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| Somerset Yeomanry | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Somerset Yeomanry |
| Dates | 1794–1967 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Yeomanry |
| Role | Cavalry, Artillery |
| Size | Regiment |
| Garrison | Taunton |
| Notable commanders | Lord Poulett, Sir William Portman, Viscount Bridgwater |
Somerset Yeomanry is a historic British volunteer cavalry regiment raised in Somerset during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars era. The regiment served in home defence, colonial expeditions, and both World Wars, later converting to artillery and integrating into postwar Territorial Army and Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve formations. Its lineage connects to county families, Taunton civic institutions, and broader reforms such as the Cardwell Reforms, the Haldane Reforms, and post‑Cold War reorganisations.
Raised amid panic following the French Revolutionary Wars and the 1790s invasion scare, the Somerset Yeomanry drew recruits from landowners and yeoman farmers in Somerset. Early patrons included the Earl Poulett family, the Portman family of Orchard Portman, and local magistrates from Bridgwater and Wells. Units such as the Chard Volunteer Cavalry and the Taunton Troop amalgamated into county regiments during the Napoleonic period, reflecting parallels with other county formations like the Northamptonshire Yeomanry and the Sussex Yeomanry. The regiment’s formation was influenced by acts of Parliament and by local militia structures in Somerset County.
Through the Crimean War era and the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Somerset Yeomanry provided volunteers and cadres for imperial service, while primarily undertaking home defence alongside units like the Somerset Militia and the Dorset Yeomanry. The regiment participated in civil duties during the Chartist disturbances and the Rebecca Riots period, earning civic recognition from mayoralties in Taunton and Yeovil. Reorganisation under the Cardwell Reforms linked the yeomanry to regular cavalry brigades and cavalry depots such as The Cavalry Depot at Canterbury, and later under the Childers Reforms adopted standardized training connected to the Household Cavalry traditions.
Upon mobilisation in 1914 under the Haldane Reforms framework, squadrons of the Somerset Yeomanry were embodied for home service and produced 1st Line, 2nd Line and 3rd Line units similar to other yeomanry regiments like the North Somerset Yeomanry and the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry. Elements served in the Western Front, the Gallipoli Campaign, and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign after conversion to dismounted roles and machine gun companies. Officers and troopers were attached to formations including the Egyptian Expeditionary Force commanded by Sir Edmund Allenby, and fought at battles such as Beersheba and the Third Battle of Gaza. Postwar demobilisation followed the Treaty of Versailles settlement and the Territorial Force review.
The 1920s Territorial Force reconstitution as the Territorial Army saw the Somerset Yeomanry reformed and in some years converted to artillery roles analogous to the conversion of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry and the Lanarkshire Yeomanry. The regiment adapted to mechanisation debates influenced by figures like Winston Churchill and reforms emanating from the Committee of Imperial Defence. During the 1930s the unit re‑equipped and trained with armoured cars and field guns, coordinating with brigades based in Taunton, Bath, and Bristol. Local civic affiliations with the Duke of Somerset and the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset were maintained.
In 1939 the Somerset Yeomanry mobilised for the Second World War; some sub‑units served as reconnaissance regiments with the British Expeditionary Force in 1940 while others deployed to the North African Campaign and the Italian Campaign. Personnel fought alongside formations such as the 8th Army under commanders like Bernard Montgomery and participated in actions including the Tunisian Campaign, the Salerno landings, and the advance to the Gothic Line. Post‑1945 reductions and the 1947 Territorial Army reconstitution saw the regiment amalgamated into Royal Artillery units similar to the fate of the Essex Yeomanry and the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry. Later restructuring under the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve in 1967 led to further mergers with neighbouring Somerset and Avon reserve formations and a focus on cadet and museum preservation of heritage.
Uniforms evolved from late 18th‑century yeomanry dragoon styles to black and scarlet full dress influenced by patterns used by the 12th Royal Lancers and the Royal Hussars. Headgear shifted from blue patrol caps to the peaked caps and bronze dragoon helmets seen in pre‑First World War parades in Taunton. Cap badges incorporated county symbols such as the Somerset County Arms, the Prince of Wales's feathers in honorary affiliations, laurel wreaths, and mottos similar to those of the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. Traditions included annual church services at Wells Cathedral, memorial parades at the Somerset County Cricket Club grounds, and mess customs shared with neighbouring regiments like the Devon Yeomanry.
Battle honours awarded to the Somerset Yeomanry reflect service in campaigns such as Beersheba, Gaza, Somme 1916, Arras 1917, Tobruk, and Italy 1943–45 where applicable through converted batteries and squadrons. Memorials include rolls of honour in Taunton town centre, plaques in St Mary Magdalene Church, Taunton, and commemorative tablets at the Somerset Military Museum shared with collections referencing the National Army Museum and the Imperial War Museum. Annual Remembrance Day observances link descendants and civic leaders, including mayors from Bridgwater and Yeovil, regimental associations, and cadet contingents from Army Cadet Force detachments.
Category:Yeomanry regiments of the British Army Category:Military units and formations in Somerset Category:Military units and formations established in 1794 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1967