Formation and early history The Welsh Horse Yeomanry was raised on 18 August 1914 in South Wales by the
Glamorganshire Territorial Force Association, with
HQ at Sophia Gardens in
Cardiff (since demolished). Later in the year, it was transferred to
Montgomeryshire County T.F. Association, with HQ now at
Newtown. The regiment was trained and equipped as
lancers. 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.
1/1st Welsh Horse Yeomanry From early 1915, the 1st Line regiment was in
1/1st North Midland Mounted Brigade of
1st Mounted Division in the
Diss area, About February 1915 it was transferred to
1/1st Eastern Mounted Brigade (this time replacing
2nd King Edward's Horse which had left for the
Canadian Cavalry Brigade) in the
Woodbridge area, still in 1st Mounted Division. After the evacuation from Gallipoli, it moved to
Egypt in December 1915 and on 22 February 1916 the Eastern and
South Eastern Mounted Brigades were amalgamated into the
3rd Dismounted Brigade. It served as part of the
Suez Canal Defences from 14 March to 26 July attached to
42nd (East Lancashire) Division; By the end of the year, it was back on the Suez.
25th (Montgomery & Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Bn, Royal Welch Fusiliers On 14 January 1917,
Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) Order No. 26 instructed that the
2nd, 3rd and
4th Dismounted Brigades be reorganized as the
229th,
230th and
231st Brigades. It joined 231st Brigade in the
74th (Yeomanry) Division. With 74th Division, the battalion took part in the invasion of
Palestine in 1917 and 1918. Shortly after joining the division it took part in the
Second Battle of Gaza (17–19 April 1917). Then in the autumn it fought in the
Third Battle of Gaza (27 October–7 November). Shortly afterwards it was involved in the
Capture of Jerusalem (8–9 December) and its subsequent defence (27–30 December). In March 1918, the battalion participated in the
Battle of Tel 'Asur, but shortly afterwards was warned that it was to move to France, where reinforcements were urgently required to stem the
German spring offensive. It took part in the
Hundred Days Offensive including the
Second Battle of the Somme (
Second Battle of Bapaume) and the Battles of the
Hindenburg Line (
Battle of Épehy). In October and November 1918, it took part in the 'Final Advance' on Artois and Flanders.
2/1st Welsh Horse Yeomanry The 2nd Line regiment was formed in 1914 at
Newtown.
3/1st Welsh Horse Yeomanry The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1915 and in the summer was 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
Welsh Division at
Oswestry as its 1st Line was serving as infantry. The regiment was disbanded in early 1917 with personnel transferring to the 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry or to the 4th (Reserve) Battalion of the
Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Oswestry.
Postwar 25th (Montgomeryshire & Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers was reduced to
cadre in France, and disbanded on 29 June 1919. None of the three regiments of the Welsh Horse Yeomanry was reformed in the postwar Territorial Force. ==Victoria Cross==