Second line yeomanry regiments of the British Army


are part of the reserve for the British Army. At the start of First World War there were fifty-four yeomanry regiments in the British Army. Soon after the declaration of war, it was decided to increase the number of these volunteer mounted regiments. The new regiments were mirror formations of the existing first line regiments, with the same name and served initially in the same brigades. However they were all classed as second line units. The first line regiments, were numbered the 1/1st while the second line became the 2/1st or in cases where there were more regiments with the same name, or already numbered, the 2/2nd or 2/3rd.
Territorial Force mounted brigades were known by their district name until August 1915, when they became numbered. For most of their existence the second line regiments and brigades were used as a coastal defence force. Most of the second line regiments were converted to cyclist battalions in 1916, and never served in a recognised theatre of war. Several were disbanded and its men transferred to other regiments and one served as an army corps cavalry regiment on the Western Front.

List

RegimentBrigadeFate
2/1st Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry Converted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry10th Mounted BrigadeIn March 1918 all those fit sent to France as replacements.
2/1st Yorkshire Hussars 18th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Nottinghamshire Yeomanry 9th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1917.
2/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry 3rd Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1917.
2/1st Shropshire Yeomanry17th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Ayrshire Yeomanry20th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Cheshire Yeomanry 17th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons18th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry 3rd Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1917.
2/1st North Somerset Yeomanry15th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry21st Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Lanarkshire Yeomanry20th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Northumberland HussarsBecame the XIX Corps Cavalry Regiment then converted to the 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers in September 1917.
2/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars9th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1917.
2/1st Denbighshire Hussars17th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry21st Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Pembroke Yeomanry4th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Royal East Kent Yeomanry 14th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Hampshire Yeomanry 15th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry11th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1917.
2/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry9th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry16th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1917.
2/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars10th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Hertfordshire YeomanryConverted to a cyclist unit in 1917.
2/1st Berkshire Yeomanry 11th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
12th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry2nd Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Suffolk Yeomanry 13th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Royal North Devon Yeomanry2nd Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars10th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry14th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st West Somerset Yeomanry2nd Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars11th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry4th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Lothians and Border Horse20th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Queen's Own Royal Glasgow YeomanryDisbanded and men taken into the 1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment in February 1918.
2/1st Lancashire Hussars21st Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Surrey Yeomanry 16th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry1st Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1917.
2/1st Norfolk Yeomanry 13th Mounted BrigadeConverted to a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Sussex Yeomanry14th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Glamorgan Yeomanry4th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Welsh Horse Yeomanry4th Mounted BrigadeDisbanded in 1916, men taken into the 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry.
2/1st Lincolnshire Yeomanry3rd Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st City of London Yeomanry 12th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2nd County of London Yeomanry Men transferred to the Tank Corps in 1917.
2/3rd County of London Yeomanry 12th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry16th Mounted BrigadeDisbanded and men transferred to the 1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment in 1917.
2/1st Essex Yeomanry13th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1917.
2/1st Northamptonshire YeomanryOne squadron taken over by the Tank Corps, the others by the 6th Reserve Cavalry Regiment in 1917.
2/1st East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry18th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Lovat Scouts1st Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/2nd Lovat Scouts1st Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/1st Scottish Horse19th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/2nd Scottish Horse19th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.
2/3rd Scottish Horse19th Mounted BrigadeConverted into a cyclist unit in 1916.