The regiment was formed on the creation of the Territorial Force in April 1908. It was headquartered in Worcester, with the squadrons being headquartered as shown below, and under command of the 1st South Midland Mounted Brigade.
A Squadron: Kidderminster (with drill stations at Bewdley, Dudley and Witley)
B Squadron: Camp Hill, Birmingham (Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Redditch and King’s Heath)
C Squadron: Malvern (Upton-on-Severn, Leigh Sinton and Ledbury)
D Squadron: Worcester (Droitwich and Pershore).
1/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry
- August 1914 : moved on mobilisation to Bury St Edmunds; brigade came under command of 1st Mounted Division.
- 31 August 1914 : moved with brigade to Newbury and transferred to 2nd Mounted Division.
- November 1914 : moved with brigade to Norfolk, regiment to King’s Lynn.
- 11 April 1915 : sailed from Avonmouth for Egypt, arrived at Alexandria 22 April.
- 18 August 1915 : landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, dismounted. Took part in attack on Chocolate Hill and Hill 112 on 21 August.
- Early September 1915 : severe sickness together with battle casualties resulted in temporary reorganisation, merging with 1/1st Gloucestershire and 1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry to form 1st South Midland Regiment, 1st Composite Mounted Brigade. Continued in trench warfare activities in Green Hill and Chocolate Hill sectors until evacuated to Mudros on 31 October 1915.
- December 1915 : withdrew from Gallipoli and returned to Egypt.
- January 1916 : brigade became an independent command and was retitled as 5th Mounted Brigade.
- February 1917 : brigade transferred to Imperial Mounted Division.
- June 1917 : division retitled Australian Mounted Division.
- 5 May 1918 : left brigade and became XX Corps Cavalry Regiment.
2/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry
- Formed in September 1914 as a “second line” (training, draft-supplying reserve) for the 1/1st.
- April 1915 : moved to Cirencester and came under orders of 2/1st Mounted Brigade.
- June 1915 : moved with brigade to King’s Lynn, brigade under orders of 2/2nd Mounted Division. On 14 July moved to Holkham.
- April 1916 : brigade was redesignated 10th Mounted Brigade in 3rd Mounted Division. Moved to Tunbridge Wells.
- July 1916 : converted into a cyclist unit, under 8th Cyclist Brigade of 2nd Cyclist Division at Tunbridge Wells.
November 1916 : became half of the 12th (Gloucestershire and Worcestershire) Yeomanry Cyclist Regiment, under 4th Cyclist Brigade at Ipswich. - March 1917 : resumed original identity, in same brigade. Moved to Wivenoe in April 1917, going on to Frinton and then Manningtree in November 1917.
- April 1918 : brigade moved to Ireland, with regiment at Dublin to end of war.
3/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry
- Formed as a “third line” (training, draft-supplying reserve for the 1/1st and 2/1st) at Worcester in June 1915.
- Summer 1916 : affiliated to 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Tidworth.
- February 1917 : absorbed into 5th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Tidworth.
In the 1917 renumbering of the Territorials, the Worcestershire Yeomanry issued numbers from the block 325001-333000. Corps of Hussars.
Links
The regimental collection is at
City Museum & Art Gallery
Foregate Street
Worcester
WR1 1DT
Tel: 01905 25371
Web:www.worcestercitymuseum.org.uk