Denbighshire Hussars
Encyclopedia
The Denbighshire Hussars was a unit of the British Army
from 1794–1921. It saw service in the First World War before being merged into a unit of the Royal Artillery
.
, they became the Denbighshire Hussars in 1876. They trained at the Hightown barracks in Wrexham
for the Boer War and the two World Wars..
In 1830 they were used to quell colliery workers in Rhosllannerchrugog. The colliery workers were angered by the truck shop system that forced them to spend their wages in shops owned by their employers. They planned to destroy a truck shop owned by the British Ironworks Company. The Regiment was ordered out on patrol to 'terrify the mob.'
At an incident in Rhosllannerchrugog, known as the Battle of Cinder Hill, overzealous troops had to be brought under control after a demonstrator threw a firework at the soldiers.
In 1911 the Regiment had the honour of being the escort to the Prince of Wales
to his Investiture
at Caernarfon Castle
.
The 1/1st Denbighshire Hussars in 1914, were in the Welsh Border Mounted Brigade, which in September 1914 was attached to the 1st Mounted Division
.
In 1916 the 1/1st together with the rest of the Brigade and the South Wales Mounted Brigade, became a dismounted unit
November 1915 : became a dismounted unit and moved to Egypt
, forming the 4th Dismounted Brigade.
In February 1917 they went through another change. This time they were re-roled as infantry to become the 24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, attached to the 231st Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division.
As part of the 74th (Yeomanry) Division, they were involved in the Second Battle of Gaza
, Third Battle of Gaza
, Battle of Beersheba and the Battle of Epehy
.
, it had become clear that cavalry was obsolete and in 1922 it was announced that some Yeomanry Regiments were to become Royal Artillery
regiments. The Denbighshire Yeomanry were one of these Regiments; they were re-roled as a medium artillery formation, and amalgamated with the 61st Medium Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery
(the former Carnarvonshire
Artillery Volunteers
) to form 61 Medium Regiment R.A. (Caernarvon and Denbigh Yeomanry). In 1939 it formed a duplicate, unit 69 Medium Regiment R.A. (Caernarvon & Denbigh Yeomanry).
They would see service in France
during the phoney war (1939-1940); after the Dunkirk evacuation, they would remain in the United Kingdom
until returning to Europe
in June 1944 with 21st Army Group.
In 1947 the regiment reformed an artillery formation as 361st (Carnarvonshire and Denbigh Yeomanry) Medium Regiment. In 1956 this was merged with the 384th Light Regiment (formerly 5th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers
) to become the 372nd (Flintshire and Denbighshire Yeomanry) Regiment. This unit effectively ceased to exist in 1967, although its lineage was continued until 1999 in the territorial element of the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
from 1794–1921. It saw service in the First World War before being merged into a unit of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
.
Early history
Formed a volunteer cavalry in 1794 during the French Revolutionary WarsFrench Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, they became the Denbighshire Hussars in 1876. They trained at the Hightown barracks in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
for the Boer War and the two World Wars..
In 1830 they were used to quell colliery workers in Rhosllannerchrugog. The colliery workers were angered by the truck shop system that forced them to spend their wages in shops owned by their employers. They planned to destroy a truck shop owned by the British Ironworks Company. The Regiment was ordered out on patrol to 'terrify the mob.'
At an incident in Rhosllannerchrugog, known as the Battle of Cinder Hill, overzealous troops had to be brought under control after a demonstrator threw a firework at the soldiers.
In 1911 the Regiment had the honour of being the escort to the Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
to his Investiture
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
at Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Castle is a medieval building in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. There was a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure...
.
World War I
The Denbighshire Hussars like other Yeomanry Regiments formed second and third line regiments in September 1914, the 2/1st Denbighshire Hussars remained in the United Kingdom throughout the war and were converted into a cyclist unit in 1916. The 3/1st Denbighshire Hussars was formed in 1915 and also remained in the United Kingdom before being disbanded in 1917.The 1/1st Denbighshire Hussars in 1914, were in the Welsh Border Mounted Brigade, which in September 1914 was attached to the 1st Mounted Division
1st Mounted Division
The 1st Mounted Division was formed in August 1914 for the home defence of the United Kingdom. It was formed from existing mounted brigades of the Territorial Force, each of three regiments of Yeomanry....
.
In 1916 the 1/1st together with the rest of the Brigade and the South Wales Mounted Brigade, became a dismounted unit
November 1915 : became a dismounted unit and moved to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, forming the 4th Dismounted Brigade.
In February 1917 they went through another change. This time they were re-roled as infantry to become the 24th (Denbighshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, attached to the 231st Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division.
As part of the 74th (Yeomanry) Division, they were involved in the Second Battle of Gaza
Second Battle of Gaza
The Second Battle of Gaza, fought in southern Palestine during the First World War, was another attempt mounted by British Empire forces to break Ottoman defences along the Gaza-Beersheba line...
, Third Battle of Gaza
Third Battle of Gaza
The Third Battle of Gaza was fought in 1917 in southern Palestine during the First World War. The British Empire forces under the command of General Edmund Allenby successfully broke the Ottoman defensive Gaza-Beersheba line...
, Battle of Beersheba and the Battle of Epehy
Battle of Epéhy
The Battle of Épehy was a World War I battle fought on 18 September 1918, involving the British Fourth Army against German outpost positions in front of the Hindenburg Line.- Prelude :...
.
Amalgamation
After World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, it had become clear that cavalry was obsolete and in 1922 it was announced that some Yeomanry Regiments were to become Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
regiments. The Denbighshire Yeomanry were one of these Regiments; they were re-roled as a medium artillery formation, and amalgamated with the 61st Medium Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
(the former Carnarvonshire
Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire , historically spelled as Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire in English during its existence, was one of the thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county of Wales....
Artillery Volunteers
Volunteer Force (Great Britain)
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the...
) to form 61 Medium Regiment R.A. (Caernarvon and Denbigh Yeomanry). In 1939 it formed a duplicate, unit 69 Medium Regiment R.A. (Caernarvon & Denbigh Yeomanry).
They would see service in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the phoney war (1939-1940); after the Dunkirk evacuation, they would remain in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
until returning to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in June 1944 with 21st Army Group.
In 1947 the regiment reformed an artillery formation as 361st (Carnarvonshire and Denbigh Yeomanry) Medium Regiment. In 1956 this was merged with the 384th Light Regiment (formerly 5th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
) to become the 372nd (Flintshire and Denbighshire Yeomanry) Regiment. This unit effectively ceased to exist in 1967, although its lineage was continued until 1999 in the territorial element of the Royal Welch Fusiliers.