Northamptonshire Yeomanry 1908-1914

This post will look at numbering in the Northamptonshire Yeomanry between 1908 and 1914.

The regiment was raised during the Boer War as the Northamptonshire Imperial Yeomanry. When it became the Northamptonshire Yeomanry in 1908, it started numbering from 1. Most of the men who joined in 1908 were former Northamptonshire Imperial Yeoman. For instance, Roland Thomas Everitt was given the number 90 when he enlisted on the 2nd May 1908. In fact, as can be seen from the third page of his attestation papers above, he had originally joined the Imperial Yeomanry at Peterborough in March 1903. These early documents can give a wealth of information and in Roland Everitt's case we see a pretty full service history on one page - including all training camps attended.

By 1914 the Northamptonshire Yeomanry was headquartered at Northampton with its four squadrons disposed as follows:

A Squadron: Northampton
B Squadron: Peterborough
C Squadron: Kettering
D Squadron: Daventry

The regiment formed part of the Eastern Mounted Brigade which was administered from Colchester in Essex.

354 joined on 10th February 1909
460 joined on 9th March 1910
552 joined on 4th February 1911
646 joined on 6th February1912
788 joined on 29th January 1913
901 joined on 13th February 1914
961 joined on 8th August 1914
1065 joined on 7th September 1914
1277 joined on 21st October 1914
1493 joined on 17th November 1914

Two reserve units, the 2/1st and 3/1st, were formed during the First World War and both drew their numbers from the same series above.

The image is Crown Copyright and reproduced with the permission of the National Archives.

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