The Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army founded in 1794 as the Dorsetshire Regiment of Volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry in response to the growing threat of invasion during the Napoleonic Wars. It gained its first royal association in 1833 as The Princess Victoria's Regiment of Dorset Yeomanry Cavalry, and its second, in 1843, as the Queen's Own Regiment of Dorset Yeomanry Cavalry.
History
Formation and early history Under threat of invasion by the French Revolutionary government from 1793, and with insufficient military forces to repulse such an attack, the British government under William Pitt the Younger decided in 1794 to increase the Militia and to form corps of volunteers for the defence of the country. The mounted arm of the volunteers became known as the "Gentlemen and Yeomanry Cavalry". The Dorset Yeomanry was first raised on 9 May 1794 as the Dorsetshire Regiment of Volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry of six troops. In 1796, it became the Dorsetshire Rangers and now consisted of ten troops. In 1802, it was disbanded as a result of the Treaty of Amiens and the consequent peace. With the ending of the Peace of Amiens in 1803, the regiment was re-raised as the Dorsetshire Regiment of Volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry, consisting of seven troops. In 1814, it was once again disbanded.
Resurrection The next, and longest lived, incarnation came in 1830 when the Dorsetshire Regiment of Volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry was reformed due to the Swing Riots. By 1838, the regiment consisted of five troops raised from the western portion of the county:
1st Troop (Melbury) - Capt. Charles W. Digby 2nd Troop (Blackmore Vale) - Capt. George T. Jacobs 3rd Troop (Dorchester) - Capt. Frampton 4th Troop (Shaftesbury) - Capt. George C. Loftus 5th Troop (Sherborne) - Capt. Goodden Individual troops were raised at this time in the eastern portion of the county at Wimborne, Blandford, Isle of Purbeck, Wareham and Charborough. The Sherborne and Blackmore Vale Troops were called out in 1831 to suppress labour riots in Sherborne, elements of the regiment supported the civil power during the Bristol Riots. In 1833, the Dorset Yeomanry gained royal patronage from Princess Victoria, who had visited Dorset and been provided a guard of honour by the regiment. The regiment was officially restyled as The Princess Victoria's Regiment of Dorset Yeomanry Cavalry and in June 1843 became the Queen's Own Regiment of Dorset Yeomanry Cavalry. In 1840, some of the troops were called out to aid civil powers during a riot related to the Chartist movement, a remnant of the Swing Riots. In the 1860s, it was again renamed as the Dorset Yeomanry (Queen's Own) with headquarters at Dorchester.
On 1 April 1893, the troops were reorganised into squadrons, and the headquarters moved to Weymouth.
Second Boer War On 13 December 1899, the decision to allow volunteer forces to serve in the Second Boer War was made. Due to the string of defeats during Black Week in December, 1899, the British government realized they were going to need more troops than just the regular army, thus issuing a Royal Warrant on 24 December 1899. This warrant officially created the Imperial Yeomanry. The Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry regiments to provide service companies of approximately 115 men each. In addition to this, many British citizens (usually mid-upper class) volunteered to join the new regiment.
The first contingent of recruits contained 550 officers, 10,371 men with 20 battalions and 4 companies, which arrived in South Africa between February and April, 1900. On arrival, the regiment was sent throughout the zone of operations. The Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry provided troops for the 26th Company, 7th Battalion, fighting at the Relief of Wepener, Battle of Doornkop, Battle of Diamond Hill, Capture of Pretoria, Battle of Boschfontein, Battle of Nooitgedacht, and the Battle of Middelfontein along with many other patrols and skirmishes.
On 17 April 1901, the regiment was renamed as the Dorsetshire Imperial Yeomanry (Queen's Own) and reorganised in three squadrons and a machine gun section. In 1902, the headquarters moved to Sherborne. In April 1906, B Squadron was reorganized into two squadrons, with the old squadron based in Sherborne and the new, D Squadron, based in Gillingham.
On 1 April 1908, the regiment was renamed for the final time as the Dorset Yeomanry (Queen's Own) and transferred to the Territorial Force, trained and equipped as hussars. The regiment was based at Priestlands Crescent in Sherborne at this time (since demolished). The regiment's organisation was:
It was ranked as 23rd (of 55) in the order of precedence of the Yeomanry Regiments in the Army List of 1914.
First World War
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.
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