Essex Yeomanry

The Essex Yeomanry is a yeomanry regiment of the British Army. The Essex Yeomanry was raised in 1797 and remains part of the current British Army order of battle. The regiment recruits volunteers from the county of Essex in the East of England.

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=The Essex Yeomanry


caption=Essex Yeomanry cap badge
dates=1797-present
country=Britain
allegiance=
branch=Army
type=Yeomanry
role=Signals
size=Squadron
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison=Chelmsford
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=Decus Et Tutamen (Shield and protection)
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=Battle of Ypres, Battle of Frezenberg, Battle of Loos, Battle of Arras, Battle of the Hindenburg Line, Battle of the St Quentin Canal, Pursuit to Mons
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=

History

Origins

The Essex Yeomanry was raised in 1797 during the Napoleonic Wars as a number of independent troops. The regiment was brought together as the "Essex Yeomanry Cavalry" in 1814. The regiment was disbanded in 1828, but with the expansion of the volunteer movement in the 1850s the regiment was re-raised as the "West Essex Yeomanry Cavalry" in 1857. The regiment was disbanded again in 1877, but an "Essex Troop" continued to serve under command of the "Loyal Suffolk Hussars".

Essex Imperial Yeomanry

In 1902 the "Essex Imperial Yeomanry" was raised with 4 sabre squadrons, 1 machinegun section, and its regimental headquarters at Colchester. In 1908, the regiment was renamed the "Essex Yeomanry" and transferred to the Territorial Force.
* Regimental Headquarters was based at Colchester
* A Squadron was based at Colchester
* B Squadron was based at Braintree
* C Squadron was based at Waltham Abbey
* D Squadron was based at Southend

First World War (1914-1918)

The Essex Yeomanry Cavalry Regiment was mobilised at the outbreak of war. The regiment joined the Royal Horse Guards and the 10th Royal Hussars in France in November 1914 as part of 8th Cavalry Brigade. [http://www.essex-yeomanry.org.uk/history/shorthistory.htm] During the war, 2nd and 3rd line regiments were raised at Colchester to reinforce the 1st line. The 2nd Essex Yeomanry served as garrison troops in Ireland during the war, and the 3rd Essex Yeomanry was absorbed into the 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment in 1917. In addition, 1/1st (Essex Yeomanry) Battery, RHA was mobilised at Colchester in 1914. The battery was a reserve Royal Horse Artillery formation aligned to the Essex Yeomanry. The battery served attached to 8th Cavalry Brigade in France from 1914-1918. [http://www.1914-1918.net/CAVALRY/3cavdiv.htm] In April 1918, the 1st Essex Yeomanry was broken up as reinforcements for three other cavalry regiments. Lieutenant Colonel Whitmore of the EY was appointed to command the 10th Royal Hussars, the only Territorial officer without previous regular service to command a regular cavalry regiment.

Between the Wars (1918-1939)

The regiment was reconstituted in 1920 as part of the Territorial Army with regimental headquarters at Colchester. In 1921, the regiment was converted from cavalry to artillery. The regiment became '"104th (Essex Yeomanry) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.
* Regimental Headquarters was based at Colchester
* 413 (Essex Yeomanry) Battery was based at Colchester
* 414 (Essex Yeomanry) Battery was based at HarlowIn 1932, with regimental headquarters and 413 Battery transferred to Chelmsford, the regiment gained a third battery in form of 339 (Essex Royal Horse Artillery) Battery based at Colchester. In 1938, the regiment was renamed "104th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, RHA".

econd World War (1939-1945)

At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 the "104th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, RHA" formed a duplicate regiment as part of the increase in British military manpower. The second Essex Yeomanry regiment was designated '"147 Regiment RHA (Essex Yeomanry).

104th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, RHA

The first line regiment went to the Middle East in 1940 and served in most of the Western Desert battles, notably Battle of El Alamein and the Siege of Torbruk. The regiment went on to fight in the Italian Campaign and was stood-down in Austria in 1946.

147th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, RHA

The new regiment landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, 1944. The regiment fought with the British 8th Armoured Brigade as a spear-head unit through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and into Germany. The regiment stood-down in 1946.

Post-war (1945- )

The Essex Yeomanry was reraised on 1st June 1947 as 304th (EY) Field Regiment RA with HQ at Chelmsford and batteries at Colchester (P), Southend (Q), and Harlow ( R ). The title RHA was restored in February 1955 and shoulder chains were added to the green No 1 dress. [http://www.essex-yeomanry.org.uk]

Essex Yeomanry Today

Today the Essex Yeomanry tradition is continued through the men and women of the Territorial Army who serve as members of 70 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron, which forms part of 71 Yeomanry Signal Regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals. The squadron headquarters and 881 Troop are located in Chelmsford with 882 Troop based in Harlow. Members of the squadron still wear the Green Beret of the Essex Yeomanry and are liable for active duty under the Reserve Forces Act (1996). In recent years, soldiers from the Squadron have contributed to defensive, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq.

External links

* [http://www.army.mod.uk/royalsignals/70sigsqn/index.htm 70 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron]
* [http://www.army.mod.uk/royalsignals/71sigregt/index.html 71 (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment (Volunteers)]
* [http://www.army.mod.uk/royalsignals/index.htm Royal Corps of Signals]
* [http://www.army.mod.uk/ British Army]
* [http://www.essex-yeomanry.org.uk/ Essex Yeomanry Association]