The Shropshire Yeomanry was a

yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army Reserve, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of different military roles. History Origins In the 1790s, f ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, first raised in 1795, which served as a cavalry and dismounted

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and as a cavalry and an

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

regiment in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. It was then amalgamated with the

Shropshire Royal Horse Artillery Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to t ...

. In 1969, the regiment was replaced by No. 4 Squadron, 35 (South Midlands) Signal Regiment and the Shropshire Yeomanry Cadre. These later formed the Shropshire Yeomanry Squadron of the

Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry The Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry was a cavalry regiment of the Territorial Army, formed in 1971 by the reconstitution of squadrons from the Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry, the Staffordshire Yeomanry and the Shropshire Yeom ...

before their amalgamation into the

Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the United Kingdom's Territorial Army. It served in the armoured replacement role, providing replacement tank crews for regular armoured regiments. History The regiment was fo ...

and subsequent re-subordination to the

Royal Yeomanry The Royal Yeomanry (RY) is the senior reserve light cavalry regiment of the British Army. Equipped with Supacat Jackal variants, their role is to conduct mounted and dismounted formation reconnaissance. The Regimental Headquarters is located in ...

History

Formation and early history

The Shropshire Yeomanry dates its origins to the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia ...

, when volunteer cavalry units were raised throughout the country. These small units, which included the Wellington Troop formed in Shropshire in 1795, amalgamated into three larger units, the Shrewsbury Yeomanry Cavalry, the South Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry and the North Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry in 1815. These larger units consolidated into a single unit in 1872. South Shropshire and Shrewsbury Yeomanry troops were also present during the 1821 Cinderloo Uprising which saw 3,000 colliers in present-day

Telford Telford () is a town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, about east of Shrewsbury, south west of Stafford, north west of Wolverhampton and from Birmingham in t ...

go on strike to protest the lowering of their wages. Clashes between the Yeomanry and the workers resulted in the deaths of two strikers whilst another was arrested and later hanged.

Second Boer War

The Yeomanry was not intended to serve overseas, but due to the string of defeats during

Black Week Black Week refers to the week of 10–17 December 1899 during the Second Boer War, when the British Army suffered three devastating defeats by the Boer Republics at the battles of Stormberg, Magersfontein and Colenso. In total, 2,776 British s ...

in December 1899, the British government realized they were going to need more troops than just the regular army. A Royal Warrant was issued on 24 December 1899 to allow volunteer forces to serve in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

. The Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry

s to provide service

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

of approximately 115 men each for the

Imperial Yeomanry The Imperial Yeomanry was a volunteer mounted force of the British Army that mainly saw action during the Second Boer War. Created on 2 January 1900, the force was initially recruited from the middle classes and traditional yeomanry sources, but s ...

(IY). The regiment provided the 13th (Shropshire) Company for the 5th Battalion in 1900. The Imperial Yeomanry was equipped and trained as

Mounted infantry Mounted infantry were infantry who rode horses instead of marching. The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry. According to the 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', "Mounted rifles are half cavalry, mounted infantry merely specially m ...

. The experiment was considered a success and in 1901 all the existing yeomanry regiments were converted to IY: the regiment became the Shropshire Imperial Yeomanry. The 'Imperial' part of the title was dropped when the yeomanry were transferred to the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry ...

(TF) in 1908. The regiment had its headquarters at Kingston House in St Alkmunds Place in Shrewsbury at that time.

First World War

In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ('' 7 Edw. 7, c.9''), which brought the

into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service. Therefore, TF units were split in August and September 1914 into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. Later, a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments.

1/1st Shropshire Yeomanry

The 1/1st Shropshire Yeomanry was mobilised with the Welsh Border Mounted Brigade on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of the

. It moved to East Anglia where it joined the

1st Mounted Division The 1st Mounted Division was a Yeomanry Division of the British Army active during World War I. It was formed in August 1914 for the home defence of the United Kingdom from four existing mounted brigades of the Territorial Force, each of three ...

in September 1914. In November 1915, the brigade was dismounted. The regiment was posted with the brigade to Egypt in March 1916. On 20 March, Welsh Border Mounted Brigade was absorbed into the 4th Dismounted Brigade (along with the

South Wales Mounted Brigade The South Wales Mounted Brigade was a formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army, organised in 1908. After home defence service, it was posted to Egypt, where it was absorbed into the 4th Dismounted Brigade in March 1916. History F ...

). The brigade was with the Suez Canal Defences when, on 14 January 1917,

Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–15), at the beginning ...

(EEF) Order No. 26 instructed that the

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...

, 3rd and 4th Dismounted Brigades be reorganized as the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades. Between January and March 1917, the small Yeomanry regiments were amalgamated and numbered as battalions of infantry regiments recruiting from the same districts. As a result, the 1/1st Shropshire Yeomanry was amalgamated with the 1/1st Cheshire Yeomanry at

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...

on 2 March 1917 to form the ''10th (Shropshire and Cheshire Yeomanry) Battalion,

King's Shropshire Light Infantry The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in the Childers Reforms of 1881, but with antecedents dating back to 1755. It served in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. In 19 ...

'' (10th KSLI). On 23 February, the General Officer Commanding the EEF, Lieutenant-General Sir A.J. Murray, sought permission from the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

to form the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades into a new division. On 25 February, the War Office granted permission and the new

74th (Yeomanry) Division The 74th (Yeomanry) Division was a Territorial Force infantry division formed in Palestine in early 1917 from three dismounted yeomanry brigades. It served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War, mostly as part of XX Corps. ...

started to form. The 231st Brigade joined the division at

el Arish ʻArish or el-ʻArīsh ( ar, العريش ' , ''Hrinokorura'') is the capital and largest city (with 164,830 inhabitants ) of the North Sinai Governorate of Egypt, as well as the largest city on the entire Sinai Peninsula, lying on the Medite ...

by 9 March. The 10th KSLI remained with 231st Brigade in 74th (Yeomanry) Division for the rest of the war. It took part in the invasion of Palestine in 1917 and 1918, including the Second (17–19 April 1917) and Third Battles of Gaza (27 October–7 November)including the capture of

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

on 31 October and the Sheria Position on 6 November. At the end of 1917, it took part in the capture and defence of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

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, the battalion landed at Marseilles,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

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 ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluis ...

in the

Abbeville Abbeville (, vls, Abbekerke, pcd, Advile) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It is the chef-lieu of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital of ...

area. Here the dismounted Yeomanry underwent training for service on the Western Front, particularly

trench warfare Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising military trenches, in which troops are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery. Trench warfare became ar ...

and gas defence. On 14 July 1918. the Yeomanry Division went into the line for the first time, near Merville on the right of

XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to: * 11th Army Corps (France) * XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * ...

. 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 The Second Battle of Bapaume was a battle of the First World War that took place at Bapaume in France, from 21 August 1918 to 3 September 1918. It was a continuation of the Battle of Albert and is also referred to as the second phase of that ba ...

) and the Battles of the

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 1916 ...

(

Battle of Épehy The Battle of Épehy was a battle of the First World War fought on 18 September 1918, involving the British Fourth Army under the command of General Henry Rawlinson against German outpost positions in front of the Hindenburg Line. The village ...

). In October and November 1918, it took part in the Final Advance in Artois and Flanders. By the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...

, it was near Tournai,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, 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.

2/1st Shropshire Yeomanry

The 2nd Line regiment was formed in 1914 and joined the 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade in the

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

area of

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land ...

in January 1915 (along with the 2/1st Cheshire Yeomanry and the 2/1st Denbighshire Hussars). The brigade was placed under the command of the

63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division The 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division of the British Army was a second-line Territorial Force division, formed in 1914, which served on home defence duties during the First World War. The division was formed as a duplicate of the 50th (Northumbri ...

. On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence and the brigade became 17th Mounted Brigade, still in Northumberland under Northern Command. In April 1916, it moved with its brigade to East Anglia where it joined the

; it replaced its 1st Line, which had departed (dismounted) for Egypt. By July, it had left with its brigade for the Morpeth, Northumberland area. In July 1916, there was a major reorganization of 2nd Line yeomanry units in the United Kingdom. All but 12 regiments were converted to

cyclists Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of Bicycle, cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", ...

and as a consequence the regiment was dismounted and the brigade converted to 10th Cyclist Brigade. Further reorganization in October and November 1916 saw the brigade redesignated as

6th Cyclist Brigade The 17th Mounted Brigade previously known as the 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade was a 2nd Line yeomanry brigade of the British Army during the First World War. In July 1916 it was converted to a Bicycle infantry, cyclist formation as 10th Cy ...

in November, still in the Morpeth area. In March 1917, the regiment moved to Newbiggin, and later to

Woodhorn Woodhorn is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Newbiggin by the Sea, in Northumberland, England, about east of Ashington. In 1931 the parish had a population of 219. The village is sometimes identified with Wucestre, giv ...

near Morpeth. Early in 1918, the Brigade moved to Ireland and was stationed at

The Curragh The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the ...

. There were no further changes before the end of the war.

3/1st Shropshire Yeomanry

The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1914 and in the summer of 1915 affiliated to a Reserve Cavalry Regiment in Ireland. In the summer of 1916, it was dismounted and attached to the 3rd Line Groups of the

55th (West Lancashire) Division The 55th (West Lancashire) Division was an infantry division of the British Army's Territorial Force (TF) that saw extensive combat during the First World War. It was raised initially in 1908 as the West Lancashire Division. Following the out ...

at Oswestry as its 1st Line was serving as infantry. The regiment was disbanded in early 1917 with personnel transferring to the 2nd Line regiment or to the 4th (Reserve) Battalion of the

, probably at

Tenby Tenby ( cy, Dinbych-y-pysgod, lit=fortlet of the fish) is both a walled seaside town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the western side of Carmarthen Bay, and a local government community. Notable features include of sandy beaches and the Pembroke ...

Between the wars

Post war, a commission was set up to consider the shape of the Territorial Force ( Territorial Army from 1 October 1921). The experience of the First World War made it clear that cavalry was surfeit. The commission decided that only the 14 most senior regiments were to be retained as cavalry (though the

Lovat Scouts The Lovat Scouts was a British Army unit first formed during the Second Boer War as a Scottish Highland yeomanry regiment of the British Army. They were the first known military unit to wear a ghillie suit and in 1916 formally became the British ...

and the

Scottish Horse The Scottish Horse was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army's Territorial Army raised in 1900 for service in the Second Boer War. It saw heavy fighting in both the First World War, as the 13th Battalion, Black Watch, and in the Second World Wa ...

were also to remain mounted as "scouts"). Eight regiments were converted to Armoured Car Companies of the

Royal Tank Corps The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as t ...

(RTC), one was reduced to a battery in another regiment, one was absorbed into a local infantry battalion, one became a signals regiment and two were disbanded. The remaining 25 regiments were converted to brigades of the Royal Field Artillery between 1920 and 1922. As the 6th most senior regiment in the

order of precedence An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...

, the Shropshire Yeomanry was retained as horsed cavalry.

Second World War

75th (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, RA

On 1 September 1939, the Shropshire Yeomanry was a Horsed Cavalry Regiment, but, in 1940, the Regiment lost its horses and converted to artillery. H.Q. and "A" Squadrons formed 101 and 102 Batteries of the 75th Medium Regiment, R.A. On 20 December 1942, the Regiment, equipped with 4.5" howitzers, left Liverpool for Durban and Suez, arriving on 14 April 1943. 101 Battery was re-equipped with 5.5 howitzers, whilst 102 kept its 4.5s. After intensive training, 101 battery moved through the desert to Tripoli, then went to Syracuse in Sicily and saw its first action. 102 Battery arrived in Sicily from Egypt on 7 August. The Regiment served through the Italian campaign, sometimes in support of the 5th Army, sometimes with the 8th Army (at least parof the time with 6 AGRA), and saw action in many notable battles. These included the third battle of

Monte Cassino Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley, Italy, west of Cassino and at an elevation of . Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is widely known for its abbey, the first ho ...

, operations against the

Gustav Line The Winter Line was a series of German and Italian military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt and commanded by Albert Kesselring. The series of three lines was designed to defend a western section ...

and the breakthrough, operations against the Hitler Line, actions at Arezzo and the occupation of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

and

Forlì Forlì ( , ; rgn, Furlè ; la, Forum Livii) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna. The city is situated along the Via ...

. The Regiment went on to serve in the Apennines against the Gothic Line and on to the final offensives of the 8th Army in Spring 1945. The end of the war found the 75th Medium Regiment in defensive positions facing Tito's Yugoslav army in

Venezia Giulia Venezia Giulia, traditionally called Julian March ( Serbo-Croatian, Slovene: ''Julijska krajina'') or Julian Venetia ( it, Venezia Giulia; vec, Venesia Julia; fur, Vignesie Julie; german: Julisch Venetien) is an area of southeastern Europe w ...

76th (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, RA

After the conversion from Horsed Cavalry to Gunners in 1940, "B" and "C" Squadrons formed the nucleus of the 76th Medium Regiment as 112 and 113 Batteries, and where equipped with Great War 60-pounders, although these were later replaced by 6-in. howitzers. From then, until 1942, the Regiment was occupied in intensive training. The British Army in Northern Italy, 1943 TR1402

The British Army in Northern Italy, 1943 TR1402

On 25 August 1942, now equipped with 5.5-in. howitzers, the unit sailed from Gourock-on-Clyde, also by way of Durban, to the Suez Area, arriving in November. In January 1943, the Regiment left Egypt and motored by way of the Sinai Desert along the Trans-Jordan Pipeline to

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...

to join the

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

and

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

Force ("

Paiforce Iraqforce was a British and Commonwealth formation that came together in the Kingdom of Iraq. The formation fought in the Middle East during World War II. Background During World War I, the British Army defeated the Ottoman Army in the Middl ...

"). In April 1943, they moved to Syria and through a shortage of guns in

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

lost its own. In May 1943, more guns arrived and combined operations with further intensive training were carried out in the Suez Canal area. They left the Middle East in December 1943, and landed at

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, by 9 December 1943. 112 Battery had at this time 5.5-in. howitzers and 113 Battery 4.5s; but shortly after landing, 112 lost its guns to another Yeomanry Regiment, receiving 4.5s in exchange. On 15 December 1943, the Regiment moved up to the Sangro battle and took over from its sister-regiment in support of the 8th Army. In February 1944, the Regiment moved across to Cassino and took part in the battles of 16 February to 15 March and the successful capture and break-through of 11 May, and then on to the Hitler Line. The advance now went beyond Rome, with the Regiment supporting the

6th South African Armoured Division The 6th South African Armoured Division was the second armoured warfare, armoured division (military), division of the South African Army and was formed during World War II. Established in early 1943, it was based on a nucleus of men from the ...

up to and including the fight for Florence, except for the Arezzo battle, with 6th Armoured Division. In April 1945, the Regiment again moved across Italy to the east coast to join the final offensive with the 8th Army. After the German surrender on 2 May 1945, the Regiment saw further action on the road to

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. On

VE Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

, it, like its sister regiment, was watching Tito near Trieste.

Post war

Since 1947, as part of the Royal Armoured Corps, the Regiment has been equipped with Tanks, Armoured Cars, Scout Cars and Land Rovers. In 1959, Home Headquarters of the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards was established at R.H.Q. in Shrewsbury and the new Regiment became associated with the Shropshire Yeomanry. From 1961 to 1967, the

Pembroke Yeomanry The Pembroke Yeomanry was a regiment of the British Army formed in 1794. It saw action in the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. Its lineage is maintained by 224 (Pembroke Yeomanry) Transport Squadron, part of 157 (Wel ...

was affiliated as a Sabre Squadron and, in 1967, the

(raised in 1860 as the 1st Shropshire and Staffordshire Artillery Volunteers) was amalgamated with the Regiment, becoming "A" Squadron. In 1969, the Regiment was disbanded and replaced by No. 4 Squadron, 35 (South Midlands) Signal Regiment and the Shropshire Yeomanry Cadre. The Cadre was then expanded in 1971 to form the Shropshire Yeomanry Squadron of the Mercian Yeomanry (renamed the

in 1973), with an infantry role in Home Defence.

200 years and 21st century

Having celebrated its 200th anniversary in 1995, the Shropshire Yeomanry now survives as D (Shropshire Yeomanry) Squadron of the

based in Dawley Bank,

. Following the latest defence review, the Squadron became 'light cavalry' and uses the Land Rover ''RWMIK''.

Regimental museum

The Shropshire Regimental Museum, which includes the collections of the

and the Shropshire Yeomanry, is based at

Shrewsbury Castle Shrewsbury Castle is a red sandstone castle in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It stands on a hill in the neck of the meander of the River Severn on which the town originally developed. The castle, directly above Shrewsbury railway station, is ...

Victoria Cross

The

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

is the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and Commonwealth forces. The only Victoria Cross awarded to a member of Shropshire regiment in the First World War was won on 10 March 1918 by Private Harold Whitfield of the Shropshire Yeomanry (10th KSLI) for gallantry at Burj-el-Lisaneh during the Battle of Tell 'Asur in Palestine.

Battle honours

The Shropshire Yeomanry was awarded the following

battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

s (honours in bold are emblazoned on the

regimental colours In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some ...

Uniforms

In 1872 the newly amalgamated Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry adopted a heavy dragoon style dark-blue uniform with red facings plus silver and bronze spiked helmet. A white over scarlet plume was worn for parade. The features of the new uniform were drawn from those of the two former regiments following extended discussions between the officers of both. While many Yeomanry regiments simplified their dress uniforms following the South African War, the Shropshire Yeomanry retained the full blue and red review order for ceremonial dress. Khaki cavalry service dress was worn for most duties in the years preceding World War I, and the standard battle dress after the 1940 conversion to artillery.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * *

External links

* * * {{British Cavalry Regiments World War I

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

Yeomanry regiments of the British Army in World War I Military units and formations in Shropshire Military units and formations in Shrewsbury Military units and formations established in 1795 Military units and formations disestablished in 1969 Regiments of the British Army in World War II