regiment received its orders to mobilise, and training intensified. The last major exercise (' Fabius ') was held in early May, but there were still too few Crabs:
882-499: A counter-attack. The infantry attacked at 12.15 in the second phase, and the Turks began retiring from their central position. At 14.00 the WD moved out in mounted pursuit but were held up after about a mile by heavy shrapnel and machine gun fire. At 16.30 the enemy retired. The WD's casualties amounted to one other rank (OR) and two horses killed, one officer, 16 ORs and several horses wounded;
1029-518: A different route towards the vital ramp near La Hamel . However, he was then bogged and the Crab hit three times by a German field gun at La Hamel. The Lane 3 team was more or less in the right place and Serjeant Lindsay flailed a path onto the mainland. He then turned to support the attack by 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment on La Hamel but the Crab was destroyed by anti-tank fire in the town. Although wounded, Lindsay evacuated his crew. Captain Taylor in
1176-760: A few men of the Royal Artillery and Royal Signals to act as infantry. The Crocodiles 'flamed' a pillbox, the Crabs engaged dugouts with HE and machine gun fire, and 100 Germans surrendered with five guns. The Crabs were used later that day to round up prisoners of war round Crépon. By D+2 (8 June), B and C Sqns were at Saint-Gabriel-Brécy , with nine fit Crabs: seven were damaged beyond repair and 10 were repairable. On D+2 four of A Sqn's Crabs assisted 3rd British Division at Lion-sur-Mer , clearing lanes through mines and barbed wire and engaging strongpoints with their main guns and machine guns. The following day A Sqn and
1323-519: A flooded brook (the Molen Beek). Although four crossings were attempted on 3rd Division's front, only Lance-Sjt Carter was successful, his Crab covered by smoke fired by the rest of his troop. The Churchills followed over what for the next 24 hours was the only crossing. On 17 October the Crabs were at work again, losing two to mines, and rapidly wearing out their flail chains when repeatedly requested to flail along roads. (6th Guards Tank Bde noted that
1470-458: 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,
1617-601: A machine gun section, perpetuating the 24th (Metropolitan Mounted Rifles) Battalion. Over 800 members of the regiment served in South Africa, and the regiment was awarded the Battle Honour South Africa 1902 . On 2 August 1902 Westminster Council granted permission for the regiment to adopt the subtitle '(Westminster Dragoons)' (to perpetuate the 1779-1829 units) and to use the city's coat-of-arms as its cap badge. The King approved this addition early
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#17327868789361764-521: A minefield and A Sqn was ordered up to flail a path. One Crab (Lt Sutton) was disabled by a mine, and Sjt Harmston flailed a diversion round the wreck; other Crabs flailed two other lanes, and the Guards' Churchills advanced to take the town. Next day the Crabs continued flailing in front of the Coldstreamers, without finding any mines, but Lt Hall's tank engaged an enemy Panther tank . On 14 October
1911-461: A minefield was discovered just short of the start line, and the Crabs had to deal with this despite badly broken ground. That attack went in successfully. Next day Lt Pear's 3 Trp had to flail a 1,000 yards (910 m) path followed by another of 700 yards (640 m) so the Grenadiers could reach their objective, followed by another of almost 1 mile (1.6 km) in the afternoon. On 16 October
2058-424: A position where he could engage it, and destroyed the gun. Bell then began flailing a lane across the beach, but got bogged just as he crossed the lateral road. Corporal Thorpe took over, but had a track blown off by a mine. Bell's Crab was then towed out by an AVRE that dropped its Fascine into the bog by the road, and Bell proceeded up the road. The Crabs of Nos 4 and 5 Breaching Teams got bogged before they reached
2205-524: A pretext to initiate the invasion. The first German attack of the war came against the Polish defences at Westerplatte . The United Kingdom responded with an ultimatum for Germany to cease military operations, and on 3 September, after the ultimatum was ignored, Britain and France declared war on Germany. During the Phoney War period, the alliance provided no direct military support to Poland, outside of
2352-781: A pretext to worsen relations. On 29 August, Hitler demanded that a Polish plenipotentiary immediately travel to Berlin to negotiate the handover of Danzig , and to allow a plebiscite in the Polish Corridor in which the German minority would vote on secession. The Poles refused to comply with the German demands, and on the night of 30–31 August in a confrontational meeting with the British ambassador Nevile Henderson , Ribbentrop declared that Germany considered its claims rejected. On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland after having staged several false flag border incidents as
2499-475: A secret protocol that defined German and Soviet "spheres of influence" (western Poland and Lithuania for Germany; eastern Poland , Finland, Estonia , Latvia and Bessarabia for the Soviet Union), and raised the question of continuing Polish independence. The pact neutralised the possibility of Soviet opposition to a campaign against Poland and assured that Germany would not have to face the prospect of
2646-774: A similar pact and rejected ceding part of its territory to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union invaded Finland in November 1939, and was subsequently expelled from the League of Nations for this crime of aggression. Despite overwhelming numerical superiority, Soviet military success during the Winter War was modest, and the Finno-Soviet war ended in March 1940 with some Finnish concessions of territory . In June 1940,
2793-692: 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 to serve in South Africa 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 signed up for one year, and volunteers from
2940-563: A thrust towards Caen (they were a late addition to the plan, and had not practised landing from LCTs). The mobile battlegroup was to consist of the tanks of the Staffordshire Yeomanry carrying infantry of 2nd Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry , supported by SP guns of 7th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery . Congestion on the beach was so bad that the Staffordshire Yeomanry only linked up at 13.00;
3087-538: A troop of AVREs helped 1st East Riding Yeomanry and 2nd Bn Royal Ulster Rifles in an attempt to advance beyond Périers. They had 1,000 yards (910 m) of open country to cross under shell, mortar and machine gun fire, the 2nd Bn RUR losing almost 200 men and the 1st EYR four tanks. The Crabs performed well in the unaccustomed role of infantry tanks, but all the AVREs were knocked out. The Westminster Dragoons continued to serve as part of 79th Armoured Division throughout
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#17327868789363234-531: A two-front war, as it had in World War I. Immediately afterwards, Hitler ordered the attack to proceed on 26 August, but upon hearing that the United Kingdom had concluded a formal mutual assistance pact with Poland and that Italy would maintain neutrality, he decided to delay it. In response to British requests for direct negotiations to avoid war, Germany made demands on Poland, which served as
3381-568: A variety of devices to make lanes through the enemy's beach defences. These teams had trained together at Stanswood and on the morning of 6 June, D Day , they were deployed as follows: The LCTs were supposed to be preceded by Sherman DD 'swimming' tanks, but in Gold sector the surf was too bad and they were not launched, so the breaching teams were the first vehicles ashore at H-Hour (07.25). They then got to work. For example, Lt Pear leading two Crabs with No 1 Breaching Team of X Breaching Sqn drove off
3528-461: A wounded man in a ditch: calling for smoke he got out of his tank and ran 20 yards (18 m) to bring the wounded man back to the tank, where another crew member dismounted to help get him aboard, all under heavy machine gun fire. Lieutenant Brian Pear was killed the following day while supporting 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division in an attack on Meijel : when Sjt Birch's Crab was hit and the crew unable to bale out he placed his tank between them and
3675-838: The 1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry to form the Yeomanry Mounted Brigade . The regiment carried out security and escort duties in Cairo and patrols on the fringe of the Sinai Desert to protect the Suez Canal. The brigade joined the 2nd Mounted Division on 13 August and was redesignated as the 5th (Yeomanry) Mounted Brigade. It was dismounted to take part in the Gallipoli campaign , leaving a squadron HQ and two troops (about 100 officers and men) in Egypt to look after
3822-609: The 11th Armoured Division in clearing a path through a minefield at the Battle of Broekhuizen . Several of the tanks got bogged down and one - that of Lieutenant Sam Hall of 4 Troop - was knocked out by a Panzerfaust. Today it stands in the Overloon War Museum . The Westminster Dragoons were once more with 15th (Scottish) Division for the assault crossing of the Rhine ( Operation Plunder ) in March 1945, but were not called forward until bridges had been built. The regiment
3969-1348: The 1st Royal Tank Regiment and 27 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment . In January 2003, the Westminster Dragoons and A (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Squadron were mobilised (along with augmentees from the Royal Yeomanry's three other squadrons and from the Royal Logistic Corps ) for the impending war in Iraq . Together, these mobilised elements became a much-enlarged squadron of the Joint NBC Regiment. Westminster Dragoons found themselves serving with 16 Air Assault Brigade , 7 Armoured Brigade (the Desert Rats) and 3 Commando Brigade as NBC specialists, before switching roles to infantry "peace support" operations once Saddam Hussein's regime had collapsed. The squadron also provided individual replacements for Operation Herrick in Afghanistan . World War II Asia-Pacific Mediterranean and Middle East Other campaigns Coups World War II or
4116-714: The 8th Hussars and the 1st Dragoons , before he was transferred to the 3rd ( Militia ) Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders in 1899. He was seconded for service with the Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa on 31 January 1900, after the outbreak of the Second Boer War , and was in command of a battalion. He later commanded the Westminster Dragoons . Burn was elected to Parliament at the December 1910 general election and held his seat until it
4263-604: The Anglo-German Naval Agreement and the German–Polish declaration of non-aggression . The situation became a crisis in late August as German troops continued to mobilise against the Polish border. On 23 August the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact with Germany, after tripartite negotiations for a military alliance between France, the United Kingdom, and Soviet Union had stalled. This pact had
4410-689: The British Empire , with fighting in the Balkans , Mediterranean, and Middle East , the aerial Battle of Britain and the Blitz , and naval Battle of the Atlantic . Through a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany took control of much of continental Europe and formed the Axis alliance with Italy , Japan , and other countries. In June 1941, Germany led the European Axis in an invasion of
4557-581: The German Revolution of 1918–1919 , and a democratic government, later known as the Weimar Republic , was created. The interwar period saw strife between supporters of the new republic and hardline opponents on both the political right and left. Italy, as an Entente ally, had made some post-war territorial gains; however, Italian nationalists were angered that the promises made by the United Kingdom and France to secure Italian entrance into
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4704-853: The German invasion of Poland and the United Kingdom and France 's declaration of war on Germany two days later on 3 September 1939. Dates for the beginning of the Pacific War include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or the earlier Japanese invasion of Manchuria , on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor , who stated that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously, and
4851-576: The Italian mainland , and Allied offensives in the Pacific—cost the Axis powers their initiative and forced them into strategic retreat on all fronts. In 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France at Normandy , while the Soviet Union regained its territorial losses and pushed Germany and its allies westward. At the same time, Japan suffered reversals in mainland Asia, while the Allies crippled
4998-553: The Japanese Navy and captured key islands . The war in Europe concluded with the liberation of German-occupied territories ; the invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, culminating in the fall of Berlin to Soviet troops; Hitler's suicide ; and the German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945 . Following the refusal of Japan to surrender on the terms of the Potsdam Declaration ,
5145-695: The League of Nations as a force to preserve peace. Both Italy and Ethiopia were member nations, but the League did little when the former clearly violated Article X of the League's Covenant . The United Kingdom and France supported imposing sanctions on Italy for the invasion, but the sanctions were not fully enforced and failed to end the Italian invasion. Italy subsequently dropped its objections to Germany's goal of absorbing Austria . When civil war broke out in Spain, Hitler and Mussolini lent military support to
5292-731: The Nationalist rebels , led by General Francisco Franco . Italy supported the Nationalists to a greater extent than the Nazis: Mussolini sent more than 70,000 ground troops, 6,000 aviation personnel, and 720 aircraft to Spain. The Soviet Union supported the existing government of the Spanish Republic . More than 30,000 foreign volunteers, known as the International Brigades , also fought against
5439-876: The Normandy Invasion in 1944. The squadron most recently saw action in Operation Telic for which it was mobilised for the 2003 war in Iraq. The regiment was first recruited from wealthy merchants and bankers as the London and Westminster Light Horse in 1779. It was disbanded in 1783 but in 1793 the Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger , proposed that the English Counties form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry that could be called on by
5586-510: The Rome–Berlin Axis . A month later, Germany and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact , which Italy joined the following year. The Kuomintang (KMT) party in China launched a unification campaign against regional warlords and nominally unified China in the mid-1920s, but was soon embroiled in a civil war against its former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) allies and new regional warlords . In 1931, an increasingly militaristic Empire of Japan , which had long sought influence in China as
5733-423: The Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) – always known as simply the Westminster Dragoons. The regiment joined the newly formed 30th Armoured Brigade in 11th Armoured Division on 8 March 1941. In May 1942 the brigade transferred to 42nd Armoured Division , and then in October 1943 to 79th Armoured Division under Major-General Percy Hobart . This division was equipping with specialist armour (' Hobart's Funnies ') for
5880-401: The Scorpion flail , and some tanks equipped with anti-mine rollers . By February the regiment had a mixed roster of tanks for training: 19 Sherman V , 17 Centaur 1 , 4 Cromwell , 6 Valentine II Scorpions , but only 3 of the Sherman Crabs that they would take into action. The slow, unsafe Scorpions were too unlike the Crab to be much use for training. The regiment practised driving on and off
6027-451: The Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers . Nearly all the world's countries —including all the great powers —participated, with many investing all available economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities in pursuit of total war , blurring the distinction between military and civilian resources. Tanks and aircraft played major roles , with
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6174-436: The Sherman Crab . The Crab bore a rotating drum with dozens of chains attached; these detonated mines in its path to produce a beaten passage through the thickest of minefields. On 1 January 1944, then under the command of Lt-Col W.Y.K. Blair-Oliphant, the regiment moved to Thorpeness in Suffolk to begin flail training, though no flail tanks had yet arrived. In the meantime it received a draft of men who had experience with
6321-473: The Sinai and Palestine campaign . In August 1917, the regiment was concentrated and formed XX Corps Cavalry Regiment. The WDs were involved in fierce fighting, both mounted and dismounted. Early on 31 October the regiment took part in the attack on Beersheba . In the first phase it held a position on the right flank of XX Corps under shrapnel and machine gun fire. A and B Squadrons fired intermittent bursts of rifle and Hotchkiss machine gun fire, but expected
6468-409: The Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact in April 1941. By contrast, the Germans were steadily making preparations for an attack on the Soviet Union, massing forces on the Soviet border. Hitler believed that the United Kingdom's refusal to end the war was based on the hope that the United States and the Soviet Union would enter the war against Germany sooner or later. On 31 July 1940, Hitler decided that
6615-421: The Stresa Front in April 1935 in order to contain Germany, a key step towards military globalisation ; however, that June, the United Kingdom made an independent naval agreement with Germany, easing prior restrictions. The Soviet Union, concerned by Germany's goals of capturing vast areas of Eastern Europe , drafted a treaty of mutual assistance with France. Before taking effect, though, the Franco-Soviet pact
6762-523: The Sudetenland , an area of Czechoslovakia with a predominantly ethnic German population. Soon the United Kingdom and France followed the appeasement policy of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and conceded this territory to Germany in the Munich Agreement , which was made against the wishes of the Czechoslovak government, in exchange for a promise of no further territorial demands. Soon afterwards, Germany and Italy forced Czechoslovakia to cede additional territory to Hungary, and Poland annexed
6909-428: The Tanggu Truce was signed in 1933. Thereafter, Chinese volunteer forces continued the resistance to Japanese aggression in Manchuria , and Chahar and Suiyuan . After the 1936 Xi'an Incident , the Kuomintang and CCP forces agreed on a ceasefire to present a united front to oppose Japan. The Second Italo-Ethiopian War was a brief colonial war that began in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war began with
7056-466: The Trans-Olza region of Czechoslovakia. Although all of Germany's stated demands had been satisfied by the agreement, privately Hitler was furious that British interference had prevented him from seizing all of Czechoslovakia in one operation. In subsequent speeches Hitler attacked British and Jewish "war-mongers" and in January 1939 secretly ordered a major build-up of the German navy to challenge British naval supremacy. In March 1939, Germany invaded
7203-506: The Treaty of Craiova . The loss of one-third of Romania's 1939 territory caused a coup against King Carol II, turning Romania into a fascist dictatorship under Marshal Ion Antonescu , with a course set towards the Axis in the hopes of a German guarantee. Meanwhile, German-Soviet political relations and economic co-operation gradually stalled, and both states began preparations for war. In April 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway to protect shipments of iron ore from Sweden , which
7350-401: The United Kingdom and France to declare war on Germany. Poland was divided between Germany and the Soviet Union under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact , in which they had agreed on " spheres of influence " in Eastern Europe. In 1940, the Soviets annexed the Baltic states and parts of Finland and Romania . After the fall of France in June 1940, the war continued mainly between Germany and
7497-426: The Wehrmacht rapidly advanced to the Channel and cut off the Allied forces in Belgium, trapping the bulk of the Allied armies in a cauldron on the Franco-Belgian border near Lille. The United Kingdom was able to evacuate a significant number of Allied troops from the continent by early June, although they had to abandon almost all their equipment. On 10 June, Italy invaded France , declaring war on both France and
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#17327868789367644-409: The Yeomanry Cavalry and civilians (usually middle and upper class) quickly filled the new force, which was equipped to operate as Mounted infantry (see dragoon ). Second and third contingents were sent out in the following years. One such unit was the 24th (Metropolitan Mounted Rifles) Battalion , consisting of 94th, 95th, 96th and 97th (Metropolitan Mounted Rifles) Companies raised in London for
7791-451: The aftermath of World War I and the rise of fascism in Europe and militarism in Japan . Key events leading up to the war included Japan's invasion of Manchuria , the Spanish Civil War , the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War , and Germany's annexations of Austria and the Sudetenland . World War II is generally considered to have begun on 1 September 1939, when Nazi Germany , under Adolf Hitler , invaded Poland , prompting
7938-449: The regimental headquarters (RHQ) was at 102 Victoria Street, but by 1914 it had moved to 1 Elverton Street, Westminster. When the IY were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908, the regiment simply dropped 'Imperial' from its title. It was attached to the London Mounted Brigade for training, but was otherwise under the command of London District . The Westminster Dragoons' summer camp in 1914
8085-404: The reunification of East and West Germany to take place and resolved most post–World War II issues. No formal peace treaty between Japan and the Soviet Union was ever signed, although the state of war between the two countries was terminated by the Soviet–Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956 , which also restored full diplomatic relations between them. World War I had radically altered
8232-418: The 'Rollers'. For the assault landings the Westminster Dragoons were under the command of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division on Gold Beach , with A Squadron detached under the command of 22nd Dragoons to work with 3rd Canadian Division on Juno Beach and 3rd British Division on Sword Beach . The Crabs were to form composite breaching teams with Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVREs) fitted with
8379-553: The 2nd Mounted Division had to be reorganised. On 4 September 1915, the 1st Composite Mounted Brigade was formed from 1st (1st South Midland) , 2nd (2nd South Midland) and 5th (Yeomanry) Mounted Brigades. Each dismounted brigade formed a battalion sized unit, hence the regiment was amalgamated with the Hertfordshire Yeomanry to form 5th Yeomanry Regiment . 5th Yeomanry Regiment left Suvla on 31 October 1915 for Mudros . It left Mudros on 27 November, arrived at Alexandria on 1 December and went to Mena Camp, Cairo . The brigade left
8526-400: The 2nd Mounted Division on 7 December, was reformed and remounted, and joined the Western Frontier Force . The Yeomanry Mounted Brigade was broken up by March 1916, and the regiment was attached to the 6th Mounted Brigade , still in the Western Frontier Force. The regiment was split up at the beginning of 1917: The Westminster Dragoons now joined the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) for
8673-409: The Allies were attempting to cut off . Denmark capitulated after six hours , and despite Allied support , Norway was conquered within two months. British discontent over the Norwegian campaign led to the resignation of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain , who was replaced by Winston Churchill on 10 May 1940. On the same day, Germany launched an offensive against France . To circumvent
8820-400: The Axis war against the Soviet Union, in Romania's case partially to recapture territory ceded to the Soviet Union . In early June 1940, the Italian Regia Aeronautica attacked and besieged Malta , a British possession. From late summer to early autumn, Italy conquered British Somaliland and made an incursion into British-held Egypt . In October, Italy attacked Greece , but the attack
8967-421: The Blitz , but largely ended in May 1941 after failing to significantly disrupt the British war effort. Using newly captured French ports, the German Navy enjoyed success against an over-extended Royal Navy , using U-boats against British shipping in the Atlantic . The British Home Fleet scored a significant victory on 27 May 1941 by sinking the German battleship Bismarck . In November 1939,
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#17327868789369114-526: The British Army before the Regiment reverted to an armoured role in 1940. Among them was Captain Philip John Gardner VC MC , who had joined as a trooper before the war, commissioned and then transferred to the RTR, going on to win the Victoria Cross for saving the life of a badly wounded officer of the King's Dragoon Guards whose armoured car was out of action and under heavy fire. The regiment regained its combat status on 11 November 1940, when it became 2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons) in
9261-439: The Crabs flailed a path where RE mine-lifting parties had previously come under fire, but the advance was halted by a Tiger I that 'brewed up' seven Coldstream Churchills before starting on Lt Cooper's partly Hull-down Crab, which was subjected to a hail of fire. Inexplicably, the Tiger withdrew before destroying the Crab. 15 October was spent on maintenance, then on 16 October the squadron advanced again, in pouring rain, mud and
9408-556: The Crabs were being used as normal gun tanks: on 15 April C Sqn provided armoured support to 3rd Division at Wildeshausen , where they repelled a number of enemy counter-attacks as well as carrying out a minor offensive operation of their own. The Westminster Dragoons' war ended with the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath on 4 May 1945. In 1947 the regiment was reconstituted in the TA as three squadrons with RHQ at Westminster. On 1 September 1951 it reversed its title to become The Westminster Dragoons (2nd County of London Yeomanry) . When
9555-425: The EEF resumed its advance in March 1918, the WD advanced 10 miles beyond Jerusalem, but the German spring offensive led to an urgent call for troops to be sent from the EEF to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), and nine Yeomanry regiments were hurriedly converted to the machine gun role. In April 1918, the regiment left XX Corps and was reformed as F Battalion, Machine Gun Corps . F Battalion, MGC
9702-405: The European Axis declaring war on the US. Japan conquered much of coastal China and Southeast Asia , but its advances in the Pacific were halted in mid-1942 after its defeat in the naval Battle of Midway ; Germany and Italy were defeated in North Africa and at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union. Key setbacks in 1943—including German defeats on the Eastern Front, the Allied invasions of Sicily and
9849-410: The French possessions of Syria and Lebanon , assisted by the Free French . With the situation in Europe and Asia relatively stable, Germany, Japan, and the Soviet Union made preparations for war. With the Soviets wary of mounting tensions with Germany, and the Japanese planning to take advantage of the European War by seizing resource-rich European possessions in Southeast Asia , the two powers signed
9996-426: The Germans, and the last large operational unit of the Polish Army surrendered on 6 October . Despite the military defeat, Poland never surrendered; instead, it formed the Polish government-in-exile and a clandestine state apparatus remained in occupied Poland. A significant part of Polish military personnel evacuated to Romania and Latvia; many of them later fought against the Axis in other theatres of
10143-430: The King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant to subdue any civil disorder within the country. So the regiment was reformed again the following year. The regiment was renamed the Westminster Volunteer Cavalry in 1797. and barracks were built to accommodate the regiment in Gray's Inn Road in 1812. The regiment was disbanded again in 1829 and the barracks were decommissioned in 1830. Following
10290-399: The LCT and waded 100 yards (91 m) to the beach, where his rear tank got bogged in clay. Pear flailed a lane across the beach up to the lateral road and turned left as planned. His role now was to remain in reserve, giving covering fire. However, the team at No 3 Lane had failed, and Pear was ordered to carry on inland. He crossed a stream and an anti-tank ditch, finding to his surprise that
10437-450: The Nationalists. Both Germany and the Soviet Union used this proxy war as an opportunity to test in combat their most advanced weapons and tactics. The Nationalists won the civil war in April 1939; Franco, now dictator, remained officially neutral during World War II but generally favoured the Axis . His greatest collaboration with Germany was the sending of volunteers to fight on the Eastern Front . In July 1937, Japan captured
10584-449: The RE squadron was ineffective after heavy casualties in the landing and B Trp 22nd Dragoons had just two flails left to join the WDs in preparing the route. The infantry had been ready since 11.00 and set off on foot at 12.30, leaving the armour and their heavy weapons to catch up. The armoured column made slow progress, restricted to a single road by bad going on one side and a deep minefield on
10731-511: The Royal Navy putting three Italian battleships out of commission after a carrier attack at Taranto , and neutralising several more warships at the Battle of Cape Matapan . Italian defeats prompted Germany to deploy an expeditionary force to North Africa; at the end of March 1941, Rommel 's Afrika Korps launched an offensive which drove back Commonwealth forces. In less than a month, Axis forces advanced to western Egypt and besieged
10878-453: The Royal racing colours – the imperial hues of purple, gold and scarlet as a result of the personal friendship of its first commanding officer, Colonel Charles Rosedew Burn , with King Edward VII , whose Aide-de-camp Burn had been when he was Prince of Wales. As an urban regiment, the yeomen were unable to supply their own horses, so the senior Westminster officers made use of their links to
11025-602: The Soviet Union occupied the entire territories of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as the Romanian regions of Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, and the Hertsa region . In August 1940, Hitler imposed the Second Vienna Award on Romania which led to the transfer of Northern Transylvania to Hungary. In September 1940, Bulgaria demanded Southern Dobruja from Romania with German and Italian support, leading to
11172-877: The Soviet Union , opening the Eastern Front and initially making large territorial gains. Japan aimed to dominate East Asia and the Asia-Pacific , and by 1937 was at war with the Republic of China . In December 1941, Japan attacked American and British territories in Southeast Asia and the Central Pacific , including Pearl Harbor in Hawaii , which resulted in the US and the UK declaring war against Japan, and
11319-641: The Soviet Union and Mongolia . The Japanese doctrine of Hokushin-ron , which emphasised Japan's expansion northward, was favoured by the Imperial Army during this time. This policy would prove difficult to maintain in light of the Japanese defeat at Khalkin Gol in 1939, the ongoing Second Sino-Japanese War and ally Nazi Germany pursuing neutrality with the Soviets. Japan and the Soviet Union eventually signed
11466-756: The Soviet Union should be eliminated and aimed for the conquest of Ukraine , the Baltic states and Byelorussia . However, other senior German officials like Ribbentrop saw an opportunity to create a Euro-Asian bloc against the British Empire by inviting the Soviet Union into the Tripartite Pact. In November 1940, negotiations took place to determine if the Soviet Union would join the pact. The Soviets showed some interest but asked for concessions from Finland, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Japan that Germany considered unacceptable. On 18 December 1940, Hitler issued
11613-581: The TA was reduced on 1 May 1961, the regiment merged with R (Berkshire Yeomanry) Battery, 299 (Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry, Berkshire Yeomanry and The Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery , to form the Berkshire and Westminster Dragoons, RAC , in which the Berkshire Yeomanry component formed C Squadron. The Westminster Dragoons were disbanded on 30 March 1967 as part of
11760-455: The US dropped the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August. Faced with an imminent invasion of the Japanese archipelago , the possibility of further atomic bombings, and the Soviet declaration of war against Japan and its invasion of Manchuria , Japan announced its unconditional surrender on 15 August and signed a surrender document on 2 September 1945 , marking
11907-581: The United Kingdom and France guaranteed their support for Polish independence ; when Italy conquered Albania in April 1939, the same guarantee was extended to the Kingdoms of Romania and Greece . Shortly after the Franco - British pledge to Poland, Germany and Italy formalised their own alliance with the Pact of Steel . Hitler accused the United Kingdom and Poland of trying to "encircle" Germany and renounced
12054-489: The United Kingdom attacked on 3 July in an attempt to prevent its seizure by Germany. The air Battle of Britain began in early July with Luftwaffe attacks on shipping and harbours . The German campaign for air superiority started in August but its failure to defeat RAF Fighter Command forced the indefinite postponement of the proposed German invasion of Britain . The German strategic bombing offensive intensified with night attacks on London and other cities in
12201-461: The United Kingdom. The Germans turned south against the weakened French army, and Paris fell to them on 14 June. Eight days later France signed an armistice with Germany ; it was divided into German and Italian occupation zones , and an unoccupied rump state under the Vichy Regime , which, though officially neutral, was generally aligned with Germany. France kept its fleet, which
12348-660: The United States was assisting China and the Western Allies, and had amended the Neutrality Act to allow "cash and carry" purchases by the Allies. In 1940, following the German capture of Paris, the size of the United States Navy was significantly increased . In September the United States further agreed to a trade of American destroyers for British bases . Still, a large majority of the American public continued to oppose any direct military intervention in
12495-606: The Yellow River ; this manoeuvre bought time for the Chinese to prepare their defences at Wuhan , but the city was taken by October. Japanese military victories did not bring about the collapse of Chinese resistance that Japan had hoped to achieve; instead, the Chinese government relocated inland to Chongqing and continued the war. In the mid-to-late 1930s, Japanese forces in Manchukuo had sporadic border clashes with
12642-583: The beach but were hit in the rotor by a German 88 mm gun on the sea wall at La Rivière. The squadron commander ordered the AVRE bridgelayer to reverse and go to help No 2 Team. In Z Bridging Sqn, Captain Roger Bell, leading No 6 Breaching Team, suffered a burnt-out starter motor, had to be towed off the LCT by an AVRE and was late on the beach. He saw an AVRE hit by the troublesome '88' at La Rivière, so he moved to
12789-449: The bridges had not been blown by the enemy. He was then stopped by a large crater (probably from a British shell or bomb), but this was quickly bridged by an AVRE and Pear continued to flail a lane up the hill so that the DD tanks go move inland. No 2 Team was held up beyond the lateral road by boggy ground and craters, despite making a 'sporting effort to get past'. Both Crabs of No 3 Team got to
12936-498: The campaign in Normandy and North West Europe, usually detached to assist other formations of 21st Army Group as required. For example, during Operation Constellation to capture Overloon and Venray , the Crabs of A and C Sqns deployed with the AVREs 617 Assault Sqn, RE , to support 3rd British Division and 6th Guards Tank Brigade . At noon on 12 October 4th (Tank) Bn Coldstream Guards advanced to Overloon, where it encountered
13083-510: The capital Nanking in December 1937. After the fall of Nanking, tens or hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians and disarmed combatants were murdered by the Japanese . In March 1938, Nationalist Chinese forces won their first major victory at Taierzhuang , but then the city of Xuzhou was taken by the Japanese in May. In June 1938, Chinese forces stalled the Japanese advance by flooding
13230-574: The concentrations of minefields in Operation Constellation were the heaviest they had yet encountered, including a new mine powerful enough to disable their heavy Churchill tanks.) By 18 October the squadron was down to five serviceable tanks, but Cooper and Carter pushed on into Venray, flailing the town's main street and piles of rubble ahead of the Guards' Churchills. Meanwhile, C Sqn had been operating with 4th (Tank) Bn Grenadier Guards since 12 October. Fifteen minutes before H-hour
13377-403: The conflict well into 1941. In December 1940, Roosevelt accused Hitler of planning world conquest and ruled out any negotiations as useless, calling for the United States to become an " arsenal of democracy " and promoting Lend-Lease programmes of military and humanitarian aid to support the British war effort; Lend-Lease was later extended to the other Allies, including the Soviet Union after it
13524-526: The creation of a " New Roman Empire ". Adolf Hitler , after an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the German government in 1923, eventually became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933 when Paul von Hindenburg and the Reichstag appointed him. Following Hindenburg's death in 1934, Hitler proclaimed himself Führer of Germany and abolished democracy, espousing a radical, racially motivated revision of
13671-434: The decision to become an armoured car unit at a time when many yeomanry units were determined to remain mounted. The decision to accept immediate conversion was that of its then commanding officer, Lord Howard de Walden. On 11 March 1920, the regiment reformed with the title 4th Armoured Car Company (Westminster Dragoons) , but this was quickly changed to 22nd (London) Armoured Car Company (Westminster Dragoons), Tank Corps in
13818-426: The directive to prepare for an invasion of the Soviet Union. Charles Forbes-Leith Colonel Sir Charles Rosdew Forbes-Leith, 1st Baronet (20 February 1859 – 2 November 1930 ), known as Charles Burn until 1923 and as Sir Charles Burn, Bt , between 1923 and 1925, was a British army officer and Conservative Party politician who was Member of Parliament for Torquay from 1910 to 1923. Burn served in
13965-758: The disbandment of the Territorial Army under the Reserve Forces Act 1966 and its replacement by a newly constituted organisation, the TAVR (Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve). The legal effect of the Act and the orders implementing it (Army Order 2 dated 28 January 1967 and the Army Reserves Succession Warrant 1967) was that there was no succession of lineage from the disbanded units to those that were being raised. However,
14112-487: The dismounted crews. The squadron leader spotted an enemy field gun at a range of just 150 yards (140 m) and jumped onto Lt Hoban's tank to direct fire: one shot was enough to knock out the German gun. The squadron moved back 400 yards (370 m) and attended to its casualties. A composite force was then formed to deal with the Germans, consisting of Hoban's I Trp, two Churchill Crocodiles of 141st Regiment, RAC , and
14259-812: The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires. To prevent a future world war, the League of Nations was established in 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference . The organisation's primary goals were to prevent armed conflict through collective security, military, and naval disarmament , as well as settling international disputes through peaceful negotiations and arbitration. Despite strong pacifist sentiment after World War I , irredentist and revanchist nationalism had emerged in several European states. These sentiments were especially marked in Germany because of
14406-661: The end of May completed the German conquest of the Balkans. Partisan warfare subsequently broke out against the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia , which continued until the end of the war. In the Middle East in May, Commonwealth forces quashed an uprising in Iraq which had been supported by German aircraft from bases within Vichy-controlled Syria . Between June and July, British-led forces invaded and occupied
14553-463: The end of the war. World War II changed the political alignment and social structure of the world, and it set the foundation of international relations for the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st century. The United Nations was established to foster international cooperation and prevent conflicts, with the victorious great powers—China, France, the Soviet Union, the UK, and the US—becoming
14700-410: The enemy. Both Crabs were destroyed by anti-tank fire and only one man survived to be taken prisoner. The volume of fire was so great that 15th (Scottish) postponed all operations for 48 hours. C Squadron then flailed a path for 6th Guards Tank Bde, though 23 Churchills and one Crab were lost in an hour. In a further small action at the end of November 1944, 12 flail tanks of A Squadron assisted units of
14847-480: The engagement resulted in awards of one Military Cross (MC) and three Military Medal (MM) to members of the regiment. After the fall of Beersheba , the regiment was briefly split with C Sqn covering the advance of 53rd (Welsh) Division and A & B Sqns attached to the Australian Mounted Division operating between Beersheba and Gaza . It came back under XX Corps in November. A Squadron
14994-575: The first step of what its government saw as the country's right to rule Asia , staged the Mukden incident as a pretext to invade Manchuria and establish the puppet state of Manchukuo . China appealed to the League of Nations to stop the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Japan withdrew from the League of Nations after being condemned for its incursion into Manchuria. The two nations then fought several battles, in Shanghai , Rehe and Hebei , until
15141-566: The following year. From the start it was smart regiment filled with wealthy gentlemen from the City and the West End. Their attitude and attire was such that, as they strutted across West London, members became known as the 'Piccadilly Peacocks'. Several of the unit's first officers were former officers of the 1st The Royal Dragoons , forerunners of the Blues and Royals ; one of the first troop leaders
15288-864: The former Chinese imperial capital of Peking after instigating the Marco Polo Bridge incident , which culminated in the Japanese campaign to invade all of China. The Soviets quickly signed a non-aggression pact with China to lend materiel support, effectively ending China's prior cooperation with Germany . From September to November, the Japanese attacked Taiyuan , engaged the Kuomintang Army around Xinkou , and fought Communist forces in Pingxingguan . Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek deployed his best army to defend Shanghai , but after three months of fighting, Shanghai fell. The Japanese continued to push Chinese forces back, capturing
15435-546: The highest ranks of Society to borrow mounts from the Household Cavalry for summer training camps. Later horses were hired. Even at this time, the WDs were at the forefront of using new equipment, being the second unit in the British army after the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry to be equipped with mobile wireless. In 1910, Lord Howard de Walden presented two Marconi pack sets to the regiment. In 1907
15582-423: The horses. The regiment sailed from Alexandria on 14 August, arriving at Mudros on 17 August. It landed at "A" Beach, Suvla Bay , the following day and moved into reserve positions at Lala Baba on the night of 20 August. On 21 August, it advanced to Chocolate Hill and was in reserve for the attacks on Scimitar Hill and Hill 112. Due to losses during the Battle of Scimitar Hill and wastage during August 1915,
15729-525: The invasion of the Ethiopian Empire (also known as Abyssinia ) by the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy ( Regno d'Italia ), which was launched from Italian Somaliland and Eritrea . The war resulted in the military occupation of Ethiopia and its annexation into the newly created colony of Italian East Africa ( Africa Orientale Italiana , or AOI); in addition it exposed the weakness of
15876-735: The latter enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, resulting in 70 to 85 million deaths , more than half being civilians. Millions died in genocides , including the Holocaust of European Jews, as well as from massacres, starvation, and disease. Following the Allied powers' victory, Germany , Austria , Japan , and Korea were occupied, and war crimes tribunals were conducted against German and Japanese leaders . The causes of World War II included unresolved tensions in
16023-550: The other. It overtook the infantry at the Périers-sur-le-Dan ridge and reached Beuville by 14.30, but the flails had to wait while the mobile column fought off a large-scale counter-attack by 21st Panzer Division from Caen. Four WD Crabs were knocked out in this engagement, which stopped 3rd British Division from achieving its ambitious objective of taking Caen that day. Lt-Col Blair-Oliphant had landed an hour after H-Hour (aboard C Sqn's ARV, because his command tank
16170-502: The permanent members of its security council . The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers , setting the stage for the Cold War . In the wake of European devastation, the influence of its great powers waned, triggering the decolonisation of Africa and Asia . Most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery and expansion . World War II began in Europe on 1 September 1939 with
16317-527: The planned Allied invasion of Normandy ( Operation Overlord ), and 30th Armoured became the Flail tank brigade of the division. The Germans planted over four million mines along the French coast to hinder the Allied landings in 1944. To break through these defences at the start of the Normandy Invasion , the British produced a number of novel armoured fighting vehicles under Hobart's ingenious direction, including
16464-589: The political European map with the defeat of the Central Powers —including Austria-Hungary , Germany , Bulgaria , and the Ottoman Empire —and the 1917 Bolshevik seizure of power in Russia , which led to the founding of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, the victorious Allies of World War I , such as France, Belgium, Italy, Romania, and Greece, gained territory, and new nation-states were created out of
16611-599: The port of Tobruk . By late March 1941, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia signed the Tripartite Pact ; however, the Yugoslav government was overthrown two days later by pro-British nationalists. Germany and Italy responded with simultaneous invasions of both Yugoslavia and Greece , commencing on 6 April 1941; both nations were forced to surrender within the month. The airborne invasion of the Greek island of Crete at
16758-482: The regiment collected more Sherman V 'Quick Fix' gun tanks that could be fitted as 'pilot' roller tanks, but in the event these were used as command tanks. Later in the month the regiment concentrated in camp at Stanswood in Hampshire , ready to embark for Normandy with 56 Crabs, 26 Shermans, 3 Armoured recovery vehicles (ARVs) and 13 Scout cars ; it still had 6 Scorpions on charge, but these were left behind, as were
16905-711: The regiment's drill hall in Elverton Street caused minor damage in November 1971. The squadron operated as a medium reconnaissance unit equipped with armoured cars . It continued in this role until 1996, when it became part of the British Army's nuclear, biological and chemical defence regiment. It served in the NBC role until 1999. In that year, the Joint NBC Regiment was formed as a joint regular Army and Royal Air Force unit composed of four squadrons of
17052-401: The regiment, receiving many compliments for their work. B Squadron had been operating miles away with 7th Armoured Division and 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division against 's-Hertogenbosch . 1 Troop operated so closely with A Sqn 1st Royal Tank Regiment that it was dubbed '5th Trp, A Sqn'. Small actions continued through early November. Lieutenant Michael Sutton won an MC on 2 November when he
17199-722: The remainder of Czechoslovakia and subsequently split it into the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and a pro-German client state , the Slovak Republic . Hitler also delivered an ultimatum to Lithuania on 20 March 1939, forcing the concession of the Klaipėda Region , formerly the German Memelland . Greatly alarmed and with Hitler making further demands on the Free City of Danzig ,
17346-722: The retitled Territorial Army (TA), thus forming its link with the Tank Corps (Royal Tank Corps from 18 October 1923, and Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) from 11 April 1939). The armoured car company was expanded to a full battalion ( 22nd (Westminster Dragoons) Battalion, RTR) in January 1938. On mobilisation at the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the Westminster Dragoons became an Officer Cadet Training Unit, with over 90 per cent of pre-war Westminster Dragoons gaining their commissions and transferring into units throughout
17493-463: The road, but No 5 Team gave covering fire with High explosive shell and smoke shell to No 6 Team and the infantry attacking La Rivière. B Squadron Westminster Dragoons had similar experiences. The breaching team for Lane 1 could not be landed because the LCT was hit on the run in, and the team for Lane 2 was landed at Lane 3. Lieutenant Townsend-Green's Crab flailed for 20 yards (18 m) before it got bogged, so he took over Cpl Barton's Crab and took
17640-411: The second contingent on 30 March 1901. Later in 1901 the 28th (Westminster Dragoons) Battalion , was raised, with 127th–130th (Westminster Dragoons) Companies. In 1901, 16 new IY regiments raised from veterans of the first IY contingent returning from South Africa were added to the existing Yeomanry Cavalry. The 2nd County of London Imperial Yeomanry was formed on 24 August 1901 with four squadrons and
17787-512: The second flail cleared a lane before his Crab was destroyed by a double mine, but the lane provided a clear exit. The team in Lane 4 was completely bogged, but Lanes 5 and 6 were successfully cleared within 15–22 minutes of landing, despite the breach commander's Crab being hit by shellfire on the landing craft ramp and burning out. Major Stanyon therefore took to his feet to direct the mass of Crabs, AVREs and DD tanks, despite heavy machine gun fire: he
17934-462: The significant territorial, colonial, and financial losses imposed by the Treaty of Versailles . Under the treaty, Germany lost around 13 percent of its home territory and all its overseas possessions , while German annexation of other states was prohibited, reparations were imposed, and limits were placed on the size and capability of the country's armed forces . The German Empire was dissolved in
18081-628: The squadron got badly bogged in full view of the enemy while trying to cross the Molen Beek and the attempt had to be abandoned. Next day a composite troop, comprising the fittest tanks and least tired crews was sent to help 29th Armoured Brigade , losing some tanks but carrying on and engaging anti-tank guns and capturing prisoners. The rest of C Sqn (three Crabs under Capt Bell, Lt Pear and Sjt Birch) helped 1st Bn Herefordshire Regiment in an attack north-east of Deurne on 17 October, under heavy fire. On 20 October A and C Sqns were pulled out to rejoin
18228-447: The start or prelude to World War II. The exact date of the war's end also is not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 15 August 1945 ( V-J Day ), rather than with the formal surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945, which officially ended the war in Asia . A peace treaty between Japan and the Allies was signed in 1951. A 1990 treaty regarding Germany's future allowed
18375-415: The strong Maginot Line fortifications on the Franco-German border, Germany directed its attack at the neutral nations of Belgium , the Netherlands , and Luxembourg . The Germans carried out a flanking manoeuvre through the Ardennes region, which was mistakenly perceived by the Allies as an impenetrable natural barrier against armoured vehicles. By successfully implementing new Blitzkrieg tactics,
18522-415: The two wars became World War II in 1941. Other proposed starting dates for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939. Others view the Spanish Civil War as
18669-406: The unit was absorbed into the Tank Corps. The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1915 and in the summer was affiliated to a Reserve Cavalry Regiment in Eastern Command . In 1916, it was with the 9th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at The Curragh and in early 1917 it was absorbed into the 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Aldershot . After World War I the WDs once again embraced new technology, making
18816-407: The war were not fulfilled in the peace settlement. From 1922 to 1925, the Fascist movement led by Benito Mussolini seized power in Italy with a nationalist, totalitarian , and class collaborationist agenda that abolished representative democracy, repressed socialist, left-wing, and liberal forces, and pursued an aggressive expansionist foreign policy aimed at making Italy a world power, promising
18963-475: The war. Germany annexed western Poland and occupied central Poland ; the Soviet Union annexed eastern Poland ; small shares of Polish territory were transferred to Lithuania and Slovakia . On 6 October, Hitler made a public peace overture to the United Kingdom and France but said that the future of Poland was to be determined exclusively by Germany and the Soviet Union. The proposal was rejected and Hitler ordered an immediate offensive against France, which
19110-467: The warrant also stated ‘the wish to provide for succession of units raised' and then listed those new units which would be deemed to be successors to previous Territorial Army Units. The Royal Yeomanry Regiment (Volunteers) was to be regarded as the successor to the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry, the North Irish Horse, and the Berkshire and Westminster Dragoons. The squadron based at Chelsea, London
19257-404: The west halted the German advance for several days, but it was outflanked and encircled by the Wehrmacht . Remnants of the Polish army broke through to besieged Warsaw . On 17 September 1939, two days after signing a cease-fire with Japan , the Soviet Union invaded Poland under the supposed pretext that the Polish state had ceased to exist. On 27 September, the Warsaw garrison surrendered to
19404-483: The world order , and soon began a massive rearmament campaign . France, seeking to secure its alliance with Italy, allowed Italy a free hand in Ethiopia , which Italy desired as a colonial possession. The situation was aggravated in early 1935 when the Territory of the Saar Basin was legally reunited with Germany, and Hitler repudiated the Treaty of Versailles, accelerated his rearmament programme, and introduced conscription. The United Kingdom, France and Italy formed
19551-554: Was invaded by Germany. The United States started strategic planning to prepare for a full-scale offensive against Germany. At the end of September 1940, the Tripartite Pact formally united Japan, Italy, and Germany as the Axis powers . The Tripartite Pact stipulated that any country—with the exception of the Soviet Union—that attacked any Axis Power would be forced to go to war against all three. The Axis expanded in November 1940 when Hungary , Slovakia , and Romania joined. Romania and Hungary later made major contributions to
19698-405: Was Raj Rajendra Narayan, Maharaj Kumar (Prince) of Cooch Behar . They brought with them the Royals' pre-Waterloo cap badge, which was later adopted by Colonels and Brigadiers of the staff, which is why, until a common Royal Yeomanry capbadge was adopted in 2006, young WD officers often found themselves amused at being saluted by officers of higher rank. The WD stable belt (worn in barracks) bears
19845-405: Was at Goring-on-Thames . It began on 25 July, but the regiment was recalled to Westminster when mobilisation orders arrived on 5 August. The regiment reorganised on the three-squadron basis used by the Regular cavalry and purchased horses. 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
19992-483: Was awarded a Military Cross (MC). The Lane 5 team then flailed paths through the inland minefield for the infantry, self-propelled (SP) artillery and anti-aircraft gunners. The landings on Juno beach began at 07.50, those at Sword at 07.25. Both were successful, and the Crabs flailed routes through the minefields. Once Sword was secure, the remaining 2 and 4 Trps of A Sqn were landed there at H + 3 hours to work with A Sqn 22nd Dragoons and 629 Assault Sqn, RE, to help in
20139-407: Was created a baronet , of Jessfield near Edinburgh in the County of Midlothian, in 1923. Burn was married to the Honourable Ethel Louise Forbes-Leith, daughter of Alexander Forbes-Leith, 1st Baron Leith of Fyvie . When Lord Leith died in 1925 without male heir, thus resulting in the extinction of the title, Burn changed his name by deed poll to Charles Forbes-Leith of Fyvie and was able to inherit
20286-429: Was given the title 'Berkshire and Westminster Dragoons', somewhat anomalously given that the Berkshire Yeomanry element was separated to form 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Sqn in 71 (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment , Royal Corps of Signals ; the situation was belatedly recognised in 1984 when the 'Berkshire' part of the HQ squadron's title was dropped and it was rebadged accordingly as Westminster Dragoons. A bomb which detonated at
20433-408: Was not due to arrive until later). By the time the regiment 'harboured' that night, B Sqn's ARV and C Sqn's M14 half-track had landed with four ammunition and petrol lorries. C Squadron harboured at Crépon with 11 Crabs (seven of them recovered from the beach). At 05.45 next morning (D+1, 7 June) they moved cautiously forward to a hedgerow but came under heavy fire, suffering several casualties among
20580-554: Was posted to France, arriving on 1 June 1918. On 19 August 1918 it was renumbered as 104th (Westminster Dragoons) Battalion, Machine Gun Corps . It remained on the Western Front for the rest of the war. At the Armistice , it was serving as Army Troops with the Second Army . The 2nd Line regiment was formed at Westminster in August 1914. Early in 1915, it went to Feltham and in the summer to Harlow . There are three versions of its subsequent history: There are no battle honours to support overseas service in France. It appears that
20727-403: Was postponed until the spring of 1940 due to bad weather. After the outbreak of war in Poland, Stalin threatened Estonia , Latvia , and Lithuania with military invasion, forcing the three Baltic countries to sign pacts allowing the creation of Soviet military bases in these countries; in October 1939, significant Soviet military contingents were moved there. Finland refused to sign
20874-657: Was repulsed with heavy Italian casualties; the campaign ended within months with minor territorial changes. To assist Italy and prevent Britain from gaining a foothold, Germany prepared to invade the Balkans, which would threaten Romanian oil fields and strike against British dominance of the Mediterranean. In December 1940, British Empire forces began counter-offensives against Italian forces in Egypt and Italian East Africa . The offensives were successful; by early February 1941, Italy had lost control of eastern Libya, and large numbers of Italian troops had been taken prisoner. The Italian Navy also suffered significant defeats, with
21021-441: Was required to go through the bureaucracy of the League of Nations, which rendered it essentially toothless. The United States, concerned with events in Europe and Asia, passed the Neutrality Act in August of the same year. Hitler defied the Versailles and Locarno Treaties by remilitarising the Rhineland in March 1936, encountering little opposition due to the policy of appeasement . In October 1936, Germany and Italy formed
21168-432: Was supporting 23rd Hussars with two flails. A Hussars tanks was blown up on a mine, but the heavy fire prevented the crew from bailing out or sappers from clearing a path to it. Sutton flailed a path up to and round the disabled tank, then carried on flailing the road until an anti-tank gun disabled two Hussars' tanks and shot off his flail gear. Ordered to withdraw he had to do so slowly in reverse. While doing so he spotted
21315-437: Was surprised to learn from BBC radio reports that they had crossed a day before they actually did so. Once across the river barrier the campaign moved swiftly, with fewer prepared defensive positions to overcome, so there was little call for flail tanks. In early April RHQ and A Sqn were assigned to VIII Corps ' Reserve, B Sqn to 1st Assault Bde in 21st Army Group Reserve, and C Sqn to 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division . By now
21462-456: Was the first formed body of troops to enter Jerusalem after the city had been surrendered to two sergeants of 2/19th Battalion, London Regiment , and the regiment bears the liberation of that city as a battle honour. All squadrons were then withdrawn for security duties at Bethlehem , then operated on the right flank of the army, where on 27 December C Sqn repulsed a serious attempt by the Turks from Deir Ibn Obeid to recapture Jerusalem. When
21609-422: Was won by the Liberal Party in 1923 . As well as his work with the Conservative Party Burn also joined the British Fascisti upon its formation in 1923 and sat on the Grand Council of what was initially a group with close ties to the right of the Conservative Party. He was also a member of the National Citizens Union , a rightist pressure group. Burn was Aide-de-camp to King George V from 1910 to 1926 and
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