Berkshire Yeomanry: A Brief History from 1794 to date

Mobilised in August 1914 the 1/1st Berkshire Yeomanry proceeded to East Anglia, there to train and to guard against the possibility of German raids. In April 1915 the Regiment sailed for Egypt and from there, a few months later, they were shipped, this time without their horses, to the Gallipoli peninsular where at Suvla, against the Turks, they first saw action. In a bloody battle on 21st August 1915 Private Fred Potts earned the first yeomanry VC for “most conspicuous bravery in rescuing a comrade under heavy fire”. After three months in the trenches, the Regiment was withdrawn, their strength reduced by many casualties and much sickness from 12 officers and 360 men to a mere 4 officers and 51 men.

Returning to Egypt and brought back up to strength, the Regiment campaigned during 1916 in the Western Desert. In 1917 the Berkshire Yeomanry joined the British advance on Jerusalem. After two unsuccessful battles in March and April fought to evict the Turkish Army from Gaza, the British forces were reorganised under General Allenby. Thereafter the 3rd Battle of Gaza in November 2017 was a notable success, culminating in the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917. During this campaign the Berkshire Yeomanry was involved in two notable and successful cavalry charges against the Turks, at El Mughar and Abu Shushe.

In April 1918 the 1/1st Berkshire Yeomanry was amalgamated into 101 (Bucks & Berks Yeomanry) Battalion, Machine Gun Corps and was sent to the Western Front. Just hours after leaving Egypt their transport ship was torpedoed but with great good fortune only two Berkshire Yeomen were lost. Setting sail once more, a few weeks later, they reached France in July and saw action in support of 51st Highland Division and fought in the final battles in Belgium in the Second Army.

2/1st Berkshire Yeomanry

The 2/1st Berkshire Yeomanry was raised on 23 September 1914 As well as acting in a Home Defence role they provided a source of trained soldiers for the 1/1st Berkshire Yeomanry.

Initially based at Bearwood, Wokingham, 2/1st moved in May 1915 to Churn and then, a month later, to Kings Lynn in Norfolk. The East Coast was under continuous threat from German raids: coastal towns were shelled by German warships and there were several air raids in the region. 2/1st provided aircraft Observations Posts as well as taking part in the occasional general turnout when German warships came close to the coast.

At the end of March 1916 horses were exchanged for bicycles. Their dual role (i) as a bicyclist battalion and part of the East Coast Defence forces and (ii) as an infantry training regiment ensured they were fully occupied. In the latter role they provided a considerable number of drafts (usually between 30 and 40 men) as reinforcements for infantry regiments in France and Flanders. 2/1st remained in England until early 1918 when the regiment was sent to Ireland where, in light of the unsettled state of the Irish population at that time, they were needed for garrison and guard duties.

Sgt G Bradbury of B (Reading) Squadron in marching order with colonial pattern saddlery

After the “war to end all wars” there was a lull before the Territorial Army began training again. For the Yeomanry the role of cavalry was greatly reduced; only the fourteen senior regiments remained as such. The majority became gunners and, in that role, were able to retain their horses for a few more years. For the Berkshire Yeomanry the first post-war camp, held in 1921, was their last as cavalry and at that camp they were shown their new weapon, the 18-pounder field gun.

From 1922 to 1939 the Berkshire Yeomanry provided two batteries: 395 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Field Battery RA based in Windsor and Reading; and 396 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Field Battery RA based in Newbury and Hungerford; both part of 99th (Buckinghamshire and Berkshire Yeomanry) Field Brigade RFA.

Embodied at Newbury on the 1st September 1939, 145th (Berkshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment RA (TA) was deployed on airfield defence until July l940 and then sent to Northern Ireland to take up garrison duties where the Regiment enjoyed uninterrupted training and became highly regarded as an efficient Gunner unit. Returning to England in July 1943 the Regiment was earmarked to join the spearhead for the second front and were detailed to serve as part of the break through that was to follow the initial landings on the Normandy beaches.

Following better than anticipated progress with the invasion, and fewer casualties, it became War Office policy to make up units in France with individual reinforcements and within a few weeks the Berkshire Yeomanry provided more than fifty fully trained reinforcements. Late in 1944 many of those posted to France were returned to the Regiment and in January 1945 the Regiment sailed to India.

In July 1945 the Berkshire Yeomanry sailed with the invasionary force to recapture Malaya. Landing on Morib beaches the Regiment was very soon occupied with wholesale rounding up and disarming of the Japanese, who had surrendered. After some time in Malaya the Regiment took ship for Java to help deal with the native Indonesian uprising against the Colonial Dutch. For several months the Regiment was in the centre of bitter fighting almost daily in close support of Indian and Gurkha infantry brigades. Fighting continued into 1946 and it was not until May 1946 that most of the Regiment were en route back to England.

In 1969 the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve was further reorganised and 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron was formed, sourced from the Royal Berkshire Territorial soldiers at Reading, Newbury and Windsor together with elements of Royal Signals units based at Reading and Southampton. The Squadron was to become part of 71 (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment, whose other Squadrons were also found by former Yeomanry regiments. The role of the regiment was post-strike home defence communications for formation headquarters in the UK.

Over the last 50 years the Royal Corps of Signals, and the Army in general, has had to adapt to various external challenges including government economies, changes in world affairs, the end of the Cold War, and the many wide-ranging developments in communications technology.Origina

At times the Squadron has had up to four TA Centres at various widespread locations including Aylesbury, Brighton, Chertsey, Reading, Southampton and Windsor. Today it has just one, now designated an Army Reserve Centre, at Windsor.

In 1994 the Squadron paraded before HM the Queen to mark the 200th anniversary of the raising of the Yeomanry and in that same year the Squadron was granted the Freedom of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

More recently the UK Government introduced changes to the terms and conditions of TA service so that those serving could be called up to provide reinforcements for the Army’s operations at home or overseas. As a result, between 2000 and 2014, members of the Squadron provided support for the British Army deployed on operations in Former Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Altogether 104 operational tours were completed by members and former members of the Squadron.

In 2016 the Territorial Army was renamed the Army Reserve and those serving today are known as Reservists.