The 1/1st Denbighshire Hussars was an active service unit formed by the Denbighshire Hussars during World War I. It was sent to garrison Egypt and then formed an infantry battalion, the 24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. 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 to the Western Front it fought with the 31st Divisionin the final advance in Flanders until the Armistice. It was disbanded after the war.

Mobilisation

When war was declared on 4 August 1914, the Denbighshire Hussars, a Yeomanry regiment of the Territorial Force (TF), mobilised at its drill hall at 1 Erdigg Street, Wrexham, under Lieutenant-Colonel H.P. Sykes, a retired Regular Army captain who had been in command since 21 December 1910. It assembled with the Welsh Border Mounted Brigade (WBMB) and went with it to its war stations in East Anglia.Frederick, pp. 28.James, p. 17.Denbighshire Hussars at Long, Long Trail.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 1–7.James, pp. 35–6.

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 and the majority did so. 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 Denbighshire Hussars The 1/1st Denbighshire Hussars was stationed with the 1/1st WBMB in north-east Suffolk. The following month the brigade became part of the 1st Mounted Division.1st Mounted Division at Long, Long Trail. While training in East Anglia the division was at the same time part of the defence forces for the East Coast, and there were numerous false invasion alarms.John, pp. 21–2. By November 1915 the 1st Mtd Division had moved south into Norfolk, and that month its regiments were dismounted. They were now being readied for despatch to the Middle Eastern theatre.John, pp. 24–5.

Egypt On 5 March 1916 the 1/1st WBMB sailed to Egypt in company with the 1/1st South Wales Mounted Brigade from 1st Mtd Division. They disembarked at Alexandria on 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 Denbighshire Hussars at Mohara, 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.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 (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Bn, Royal Welch Fusiliers In February, the dismounted Yeomanry regiments comprising the new division were converted into numbered battalions of an infantry regiment recruiting from the same area. Thus on 1 March 1917 1/1st Denbighshire Hussars became 24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. (RWF).Frederick, pp. 304–5.James, p. 68.RWF at Long, Long Trail.John, pp. 43–5.

Palestine

231st Brigade assembled at Khan Yunis, 24th RWF arriving on 4 April. The EEF had already made one unsuccessful attack on Gaza; now 74th (Y) Division began taking over the outpost line along the Wadi Ghuzzee on 7 April. The 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 yeomanry battalions 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 were 24th RWF on the right and 25th (Montgomery and Welsh Horse Yeomanry) Bn, RWF, on the left. They immediately came under heavy and accurate shrapnel fire and met stout resistance but broke into the position. The two RWF battalions suffered nearly two-thirds of 74th (Y) Division's total casualties on the day, and also took three-quarters of its prisoners. The follow-up battalion, 24th (Pembroke & Glamorgan Yeomanry) Bn, Welsh Regiment, then passed through and advanced into the Turkish positions. Meanwhile the Desert Mounted Corps swept round the flank and into Beersheba itself.Falls, Vol II, pp. 39, 44, 47–51, Sketches 1–3.John, pp. 61–3.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. 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. 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, 24th RWF filling the gap across to the neighbouring 60th (2/2nd London) Division, so it took little part in the confused fighting on 29/30 November. Although. 25th RWF temporarily captured the hilltop village of Foqa and 24th Welsh briefly recaptured Et Tire next morning, the positions were untenable and they were compelled to fall back to the high ground and begin 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 the morning of 27 December, led by 229th Bde. 24th RWF then took up the attack at 10.15, having concentrated in the Wadi Salman in front of Beit Duqqu during the night. One company captured Kh. Dreihemeh while two others attacked Hill 2450 and succeeded in reaching the crest. However, neither group could get beyond the summits, and each was enfiladed by fire from the enemy on the reverse slope of the other feature. The companies on Hill 2450 were attacked again and again, and forced slightly down the hill. During the afternoon a second assault was delivered after an artillery bombardment, but the Turkish machine guns on Kh. Dreihemeh swept the crest of Hill 2450 and the attempt failed. The positions were held until 22.00 when 24th RWF, having suffered heavy casualties, was relieved by 24th Welsh. Next morning 229th and 231st Bdes worked their way forwards on the other hills, splitting the enemy fire; 231st Bde was withdrawn into reserve by the end of 8 December. By 31 December the EEF had established a strong defence line covering Jerusalem. The division then went into reserve and resumed roadbuilding.Falls, Vol II, pp. 126, 219, 229–34, 248–9, 257, 276, 286–90, Sketch 19.John, pp. 69–85.Dudley Ward, pp. 111–22, 129–32, 142–5, 160–1.

Jericho 231st Brigade worked on the Biddu–Beitunia road until 16 February 1918 when it was placed at the disposal of 60th (2/2nd L) Division for operations towards the River Jordan. On 19 February the EEF launched an attack towards Jericho, with 231st Bde supporting 181st (2/6th London) Bde at Mukhmas. 181st Brigade advanced over difficult country through Ras el Tawil against machine gun fire from the retreating Turkish rearguards. It got to within of the escarpment overlooking the Jordan Valley, then 231st Brigade then took over, with 24th RWF supporting 10th King's Shropshire Light Infantry. Early next morning patrols reached the escarpment and could see British mounted troops and armoured cars entering Jericho 231st Brigade was then released by 60th (2/2nd L) Division and 24th RWF returned to Ras el Tawil and resumed roadbuilding.Falls, Vol II, pp. 302–7, Sketch 22.John, pp. 86–92.Dudley Ward, pp. 164–5.

Tell 'Asur