The Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry was a cavalry regiment

Cavalry regiments of the British Army

There are currently nine regular cavalry regiments of the British Army, with two tank regiments provided by the Royal Tank Regiment, traditionally classed alongside the cavalry, for a total of eleven regiments. Of these, five serve as armoured regiments, and five as formation reconnaissance...

 of the Territorial Army, formed in 1971 by the reconstitution of squadrons from The Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry, The Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment), and The Shropshire Yeomanry

Shropshire Yeomanry

The Shropshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1795, which served as a cavalry and dismounted infantry regiment in the First World War and as a cavalry and an artillery regiment in the Second World War, before being amalgamated with the Shropshire Royal Horse...

. It amalgamated into The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry in 1992.

The regiment was created as The Mercian Yeomanry, the Territorial Army's fourth yeomanry

Yeomanry

Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...

 regiment, with three squadrons in 1971. It adopted the title of The Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry in 1973, and in 1982 converted to a light formation reconnaissance regiment

Formation reconnaissance regiment

The Formation Reconnaissance Regiment is one of two organisations currently provided by cavalry regiments of the British Army. Until recently, it was known as the Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment....

, intended for home defence, and equipped with Land Rovers. In 1988, it absorbed a fourth squadron from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps

Royal Army Ordnance Corps

The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...

 which became part of the Home Service Force

Home Service Force

The Home Service Force was a Home Guard type force established in the United Kingdom in 1982. It was linked to the Territorial Army and recruited from volunteers aged 18–60 with previous British forces experience...

. In 1992, following the Options for Change

Options for Change

Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in 1990, aimed at cutting defence spending following the end of the Cold War....

 reductions in the Army, it amalgamated with The Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry

Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry

The Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry has its origins in the various troops of light horse raised in the eighteenth century in the county of Lancaster, the earliest of which was the Bolton Light Horse formed in 1798....

 to form the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry

Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry

The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry is a yeomanry regiment of the United Kingdom's Territorial Army. It currently serves in the armoured replacement role, providing replacement tank crews for regular armoured regiments....

.