The Shropshire Yeomanry, 1914 - 1918.
The lesson of the Boer War was well-learned and from 1901-1908 the Shropshire Imperial Yeomanry
trained hard for their new and more demanding role. In 1908 they joined the new Territorial Force
which was called to arms in 1914. Quickly it became clear that the pageant of cavalry warfare was past:
the era of the machine gun, the trench and the gas attack had destroyed the panache of the mounted arm,
so long the elite of the field of war.
Three units of Shropshire Yeomanry were raised during the war:
1-1st Shropshire
Yeomanry.
Mobilised in Shrewsbury on August 4th, 1914, they joined the Welsh Border Mounted Brigade and
initially served on the east coast defences in case of a German invasion. In November 1915, they were
dismounted and they sailed for Egypt on March 4th, 1916. Arrived in Alexandria, they became part of
the 4th Dismounted Brigade, which served with the Western Frontier Force and saw action against the
Senussi. In March 1917, they amalgamated with the dismounted Cheshire Yeomanry to form the 10th
Battalion, K.S.L.I. (q.v.). After taking part in the battles of Gaza, the occupation of Jerusalem and the
capture of Jericho, the 10th went to France in May 1918 and served out the war on the Western Front.
The 10th won the only Shropshire V.C. of the Great War - that of Pte. Harold Whitfield at Bid el
Lisaneh, Palestine, on March 10th 1918 (q.v.).
2-1st Shropshire
Yeomanry.
Formed in 1914. Served in Northumberland, East Anglia and Morpeth. In July 1916 it became a cyclist
unit in the 10th Cyclist Brigade, which was renamed the 6th Cyclist Brigade in November 1916. Went
to Ireland in 1918 and was at the Curragh, Dublin, when the war ended.
3-1st Shropshire
Yeomanry.
Formed in 1915 and affiliated to a Reserve Cavalry Regiment in Ireland in the summer. Dismounted in
summer 1916 and served at Oswestry. Disbanded early in 1917, its personnel going to other units,
including the 4th (Reserve) Battalion, K.S.L.I.
The Shropshire Yeomanry, 1939 - 1945.
Peace-time Territorial soldiering with Cavalry Camps and mounted competitions was resumed after the
Great War, but was to last only from 1920 to 1939 when, once again, the Yeomanry was called upon to
serve in a World War.
Blitzkrieg and aerial attack could not be answered by the mounted arm and in 1940 the horses were lost
to history for ever when the Shropshire Yeomanry was dismounted to form the 75th and 76th Medium
Regiments, Royal Artillery.
The 75th (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, R.A.
On September 1st 1939, the Shropshire Yeomanry was embodied as a Horsed Cavalry Regiment, but
the age of warfare on horseback was over and in January 1940 - like most other Yeomanry’s - the
Regiment lost its horses. Converted to artillery, "A" Squadron (Hodnet and Bridgnorth) and H.Q.
Squadron (Shrewsbury) formed 101 and 102 Batteries of the 75th Medium Regiment, R.A. On 20th
December 1942 the Regiment, equipped with 4.5 howitzers, left Liverpool for Durban and Suez,
arriving on 14th April 1943. 101 Battery was re-equipped with 5.5 howitzers, whilst 102 kept its 4.5's.
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 August 7th.
The Regiment served through the Italian campaign, sometimes in support of the 5th Army, sometimes
with the 8th, and saw action in many notable battles. These included the third battle of Cassino,
operations against the Gustav Line and subsequent breakthrough, operations against the Hitler Line,
actions at Arezzo and the occupation of Florence. 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.
76th (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, R.A.
After the conversion from Horsed Cavalry to Gunners in early 1940, "B" Sqn. (Oswestry Area) and "C"
Sqn. (Ludlow Area) formed the nucleus of the new 76th Medium Regiment as 112 and 113 Batteries ;
they were equipped with Great War 60-pounders, later replaced by 6-in. howitzers. From then until
1942, the Regiment was occupied in intensive training.
On 25th August 1942, the Regiment, now equipped with 5.5-in. howitzers, sailed from Gourock-onClyde, also by way of Durban, to the Suez Area, arriving there on 21st November. In January 1943, the
Regiment left Egypt and motored by way of the Sinai Desert along the Trans-Jordan Pipeline to
Baghdad to join the Persia and Iraq Force ("Paiforce"). Here training was carried out with little or no
comfort. In April, the Regiment moved to Syria and through a shortage of guns in Tunisia had to lose
its own. In May, more guns arrived and combined operations with further intensive training were
carried out in the Suez Canal area. The Middle East was finally left in December 1943, and the
Regiment had landed at Taranto, Italy, by the 9th December. 112 Battery had at this time 5.5-in.
howitzers and 113 Battery 4.5's, but shortly after landing 112 lost its guns to another Yeomanry
Regiment, receiving 4.5's in exchange. On 15th December, 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 16th February to 15th March and the successful
capture and break-through of 11th May, and so on to the Hitler Line. The chase now went on past
Rome, with the Regiment supporting the 6th South Affican Armoured Division up to and including the
fight for Florence, except for the Arezzo battle, with 6th British Armoured Division. From here, in
September 1944, the Regiment moved up into the extreme wintry conditions of the Gothic Line. In
April 1945, the Regiment again moved across Italy to the east coast to join the final offensive with the
8th Army. After the surrender on 2nd May, the Regiment saw further action on the road to Austria, but,
like its sister-regiment, was watching Tito near Trieste on V.E. Day.
The Shropshire Yeomanry - Post War Years.
Since 1947 the Regiment has fought hard to survive successive reorganisations in the Reserve Forces
and has been equipped with Tanks, Armoured Cars, Scout Cars and Land Rovers, whilst under
command of the Royal Armoured Corps. 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, to the Regiment's great advantage.
From 1961-1967 the Pembroke Yeomanry was affiliated as a Sabre Squadron and in 1967 the
Shropshire Royal Horse Artillery (raised in 1860 as the 1st Shropshire Artillery Volunteers) was
amalgamated with the Regiment, in which it became "A" Squadron.
In 1969 the Regiment was disbanded and replaced by No. 4 Squadron, 35 (South Midland) Signal
Regiment (Volunteers) and the Shropshire Yeomanry Cadre. However, in 1971 the Cadre was
expanded to form the Shropshire Yeomanry Squadron of The Mercian Yeomanry, having an Infantry
role in Home Defence. On 25th May, 1973 Her Majesty The Queen approved the change of title to The
Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry, which in its turn was later amalgamated into the Royal Lancastrian
and Mercian Yeomanry.
Having celebrated its 200th anniversary in 1995, the Shropshire Yeomanry now survives as B
Squadron of the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry - the Light Reconnaissance Regiment of the
T.A. The Regiment carries forward the proud traditions of the Volunteer Cavalry which succeeding
generations have so jealously sought to safeguard and enrich.