Montgomeryshire Yeomanry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Montgomeryshire Yeomanry |
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Insignia of the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry
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| Active | August 1803–March 1828 13 January 1831–20 September 1920 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Territorial Force |
| Type | Yeomanry Cavalry Infantry Bicycle infantry |
| Size | Boer War Four Companies World War One Three Regiments |
| Motto(s) | Anorchfygol ('Unconquered') |
| Engagements | Chartist riots Second Battle of Gaza Third Battle of Gaza Battle of Beersheba Battle of Epehy |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Lt-Col Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn Lt-Col Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet Lt-Col Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet |
The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was a special volunteer army unit from Wales. It was first created in 1803 to help defend Britain and keep peace at home. The unit helped deal with protests in the 1830s. Later, its volunteers served in the Second Boer War and formed three regiments during World War I. In 1920, the unit was changed into infantry (foot soldiers) and artillery (cannon units).
Contents
Early Days: Napoleonic Wars
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Britain was often at war with France, led by Napoleon Bonaparte. Many counties in England and Wales formed part-time volunteer units to protect their homes.
In 1803, after a short peace ended, Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn, a local Member of Parliament, helped create two troops of Yeomanry cavalry in Montgomeryshire. A "troop" is a small group of cavalry soldiers. Soon, a third troop was formed.
By November 1803, this force grew into the Montgomeryshire Volunteer Legion. A "Legion" was a mixed army unit. It included three troops of cavalry and 20 companies of volunteer foot soldiers. Williams-Wynn became its leader.
The cavalry unit trained in different towns, like Wrexham and Shrewsbury. By 1808, many volunteers left. The infantry parts of the Legion joined a new force called the Local Militia. However, the cavalry troops stayed together as the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry Cavalry. They grew to 184 soldiers by 1809 and continued to train regularly.
Keeping the Peace in the 1800s
After the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815, the government kept the Yeomanry units because they were useful for keeping order. The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry trained in 1815 and 1817.
In 1819, a troop was sent to deal with disturbances in Newtown and Abermule. Because of this unrest, two more troops were added, making the unit large enough to be called a regiment. By 1826, the regiment had six troops, each with about 50 soldiers.
However, in 1827, the government stopped funding the Yeomanry. Since the soldiers and officers of the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry didn't want to pay for their own service, the regiment was disbanded in March 1828.
Dealing with Chartist Protests
Just three years later, in 1831, there was new unrest across the country. Charles Watkins-Wynn asked to restart the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry. His request was approved, and a regiment of four troops was reformed on January 13, 1831. Most of the men had served in the earlier regiment.
In 1832, the Yeomanry even escorted the Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria (who later became Queen Victoria) when they visited Powis Castle.
Even though the government cut funding again in 1838, the Montgomeryshire regiment was not affected. This was because of ongoing unrest in the county, especially from a movement called Chartism.
What was Chartism?
Chartism was a working-class movement in Britain that wanted more rights for ordinary people. They demanded things like the right for all men to vote. Sometimes, these protests led to violence.
In December 1837, two troops of the Yeomanry were called out to deal with Chartist problems at Caersws, but force wasn't needed. More calls came in May and December 1838.
The Llanidloes Incident
The most serious trouble happened in May 1839 in Llanidloes. When police tried to arrest some Chartist leaders, an angry crowd rescued the prisoners and damaged property.
The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry, with 200 soldiers, marched to Llanidloes. They were joined by four troops from the Shropshire Yeomanry. They arrived on May 4, finding the town controlled by the protesters. The Yeomanry quickly searched the town, arrested people, found hidden weapons, and brought back order. They were praised by the government for their quick action.
Changes and Improvements
In 1844, Lieutenant-Colonel Williams-Wynn retired. Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet took command. He had been an officer in a regular army unit. Under his leadership, the regiment's training and efficiency improved. Around 1850, their old pistols were replaced with better carbines (shorter rifles).
By 1851, the regiment was organized into six troops. In 1871, the Yeomanry units were transferred from local control to the War Office, which was part of the British government. This meant better training for officers and staff. The units also got better weapons.
In 1889, Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet became the commander. The unit was reorganized into squadrons (larger groups of cavalry) in 1893. The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was grouped with the Denbighshire Hussars to form the 15th Yeomanry Brigade. They held joint training camps.
Serving in the Imperial Yeomanry
The Second Boer War (1899-1902)
The Second Boer War was fought in South Africa between the British Empire and two independent Boer states. After some early defeats, the British government realized they needed more soldiers, especially mounted (horse-riding) troops.
In December 1899, the Imperial Yeomanry (IY) was created. This new force allowed volunteers from existing Yeomanry units to serve overseas. The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry quickly raised two companies (groups of about 115 men) for the first group of IY soldiers. These companies arrived in South Africa in April 1900.
When the first group returned home in 1901, many veterans stayed on. The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry raised two more companies for a second group of IY soldiers. For their service, the regiment earned its first battle honour: South Africa 1900–01.
Captain Robert Williams-Wynn, the commander's younger brother, served in South Africa. He was mentioned in official reports twice for his bravery and later received a special medal.
Becoming the Montgomeryshire Imperial Yeomanry
The Imperial Yeomanry were trained to fight on horseback but also to dismount and fight as foot soldiers. This idea worked well. Before the war ended, all existing Yeomanry regiments in Britain were changed into Imperial Yeomanry units. This included the Montgomeryshire Imperial Yeomanry. They added a new squadron in Rhayader.
Joining the Territorial Force
In 1908, the Imperial Yeomanry became part of a new volunteer army called the Territorial Force (TF). The regiment was officially named the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry (Dragoons). It had its main headquarters in Welshpool and four squadrons spread across different towns in Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire.
The regiment was part of the South Wales Mounted Brigade, which was based in Carmarthen.
World War I (1914-1918)
Getting Ready for War
When World War I began on August 4, 1914, the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry quickly got ready for action at their headquarters in Welshpool. Their commander was Colonel Robert Williams-Wynn. They joined the South Wales Mounted Brigade in Carmarthen and then moved to Hereford.
The Territorial Force was originally meant for home defense. But on August 10, 1914, soldiers were asked to volunteer for overseas service. Most of the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry volunteered right away.
To prepare for war, each unit that volunteered for overseas service created a "2nd Line" unit. This meant a duplicate unit was formed to train new soldiers and replace those sent overseas. Later, a "3rd Line" was formed to provide even more trained replacements.
1/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry (First Line)
The 1/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry moved with its brigade to East Anglia, a region in eastern England. They trained there and helped defend the East Coast.
Fighting in Egypt and Palestine
In March 1916, the 1/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry sailed to Egypt. There, they were dismounted (meaning they no longer fought on horseback) and became infantry soldiers.
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In January 1917, the dismounted yeomanry units were officially changed to infantry. On March 4, the 1/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry joined with another unit to form the 25th (Montgomery and Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers. This new battalion became part of the 74th (Yeomanry) Division.
The 74th Division fought in important battles in Palestine. They were part of the Third Battle of Gaza in October 1917, including the Capture of Beersheba. In this battle, the 25th RWF fought bravely, storming Turkish positions. They also helped capture Jerusalem in December 1917.
Moving to the Western Front
In May 1918, the 74th (Yeomanry) Division was sent to the Western Front in France to help the British forces there. They fought in major battles, including the Second Battle of Bapaume and the Battle of Épehy in September.
During the attack on September 18, the battalion faced heavy machine gun fire and suffered many casualties. Despite this, they continued to serve until the war ended on November 11, 1918. A soldier from the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry, Lance-Sergeant William Herbert Waring, who was serving with the 25th RWF, won the Victoria Cross (Britain's highest award for bravery) for his actions on September 18.
2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry (Second Line)
The 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was formed in Welshpool in September 1914. It trained in Carmarthen and later moved to different locations in England.
In March 1916, this regiment absorbed another unit, the 2/1st Welsh Horse Yeomanry. In October 1916, the 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry changed again, becoming a cyclist unit. This meant they used bicycles instead of horses. They joined with another unit to form the 3rd (Denbigh and Montgomery) Yeomanry Cyclist Regiment.
In March 1917, the unit went back to being called the 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry, still as a cyclist unit. They stayed in Gorleston until the end of the war and were disbanded in 1919.
3/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry (Third Line)
The 3rd Line regiment was formed in June 1915 in Welshpool. It moved to Ireland and was involved in putting down the Easter Rising in Dublin in April 1916. In June 1916, the regiment was dismounted and its soldiers were transferred to other units in January 1917.
After the War
After World War I, the army realized there were too many mounted units. When the Territorial Force was reformed as the Territorial Army (TA), only a few Yeomanry regiments remained as cavalry.
The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was not kept as a cavalry unit. Instead, part of it joined with another unit to form an artillery battery (a group of cannons). The rest of the regiment formed two companies in the 7th (Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers on March 3, 1920. This meant the original Yeomanry unit no longer existed.
History and Symbols
Uniforms Over Time
When first formed, the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry wore uniforms similar to Light dragoons (a type of cavalry). Over the years, their uniforms changed many times. They wore different types of helmets, including the tall Tarleton helmet, the black shako, and later the Albert helmet. Their coats also changed, from scarlet double-breasted coats to single-breasted tunics. They even had a period where their uniform looked like a mix of dragoon and Hussar (another type of cavalry) styles.
Unit Badges and Symbols
The main symbol of the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was the Red Dragon of Wales. Their motto was Anorchfygol, which means 'Unconquered'.
These symbols appeared on their uniform pieces, like helmet plates and buttons. For example, in 1821, the dragon and motto were on their shako plate. When the unit became the Imperial Yeomanry, their badges changed to include the letters 'MIY' (Montgomeryshire Imperial Yeomanry). Later, for the Territorial Force, their badges had 'MONTGOMERY' and 'Y' (for Yeomanry).
Flags and Guidons
Yeomanry cavalry units weren't officially allowed to carry large flags called "standards" or "guidons," but most did anyway. The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry received three guidons in 1805. These were crimson silk flags with a gold dragon and the motto 'ANORCHFYGOL'.
New standards were presented in 1852. These included a Queen's standard and five troop standards. The Queen's standard was crimson with the rose, thistle, and shamrock (symbols of the UK) and the Royal motto. The troop standards were black silk with the red dragon and the unit's motto. The official guidon for the regiment in the Territorial Force had a circle with "MONTGOMERYSHIRE YEOMANRY" and the battle honour 'SOUTH AFRICA 1901'.
Honorary Colonels
An Honorary Colonel is a special ceremonial role, often given to a former commanding officer or important person connected to the unit.
- Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet, former CO, appointed 1877
- Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet, former CO, appointed 1907
Battle Honours
Battle honours are awards given to military units for their bravery and service in specific battles or campaigns. The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry earned the following:
- South Africa 1901
- Egypt, 1916–17
- Palestine, 1917–18
- France and Flanders, 1918
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See also
- 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
- William Herbert Waring, VC
