South Nottinghamshire Hussars

South Nottinghamshire Hussars

Badge of the South Nottinghamshire Hussars
Active 1826 – present
Country  United Kingdom
Branch  British Army
Type Yeomanry
Size Regiment
Part of Royal Artillery
Engagements

Second Boer War
First World War

Gallipoli 1915
Egypt 1915–16
Macedonia 1916–17
Palestine 1917–18
France and Flanders 1918

Second World War

North Africa 1940–42
North-West Europe 1944–45
Battle honours See battle honours below

The South Nottinghamshire Hussars were a unit of the British Army formed as volunteer cavalry in 1794. Converted to artillery in 1922, it now forms a battery of a Territorial Army regiment.

History

Second Boer War

The Yeomanry was not intended to serve overseas, but due to the string of defeats during Black Week in December 1899, the British government realized they were going to need more troops than just the regular army. A Royal Warrant was issued on 24 December 1899 to allow volunteer forces to serve in the Second Boer War. The Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry regiments to provide service companies of approximately 115 men each for the Imperial Yeomanry.[1] The regiment formed the 12th (South Nottingham) Company of the 3rd Battalion in 1900.[2]

First World War

Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Mounted Brigade

Organisation on 4 August 1914

Assigned units
A Squadron at Newark
B Squadron at Mansfield
C Squadron at Worksop
D Squadron at Retford
A Squadron at Bingham
B Squadron at Watnall
C Squadron at Nottingham
D Squadron at Wollaton
A Squadron at Chesterfield
B Squadron at Bakewell
C Squadron at Derby
D Squadron at Derby
  • Brigade troops
Transport and Supply Column, ASC

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.[3]

1/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars

The 1st was formed in Nottingham in April 1908 at the creation of the new Territorial Force and became part of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Mounted Brigade which was a component of the 1st Mounted Division.[4] It became the 1/1st in 1914 when the TF created its second-line units. The Brigade was transferred to serve with the 2nd Mounted Division, and saw service in the Gallipoli Campaign, In 1916 the Division was broken up and the Brigade was re designated the 7th Mounted Brigade and moved to Salonika in 1917.[4]

They returned to Egypt in June 1917 where they were attached to the Desert Mounted Corps, until April 1918, when they left the Brigade, and were dismounted to form B Battalion, Machine Gun Corps with the 1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry.[4]

They left Egypt for France, arriving in June 1918.[4] It was later numbered as 100th (Warwickshire and South Nottinghamshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Machine Gun Corps.[5] At the Armistice, it was serving as Army Troops with the Fourth Army.[6]

2/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars

The 2nd Line regiment began to form in Nottingham on 20 September 1914. It was based at Colwick Racecourse for the winter of 1914/15. At the end of February 1915 it moved to Ollerton and joined the 2/1st Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Mounted Brigade. By June the brigade was in the 2/2nd Mounted Division at Narford Park near Swaffham.[7] On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence[8] and the brigade became the 9th Mounted Brigade (and the division 3rd Mounted Division).[7]

In July 1916 there was a major reorganization of 2nd Line yeomanry units in the United Kingdom. All but 12 regiments were converted to cyclists[8] and as a consequence the regiment was dismounted; the brigade was redesignated as 9th Cyclist Brigade and the division as the 1st Cyclist Division. The regiment was in the Canterbury area and was still there when the brigade was renumbered as 5th Cyclist Brigade in November 1916. The regiment remained near Canterbury in 1917 and the brigade was an independent formation from September to December 1917. During 1918 the regiment was at Littlebourne (near Canterbury), still in 5th Cyclist Brigade but now in The Cyclist Division.[7]

3/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars

The 3rd Line regiment was formed at Ollerton in May 1915. In September it moved to Derby and was affiliated to the 14th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Aldershot. In October 1916, it moved to Ireland with the 14th Reserve Cavalry Regiment and in February 1917 it was absorbed into the 2nd Reserve Cavalry Regiment at The Curragh.[7]

Between the wars

Post war, 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 cavalry was surfeit. The commission decided that only the 14 most senior regiments were to be retained as cavalry (though the Lovat Scouts and the Scottish Horse were also to remain mounted as "scouts"). Eight regiments were converted to Armoured Car Companies of the Royal Tank Corps (RTC), one was reduced to a battery in another regiment, one was absorbed into a local infantry battalion, one became a signals regiment and two were disbanded. The remaining 25 regiments were converted to brigades[lower-alpha 1] of the Royal Field Artillery between 1920 and 1922.[11] The regiment was converted as 107th (South Notts Hussars Yeomanry) Brigade, RFA.[12]

Second World War

During the Second World War, the regiment again saw service and consisted of the 107 Royal Horse Artillery (South Notts Hussars Yeomanry)[13] and the 150 Royal Horse Artillery (South Notts Hussars Yeomanry).[14]

107th (South Nottinghamshire Hussars) Regiment, RHA

The 107 Royal Horse Artillery (South Notts Hussars Yeomanry) consisted of three batteries the 425th, the 426th and the 520th it was at the start of the war part of Northern Command and then under the command of the 1st Cavalry Division and served in Palestine, Mersa Matruh, Egypt, Suez Canal, Tobruk, Tmini, Nile Delta, Sidi Bishr (Alexandria), Beni Yusef.[13]

Equipment

The 107th was equipped with the following during the course of the war:

16 x 18 pdr Mk IV & Lorries
Ordnance QF 18 pounderMk II
18 pdr Mk IIPA , 425 Bty
4.5-inch howitzer , 426 Bty
25 pdr & Quads, Bren Carrier OP[13]

150th (South Nottinghamshire Hussars) Regiment, RHA

The 150th was also part of Northern Command at the start of the war but only had two batteries the 434th and the 435th. As the war progressed, 510th Battery was formed.[14] During the war it was at various times part of the 148th Infantry Brigade, 79th Armoured Division and 4th AGRA. It was equipped with 25pdr field guns for the first time in November 1940, whilst stationed in Ireland. It was the first TA Artillery Unit to be equipped with the brand new MKII 25pdr, on MKII Chassis. Half of the Regiment landed ah 1500hrs on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The other half on D+3. 3 members of the unit landed with 9 PARA at H-Hour -9 to act as "gunner liaison" to Major General "Windy" Gale.

150th (SNH Yeo) Regt RHA was disbanded in November 1944, owing to a lack of Infantry in the British Army, but an excess of gunners without guns.[15]

Post war

The two regiments were reconstituted in the TA in 1947, the 107th as 307th (RHA) (South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA, the 150th becoming 350th (South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry) Heavy Regiment, RA. The 350th later merged into 350 (Robin Hood Foresters) Light Regiment, RA, while the 307th continues as a battery in the present day Reserve Force.[16] 307th Battery is in 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery but is due to be placed in suspended animation under Army 2020 plans.[17]

Present day

Today the regiment is perpetuated in the 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery which is a British Territorial Army Royal Artillery Regiment that has three gun batteries, all equipped with the L118 Light Gun.

The Batteries are:

201 (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Battery.
266 (Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery) Battery.
307 (South Nottinghamshire Hussars) Battery.

The regimental cap badge continues to be worn by members of C Battery (SNH) Nottinghamshire Army Cadet Force.

Battle honours

The South Nottinghamshire Hussars was awarded the following battle honours (honours in bold are emblazoned on the regimental colours):[18]

Second Boer War South Africa 1900–02
First World War Hindenburg Line, Épehy, St Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Selle, Sambre, France and Flanders 1918, Struma, Macedonia 1916–17, Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1915–16, Gaza, El Mughar, Nebi Samwil, Palestine 1917–18
Second World War 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.[19]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The basic organic unit of the Royal Artillery was, and is, the Battery.[9] When grouped together they formed brigades, in the same way that infantry battalions or cavalry regiments were grouped together in brigades. At the outbreak of the First World War, a field artillery brigade of headquarters (4 officers, 37 other ranks), three batteries (5 and 193 each), and a brigade ammunition column (4 and 154)[10] had a total strength just under 800 so was broadly comparable to an infantry battalion (just over 1,000) or a cavalry regiment (about 550). Like an infantry battalion, an artillery brigade was usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel. Artillery brigades were redesignated as regiments in 1938.

References

  1. ↑ Mileham 1994, p. 27
  2. ↑ Imperial Yeomanry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 May 2007)
  3. ↑ Rinaldi 2008, p. 35
  4. 1 2 3 4 "1914-1918".
  5. ↑ BEF GHQ 1918, p. 104
  6. ↑ BEF GHQ 1918, p. 22
  7. 1 2 3 4 James 1978, p. 26
  8. 1 2 James 1978, p. 36
  9. ↑ "The Royal Artillery". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  10. ↑ Baker, Chris. "What was an artillery brigade?". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  11. ↑ Mileham 1994, pp. 48–51
  12. ↑ Mileham 1994, p. 104
  13. 1 2 3 Barton, Derek. "107 RHA (South Notts Hussars Yeomanry)(TA)". The Royal Artillery 1939-45. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  14. 1 2 Barton, Derek. "150 RHA (South Notts Hussars Yeomanry)(TA)". The Royal Artillery 1939-45. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  15. ↑ Dobson 1948
  16. ↑ Regiments.org
  17. ↑ "Summary of Army 2020 Reserve Structure and Basing Changes" (PDF). 3 July 2013. p. 3. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  18. ↑ The South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 July 2007)
  19. ↑ Royal Regiment of Artillery at regiments.org by T.F.Mills at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 July 2007)

Bibliography

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