The Westminster Dragoons (WDs) was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army Army Reserve, located in central London. Its lineage is continued by one of the Royal Yeomanry's six squadrons. Formed in the aftermath of Second Boer War as part of the County of London Yeomanry, the WDs fought in the Battle of Gallipoli and led British forces onto the beaches during the Normandy Invasion in 1944. The squadron most recently saw action in Operation Telic for which it was mobilised for the 2003 war in Iraq.
Precursors
The first predecessor unit of the Westminster Dragoons was raised in London in 1779 as the London and Westminster Light Horse. Drawing its recruits from local merchants and bankers, The unit was raised as part of a wave of military volunteer units formed to defend Britain from foreign invasion during the American War of Independence. The London and Westminster Light Horse was disbanded in 1783, though Britain's entry into the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793 led the unit to be raised again in 1794 as part of the newly established British Volunteer Corps. Renamed the Westminster Volunteer Cavalry in 1797 with George III's permission, a barracks was built on Gray's Inn Road in 1812 to accommodate the unit. The regiment was disbanded again in 1829 and the barracks were decommissioned in 1830.
Imperial Yeomanry Following a string of defeats during Black Week in early December 1899, the British government realised that it would need more troops than just the Regular Army to fight the Second Boer War. On 13 December, the decision to allow volunteer forces to serve in South Africa was made, and a royal warrant was issued on 24 December. This officially created the Imperial Yeomanry (IY). The force was organised as county service companies of approximately 115 men signed up for one year, and volunteers from the Yeomanry Cavalry and civilians (usually middle and upper class) quickly filled the new force, which was equipped to operate as Mounted infantry (see dragoon). Second and third contingents were sent out in the following years.Dunlop, pp. 104–18.Rogers, p. 228.Spiers, p. 239.
One such unit was the 24th (Metropolitan Mounted Rifles) Battalion, consisting of 94th, 95th, 96th and 97th (Metropolitan Mounted Rifles) Companies raised in London for the second contingent on 30 March 1901. Later in 1901 the 28th (Westminster Dragoons) Battalion, was raised, with 127th–130th (Westminster Dragoons) Companies.
In 1901, 16 new IY regiments raised from veterans of the first IY contingent returning from South Africa were added to the existing Yeomanry Cavalry. The 2nd County of London Imperial Yeomanry was formed on 24 August 1901 with four squadrons and a machine gun section, perpetuating the 24th (Metropolitan Mounted Rifles) Battalion. Over 800 members of the regiment served in South Africa, and the regiment was awarded the Battle Honour South Africa 1902. On 2 August 1902 Westminster Council granted permission for the regiment to adopt the subtitle '(Westminster Dragoons)' (to perpetuate the 1779–1829 units) and to use the city's coat-of-arms as its cap badge. The King approved this addition early the following year.
From the start it was smart regiment filled with wealthy gentlemen from the City and the West End. Their attitude and attire was such that, as they strutted across West London, members became known as the 'Piccadilly Peacocks'. Several of the unit's first officers were former officers of the 1st The Royal Dragoons, forerunners of the Blues and Royals; one of the first troop leaders was Raj Rajendra Narayan, Maharaj Kumar (Prince) of Cooch Behar. They brought with them the Royals' pre-Waterloo cap badge, which was later adopted by Colonels and Brigadiers of the staff, which is why, until a common Royal Yeomanry capbadge was adopted in 2006, young WD officers often found themselves amused at being saluted by officers of higher rank. The WD stable belt (worn in barracks) bears the Royal racing colours – the imperial hues of purple, gold and scarlet as a result of the personal friendship of its first commanding officer, Colonel Charles Rosedew Burn, with King Edward VII, whose Aide-de-camp Burn had been when he was Prince of Wales.Wilson & Huw-Williams, p. 21.Chartrand.
As an urban regiment, the yeomen were unable to supply their own horses, so the senior Westminster officers made use of their links to the highest ranks of Society to borrow mounts from the Household Cavalry for summer training camps. Later horses were hired. Even at this time, the WDs were at the forefront of using new equipment, being the second unit in the British army after the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry to be equipped with mobile wireless. In 1910, Lord Howard de Walden presented two Marconi pack sets to the regiment.Wilson & Huw-Williams, p. 43.
In 1907 the regimental headquarters (RHQ) was at 102 Victoria Street, but by 1914 it had moved to 1 Elverton Street, Westminster.Monthly Army List, various dates.
Territorial Force When the IY were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908,Dunlop, Chapter 14.Spiers, Chapter 10. the regiment simply dropped 'Imperial' from its title. It was attached to the London Mounted Brigade for training, but was otherwise under the command of London District.
World War I Mobilisation The Westminster Dragoons' summer camp in 1914 was at Goring-on-Thames. It began on 25 July, but the regiment was recalled to Westminster when mobilisation orders arrived on 5 August. The regiment reorganised on the three-squadron basis used by the Regular cavalry and purchased horses.
In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw. 7, c.9), which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service. Therefore, TF units were split in August and September 1914 into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. Later, a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments.Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.
1/2nd County of London Yeomanry
Egypt The regiment sailed on 10 September for Egypt, thereby being one of the first Yeomanry regiments to go overseas on active service. It arrived at Alexandria on 25 September and went to relieve the 3rd Dragoon Guards as the Cairo Garrison cavalry regiment. On 19 January 1915, it joined the 1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry to form the Yeomanry Mounted Brigade. The regiment carried out security and escort duties in Cairo and patrols on the fringe of the Sinai Desert to protect the Suez Canal.
The brigade joined the 2nd Mounted Division on 13 August and was redesignated as the 5th (Yeomanry) Mounted Brigade. It was dismounted to take part in the Gallipoli campaign, leaving a squadron HQ and two troops (about 100 officers and men) in Egypt to look after the horses.
Gallipoli
The regiment sailed from Alexandria on 14 August, arriving at Mudros on 17 August. It landed at "A" Beach, Suvla Bay, the following day and moved into reserve positions at Lala Baba on the night of 20 August. On 21 August, it advanced to Chocolate Hill and was in reserve for the attacks on Scimitar Hill and Hill 112. Due to losses during the Battle of Scimitar Hill and wastage during August 1915, the 2nd Mounted Division had to be reorganised. On 4 September 1915, the 1st Composite Mounted Brigade was formed from 1st (1st South Midland), 2nd (2nd South Midland) and 5th (Yeomanry) Mounted Brigades.
Western Frontier 5th Yeomanry Regiment left Suvla on 31 October 1915 for Mudros. It left Mudros on 27 November, arrived at Alexandria on 1 December and went to Mena Camp, Cairo. The brigade left the 2nd Mounted Division on 7 December, was reformed and remounted, and joined the Western Frontier Force. The Yeomanry Mounted Brigade was broken up by March 1916, and the regiment was attached to the 6th Mounted Brigade, still in the Western Frontier Force.
The regiment was split up at the beginning of 1917: RHQ, C Squadron and the Machine Gun Section were on the Northern Section of the Suez Canal Defences. A Squadron was assigned to the 53rd (Welsh) Division from 14 January to 14 February then with 74th (Yeomanry) Division from 5 April to 23 August. B Squadron acted as the depot squadron at Zeitoun, Cairo, from 17 January to 23 August.
Palestine The Westminster Dragoons now joined the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) for the Sinai and Palestine campaign. In August 1917, the regiment was concentrated and formed XX Corps Cavalry Regiment. The WDs were involved in fierce fighting, both mounted and dismounted. Early on 31 October the regiment took part in the attack on Beersheba. In the first phase it held a position on the right flank of XX Corps under shrapnel and machine gun fire. A and B Squadrons fired intermittent bursts of rifle and Hotchkiss machine gun fire, but expected a counter-attack. The infantry attacked at 12.15 in the second phase, and the Turks began retiring from their central position. At 14.00 the WD moved out in mounted pursuit but were held up after about a mile by heavy shrapnel and machine gun fire. At 16.30 the enemy retired. The WD's casualties amounted to one other rank (OR) and two horses killed, one officer, 16 ORs and several horses wounded; the engagement resulted in awards of one Military Cross (MC) and three Military Medal (MM) to members of the regiment.
After the fall of Beersheba, the regiment was briefly split with C Sqn covering the advance of 53rd (Welsh) Division and A & B Sqns attached to the Australian Mounted Division operating between Beersheba and Gaza. It came back under XX Corps in November. A Squadron was the first formed body of troops to enter Jerusalem after the city had been surrendered to two sergeants of 2/19th Battalion, London Regiment, and the regiment bears the liberation of that city as a battle honour.
All squadrons were then withdrawn for security duties at Bethlehem, then operated on the right flank of the army, where on 27 December C Sqn repulsed a serious attempt by the Turks from Deir Ibn Obeid to recapture Jerusalem.
When the EEF resumed its advance in March 1918, the WD advanced 10 miles beyond Jerusalem, but the German spring offensive led to an urgent call for troops to be sent from the EEF to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), and nine Yeomanry regiments were hurriedly converted to the machine gun role.
Western Front In April 1918, the regiment left XX Corps and was reformed as F Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. F Battalion, MGC was posted to France, arriving on 1 June 1918. On 19 August 1918 it was renumbered as 104th (Westminster Dragoons) Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. It remained on the Western Front for the rest of the war. At the Armistice, it was serving as Army Troops with the Second Army.
2/2nd County of London Yeomanry The 2nd Line regiment was formed at Westminster in August 1914. Early in 1915, it went to Feltham and in the summer to Harlow. There are three versions of its subsequent history: Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2A. The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56) says that the regiment joined the 60th (2/2nd London) Division at Harlow on 24 June 1915, transferred to 61st (2nd South Midland) Division on 24 January 1916 until February when the division moved to Wiltshire. On 20 February, it joined 59th (2nd North Midland) Division and was with the division until April. the official Commanders Home Forces shows the regiment with the 58th Division in June 1916. It is then listed as overseas up to April 1918 and in August 1918 as with the Tank Corps.