Yorkshire Hussars

After Britain was drawn into the French Revolutionary Wars, Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger proposed on 14 March 1794 that the counties should form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry (Yeomanry) that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant to subdue any civil disorder within the county.[2] On 12 June a meeting at Northallerton in the North Riding of Yorkshire resolved to raise Troops of yeomanry. The Lord Lieutenant of Yorkshire, the Duke of Norfolk, proceeded to raise two regiments of West Riding Yeomanry Cavalry on 13 August: the 1st or Southern Corps at Pontefract and the 2nd or Northern Regiment, which included the North Riding Troops. These later became the Yorkshire Dragoons and the Yorkshire Hussars respectively. A local landowner, William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam of Wentworth Woodhouse, was Colonel-Commandant of both corps. Each regiment initially consisted of five Troops of 50 men each, those of the 2nd Corps being the 1st and 2nd Craven (Skipton), Agbrigg and Morley, Barkston Ash and Clare (Knaresborough).[3][4][5][6][7][8]

The short-lived Peace of Amiens signed in March 1802 saw most of the Yeomanry disbanded, but on 25 July three troops of the Northern Regiment (at Knaresborough under Captain Robert Harvey, Tadcaster under Lord Hawke, and Aberford under Lieutenant Bainbridge) offered to renew their service. They were joined by four more troops (one of them from Ripon) on 9 October, another (under the command of Lord Grantham) on 18 May 1803, and a ninth (under Capt W.C. Fenton) in December. Robert Harvey became Colonel of the Northern Regiment of West Riding Yeomanry and held the position until 1819.[3][4][8][9]

Although the French invasion threat had dwindled, there was civil unrest and on 5 May 1812 the regiment was ordered to hold itself in readiness to counter the Luddite industrial riots. In 1814 the troops were reorganised to equalise the numbers at 50 men each, with a Sergeant-Major and two trumpeters to each troop. They were now based at: Harewood (2 Trps), Otley, Tadcaster, Selby, Ripon and Knaresborough (2 Trps). Two further troops were raised from Leeds in September 1817 under the command of Capt William Beckett, later MP for Leeds.[4][8]

The Yeomanry declined in importance and strength after the end of the French wars,[10] but the regiments continued in industrial Yorkshire. The Northern Regiment of West Riding Yeomanry was redesignated the Yorkshire Hussar Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry on 11 January 1819.[3][4][8] Later that year Lord Grantham (who succeeded as the 2nd Earl de Grey in 1833) took over as Commanding Officer (CO) following the death of Col Harvey and held the position for 40 years, apart from 1841 to 1843 when he served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Lt-Col Beckett exercised the command.[8][9][11] The regiment was called out in support of the civil power on several occasions, particularly during the riots of 1826 when various troops of the regiment were 'almost incessantly under arms', and the Chartist disturbances of 1842, when they were on duty from 3 June to 31 August around Leeds and Bradford, and Capt York's Troop had to charge the mob at Cleckheaton.[8][12]

The De Grey Rooms in St Leonard's Street, York, were built in 1841–2 as an officers' mess for the Yorkshire Hussars.[8][13]

By 1855 the regiment was distributed as follows:[14]

• A Troop at Knaresborough
• B Troop at York
• C & D Troops at Ripon
• E Troop at Harewood
• F Troop at Otley
• G Troop at Aberford
• H Troop at Wheldrake, near York
• I & K Troops at Leeds

On 30 August 1859 Earl De Grey handed over to Henry Lascelles, 4th Earl of Harewood as Lt-Col Commandant and Beilby Lawley, 2nd Baron Wenlock as Lt-Col, who himself took over as Lt-Col Commandant on 23 September 1870. The title Princess of Wales's Own was conferred on the regiment on 1 February 1864.[3][7][11][15]

Officer, Yorkshire Hussars, 1896

In 1871 the number of troops was reduced to eight, each with a sergeant-major as permanent staff instructor (PSI), distributed as follows:[11]

• A Trp at Leeds
• B Trp at York
• C & F Trps at Ripon
• D Trp at Selby
• E Trp at Harewood
• G Trp at Aberford
• H Trp at Tadcaster.

1875 saw the first issue of Westley Richards breechloading carbines to the regiment, although there were still only enough to arm half the regiment by 1877.[16]

Following the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the Army List from December 1875. This assigned Regular and Yeomanry units places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for the 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The Yorkshire Hussars were assigned as 'divisional troops' to 1st Division of VII Corps based at York, alongside Regular units of infantry, artillery and engineers. This scheme was short-lived, but from 1893 the Yorkshire Hussars, Yorkshire Dragoons, and (until its disbandment in 1894) the 2nd West York Yeomanry, were brought together as the 13th Yeomanry Brigade, with its HQ at York.[15][17] In 1898 the regiment officially became the Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own).[3][7]

Imperial yeoman on the Veldt.

The Yeomanry was not intended to serve outside the United Kingdom, but following a string of defeats during Black Week in early December 1899, the British government realised that it would need more troops than just the regular army to fight the Second Boer War, particularly mounted troops. On 13 December, the War Office decided to allow volunteer forces to serve in the field, and a Royal Warrant was issued on 24 December that officially created the Imperial Yeomanry (IY). This was organised as county service companies of approximately 115 men enlisted for one year. Existing yeomen and fresh volunteers (mainly middle and upper class) quickly filled the new force, which was equipped to operate as Mounted infantry.[18][19][20][21] [22]

An equipment and emergency fund was set up in the West Riding and by 2 January 1900 13th Yeomanry Brigade had enrolled 330 volunteers at Leeds. The Yorkshire Hussars sponsored the 9th (Yorkshire (Doncaster)) Company and the Yorkshire Dragoons the 11th (Yorkshire Dragoons) Company. Selection and mobilisation began at Sheffield Cavalry Barracks on 6 January and the two companies were complete by 17 January.[3][23][24][25][26] Along with two companies from Nottinghamshire, the 9th and 11th served in the 3rd Battalion, IY, which was placed under the command of Temporary Lt-Col George Younghusband from the Indian Army.[3][23][24][25][27]

The Yorkshire Hussars, together with the Yorkshire Dragoons, also raised 66th (Yorkshire) Company in 16th Battalion, and in 1901 it raised 109th (Yorkshire Hussars) Company for the second contingent, and this company also served with 3rd Bn. In 1902, 16th Bn was disbanded and 66th (Yorkshire) Company joined 3rd Bn.[3][23][24][25]

Boshof

3rd Battalion IY with its horses embarked on the Winefredien at Liverpool on 29 January 1900 and was the first IY battalion to arrive in South Africa, disembarking at Cape Town on 20 February 1900.[24][28] It was attached to 1st Division under the command of Lord Methuen. On 5 April Methuen learned of the presence of a small Boer Commando led by the French Comte de Villebois-Mareuil and ordered the IY and other mounted troops to saddle up at once. The force caught the commando, pinned it with a few rounds of artillery fire, and then advanced by short rushes. The Yorkshire contingent went round the left flank while the Kimberly Mounted Volunteers went round the right, taking advantage of the natural cover. The whole force then closed in and stormed the hill. De Villebois-Mareuil was killed and his men surrendered. The Battle of Boshof was the first action for the new IY, but with little field training, only a brief musketry course, and few officers, they 'acted like veteran troops'. Methuen was 'much struck by the intelligent manner in which they carried out the attack and made use of cover'.[28][29][30]

Methuen's Column quickly became known as the 'Mobile Marvels'. On 14 May Methuen marched on Hoopstad and then continued into Orange Free State protecting the flank of Lord Roberts' main army. Methuen's column reached Bothaville on 24 May, but Roberts became concerned about his communications, so Methuen was switched to protecting the rear, and marched to Kroonstad, where his force arrived on 28 May, having completed a march of 168 miles (270 km) in 15 days over poor roads. On 30 May, Methuen was informed that the 13th (Irish) Bn IY was cut off at Lindley, and he rode with his own IY battalions to relieve them, covering 44 miles (71 km) in 24 hours. The mounted column had a five-hour fight to force its way past 3000 Boers led by Christiaan de Wet. Most of the force in Lindley had already surrendered, but Younghusband was able to free a number of the prisoners. Methuen then pushed on to relieve 9th Division, which was besieged at Heilbron, completing a march of 267 miles (430 km) in under a month.[31]

Imperial Yeomanry galloping over a plain during the Second Boer War.

The Yorkshire Hussars' RHQ at Tower Street, York, today the Royal Dragoon Guards Museum.

The Imperial Yeomanry were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908.[36][37][38] The regiment became the Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) with the following organisation:[3][7][15][39]

• Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) at 3 Tower Street, York[13][40][41][42][43]
• A Squadron at 73 Belle Vue Road, Leeds,[44] with a detachment at East Parade, Ilkley[13][45]
• B Squadron at Bedern, York,[40] with detachments at 4 Bridge Street, Bedale,[46] Drill Hall, Castle Street, Thirsk,[47][48] Helmsley[49] and Old Maltongate, Malton[50]
• C Squadron at Drill Hall, Park Place, Knaresborough,[13][51] with detachments at Drill Hall, Strawberry Dale, Commercial Street, Harrogate,[13][52] Bradford,[53] Easingwold[54] and Ripon[13][55]
• D Squadron at Grove Hill Road, Middlesbrough,[47][56] with a detachment at North Street, Scarborough[57]

The regiment formed part of the TF's Yorkshire Mounted Brigade, along with the Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons and the East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry.[15][41][43][58]

The regiment was reconstituted as horsed cavalry once more on 7 February 1920.[3][7][39] Postwar, 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 there was a surfeit of cavalry. The commission decided that only the 14 most senior Yeomanry regiments were to be retained as cavalry; the others would be converted to armoured cars, artillery or signals. As the 3rd most senior regiment in the Yeomanry order of precedence, the Yorkshire Hussars retained its horses as mounted cavalry.[84]

The regiment was still at 3 Tower Street, York, under the command of Lord Grimthorpe, when it was embodied for service in September 1939.[15] It mobilised as part of 5th Cavalry Brigade with the Yorkshire Dragoons and Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry under the command of the Hussars' former CO, Brigadier T. Preston, but the squadrons initially remained at their HQ towns in case they were needed to keep order in the event of German bombing raids. Later the brigade concentrated at Malton, moving to Market Rasen in Lincolnshire when 1st Cavalry Division was formed on 31 October. It left the UK on 18 January 1940 and travelled through France to embark at Marseille for Palestine.[8][85][86]

The regiment became mechanised cavalry in October 1940[39] and transferred to the 6th Cavalry Bde on 2 March 1941.[8][85][87] It transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) on 12 April 1941[3][7] in preparation for becoming an armoured regiment. The 6th Cavalry Brigade converted into 8th Armoured Bde on 1 August 1941[87] but the Yorkshire Hussars did not transfer with it, instead joining 9th Armoured Brigade on 10 October 1941 when that formation arrived in Palestine from Iraq. It remained with this brigade in 10th Armoured Division (formerly 1st Cavalry Division) until 13 March 1942,[88] training on M3 Stuart tanks.[8]

In March 1942, the regiment was in Cyprus, armed with Valentine tanks and old Cruiser A13 tanks as the 'Armoured Striking Force' under the fictional '7th Division'.[8][89] It was variously under Middle East Forces (MEF)[90] and Ninth Army[91] It was shipped back to Egypt in March 1943, training on Crusader and Sherman tanks, familiarising themselves with the 75 mm gun and tactics for the North African Campaign.[8] However, the campaign ended with the fall of Tunis in May 1943 and the regiment remained under MEF for the next few months.[90]

In November 1943 the regiment embarked at Alexandria for the UK, arriving at Gourock on 12 December.[8][39] The regiment was converted to the infantry reconnaissance role, equipped with Humber Armoured Cars, Humber Light Reconnaissance Cars, Universal Carriers, and riflemen in M3 half-tracks.[92] It joined 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division as its reconnaissance unit, but on 24 January 1944 it changed places with 61st Reconnaissance Regiment and joined 61st Infantry Division. 61st Division was a reserve formation and remained in the UK for the whole of the war.[7][39][93] Apart from A Sqn, which remained in an operational role, the regiment was split into squadrons from April to August 1944 to run embarkation camps in Sussex for the formations participating in the D Day landings and Normandy Campaign. In August the regiment was reunited and became a Reinforcement Holding Unit for refresher training and drafting of wounded Recce troops returning to North West Europe.[8]

On 16 June, after the end of the war in Europe, the Yorkshire Hussars reverted to an armoured role with Churchill tanks in 35th Tank Brigade (which was in the process of converting into a new 35th Armoured Brigade), which was a training formation supplying reinforcements to 21st Army Group in North West Europe.[8][94] It was placed in 'suspended animation' in March 1946.[39]

When the TA was reconstituted in 1947, the Yorkshire Hussars reformed as an armoured regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps, with the following distribution:[3][39]

• RHQ at York
• A Sqn at Leeds
• B Sqn at York
• C Sqn at Middlesbrough

Together with the Yorkshire Dragoons, the East Riding Yeomanry and 45th/51st (Leeds Rifles) Royal Tank Regiment, it constituted the 8th (Yorkshire) Armoured Brigade in 49th (West Riding and North Midland) Armoured Division. On 1 November 1956, the Yorkshire Hussars, Yorkshire Dragoons and East Riding Yeomanry were amalgamated into The Queen's Own Yorkshire Yeomanry.[3][39][95][96] On 1 April 1967, the regiment was disbanded and concurrently reconstituted as a TAVR III infantry unit with the RHQ and 'A' Squadron at York, 'B' Squadron at Doncaster and 'C' Squadron at Hull. On 1 April 1969, the regiment was reduced to a cadre and then reformed on 1 April 1971, as 'Y' Squadron, (re-designated in 2014 as 'A' Squadron) The Queen's Own Yeomanry.[97][98]

The Yorkshire Hussars' full dress shown in the centre of Richard Knötel's 1899 painting of Yeomanry uniforms.

The uniform of both the Southern and Northern West Riding Yeomanry in 1794 was a long-skirted scarlet coat with green collar and cuffs, and silver fringed epaulettes for officers; white breeches and black boots; white belts and gloves. The trumpeters were mounted on grey horses from October 1794. The original headgear was a 'round hat' (a low top hat) with a fore-and-aft bearskin crest over the crown. The original uniforms were such poor quality that they were replaced the following year, when new pattern 'Tarleton' light cavalry helmets were issued with 'Y.W.R.C' on the front band and probably a buff 'turban' (but re-using the same bearskin crest) and the shorter red jackets were given buff silk cord trimmings and white metal shoulder-wings for the men, with silver fringes for the officers. A scarlet waistcoat trimmed in buff was added (from 1797 the trumpeters wore a plain buff waistcoat). Sergeant-Majors (one per Troop, all ex-Regular NCOs) wore four silver chevrons on a green ground, sergeants wore three similar chevrons.[4][5]

When the Northern troops continued in 1802 they wore the light cavalry helmet with a plain blue unlaced jacket with three rows of buttons down the front, blue breeches with leather at the bottom and inside the legs, black leather sword and pouch belts. However, when the Northern regiment was re-established in 1803 it reverted to a red jacket for full dress (except the farriers who wore blue), with yellow cuffs and collar, edged with white braid and with about 21 rows of braid across the front. Blue breeches continued for marching order until 1805 when they were replaced with white canvas ones. The cloak was blue, lined white. The full dress helmet had a white-over-red plume, blue turban and silver chainwork; the trumpeters and farriers wore tall bearskin caps with plume and a large silver plate. Officers wore plain black leather sabretaches, those of senior officers being scarlet, laced round the edge in silver with a silver White Rose of York in the centre. Blue folding 'watering' or 'fatigue' caps piped in white were issued for undress; these were replaced in 1811 by blue 'Woollen Scotch Bonnets' with white ball tufts and bands. In 1807 it was proposed to alter the uniform to blue to conform with the Regular light dragoons, but this was not carried out.[4]

The regiment was re-clothed in 1817, when the old Tarleton helmet was replaced by a black light dragoon Shako (red for the band and trumpeters) with a white band round the top and a metal White Rose of York badge. The laced red jacket was continued, but with Oxford grey overalls with a single white stripe. Plain black sabretaches were now issued to the men,[4][99]

After the regiment became Hussars in 1819 it progressively adopted the appropriate uniform style. In 1820 the officers gained red pelisses edged with black fur and with silver lacing; those for the other ranks were made from their old stable jackets. The yellow facings were removed, the shakos re-covered with sky blue cloth and the small white-over-red plume replaced by a black upright horsehair plume. When new clothing was issued in 1824 the shako was covered with black cloth and the black horsehair plume was drooping, the pelisse was now blue and braided like the jacket. Then in 1828 the jacket was also changed to blue, and from 1832 the overalls were dark grey, almost black, with white stripes. New red shakoes were issued in 1840 (blue for the band and trumpeters). Between 1848 and 1852 the full dress for officers and men settled down to dark blue, braided white and in 1856 the shako was replaced by a Hussar Busby: this uniform was worn essentially unchanged for the next 60 years (see 1896 photograph above), although pelisses later became reserved for special occasions and the busby for church parades, scarlet pillbox caps being worn instead. From 1895 Officers wore a plain blue undress coat (see Photo of Lt-Col Stanyforth below) while the men had a blue serge 'frock' jacket. A gold crown above the rose of York had been added to officers' full dress scarlet sabretaches and pouches between 1846 and 1850. When Alexandra, Princess of Wales, gave her name to the regiment in 1863, it adopted as its cap badge the Prince of Wales's feathers over the White Rose of York, which it retained until 1956.[99][100][1]

After the regiment became Imperial Yeomanry, the standard IY khaki uniform came into use with red piping down the trousers; it was worn with a Slouch hat carrying a white over red plume. In 1906 the peaked forage cap was adopted, in scarlet with a black peak for officers, khaki for other ranks, although the scarlet pillbox cap continued to be worn for 'walking out'. Forage caps remained scarlet until the Second World War.[99][1][101]

From 1908 the regiment was affiliated to the Hussars of the Regular Army.[3] The Yorkshire Squadron, Imperial Cadet Yeomanry, was affiliated to the unit in the years before the First World War.[15]

Between 1947 and 1956 the regiment was affiliated to the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars of the Regular Army.[3]

The Yorkshire Hussars was awarded the following battle honours (honours in bold are emblazoned on the regimental guidon):[3]

Strangely, given its overseas service, the regiment was not awarded any battle honours for the Second World War.[3]

• Imperial Yeomanry
• List of Yeomanry Regiments 1908
• Yeomanry
• Yeomanry order of precedence
• British yeomanry during the First World War
• Second line yeomanry regiments of the British Army
• Painting of Col R.T.F. Gascoigne with his horse in South Africa, 1900, Leeds Museums and Art Galleries

• Anglo Boer War site
• Mark Conrad, The British Army, 1914 (archive site)
• Doncaster History
• The Drill Hall Project
• Great War Centenary Drill Halls
• Les Hussards, UK section
• The Long, Long Trail
• Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth – Regiments.org (archive site)
• The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918 (archive site)
• Roll of Honour