South Nottinghamshire Hussars
Encyclopedia
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.
in April 1908 at the creation of the new Territorial Force
and became part of the Notts and Derbys Mounted Brigade which was a component of the 1st Mounted Division
. 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.
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 Warwickshire Yeomanry
.
They left Egypt for France
, arriving in June 1918.
.
.
and served in Palestine
, Mersa Matruh , Egypt
, Suez Canal
, Tobruk
, Tmini , Nile Delta
, Sidi Bishr
(Alexandria) , Beni Yusef.
During the war it was at various times part of the 148 Infantry Brigade , 79th Armoured Division
, 4 A.G.R.A. it was equipped with M3 Stuart & Marmon Harrington for the Artillery observation role..
which is a British Territorial Army Royal Artillery Regiment that has three gun batteries, all equipped with the L118 Light Gun
.
The Batteries are:
Herald Printing Works York and London, 1948.
Aldershot, Gale & Polden. 1928
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
formed as volunteer cavalry in 1794. Converted to artillery in 1922, it now forms a battery of a Territorial Army regiment.
World War I
During World War I , the regiment consisted of the 1/1st , 2/1st and the 3/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars.1/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars
The 1st was formed in NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
in April 1908 at the creation of the new Territorial Force
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
and became part of the Notts and Derbys Mounted Brigade which was a component of the 1st Mounted Division
1st Mounted Division
The 1st Mounted Division was formed in August 1914 for the home defence of the United Kingdom. It was formed from existing mounted brigades of the Territorial Force, each of three regiments of Yeomanry....
. 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.
They returned to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in June 1917 where they were attached to the Desert Mounted Corps
Desert Mounted Corps
The Desert Mounted Corps was a World War I Allied army corps that operated in the Middle East during 1917 and 1918.Originally formed on 15 March 1916 as the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division under the command of Major General Harry Chauvel The Desert Mounted Corps was a World War I...
, until April 1918 , when they left the Brigade , and were dismounted to form B Battalion, Machine Gun Corps
Machine Gun Corps
The Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank...
with the Warwickshire Yeomanry
Warwickshire Yeomanry
The Warwickshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, which served as a cavalry and dismounted infantry regiment in the First World War and as a cavalry and an armoured regiment in the Second World War, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own...
.
They left Egypt for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, arriving in June 1918.
2/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars
The 2/1st was formed in September 1914 and converted in July 1916 into a cyclist unit. It remained in Britain throughout the war as part of 2/2nd Mounted Division2/2nd Mounted Division
The 2/2nd Mounted Division was a British cavalry division composed of Yeomanry and Territorial Force units active during World War I.It was formed on 6 March 1915 as a replacement/depot formation for the 2nd Mounted Division which was being sent abroad on active service...
.
3/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars
The 3/1st was formed in May 1915.They remained in United Kingdom until October 1916, when moved to Ireland. In February 1917 they were absorbed into the 2nd Cavalry Reserve RegimentCavalry Reserve Regiments (United Kingdom)
Seventeen Cavalry Reserve Regiments were formed by the British Army on the outbreak of the Great War in August, 1914. These were affiliated with one or more active cavalry regiments, their purpose being to train replacement drafts for the active regiments. In 1915, the 3rd Seventeen Cavalry Reserve...
.
World War II
During World War II the regiment again saw service and consisted of the 107 Royal Horse Artillery (South Notts Hussars Yeomanry) and the 150 Royal Horse Artillery (South Notts Hussars Yeomanry).107 Royal Horse Artillery (South Notts Hussars Yeomanry)
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 DivisionBritish 1st Cavalry Division
The 1st Cavalry Division was a regular Division of the British Army during the First World War where it fought on the Western Front. During the Second World War it was a second line formation, formed from Yeomanry Regiments...
and served in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Mersa Matruh , Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
, Tmini , Nile Delta
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
, Sidi Bishr
Sidi Bishr
Sidi Bishr is a neighborhood in the Montaza District of Alexandria, Egypt. Established as a summering site by the Egyptian middle class before the Revolution of 1952, it has since become one of the largest neighborhoods of the city...
(Alexandria) , Beni Yusef.
Equipment
The 107th was equipped with the following during the course of the war:- 16 x 18 pdr Mk IV & Lorries
- 18 pdr Mk II
- 18 pdr Mk IIPA , 425 Bty
- 4.5 inch Howitzer , 426 Bty
- 25 pdr & Quads, Bren Carrier OP
150 Royal Horse Artillery (South Notts Hussars Yeomanry)
The 150th was also part of Northern Command at the start of the war but only had two batteries under command the 434th and the 435th.During the war it was at various times part of the 148 Infantry Brigade , 79th Armoured Division
79th Armoured Division
The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist British Army armoured formation created as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion of 6 June 1944...
, 4 A.G.R.A. it was equipped with M3 Stuart & Marmon Harrington for the Artillery observation role..
Present day
Today the regiment is perpetuated in the 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery
100th Regiment Royal Artillery is a British Territorial Army Royal Artillery regiment that has three gun batteries, all equipped with the L118 Light Gun.- The Batteries are :...
which is a British Territorial Army Royal Artillery Regiment that has three gun batteries, all equipped with the L118 Light Gun
L118 Light Gun
The L118 Light Gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer, originally produced for the British Army in the 1970s and widely exported since, including to the United States, where a modified version is known as the M119A1...
.
The Batteries are:
- 201 (HertfordshireHertfordshireHertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
and Bedfordshire YeomanryBedfordshire YeomanryBedfordshire Yeomanry, a unit of the British Army originally raised in 1797 as a body of independent troops, the Bedfordshire Yeomanry Cavalry was disbanded after the Napoleonic Wars and briefly reformed from 1817 to 1827....
) Battery. - 266 (Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery) Battery.
- 307 (South Nottinghamshire Hussars) Battery.
Further reading
- DOBSON, ERIC B. HISTORY OF THE SOUTH NOTTINGHAMSHIRE HUSSARS 1924-1948. With a Foreword by Major-General M.E. Dennis.
Herald Printing Works York and London, 1948.
- FELLOWS, GEORGE & BENSON FREEMAN Historical Records of the South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry, 1794 to 1924
Aldershot, Gale & Polden. 1928