Warwickshire Yeomanry 1908-1914

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

The regiment can trace its origins back to 1794 when it was raised as the Gentlemen and Yeomanry of Warwickshire Cavalry. When it became the Warwickshire Yeomanry in 1908, it continued with the numbering series it had used when it was the Warwickshire Imperial Yeomanry. Most of the men who joined in 1908 were former Imperial Yeoman - joining the newly constituted regiment with their old Imperial Yeomanry numbers. For example, 1106 Samuel Crosby Cockburn joined on the 16th May 1908 but his number dates to 3rd March 1904 when he joined the Imperial Yeomanry. His Yeomanry attestation papers and his Imperial Yeomanry attestation papers survive in a water-damaged state in WO 363.

By 1914 the Warwickshire Yeomanry were headquartered at St John's Warwick, with its four squadrons disposed as follows:

A Squadron: Birmingham
B Squadron: Warwick, with drill stations at Kineton, Brailes and Southam
C Squadron: Coventry, with drill stations at Rugby and Nuneaton
D Squadron: Stratford-on-Avon, with drill stations at Henley-in-Arden, Salford Priors and Weaton-Sub-Edge

The regiment formed part of the 1st South Midland Mounted Brigade which was administered from Warwick.

1543 joined on 23rd January 1909
1651 joined on 17th January 1910
1703 joined on 28th January 1911
1843 joined on 7th February1912
2041 joined on 6th November 1913
2105 joined on 28th February1914
2120 joined on 8th August 1914
2144 joined on 1st September 1914
2478 joined on 1st October1914

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.

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