2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons)

The regiment was formed on the creation of the Territorial Force in April 1908 and placed under orders of the London Mounted Brigade. It was based at the Duke of York’s Headquarters in Elverton Street, Westminster. Its Volunteer Force predecessor had fought in the Boer War as the 2nd County of London Imperial Yeomanry.

Badge
From a pre Great War publication, the badge of the 2nd County of London Yeomanry. Thanks to the mando maniac collection at flickr for this image

  • 1/2nd County of London Yeomanry
  • September 1914 : moved to Egypt.
  • 19 January 1915 : placed under command of Yeomanry Mounted Brigade.
  • August 1915 : dismounted and moved to Gallipoli. Brigade placed under orders of 2nd Mounted Division and renamed 5th Mounted Brigade.
  • December 1915 : returned to Egypt and remounted. Left the Division.
  • April 1916 : under orders of 6th Mounted Brigade in Western Frontier Force.
  • January 1917: splits up. RHQ and C squadron to Northern Suez Canal Defences; A Squadron to 53rd (Welsh) Division (14 Jan to 14 Feb) and then 74th (Yeomanry) Division (5 April to 23 August); B Squadron forms a depot at Zeitoun.
  • August 1917 : rejoined. Became XX Corps Cavalry Regiment. C Sqn remained at Zeitoun from July to September.
  • April 1918 : left the Corps and became “F” Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps.
  • 1 June 1918 : landed at Marseilles for service in France.
  • 19 August 1918 : renamed 104th Battalion MGC.

2/2nd County of London Yeomanry

  • Formed as a Second-Line regiment at Westminster in September 1914 and remained at home throughout the war.
    Under orders of 2/1st London Mounted Brigade.
    The history of this unit is a little uncertain, with various versions having been published. The regimental history says that it remained it dismounted and went to France in late 1915 for guard duties, but returned to England in summer 1916. In 1917 most of the personnel were transferred to the Tank Corps. Other versions do not mention the journey to France.

3/2nd County of London Yeomanry

  • Formed in April 1915.
  • 1916 : affiliated to 9th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at the Curragh.
  • Early 1917 : absorbed into 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Aldershot.

In the 1917 renumbering of the Territorials, the County of London Yeomanry issued numbers from the block 265001-270000. Corps of Hussars.