The 1/1st Pembroke Yeomanry was an active service unit formed by the Pembroke Yeomanry during World War I. It was sent to garrison Egypt and then amalgamated with another dismounted cavalry unit to form an infantry battalion, the 24th (Pembroke and Glamorgan Yeomanry) Battalion of the Welsh Regiment. Serving in the 74th (Yeomanry) Division (the 'Broken Spur Division') it participated in the Sinai and Palestine campaign, including the capture of Beersheba and Jerusalem. Moving with the division to the Western Front it fought in the final campaign, including the desperate Battle of Épehy, until the Armistice. It was disbanded after the war.

Mobilisation

When war was declared on 4 August 1914, the Pembroke Yeomanry (Castlemartin) of the Territorial Force (TF) mobilised at The Norton drill hall, Tenby, with Lieutenant-Colonel Owen Williams VD, in command. It joined the South Wales Mounted Brigade (SWMB) at Carmarthen and then went with it by train to Hereford.Frederick, pp. 47–8.James, pp. 26–7.James, pp. 35–6.John, pp. 16–8.Pembroke Yeomanry at Long, Long Trail.

The part-time TF was intended to be a home defence force in wartime and its members could not be compelled to serve overseas. However, on 10 August 1914 the TF was invited to volunteer for overseas service. In the SWMB the Montgomeryshire and Glamorgan Yeomanry signed up en masse at Hereford, though the Pembroke Yeomanry were less enthusiastic: reportedly only 120 men signed up at first from a complement of 496, though others were later persuaded to change their minds. On 15 August the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring the 1st Line TF formations being sent overseas. Later, the 2nd Line was prepared for overseas service and a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments.Becke, Pt 2a, p. 40.Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.John, pp. 18–9.

1/1st Pembroke Yeomanry The 1/1st Pembroke Yeomanry moved with the 1/1st SWMB to East Anglia and was stationed in Norfolk, at Thetford by 29 August, moving to Aylsham shortly afterwards.John, p. 19. The following month the brigade joined the 1st Mounted Division.Becke, Pt 2a, pp 1–7.1st Mounted Division at Long, Long Trail. While training in East Anglia the division at the same time formed part of the defence forces for the East Coast, and there were numerous false invasion alarms. In December 1914 Lt-Col Williams died in an accident and Major Cecil Spence-Jones was promoted to the command.Campbell.John, pp. 20–3.John, Appendix II. By September 1915 the 1/1st Pembroke Yeomanry was based at Holt. In October it moved to Cromer. In November the 1/1st SWMB was dismounted.John, p. 25.

Egypt The 1/1st SWMB embarked at Devonport on 4 March 1916, with the 1/1st Pembroke Yeomanry aboard the SS Arcadian, and sailed to Egypt in company with the 1/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade from 1st Mtd Division. They disembarked at Alexandria on 14–15 March and on 20 March the two brigades were merged to form the 4th Dismounted Brigade. At first this was placed in the Suez Canal defences under 53rd (Welsh) Division, with 1/1st Pembroke Yeomanry at Beni Salama, but in April it came under the command of Western Frontier Force (WFF).John, pp. 27–34.Dudley Ward, p. 20.

Following the Senussi campaign of 1915, the WFF was left guarding Egypt's western and southern frontier against any further incursions. 4th Dismounted Brigade covered the Bahariya front with patrols and outposts, though any Senussi activity was further north, so the brigade saw no fighting. A number of officers and men of the 1/1st Pembroke Yeomanry volunteered to transfer to the Imperial Camel Corps, the Machine Gun Corps and the Australian Imperial Force.John, pp. 36–42.

At the beginning of 1917 the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was preparing to advance across Sinai into Palestine and required additional infantry. The dismounted brigades on the western frontier began to move east. In January 1917 the dismounted yeomanry of 4th Dismounted Bde were permanently re-roled as infantry. The brigade became 231st Brigade, which joined 74th (Yeomanry) Division on its formation in March 1917.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 117–22.John, pp. 42–4.MacMunn & Falls, Vol I, p. 273; Appendix 3.74th (Y) Division at Long, Long Trail.Ward, pp. 25–8.

24th (Pembroke & Glamorgan Yeomanry) Battalion

Cavalry regiments were smaller than infantry battalions, so the dismounted yeomanry regiments were paired to form effective battalions and these were affiliated to infantry regiments. On 2 February, 1/1st Pembroke Yeomanry amalgamated with 1/1st Glamorgan Yeomanry to form 24th (Pembroke & Glamorgan Yeomanry Battalion, Welsh Regiment under the command of Lt-Col Spence-Jones of the Pembroke Yeomanry.Frederick, pp. 295–7.James, p. 83.John, pp. 43–5.Welsh Regiment at Long, Long Trail.

Palestine The 24th Welsh crossed the Suez Canal on 24 March as the division moved up into Palestine. After the failure of the First Battle of Gaza it began taking over the outpost line along the Wadi Ghuzzee on 7 April; 231st Bde took over at Khan Yunus on 11 April. 74th (Y) Division was in reserve for the Second Battle of Gaza beginning on 19 April, tasked with moving across the Wadi Ghuzzee following the divisions advancing on Gaza City. Soon after midnight 231st Bde moved down into the wadi, complicated by the fact that troops from the attacking 52nd (Lowland) Division were occupying the same ground and did not move off until 04.15. However, this attack was also unsuccessful and although the division took a few casualties from enemy shellfire and aircraft attacks it was not engaged. The division dug in on its new positions on 20 April. Active operations shut down for several months during which the new division continued its organisation and training while carrying out a number of patrol actions.John, pp. 47, 50–6.MacMunn & Falls, Vol I, pp. 328, 330, 335, 347, 355, 358.Dudley Ward, pp. 29–48.

Beersheba Sir Edmund Allenby took over command of the EEF in May and began thorough preparations before launching the next offensive (the Third Battle of Gaza) on 27 October. During August the 24th Welsh carried out intensive training in the desert in platoon tactics and musketry. On 25 October 231st Bde Group was at Nakhrur; that night it marched to Abu Sita, leaving the camp standing and campfires burning. The following night it continued to Gamli, where 230th Bde took over the front line and the rest of the division formed up behind. While Turkish attention was fixed on Gaza City by a heavy bombardment from land and sea, XX Corps, including 74th (Y) Division led by 229th Bde, made a night approach march on 30/31 October to attack Beersheba on the Turks' landward flank. The other two brigades of the division then moved up. After crawling from wadi to wadi under accurate shrapnel and machine gun fire, 231st Bde was within of the Turkish main defences by 10.40; the artillery cut the barbed wire and the brigades attacked at 12.15 through the dust clouds of the bombardment. The leading battalions of 231st Bde met stout resistance but broke into the position. As follow-up battalion, 24th Welsh then passed through and advanced into the Turkish positions and took up a defensive line. Meanwhile the Desert Mounted Corps swept round the flank and into Beersheba itself. On 1 November the battalion was withdrawn and began battlefield clearance.Falls, Vol II, pp. 39, 44, 47–51, Sketches 1–3.John, pp. 58–63.Dudley Ward, pp. 63, 86–92.

Sheria The Capture of Beersheba was a resounding success, and XX Corps pressed on northwards as the Turks fell back to the Sheria Position. 229th Brigade led 74th (Y) Division's pre-dawn attack on this position on 6 November, without preliminary bombardment or barrage. 231st Brigade was echeloned back to the right to protect the flank and then take the high ground. Having driven the Turkish skirmishers off the high ground, 24th Welsh beat off several counter-attacks in the course of the day. Afterwards 231st Bde was given the task of capturing the station at Tel Sheria, but this could not be completed until the fire and explosions in the abandoned Turkish ammunition dump died down at 03.30 next morning. 24th Welsh remained guarding the brigade's flank. The Capture of the Sheria feature broke the Turkish left, and they began a rapid retreat.Falls, Vol II, pp. 92–100.John, pp. 63–5.Dudley Ward, pp. 96–102.

Jerusalem While the mounted troops pursued the beaten enemy, 74th (Y) Division paused and re-equipped with winter clothing for the next phase of the campaign. By 25 November the division was about four days' march behind the fighting line, but it was brought up for the advance into the Judaean Hills towards Jerusalem. The Turks launched strong counter-attacks on 27 and 28 November, and 74th (Y) Division began arriving to reinforce the position on 29 November, 231st Bde having marched 12 out of the previous 18 hours. Coming under 52nd (L) Division the brigade took over scattered positions from the remnants of 8th Mounted Brigade. 25th (Montgomery and Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, of 231st Bde was ordered to advance through Et Tire and occupy a line from 'Point 1750' (which did not exist) to the village of Foqa (which 52nd (L) Divisional HQ did not realise had been abandoned the previous night). A company of 24th Welsh was sent up in support. After a gallant defence, 25th RWF was driven back out of Foqa and Et Tire. 24th Welsh was ordered to fill the gap between the presumed Point 1750 and the 10th (Shropshire & Cheshire Yeomanry) Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI), and then to recapture Et Tire in the morning. After a long night march on 30 November the battalion attacked and temporarily recaptured Et Tire next day, but was under enfilade fire and the position was untenable. 24th Welsh fell back to the high ground and began building a defensive line of stone sangars. 231st and 229th Bdes had difficulty forming a solid defensive front in the confused country. However, on 8 December the EEF launched its final attack on Jerusalem. 74th (Y) Division's surprise attack on a narrow front was supported by flanking fire from 231st Bde in the Nebi Samwil defences (confused by the fact that there were also Turkish machine guns concealed in the ruined village). Next day Jerusalem surrendered and the division was then engaged in road-making for most of the month while the EEF defended Jerusalem against Turkish counter-attacks. 74th (Y) Division resumed its advance on 27 December, 24th Welsh launching an attack on Hill 1910. They were driven off it before they could consolidate the position, but renewed the attack and held the hill after fierce hand-to-hand fighting. By 31 December the EEF had established a strong defence line covering Jerusalem. The division then went into reserve and resumed roadbuilding. The 24th Welsh remained guarding Jerusalem and Bethlehem while the rest of 231st Bde played a minor role in the capture of Jericho on 19–20 February 1918.Falls, Vol II, pp. 126, 219, 229–34, 248–9, 257, 276, 286–90, 302, Sketch 19.John, pp. 69–85.Dudley Ward, pp. 111–22, 129–32, 142–5, 160–1, 164–6.

Tell 'Asur