Suffolk Yeomanry

Duke of Yorks Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars
Loyal Suffolk Hussars badge and service cap
Active 1793–present
Country  Kingdom of Great Britain (1793–1800)
 United Kingdom (1801–present)
Allegiance  British Army
Type Yeomanry
Size Squadron
Part of Cavalry (First World War)
Royal Artillery (Second World War)
Army Air Corps (Present)
Motto(s) CONSTANTIA LEVANDI (Steadfast in support)
Battle honours The Great War:
Somme 1918, Bapaume 1918, Hindenberg Line, Epehy, Pursuit to Mons, France & Flanders 1918, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1915-17, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tell ‘Asur, Palestine 1917-18[1]
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Brigadier-General Ned Baird

The Duke of Yorks Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army. Originally formed as a volunteer cavalry in 1794, the Suffolk Yeomanry was again raised as the Loyal Suffolk Hussars and fought in the Second Boer war as part of the Imperial Yeomanry. In the First World War the regiment fought at Gallipoli, in Palestine and on the Western Front. The unit was subsequently converted to artillery, serving in this role North Africa, Italy and France during the Second World War. The linage is maintained by No. 677 (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Squadron AAC.

History

Formation and early history

Group portrait of the Suffolk Yeomanry

The regiment was formed as volunteer cavalry in 1794, during the French Revolutionary Wars. A Yeomanry regiment was continued in Suffolk under the name The Loyal Suffolk Hussars, and from 1892 the Duke of York (later King George V) was Honorary Colonel, allowing the regiment to add the Duke of York′s Own to their name.[2]

Following the outbreak of the Second Boer War, Yeomanry regiments all over the United Kingdom were mobilized as part of the Imperial Yeomanry fighting in South Africa. A company of the Loyal Suffolk Hussars first left Southampton on 31 January 1900, bound for Cape Town.[3] The regiment established its headquarters at King's Road in Bury St Edmunds in the early 20th century.[4]

First World War

Eastern Mounted Brigade
Organisation on 4 August 1914
Assigned units
A Squadron at Cambridge (Cambridgeshire)
B Squadron at Bury St Edmunds
C Squadron at Ipswich
D Squadron at Beccles
A Squadron at Norwich
B Squadron at North Walsham
C Squadron at Fakenham
D Squadron at King's Lynn
A Squadron at Colchester
B Squadron at Braintree
C Squadron at Waltham Abbey
D Squadron at Southend-on-Sea
  • Brigade troops
Transport and Supply Column, ASC,
Chelmsford
  • Source
  • Conrad, Mark (1996). "The British Army, 1914".

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 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.[5]

As of August 1914 two local MPs were serving as officers, Frank Goldsmith[6] and Walter Guinness.[7]

1/1st Duke of Yorks Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars

The 1/1st was embodied in August 1914 at Bury St. Edmunds and became part of the Eastern Mounted Brigade, 1st Mounted Division.[8]

In September 1915, they were dismounted and moved to the ANZAC bridgehead at Gallipoli and came under the command of the 54th (East Anglian) Division.[8] After they were withdrawn from Gallipoli they moved to Egypt in December 1915, the first party being evacuated to Mudros on 14 December and the rest following five days later.[8] They were next attached to the 3rd Dismounted Brigade on Suez Canal defences, from 22 February 1916.[9]

Headquarters officers of the 15th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, 74th (Yeomanry) Division. Near Carvin 14 August 1918. The battalion was formerly known as the 1/1st Duke of Yorks Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars.

In January 1917, they were converted to an infantry battalion and formed the 15th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Battalion, the Suffolk Regiment in the 74th (Yeomanry) Division, which moved to France in May 1918.[8]

2/1st Duke of Yorks Owns Loyal Suffolk Hussars

The 2nd Line regiment was formed in 1914 and by January 1915 it was in the 2/1st Eastern Mounted Brigade at Ely.[10] On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence;[11] the brigade was numbered as 13th Mounted Brigade and joined 4th Mounted Division in the Wivenhoe area.[10]

In July 1916, the regiment was converted to a cyclist unit in 5th Cyclist Brigade, 2nd Cyclist Division, still in the Wivenhoe area. In November 1916, the division was broken up and regiment was merged with the 2/1st Norfolk Yeomanry to form 7th (Suffolk and Norfolk) Yeomanry Cyclist Regiment in 3rd Cyclist Brigade, in the Ipswich area. In March 1917 it resumed its identity as 2/1st Suffolk Yeomanry, still at Ipswich in 3rd Cyclist Brigade. By July 1917 the regiment had moved to Woodbridge. In May 1918 the regiment moved to Ireland and was stationed at Boyle and Collooney, still in 3rd Cyclist Brigade, until the end of the war.[10]

3/1st Duke of Yorks Own Loyal Sufolk Hussars

The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1915 and in the summer it was affiliated to a Reserve Cavalry Regiment in Eastern Command. In 1916 it was dismounted and attached to the 3rd Line Groups of the East Anglian Division at Halton Park, Tring. Early in 1917 the regiment was disbanded and its personnel were transferred to the 2nd Line regiment and the 4th (Reserve) Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment at Halton Park.[10]

Between the wars

On 31 January 1920 the War Office announced that recruitment for the reconstituted Territorial Army (as it was now known) would begin, but that only 16 out of the 55 existing Yeomanry regiments would be retained in their traditional mounted role.[12] The remainder were converted to other roles, and the Suffolk Yeomanry provided two batteries in 103rd (Suffolk) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA).[13][14][15][16][17] However, in 1923 the two Suffolk Yeomanry batteries transferred to the 108th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Brigade, and after the RFA was merged into the Royal Artillery (RA) in 1924 the unit was constituted as follows:[15][13][18]

108th (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Field Brigade, RA

  • HQ at Swaffham
  • 411 (Suffolk Yeomanry) Bty at Old Barracks, Bury St Edmunds
  • 412 (Suffolk Yeomanry) Bty at Beccles, later at the Drill Hall, St Peter's Street, Lowestoft
  • 429 (Norfolk Yeomanry) Bty at Swaffham, later at Cattle Market Barracks, Norwich
  • 430 (Norfolk Yeomanry) Bty (Howitzer) at Swaffham

The unit was an 'Army' field brigade in 54th (East Anglian) Divisional Area.[18]

In 1938 the RA was reorganised, 'brigades' became 'regiments', and some field regiments were converted to the anti-tank (A/T) role. 108th Field Brigade became 55th (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment, RA and the batteries were renumbered 217–220.[15][13][19] The unit became the divisional A/T regiment of 54th (East Anglian) Division.[20]

Second World War

By 1939 it became clear that a new European war was likely to break out and, as a direct result of the German invasion of Czechoslovakia on 15 March,[21] the doubling of the Territorial Army was authorised, with each unit and formation forming a duplicate.[22] When the TA was mobilised on 1 September, the Norfolk and Suffolk Yeomanry 'Duplicate and Original Regiments' were on annual training at Chiseldon Camp, and the 'Norfolk Duplicate Batteries' and 'Lowestoft Contingent' returned to Swaffham. The following day, orders were issued to split the unit into 55th (Suffolk Yeomanry) A/T Rgt at Bury St Edmunds as part of 54th Division, and 65th (Norfolk Yeomanry) A/T Rgt at Swaffham as part of the duplicate 18th Infantry Division. The Suffolk Yeomanry part was organised as follows:[19][23][24]

55th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Ant-Tank Regiment, RA

  • HQ at Bury St Edmunds
  • 217 Bty at Bury St Edmunds
  • 218 Bty at Lowestoft
  • 219 Bty at Bury St Edmunds and Brandon
  • 220 Bty at Beccles

The Regiment was attached to various Divisions during the war:[25]

54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division, September 1939
79th Armoured Division, September 1942 – April 1943
49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, July 1943 – August 1945

From July 1943 until after the end of the war, the regiment served with the 49th (West Riding) Division and fought in the North-Western Europe from June 1944 to May 1945.[25]

Post war

After the war the regiment was re-constituted as 308th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment, RA with headquarters at Bury St Edmunds.[2] It amalgamated with 358th (Suffolk) Medium Regiment, RA to form 358th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, RA in 1958[2] and it amalgamated with 284th (King's Own Royal Regiment, Norfolk Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA to form 308th (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA in 1961.[2]

During the major reorganisation of the Territorial Army that took place in 1967, the unit was reduced to battery size as 202 (The Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Battery, RA, part of 100 (Medium) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers).[26] The battery, which had been equipped with the 105mm light gun, re-roled as an air defence unit and transferred to 106th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery in July 1999.[26] It re-roled again and became No. 677 (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Squadron AAC, part of 6 Regiment Army Air Corps in July 2006.[26] Squadron Headquarters and A Flight are at Bury St Edmunds, B Flight at Norwich and C Flight at Ipswich.[27]

Insignia

Up until the 1961 amalgamation the Suffolk Yeomanry batteries of the RA continued to wear the Loyal Sussex Hussars cap badge (in gilt or bronze for officers, bimetal for other ranks). During World War II the officers wore the badge embroidered on their side caps.[19][28]

Battle honours

The Suffolk Yeomanry has been awarded the following battle honours:[2]

Second Boer War

South Africa 1900–01

First World War

Somme 1918, Bapaume 1918, Hindenburg Line, Épéhy, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1918, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1915–17, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tell 'Asur, Palestine 1917–18

Second World War

None awarded to artillery. The Royal Artillery was present in nearly all battles and would have earned most of the honours awarded to cavalry and infantry regiments. In 1833, William IV awarded the motto Ubique (meaning "everywhere") in place of all battle honours.[29]

Uniforms

During the early period of 1794 to 1868 the several independent troops that were to make up The Loyal Suffolk Hussars wore a variety of different cavalry uniforms. In 1850 these included green with gold lace for the 1st Loyal Suffolk Troop; a scarlet light dragoon dress for the Suffolk Borderers; and a dark green lancer uniform for the Long Melford Troop. Brought together as the Suffolk Yeomanry Cavalry in 1868, the amalgamated regiment adopted a heavy dragoon dress of green with red facings with a brass Albert helmet and white plume. In 1878 fashion changes had led to a green hussar uniform with braided dolman and fur busby. The hussar dress was changed to blue-green in the 1880s. By 1902 a special levee-dress jacket had been authorised for officers, modelled on that of the Royal Horse Artillery but in green and red.[30] By the 1911 Coronation other ranks were wearing a "mid-bright green" tunic and overalls (tight cavalry breeches) with red facings. Officers however retained the levee-dress: variously described as "lavish" and "magnificent".[31]

After 1914 the standard khaki service and (subsequently battledress) became normal wear, although the combination of green and red survived in items such as the officer' field service cap.[32]

Commanders

Lieutenants-Colonel Commandant
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred George Lucas (until 1900)
  • Honorary Colonel Fletcher H. G. Cruickshank (14 March 1900-)[33]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Battle Honours Awarded for the Great War. Naval and Military Press. p. 20.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Suffolk Yeomanry (The Duke of York's Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars) at regiments.org by T.F.Mills". Archived from the original on 16 April 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "The War - The Auxiliary Forces, Departure of Yeomanry from Southampton". The Times (36054). London. 1 February 1900. p. 10.
  4. ↑ "Bury St Edmunds". Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  5. ↑ Rinaldi 2008, p. 35
  6. ↑ "Loyal Suffolk Hussars history and photos". Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  7. ↑ Wilson (1998), pp. 172–173.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "warpath.orbat".
  9. ↑ Baker, Chris. "Suffolk Yeomanry". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 James 1978, p. 28
  11. ↑ James 1978, p. 36
  12. ↑ Sainsbury, p. 31.
  13. 1 2 3 Litchfield, p. 185–7.
  14. ↑ Litchfield, p. Appendix VII.
  15. 1 2 3 Monthly Army List, various dates.
  16. ↑ Mileham 1994, p. 101
  17. ↑ Mileham 1994, p. 112
  18. 1 2 Titles and Designations.
  19. 1 2 3 Litchfield, pp. 218–20.
  20. ↑ Joslen, p. 89.
  21. ↑ Mileham 1994, p. 51
  22. ↑ "History of the Army Reserve". MOD. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  23. ↑ 65 (NY) A/T Rgt War Diary 1939–40, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 166/1637. This authoritative source contradicts the statement by Mileham (pp. 101, 112) that the Suffolk and Norfolk batteries were not split until 1942 and the statement by Litchfield that the 65th did not regain its Norfolk Yeomanry title until that year.
  24. ↑ 65 A/T Rgt at RA 1939–45.
  25. 1 2 "Orders of battle".
  26. 1 2 3 "Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 30 December 2006. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  27. ↑ "677 Sqn AAC (V)". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  28. ↑ Anon, Badges.
  29. ↑ "Royal Regiment of Artillery at regiments.org by T.F.Mills". Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
  30. ↑ R.G. Harris, colour plate 24 and text, "50 Years of Yeomanry Uniforms", Frederick Muller Ltd 1972, SBN 584 10937 7
  31. ↑ Smith, R.J. The Yeomanry Force at the 1911 Coronation. p. 25. ISBN 0-948251-26-3.
  32. ↑ See illustration above
  33. ↑ "No. 27173". The London Gazette. 13 March 1900. p. 1717.

Bibliography

  • Anon, Regimental Badges and Service Caps, London: George Philip & Sons, 1941.
  • James, Brigadier E.A. (1978). British Regiments 1914–18. London: Samson Books Limited. ISBN 0-906304-03-2.
  • Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6.
  • Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0.
  • Mileham, Patrick (1994). The Yeomanry Regiments; 200 Years of Tradition. Edinburgh: Canongate Academic. ISBN 1-898410-36-4.
  • Rinaldi, Richard A (2008). Order of Battle of the British Army 1914. Ravi Rikhye. ISBN 978-0-97760728-0.
  • Lt-Col J.D. Sainsbury, The Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments, Royal Artillery, Part 1: The Field Regiments 1920-1946, Welwyn: Hertfordshire Yeomanry and Artillery Trust/Hart Books, 1999, ISBN 0-948527-05-6.
  • Wilson, Derek A. (1998). Dark and Light: The Story of the Guinness Family. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-81718-3.
  • Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army, London: War Office, 7 November 1927 (RA sections also summarised in Litchfield, Appendix IV).
  • Baker, Chris. "The Suffolk Yeomanry". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  • Royal Artillery 1939–1945 (archive site)
  • Suffolk Yeomanry (The Duke of York's Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars) at Regiments.org by T.F.Mills at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 July 2007)
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