Yeomanry order of precedence

Precedence is the order in which the various corps of the British Army parade, from right to left, with the unit at the extreme right being highest.

Precedence edit

The British Army has frequently been the subject of amalgamation and re-organisation throughout its history. The general rule for establishing the order of precedence is the date of creation of the regiment and its subsequent unbroken service.[1] Disbanded regiments automatically lost precedence. Since 1994 two orders of precedence used parochially and unofficially within the Yeomanry; the Army List of 1914 and the Order of Yeomanry Titles on parade at The Royal Yeomanry Review. Irrespective of this, official precedence within the Army is set out in Queen's Regulations.

Order of precedence from the Army List of 1914 edit

The first is a list of yeomanry units on the establishment at the outbreak of the First World War and therefore contains units that had been disbanded by the time of The Royal Yeomanry Review. This first list does not contain the North Irish, South Irish or King Edward's Horse who were on the Special Reserve[1] at this time. The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry do not appear as they are not part of the British Army or its reserve.

Order of Yeomanry titles on parade edit

The second order of precedence represents units that were on the establishment of the Territorial Army at the time of the review. Order of precedence in this instance includes the current role of the unit, placing Armoured Corps before Artillery and so on. Since the review, several units and sub-units have changed role and corps or been disbanded.

The approach taken at The Royal Yeomanry Review can be summarised as follows:

  • Units are ordered in accordance with British Army Order of Precedence
  • Sub-Units are ordered in accordance with the Army List of 1914, as amended by any subsequent disbandments, amalgamations etc.

The following is taken from the last page of the programme printed for The Royal Yeomanry Review. As on that day, the list below has been divided into blocks corresponding to the order in which the units formed and grouped.

Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry[4]
Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry (PAO)
Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry
Inns of Court & City Yeomanry[5]
Westminster Dragoons
Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry
Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry[6]
Royal Gloucestershire Hussars[7]
Royal Devon Yeomanry
Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry[8]
Queen's Own Staffordshire Yeomanry
Shropshire Yeomanry[9]
Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry
Queen's Own Yorkshire Yeomanry
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
Cheshire Yeomanry[10]
Northumberland Hussars
Earl of Carrick's Own Ayrshire Yeomanry
Queen's Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry
Lothians and Border Horse
Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Units on the Special Reserve take precedence after a Regular Unit and before a Yeomanry Unit.
  2. ^ The Welsh Horse was only raised after the outbreak of war in 1914. It was accorded precedence after its parent, the Glamorgan Yeomanry.[2]
  3. ^ The Scottish Horse was two regiments strong in peacetime, with a third regiment formed in August 1914.[3]
  4. ^ A Sqn Royal Yeomanry
  5. ^ Band of the Royal Yeomanry
  6. ^ B Sqn Royal Wessex Yeomanry
  7. ^ A and HQ Sqns Royal Wessex Yeomanry
  8. ^ A Sqn Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry
  9. ^ HQ Sqn Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry
  10. ^ C Sqn Queen's Own Yeomanry
  11. ^ 80 Sig Sqn (V), 33 Sig Regt (V)
  12. ^ 95 Sig Sqn (V), 35 Sig Regt (V)
  13. ^ 67 Sig Sqn (V), 37 Sig Regt (V)
  14. ^ 68 Sig Sqn (V), 71 Sig Regt (V)

References edit

  1. ^ Mileham 1994, p. 72
  2. ^ James 1978, p. 30
  3. ^ James 1978, p. 27

Bibliography edit

  • James, Brigadier E.A. (1978). British Regiments 1914–18. London: Samson Books Limited. ISBN 0-906304-03-2.
  • Mileham, Patrick (1994). The Yeomanry Regiments; 200 Years of Tradition. Edinburgh: Canongate Academic. ISBN 1-898410-36-4.
  • Royal Review of Serving Yeomanry Regiments & Old Comrades by Her Majesty The Queen. 1994.