The Worcestershire Yeomanry

This article looks at the Worcestershire Yeomanry (Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars) in the First World War and will help you to research both the regiment and the soldier’s who served with it. I have written other guides to help you research soldiers who served in the British Army:

The Worcestershire Yeomanry in the First World War

There is a lot of information available concerning the activities of The Worcestershire Yeomanry during the First World War with many sources available for free online.

1/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry

The Worcestershire Yeomanry (Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars) was mobilized on the outbreak of war in August 1914 as part of the 1st South Midland Mounted Brigade, 1st Mounted Division. The Brigade joined the 2nd Mounted Division on 30 August 1914 and moved to Egypt in April 1915. The Worcestershire Yeomanry landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli in August 1915 before returning to Egypt in December where the Regiment took part in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign for the remainder of the war. After the 2nd Mounted Division was broken up in January 1916, the 1st South Midland Brigade became the 5th Mounted Brigade. This was an independent brigade until February 1917 when the Brigade joined the Imperial Mounted Division which was renamed the Australian Mounted Division in June 1917. On the 5 May 1918, the Worcestershire Yeomanry left the 5th Mounted Brigade to become the Corps Cavalry Regiment for XX Corps.Worcestershire Yeomanry WW1

Suvla Bay, Gallipoli where the 1/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry landed in August 1915. The Sari Bair Range can be seen running along the background of the photograph while the small hill on the right is Lala Baba.

2/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry

The 2nd/1st was formed at Worcester in September 1914 as a Second Line unit.

3/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry

The 3/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry was formed in 1915 as a Third Line unit to supply drafts to the 1/1st and 2/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry. In the summer of 1916, the 3/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry was affiliated to the 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Tidmouth and in early 1917 was absorbed into the 5th Reserve Cavalry Regiment.

Researching a Soldier who Served in the Worcestershire Yeomanry

Start off with my generic Guides to Researching Soldiers who served in the First World War. The articles on service and medal records are good places to start. There is a lot of information available about the Worcestershire Yeomanry’s activities in the First World War. For good context, you’ll want to combine the regimental history which has a lists of soldiers sent abroad (see below) with the war diaries which I have mentioned below.

Officers: You can usually find out a lot of information for Yeomanry officers and you’ll want to start by looking for a service record. Unfortunately, not all have survived but most have. There are 92 Worcestershire Yeomanry service records at the National Archives. If an officer served past April 1922 then their service record will still be with the Ministry of Defence. Officers are mentioned throughout the war diaries and also in the regimental history: The Yeomanry Cavalry of Worcestershire, 1914-1922 by C. Stourbridge records the drafts of men sent to the Regiment in rolls as an appendix. My guides on Hart’s Army List, British Army List and Searching the London Gazette will help you.

Other Ranks: Unfortunately, the Worcestershire Yeomanry suffered more than most in the fire which destroyed the War Office warehouse which stored First World War service records. There are only a handful of surviving service records for the Worcestershire Yeomanry so you’re unlikely to find a file. If a soldier served past January 1921 then their service record should still be with the Ministry of Defence. The regimental history The Yeomanry Cavalry of Worcestershire, 1914-1922 by C. Stourbridge has appendices which record when a soldier served overseas with the Worcestershire Yeomanry which is very useful for post-January 1916 drafts. Medal records are always a good place to start and if you know a soldier’s regimental number you should be able to work out when they enlisted from surviving service records.

Worcestershire Yeomanry Helles Memorial

The names of Privates 1883 Alfred Cady, 2434 Morris Reginald Davis and 2613 Marshall Howman on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli to the missing.

War Diaries of the Worcestershire Yeomanry

Of the five war diaries for the Worcestershire Yeomanry, only one (Gallipoli) has been digitized and is available to view online on Ancestry. The rest can only be viewed at the National Archives.

1/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry

  • Date: 01 August – 30 December 1915
  • 1st Composite Mounted Brigade, 2nd Mounted Division
  • Reference: WO95/4293
  • Notes: Rather a disappointing war diary considering the period it covers with brief entries. There are no appendices. This is the only war diary available online and can be viewed on Ancestry.

 

  • Date: 01 January – 31 December 1916
  • 1/1st South Midland Brigade
  • Reference: WO95/4431
  • Notes: The war diary continues its brief entries but there are a few interesting appendices including reports by Colonel The Hon. C. J. Coventry and Major F. Williams-Thomas on the Action at Qatia on 23 April 1916, after they had been released as prisoners of war.
  • Date:
  • Reference:
  • Notes:
  • Date: 01 August 1918 – 30 June 1919
  • Reference: WO95/4484
  • Notes: The war diary tends to be brief, however, there are a wide variety of appendices which make interesting reading.

2/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry

  • 2/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry
  • Date: 30 November 1915 – February 1916
  • South Midland Mounted Brigade, 2nd Mounted Division
  • Reference: WO95/5461
  • Notes: The war diary consists of four pages, three of which only contain “nil”. The month of January consists of two short entries.

Further Sources for the Worcestershire Yeomanry

The regimental history: The Yeomanry Cavalry of Worcestershire, 1914-1922 by C. Stourbridge is very good and packed full of useful information including the names of soldiers sent overseas as drafts along with date. There is also the interesting Diary of a Yeomanry MO: Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine and Italy by Oskar Teichman who was the Regiment’s Medical Officer. This book has been reprinted and you can buy a copy online or download the book for free by clicking on the link below:

Diary of a Yeomanry MO

The Imperial War Museum holds the following account of the Regiment’s charge at Huj: The Charge of the Warwickshire and Q.O. Worcestershire Yeomanry at Huj, 8th November 1917 by Major E. G. Pemberton. LBY K. 4991.