Image ID: 15070

Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Church Parade

Market Square
Retford
England

The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry was raised in the summer of 1794 as the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cavalry. Three Mounted Troops were raised at Newark, Retford and Worksop as part time volunteer sub units, in response to a call from William Pitt to Lords-Lieutenant to raise Volunteer Troops of Cavalry to meet the threat of invasion from Napoleon. The Newark Troop survived the 1802 disbandments and in 1828 the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Cavalry was formed as a full Regiment, including the Newark Troop, for service in Nottinghamshire. It was called out in aid of Civil Power on several occasions and in 1848 the Newark Troop spent several weeks maintaining order in Mansfield during the Chartists Riots. To the present day, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry have continued with unbroken service as a volunteer part time Territorial Unit, either as a Regiment or a Squadron, and rank fourth in seniority of Yeomanry regimental titles. In 1900, during the Boer War in South Africa, all Yeomanry Regiments were asked to supply regiments of cavalry to support the Regular Army. A Service Squadron of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry was so quickly raised that it was the first Yeomanry ever to go into action overseas. The first squadron was replaced after a year by a second which served in South Africa until the war ended. 'SOUTH AFRICA, 1900-1902' is the first Regimental Battle Honour, and the 25 Yeoman who lost their lives are commemorated in a memorial window in the Parish Church of Retford, the site of the Regimental Headquarters at the time. In 1914, the Regiment mobilised and was sent to Egypt after a period of training. In 1915, it was ordered to Gallipoli where it served dismounted for three months - the first time the Regiment had ever come into action as a whole. It was awarded a Kings Colour in recognition of its gallantry in the infantry role. It returned to Egypt and, mounted again, served in Macedonia for some time until it went to Palestine, where it played a leading part in the great cavalry advance from Gaza to Aleppo - being mentioned more often than any other unit in the Official History of General Allenby's campaign. The Sherwood Rangers won 13 battle honours for the First World War. (information from www.army.mod.uk)

Date: 11/08/1914

Organisation Reference: NCCN001484

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