The Sussex Yeomanry is a yeomanry regiment of the British Army dating from 1794. It was initially formed when there was a threat of French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars. After being reformed in the Second Boer War, it served in the First World War and the Second World War, when it served in the East African Campaign and the Siege of Tobruk. The lineage is maintained by 1 (Sussex Yeomanry) Field Troop, 579 Field Squadron (EOD), part of 101 (London) Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) (Volunteers).
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars After Britain was drawn into the French Revolutionary Wars, Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger proposed on 14 March 1794 that the counties should form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry (Yeomanry) that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant to subdue any civil disorder within the county. By the end of the year, 27 counties had raised Yeomanry, including Sussex.Rogers, p. 145. A unit of four troops under the designation of Sussex Troops of Gentlemen and Yeomen Cavalry was formed on 23 June 1794, with its headquarters (HQ) at Petworth House, the estate of George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, who took command of the force as colonel, as well as commanding the Petworth Troop:Barlow & Smith, pp. 1–4.Annand, O'Brien. Petworth Cavalry Henfield Cavalry West Hoathly Cavalry Forest Row Cavalry, with a detachment at Ashdown
Other Troops were soon added: Hastings Cavalry, raised 26 July 1794 as an independent troop, regimented by 1802 Rye Cavalry, raised 31 July 1794 as an independent troop, regimented by 1802 Midhurst Cavalry, raised 24 November 1794, with a detachment at Cowdray Lewes Cavalry, raised 3 June 1795, with a detachment at Coombes Parham Cavalry, raised 8 October 1795 by Sir Cecil Bisshopp, 8th Baronet. It usually exercised at his estate at Parham Park, drilling in the gallery of the house when the weather was wet. The troop reached a strength of 80 officers and men.Annand, Bysshopp. Rape of Chichester Cavalry, raised 17 June 1797, with a detachment at Watergate Eastbourne Cavalry, raised 20 June 1798, with a detachment at Willingdon Ashburnham Cavalry, raised 27 June 1798 Brightling Cavalry, raised 27 June 1798 with a detachment at Rose Hill
In 1794, the Churchwardens of the Lewes Visitation pledged to raised the 'Sussex Churchwardens' Corps' with blue uniforms, but in the event the troop was never formed.Barlow & Smith, p. 6.
A Yeomanry artillery troop, the Duke of Richmond's Light Horse Artillery was raised by Field Marshal Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond on 15 June 1797 at his estate at Goodwood House. The Duke was a proponent of Horse artillery, and the troop was equipped with his own design of Curricle gun carriage, pulled by four horses (two of which were ridden), with three gunners sitting on the carriage. The troop consisted of two sections and was armed with two 3-pounder guns and two 4.5-inch Coehorn mortars.Barlow & Smith, p. 7.
The Treaty of Amiens in 1802 saw most of the Yeomanry disbanded, leaving six troops in Sussex (Petworth, West Hoathly, Midhurst, Lewes, Parham and Chichester). The peace was short-lived and Britain declared war on France again in May 1803, beginning the Napoleonic Wars. The Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry was quickly reformed, including the following additional troops: Firle Cavalry, raised 28 July 1803 Ringmer Cavalry, raised 2 September 1803 Rye Cavalry, reformed 1 October 1803 Goodwood Artillery Troop, reformed 15 October 1803 Ashburnham Cavalry, reformed 17 November 1803
By 1806, there was also a cavalry troop forming part of the North Pevensey Legion, but this was raised under the Volunteer Act 1804 and did not form part of the Yeomanry. The Sussex Cavalry (three troops) and Sussex Guides were raised in 1803, but these were probably also Volunteers. For a while, the Yeomanry and infantry volunteers were combined to form the Sussex Legion, but the Volunteers were disbanded at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and the Yeomanry reverted to their previous title.
19th century The Yeomanry declined in importance and strength after the end of the French wars,Spiers, p. 79. and by 1817 only three of the original troops (Petworth, Lewes and Midhurst) survived, joined by a new West Coast Troop raised at Yapton on 30 July 1816. However, a new Goodwood Troop of Yeomanry Artillery was raised on 19 October 1817 by Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Darnley (later 5th Duke of Richmond). The unit consisted of four detachments, each of one gun with two pairs of horses, two sergeants and eight gunners. At an inspection in Goodwood Park in 1824, the troop marched past with four 3-pounders (possibly the same guns laid up by the earlier troop) and an ammunition wagon. The troop was disbanded in December 1827.
The remaining troops of Sussex Yeomanry were disbanded when government support was withdrawn in 1828.Beckett, p. 52. However, a wave of civil unrest across Britain from 1830 led to a revival of the Yeomanry. The Petworth Troop was reformed on 28 March 1831 and the Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry was reformed as a regiment on 18 May that year, with its HQ at Arundel and the following organisation:Barlow & Smith, pp. 5–6. Petworth Troop, disbanded by 1843 Arundel and Bramber Yeomanry Cavalry (two troops), disbanded 1848
In 1871, the 1st Sussex Light Horse Volunteers were formed at Brighton, but these were part of the post-1859 Volunteer Force and not Yeomanry. They were disbanded in 1875.Beckett, pp. 70–72; Appendix X.
Second Boer War 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 serve in the field 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, and volunteers (usually middle and upper class) quickly filled the new force, which was equipped to operate as Mounted infantry.Rogers, p. 228.Spiers, p. 239.Dunlop, pp. 104–118. No 3 Troop, 20th (Fife and Forfarshire Light Horse) Company of 6th (Scottish) Battalion, IY, was soon expanded into 69th (Sussex) Company, Imperial Yeomanry. The first contingent of 20 IY battalions arrived in South Africa between February and April and upon arrival were sent throughout the zone of operations. 69th Company disembarked in South Africa on 24 April 1900, and initially served in 14th Battalion, transferring to 7th Battalion in 1902.Frederick, pp. 54–55, 525.Amery (1909), Appendix to Chapters I-XIV, pp. 503–514.
On 14 June 1901, approval was given for a new regiment of Sussex Imperial Yeomanry (all Yeomanry were designated Imperial Yeomanry from 1901 to 1907) to be formed under the command of Lt-Col Charles Wyndham, 3rd Baron Leconfield of Petworth, a former officer in the 1st Life Guards. The returned veterans of 69th (Sussex) Company formed the cadre for the new regiment, which had the following organisation:Army List, various dates.Barlow & Smith, pp. 7–15. Regimental HQ (RHQ) at 10 Great College Street, Brighton, moving to 26 Silwood Street in 1902 and Church Street in Autumn 1913 A Squadron at Hove B Squadron at Lewes C Squadron at Chichester D Squadron at Hastings and Rye, later at Eastbourne
Enlistment for the new unit began on 1 October, and by 2 April 1902 69 men had been sent to South Africa to join the various IY companies still serving there. By the time the regiment carried out its first training camp at Lewes, in May 1902, it had a strength of 413.
Territorial Force
The Imperial Yeomanry were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908.Dunlop, Chapter 14.Spiers, Chapter 10. The Sussex Yeomanry (TF) were organised as follows:Sussex Yeomanry at Regimental Warpath.Conrad, British Army 1914. RHQ at Drill Hall, Church Street, Brighton A Squadron at Brighton, with detachments at Horsham, Worthing, Haywards Heath and Crawley B Squadron at Lewes, with detachments at Burgess Hill, Eridge, Brighton, Uckfield, Tunbridge Wells and Haywards Heath C Squadron at Chichester, with a detachment at Bognor D Squadron at Eastbourne, with detachments at St Leonards, Bexhill and Rye
The Sussex Yeomanry formed part of the TF's South Eastern Mounted Brigade.
First World War Mobilisation
The Sussex Yeomanry were mobilised on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914 under the Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March, DSO, who had only taken command on 3 July.Burkes. Under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw. 7, c.9), which brought the TF into being, it was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, after the outbreak of war, TF units were invited to volunteer for 'Imperial Service'. On 15 August 1914, 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 those TF formations being sent overseas. 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.
1/1st Sussex Yeomanry The 1st Line regiment went to its war station at Canterbury (under Second Army of Central Force)) until September 1915.James, p. 29. It was dismounted and left Kent for Liverpool; on 24 September, it boarded RMS Olympic and sailed the next day. It arrived at Lemnos on 1 October. The regiment landed in Gallipoli on 8 October and was attached to the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. Within days of the landing the Regiment reported many men suffering from enteritis. While at Gallipoli they spent time in the trenches at Border Barricade and Fusilier Bluff. On 30 December it was evacuated to Mudros with 42nd Division; it left the Division at Mudros on 2 January 1916.
The brigade, with the regiment, was withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 and formed part of the Suez Canal Defences. On 22 February, South Eastern Mounted Brigade was absorbed into the 3rd Dismounted Brigade (along with the Eastern Mounted Brigade). The brigade served as part of the Suez Canal Defences from 14 March to 26 July attached to 42nd (East Lancashire) Division; it then joined the Western Frontier Force. By the end of the year, it was back on the Suez.3 Dismounted Bde at Regimental Warpath.
The brigade was with the Suez Canal Defences when, on 14 January 1917, Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) Order No. 26 instructed that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Dismounted Brigades be reorganized as the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades. The brigade units were reorganized in January and February 1917. As a result, the 1/1st Sussex Yeomanry was converted to infantry at Mersa Matruh on 3 January 1917 and redesignated 16th (Sussex Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment.Barlow & Smith, pp. 15–16.Becke, Pt b, pp. 117–122.James, p. 78.
On 23 February, the GOC EEF (Lt-Gen Sir A.J. Murray) sought permission from the War Office to form the 229th, 230th and 231st Brigades into a new division. The War Office granted permission and the new 74th (Yeomanry) Division started to form. The 230th Brigade joined the division at Deir el Balah between 9 and 13 April. The battalion remained with 230th Brigade in 74th (Yeomanry) Division for the rest of the war.