158-708: First World War : Second World War The Middlesex Yeomanry was a volunteer cavalry regiment of the British Army originally raised in 1797. It saw mounted and dismounted action in the Second Boer War and in the First World War at Gallipoli , Salonika and in Palestine , where one of its officers won a Victoria Cross at the Battle of Buqqar Ridge and the regiment rode into Damascus with ' Lawrence of Arabia '. Between
316-543: A Flying column named ' Kingcol ' to effect a relief of the airbase as soon as possible. Kingcol operated as a self-contained unit with 12 days' rations and five days' water. It moved out from Transjordan following the Amman – Baghdad road and Mosul–Haifa oil pipeline to the fort of Rutba , which had been recaptured by the Arab Legion and 2nd RAF Armoured Car Squadron on 10 May. Kingcol moved out from Rutba on 15 May, crossing
474-630: A blue-water navy was vital for global power projection; Tirpitz had his books translated into German, while Wilhelm made them required reading for his advisors and senior military personnel. However, it was also an emotional decision, driven by Wilhelm's simultaneous admiration for the Royal Navy and desire to surpass it. Bismarck thought that the British would not interfere in Europe, as long as its maritime supremacy remained secure, but his dismissal in 1890 led to
632-583: A grenade at the Archduke's car and injured two of his aides. The other assassins were also unsuccessful. An hour later, as Ferdinand was returning from visiting the injured officers in hospital, his car took a wrong turn into a street where Gavrilo Princip was standing. He fired two pistol shots, fatally wounding Ferdinand and his wife Sophie . According to historian Zbyněk Zeman , in Vienna "the event almost failed to make any impression whatsoever. On 28 and 29 June,
790-536: A guerrilla warfare campaign and only surrendered two weeks after the armistice took effect in Europe. Before the war, Germany had attempted to use Indian nationalism and pan-Islamism to its advantage, a policy continued post-1914 by instigating uprisings in India , while the Niedermayer–Hentig Expedition urged Afghanistan to join the war on the side of Central Powers. However, contrary to British fears of
948-532: A 17-minute operation, bringing out the hostages and the one surviving gunman who was subsequently sentenced to 27 years in prison for his part in the offences. The first church to rise among the fields at Brompton was the socially notable, but widely considered architecturally ugly, Holy Trinity Brompton in 1829. It served a wide area from the Kensington Canal in the west to the Kensington Turnpike in
1106-526: A 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments. The 1st Line regiment was mobilised in August 1914 and moved with the London Mounted Brigade to Hounslow before joining the 2nd Mounted Division at Streatley . In mid-November 1914 the division moved to Norfolk as part of the coast defences. In April 1915 the regiment was at Mundesley when
1264-586: A British family-owned hand built sportscar company operates a main dealership out of Astwood Mews in South Kensington. Christie's auction house had a second London salesroom in the Old Brompton Road, South Kensington from 1975, which primarily handled the middle market. Christie's permanently closed the South Kensington salesroom in July 2017 as part of their restructuring plans announced March 2017. The closure
1422-463: A French bookshop and many international cafés in the area, it has been called "Paris's 21st arrondissement". In April and May 1980 a group of six Iranian Arabs entered the Iranian Embassy in South Kensington and took the staff, visitors and a diplomatic policeman hostage. There followed a six-day siege during which one of the hostages was killed. The British SAS finally stormed the building in
1580-604: A German-backed coup d'état in Iraq in April 1941, the Royal Air Force (RAF) training base at Habbaniya came under siege by Iraqi Nationalist forces. A relief column, known as ' Habforce ', was organised from the troops available in Palestine. On 8 May Brigadier 'Joe' Kingstone of 4th Cavalry Brigade (the only one yet motorised) was sent on ahead with his brigade HQ and signals leading
1738-469: A chance to reconnoitre the position or be properly briefed. Part of the hill was captured, but the surviving Yeomen came under enfilade fire and by nightfall were hanging onto a ragged line halfway up the hills. By the time the Middlesex Yeomanry were withdrawn to Lala Baba the following day they had suffered casualties of 10 killed or died of wounds and 46 wounded. This, the Battle of Scimitar Hill ,
SECTION 10
#17328561485111896-408: A change in policy and an Anglo-German naval arms race began. Despite the vast sums spent by Tirpitz, the launch of HMS Dreadnought in 1906 gave the British a technological advantage. Ultimately, the race diverted huge resources into creating a German navy large enough to antagonise Britain, but not defeat it; in 1911, Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg acknowledged defeat, leading to
2054-476: A difficult approach march through darkness and dust, and its delayed attack began just before dawn. The brigade ran into heavy opposition and lost most of its tanks, but tried to hold the ground taken so that 1st Armoured Division could pass through and continue the attack. After Alamein 9th Armoured Bde was sent off with 2nd New Zealand Division to pursue the beaten Axis forces, though it was badly held up by road congestion and only managed 12 miles (19 km) on
2212-592: A direct threat. The 1908–1909 Bosnian Crisis began when Austria annexed the former Ottoman territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina , which it had occupied since 1878. Timed to coincide with the Bulgarian Declaration of Independence from the Ottoman Empire, this unilateral action was denounced by the European powers, but accepted as there was no consensus on how to resolve the situation. Some historians see this as
2370-467: A gap between the German armies as they closed on Paris. The French army, reinforced by the British expeditionary corps, seized this opportunity to counter-attack and pushed the German army 40 to 80 km back. Both armies were then so exhausted that no decisive move could be implemented, so they settled in trenches, with the vain hope of breaking through as soon as they could build local superiority. In 1911,
2528-581: A high number of visitors, such as the Natural History Museum , the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum . Adjacent affluent centres such as Knightsbridge , Chelsea and Kensington , have been considered as some of the most exclusive real estate in the world. As is often the case in other areas of London, the boundaries for South Kensington are arbitrary and have altered with time. This
2686-407: A large commando under Christiaan de Wet . 11th Battalion IY was the main part of a covering force of 400 yeomanry and two guns camped on the nearby hill of Groenkop under the command of Maj Williams. The approaches were inadequately picketed , and at 02.00 on Christmas morning de Wet led his men up the hill. They were already half way up before they were challenged by a sentry, and immediately stormed
2844-556: A new role: commanding specialist armour for the future crossing of the River Po . This included Duplex Drive amphibious tanks and armoured personnel carriers . The brigade began training in October but the advance to the Po was delayed by the onset of winter. The brigade took up normal duties in the line until February 1945 when it resumed specialist training. The actual crossing in the final stages of
3002-540: A possibility. This was accentuated by British and Russian support for France against Germany during the 1911 Agadir Crisis . German economic and industrial strength continued to expand rapidly post-1871. Backed by Wilhelm II, Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz sought to use this growth to build an Imperial German Navy , that could compete with the British Royal Navy . This policy was based on the work of US naval author Alfred Thayer Mahan , who argued that possession of
3160-422: A pre-war Middesex Yeomanry officer, moved to take command of 7th Armoured Division Signals; he was mortally wounded at Alamein later in the year. 10th Armoured Division remained in Palestine until the end of April 1942 when part of it moved up to Libya and was engaged in the confused Second Battle of Ruweisat Ridge (El Mreir) (21–22 July). 9th Armoured Bde did not follow to Egypt until May, and remained in
3318-799: A revolt in India, the outbreak of the war saw a reduction in nationalist activity. Leaders from the Indian National Congress and other groups believed support for the British war effort would hasten Indian Home Rule , a promise allegedly made explicit in 1917 by Edwin Montagu , the Secretary of State for India . In 1914, the British Indian Army was larger than the British Army itself, and between 1914 and 1918 an estimated 1.3 million Indian soldiers and labourers served in Europe, Africa, and
SECTION 20
#17328561485113476-504: A significant escalation, ending any chance of Austria cooperating with Russia in the Balkans, while also damaging diplomatic relations between Serbia and Italy. Tensions increased after the 1911–1912 Italo-Turkish War demonstrated Ottoman weakness and led to the formation of the Balkan League , an alliance of Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro , and Greece . The League quickly overran most of
3634-664: A single sequence; the brigade was numbered as 12th Mounted Brigade and the division as 3rd Mounted Division . In July 1916, the regiment was converted to a cyclist unit in 4th Cyclist Brigade , 1st Cyclist Division in the North Walsham area. In November 1916, the division was broken up and regiment was merged with the 2/3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) to form 6th (1st and 3rd County of London) Yeomanry Cyclist Regiment in 2nd Cyclist Brigade , probably at Reepham . In March 1917 it resumed its identity as 2/1st County of London Yeomanry and moved to Overstrand ; in
3792-663: A success and before the war ended the existing Yeomanry regiments at home were converted into Imperial Yeomanry, the Middlesex becoming the Middlesex Imperial Yeomanry (Duke of Cambridge's Hussars) in 1901. It HQ was at Rutland Yard, Knightsbridge The Imperial Yeomanry were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908, the Middlesex becoming the 1st County of London Yeomanry (Middlesex, Duke of Cambridge's Hussars) . It formed part of
3950-471: A war on two fronts; the Schlieffen Plan envisaged using 80% of the army to defeat France, then switching to Russia. Since this required them to move quickly, mobilization orders were issued that afternoon. Once the German ultimatum to Russia expired on the morning of 1 August, the two countries were at war. At a meeting on 29 July, the British cabinet had narrowly decided its obligations to Belgium under
4108-402: A weak Ottoman government, rather than an ambitious Slav power like Bulgaria . Russia had ambitions in northeastern Anatolia while its clients had overlapping claims in the Balkans. These competing interests divided Russian policy-makers and added to regional instability. Austrian statesmen viewed the Balkans as essential for the continued existence of their Empire and saw Serbian expansion as
4266-451: A whole, the Somme offensive led to an estimated 420,000 British casualties, along with 200,000 French and 500,000 Germans. The diseases that emerged in the trenches were a major killer on both sides. The living conditions led to disease and infection, such as trench foot , lice , typhus , trench fever , and the ' Spanish flu '. At the start of the war, German cruisers were scattered across
4424-570: Is due in part to usage arising from the tube stops and other landmarks which developed across Brompton. A contemporary definition is the commercial area around the South Kensington tube station and the adjacent garden squares and streets (such as Onslow Square and Thurloe Square , opposite the Victoria and Albert Museum ). To the north is the Kensington Gore , to the south the winding Fulham Road and streets leading to Sloane Square and to
4582-503: Is known, however, that from 1908 to 1913, military spending by the six major European powers increased by over 50% in real terms. The years before 1914 were marked by a series of crises in the Balkans, as other powers sought to benefit from the Ottoman decline. While Pan-Slavic and Orthodox Russia considered itself the protector of Serbia and other Slav states, they preferred the strategically vital Bosporus straits to be controlled by
4740-856: The Army Reserve . In 1793 the Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger , proposed that the English Counties form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant to subdue any civil disorder within the country. A cavalry troop entitled the Uxbridge Volunteer Cavalry was raised by Christopher Baynes (later Sir Christopher Baynes, 1st Baronet) in 1797. By 1798
4898-558: The Schutzkorps was established, and carried out the persecution of Serbs. The assassination initiated the July Crisis, a month of diplomatic manoeuvring between Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia, France and Britain. Believing that Serbian intelligence helped organise Franz Ferdinand's murder, Austrian officials wanted to use the opportunity to end their interference in Bosnia and saw war as
Middlesex Yeomanry - Misplaced Pages Continue
5056-626: The World War . In August 1914, the magazine The Independent wrote "This is the Great War. It names itself". In October 1914, the Canadian magazine Maclean's similarly wrote, "Some wars name themselves. This is the Great War." Contemporary Europeans also referred to it as " the war to end war " and it was also described as "the war to end all wars" due to their perception of its unparalleled scale, devastation, and loss of life. The first recorded use of
5214-430: The 1st Mounted Division , and later the 4th Cavalry Division , while the 8th Mounted Brigade became the 11th Cavalry Brigade . The Middlesex Yeomanry remained with the 11th, now brigaded with the 29th Lancers and 36th Jacob's Horse . The EEF launched its final offensive, the Battle of Megiddo , on 19 September 1918. The DMC was on the coast, massed behind the infantry to exploit the breakthrough. 4th Cavalry Division
5372-486: The 34th and 35th (Middlesex) Companies , which served alongside two Royal East Kent Yeomanry in 11th Battalion, arriving in South Africa on 20 March, and 62nd (Middlesex) Company in 14th Battalion, which disembarked on 4 May. In 1901 it raised 112th (Middlesex) Company for the second contingent, and this company also served with 11th Bn. In 1902, 14th Bn was disbanded and 62nd (Middlesex) Company joined 11th Bn. At
5530-617: The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force landed on the island of New Britain , then part of German New Guinea . On 28 October, the German cruiser SMS Emden sank the Russian cruiser Zhemchug in the Battle of Penang . Japan declared war on Germany before seizing territories in the Pacific, which later became the South Seas Mandate , as well as German Treaty ports on
5688-485: The Battle of France was lost and the British Expeditionary Force was being evacuated from Dunkirk (without its equipment) at the end of May, the incomplete 2nd Armoured Division was the only armoured formation available to Home Forces. It was moved into the area between Northampton and Newmarket to be ready to counter-attack in the event of invasion. However, even at the time of greatest invasion threat,
5846-601: The Brompton Hospital and the New Cancer Hospital along nearby Fulham Road. Adjacent landowners began to develop the land in the 1860s as a result of the transport hub and the general urbanisation boom west of London, and led to the eventual absorption of Brompton and its station into Kensington. It was sealed by the arrival of the Metropolitan and District Railways at Brompton, but for public relations reasons, it
6004-547: The City of Westminster , but considered to be "within range of South Kensington". Although the SW7 postcode mainly covers South Kensington, it goes into Knightsbridge . The only Royal Mail Post Office in South Kensington closed in 2019. Following the 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park , an 87-acre (35 ha) area, west of what is now Exhibition Road, was purchased by the commissioners of
6162-505: The Euphrates on 19 May and capturing the bridge in only half an hour (the Battle of Fallujah ). An Iraqi counter-attack was driven off on 22 May, but the British and Assyrian troops fought back ferociously and the Iraqis withdrew. Kingcol now advanced on Baghdad , rumour magnifying the size of the small British forces, and the Iraqis asked for an armistice on 30 May. In mid-June, Habforce joined
6320-751: The First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War , was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers . Fighting took place mainly in Europe and the Middle East , as well as in parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific , and in Europe was characterised by trench warfare ; the widespread use of artillery , machine guns, and chemical weapons (gas); and
6478-588: The Gallipoli Campaign . On the afternoon of 21 August the division was ordered to advance from Lala Baba across the plain to Chocolate Hill and then attack the Turkish positions on the W Hills. The advance across the plain was described by a Turkish artillery officer as presenting 'a target such as artillerymen thought impossible outside the world of dreams'. On reaching Chocolate Hill the dismounted Yeomen continued towards Scimitar Hill and Hill 112 without having
Middlesex Yeomanry - Misplaced Pages Continue
6636-572: The Middlesex (Duke of Cambridge's Hussars) Yeomanry Cavalry in 1884. By 1899 RHQ was at 1 Cathcart Road, South Kensington , and the regiment was in the 1st Yeomanry Brigade together with the Berkshire Yeomanry . Following a string of defeats during Black Week in early December 1899, the British government realised that it would need more troops than just the regular army to fight the Second Boer War , particularly mounted troops. On 13 December,
6794-513: The Nile Delta area as an independent brigade until August. It was then sent up to join 'Calforce' under the command of Brig Percy Calvert-Jones of 12th Anti-Aircraft Brigade who had gathered a heterogeneous collection of artillery units in a series of rearguard actions during Eighth Army 's long retreat to the El Alamein position. Eighth Army used 'Calforce' as a blocking force and 9th Armoured Bde
6952-736: The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum , Polish Hearth Club , London Goethe-Institut , the Royal Albert Hall , Imperial College London , the Royal Geographical Society , the Royal College of Art , the Royal College of Music and between 1903 and 1991, the Royal College of Organists , West London Air Terminal , the Ismaili Centre, London and the late comer 1960s Baden-Powell House some of which are administratively within
7110-706: The Rüstungswende or 'armaments turning point', when he switched expenditure from the navy to the army. This decision was not driven by a reduction in political tensions but by German concern over Russia's quick recovery from its defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and subsequent 1905 Russian Revolution . Economic reforms led to a significant post-1908 expansion of railways and transportation infrastructure, particularly in its western border regions. Since Germany and Austria-Hungary relied on faster mobilisation to compensate for their numerical inferiority compared to Russia,
7268-453: The Second Battle of El Alamein the brigade became a permanent part of 7th Armoured Division. It served through the Tunisian Campaign at Medenine , the Mareth Line , Wadi Akarit , Enfidaville , and the capture of Tunis . It then took part in the landings at Salerno on the Italian mainland, the advance on Naples and the Volturno crossing before being withdrawn to the UK. Equipment was transferred to 5th Canadian Armoured Division and
7426-439: The Second World War and after, as well as latterly Spanish, Italian, and American expatriates. Some residents also have a Middle Eastern origin. The French presence is emphasised by the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle , the French Institute , housing a theatre now used as the Ciné Lumière with nearby the Alliance française , as well as the Consulate General of France, not far from the French Embassy in Knightsbridge . With
7584-403: The United States entered the war on the Allied side following Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare against Atlantic shipping. Later that year, the Bolsheviks seized power in the Russian October Revolution , and Soviet Russia signed an armistice with the Central Powers in December, followed by a separate peace in March 1918. That month, Germany launched an offensive in
7742-454: The War Office decided to allow volunteer forces to serve in the field, and a Royal Warrant was issued on 24 December that officially created the Imperial Yeomanry (IY). This was organised as county service companies of approximately 115 men enlisted for one year. Existing yeomen and fresh volunteers (mainly middle and upper class) quickly filled the new force, which was equipped to operate as Mounted infantry . The Middlesex Yeomanry raised
7900-423: The hydrophone and depth charges were introduced, destroyers could potentially successfully attack a submerged submarine. Convoys slowed the flow of supplies since ships had to wait as convoys were assembled; the solution was an extensive program of building new freighters. Troopships were too fast for the submarines and did not travel the North Atlantic in convoys. The U-boats sunk more than 5,000 Allied ships, at
8058-442: The tank . After the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914, Allied and German forces unsuccessfully tried to outflank each other, a series of manoeuvres later known as the " Race to the Sea ". By the end of 1914, the opposing forces confronted each other along an uninterrupted line of entrenched positions from the Channel to the Swiss border. Since the Germans were normally able to choose where to stand, they generally held
SECTION 50
#17328561485118216-458: The 'Dog fight' phase of the battle over succeeding days the New Zealand Division and 9th Armoured Bde were withdrawn into reserve, and 9th Armoured was given priority for re-equipment. It went into action again in the second phase of the battle ( Operation Supercharge ), tasked with advancing beyond the New Zealanders' first objective to smash through the deeper Axis defences. It left its rest area near El Alamein station by 20.00 on 1 November and made
8374-588: The 1839 Treaty of London did not require it to oppose a German invasion with military force; however, Prime Minister Asquith and his senior Cabinet ministers were already committed to supporting France, the Royal Navy had been mobilised, and public opinion was strongly in favour of intervention. On 31 July, Britain sent notes to Germany and France, asking them to respect Belgian neutrality; France pledged to do so, but Germany did not reply. Aware of German plans to attack through Belgium, French Commander-in-Chief Joseph Joffre asked his government for permission to cross
8532-431: The 1879 Dual Alliance , which became the Triple Alliance when Italy joined in 1882. For Bismarck, the purpose of these agreements was to isolate France by ensuring the three Empires resolve any disputes between themselves. In 1887, Bismarck set up the Reinsurance Treaty , a secret agreement between Germany and Russia to remain neutral if either were attacked by France or Austria-Hungary. For Bismarck, peace with Russia
8690-441: The 1913 Treaty of London , which had created an independent Albania while enlarging the territories of Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro and Greece. However, disputes between the victors sparked the 33-day Second Balkan War , when Bulgaria attacked Serbia and Greece on 16 June 1913; it was defeated, losing most of Macedonia to Serbia and Greece, and Southern Dobruja to Romania. The result was that even countries which benefited from
8848-427: The 1st (and only) Cavalry Division being composed mainly of horsed Yeomanry regiments. It joined Divisional HQ when the formation assembled in Northern Command on 1 November 1939. It then left the UK on 18 January 1940 and travelled across France to embark at Marseille for Palestine , arriving on 31 January. A divisional signal unit provided communications (line, wireless and despatch rider) from divisional HQ down to
9006-560: The 2nd Mounted Division was broken up and its units distributed to other formations. 4th (London) Mounted Brigade was redesignated 8th Mounted Brigade and sent to Abbassia to return to the Suez Canal defences. In November the brigade was sent to the Macedonian front , disembarking at Salonika and going up-country to serve as GHQ troops. On occasions mounted parties of the Middlesex Yeomanry, riding with muffled bits , were sent out at night into No man's land (here about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide) to erect barbed wire obstacles . In June 1917
9164-408: The Arab irregulars attacking the Turkish rearguard. Lawrence asked for help, and was sent the Middlesex Yeomanry and the Hampshire Royal Horse Artillery . The gunners fired over open sights until darkness fell, then the Yeomanry and Arabs charged the Turks in the rear, forcing them into the Arab trap. Damascus fell the following morning. The Turkish Army was broken, and the Armistice of Mudros ended
9322-409: The Austrians and Serbs clashed at the battles of the Cer and Kolubara ; over the next two weeks, Austrian attacks were repulsed with heavy losses. As a result, Austria had to keep sizeable forces on the Serbian front, weakening their efforts against Russia. Serbia's victory against Austria-Hungary in the 1914 invasion has been called one of the major upset victories of the twentieth century. In 1915,
9480-593: The Austrians briefly occupied the Serbian capital, Belgrade . A Serbian counter-attack in the Battle of Kolubara succeeded in driving them from the country by the end of 1914. For the first 10 months of 1915, Austria-Hungary used most of its military reserves to fight Italy. German and Austro-Hungarian diplomats scored a coup by persuading Bulgaria to join the attack on Serbia. The Austro-Hungarian provinces of Slovenia , Croatia and Bosnia provided troops for Austria-Hungary. Montenegro allied itself with Serbia. Bulgaria declared war on Serbia on 14 October 1915 and joined in
9638-493: The Balkan Wars, such as Serbia and Greece, felt cheated of their "rightful gains", while for Austria it demonstrated the apparent indifference with which other powers viewed their concerns, including Germany. This complex mix of resentment, nationalism and insecurity helps explain why the pre-1914 Balkans became known as the " powder keg of Europe ". On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria , heir presumptive to Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria , visited Sarajevo ,
SECTION 60
#17328561485119796-467: The British Government was prepared to send armoured units to reinforce Middle East Forces facing the Italians. As the threat of invasion of the United Kingdom receded, it became possible to spare more troops and equipment for the Middle East. 2nd Armoured Division (less 22nd Armoured Brigade ) was the first significant formation sent. It embarked on 26 October 1940 and landed in Egypt on 1 January 1941. The British offensive into Libya ( Operation Compass )
9954-404: The Central Powers. However, the pro-German King Constantine I dismissed the pro-Allied government of Eleftherios Venizelos before the Allied expeditionary force arrived. The Macedonian front was at first mostly static. French and Serbian forces retook limited areas of Macedonia by recapturing Bitola on 19 November 1916 following the costly Monastir offensive , which brought stabilisation of
10112-410: The Chinese Shandong peninsula at Tsingtao . After Vienna refused to withdraw its cruiser SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth from Tsingtao, Japan declared war on Austria-Hungary, and the ship was sunk in November 1914. Within a few months, Allied forces had seized all German territories in the Pacific, leaving only isolated commerce raiders and a few holdouts in New Guinea. Some of the first clashes of
10270-405: The City of London Yeomanry in reserve advanced, also under heavy fire, to occupy a position 200 yards (180 m) south of the threatened post, which stopped the Ottoman forces from completely surrounding the Middlesex men. By 10.55 an Ottoman infantry attack was developing against the post. The defenders were driven off the hill but withdrew to a trench just below the crest and held out there during
10428-468: The EEF opened its own offensive with the Third Battle of Gaza . The Yeomanry were initially held in reserve, but on 6 November the division went into action as part of the Desert Mounted Corps (DMC) at the Capture of the Sheria Position . There followed a pursuit towards Jerusalem , in which the Yeomanry took part in the battles of Mughar Ridge (13 November) and Nebi Samwil outside Jerusalem (17–24 November). The Turks counter-attacked on 27 November and
10586-548: The German High Seas Fleet was confined to port. German U-boats attempted to cut the supply lines between North America and Britain. The nature of submarine warfare meant that attacks often came without warning, giving the crews of the merchant ships little hope of survival. The United States launched a protest, and Germany changed its rules of engagement. After the sinking of the passenger ship RMS Lusitania in 1915, Germany promised not to target passenger liners, while Britain armed its merchant ships, placing them beyond
10744-465: The German Army increased in size from 1908 to 1914, he changed the allocation of forces between the two wings to 70:30. He also considered Dutch neutrality essential for German trade and cancelled the incursion into the Netherlands, which meant any delays in Belgium threatened the viability of the plan. Historian Richard Holmes argues that these changes meant the right wing was not strong enough to achieve decisive success. The initial German advance in
10902-462: The German right wing would sweep through the Netherlands and Belgium , then swing south, encircling Paris and trapping the French army against the Swiss border. The plan's creator, Alfred von Schlieffen , head of the German General Staff from 1891 to 1906, estimated that this would take six weeks, after which the German army would transfer to the East and defeat the Russians. The plan was substantially modified by his successor, Helmuth von Moltke
11060-426: The Germans bled heavily as well, with anywhere from 700,000 to 975,000 casualties between the two combatants. Verdun became a symbol of French determination and self-sacrifice. The Battle of the Somme was an Anglo-French offensive from July to November 1916. The opening day on 1 July 1916 was the bloodiest single day in the history of the British Army , which suffered 57,500 casualties, including 19,200 dead. As
11218-565: The Middle East. In all, 140,000 soldiers served on the Western Front and nearly 700,000 in the Middle East, with 47,746 killed and 65,126 wounded. The suffering engendered by the war, as well as the failure of the British government to grant self-government to India afterward, bred disillusionment, resulting in the campaign for full independence led by Mahatma Gandhi . Pre-war military tactics that had emphasised open warfare and individual riflemen proved obsolete when confronted with conditions prevailing in 1914. Technological advances allowed
11376-610: The Middlesex Yeomanry became Mobile Divisional Signals (Middlesex Yeomanry) . When the TA was doubled in size after the Munich Crisis the unit raised a second line as the Horse Cavalry Brigade Signal Troops . Shortly afterwards the two units became 1st and 2nd (Middlesex Yeomanry) Armoured Divisional Signals . Soon after the outbreak of war the first line unit became 1st Cavalry Divisional Signals (Middlesex Yeomanry) ,
11534-510: The Middlesex Yeomanry elected to become a signal unit, joining the new Royal Corps of Signals when that was formed two months later. It became 2nd Cavalry Divisional Signals (Middlesex Yeomanry) , of two squadrons (A and B), with HQ still at the Duke of York's Headquarters. In the late 1930s, mechanisation of the British Army was proceeding, and an experimental armoured formation was created as The Mobile Division, later 1st Armoured Division . In 1938
11692-859: The Ottoman Empire , which disturbed the long-standing balance of power in Europe, as well as economic competition between nations triggered by industrialisation and imperialism . Growing tensions between the great powers and in the Balkans reached a breaking point on 28 June 1914, when a Bosnian Serb named Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand , heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Austria-Hungary held Serbia responsible, and declared war on 28 July. After Russia mobilised in Serbia's defence, Germany declared war on Russia and France , who had an alliance . The United Kingdom entered after Germany invaded Belgium , whose neutrality it guaranteed, and
11850-869: The Ottomans joined the Central Powers in November. Germany's strategy in 1914 was to quickly defeat France, then to transfer its forces to the east, but its advance was halted in September , and by the end of the year the Western Front consisted of a continuous line of trenches stretching from the English Channel to Switzerland. The Eastern Front was more dynamic, but neither side gained a decisive advantage, despite costly offensives. Italy , Bulgaria , Romania , Greece and others joined in from 1915 onward. In April 1917,
12008-598: The Ottomans' territory in the Balkans during the 1912–1913 First Balkan War , much to the surprise of outside observers. The Serbian capture of ports on the Adriatic resulted in partial Austrian mobilisation, starting on 21 November 1912, including units along the Russian border in Galicia . The Russian government decided not to mobilise in response, unprepared to precipitate a war. The Great Powers sought to re-assert control through
12166-705: The Russian Stavka agreed with the French to attack Germany within fifteen days of mobilisation, ten days before the Germans had anticipated, although it meant the two Russian armies that entered East Prussia on 17 August did so without many of their support elements. By the end of 1914, German troops held strong defensive positions inside France, controlled the bulk of France's domestic coalfields, and inflicted 230,000 more casualties than it lost itself. However, communications problems and questionable command decisions cost Germany
12324-631: The Serbian retreat toward the Adriatic coast in the Battle of Mojkovac on 6–7 January 1916, but ultimately the Austrians also conquered Montenegro. The surviving Serbian soldiers were evacuated to Greece. After the conquest, Serbia was divided between Austro-Hungary and Bulgaria. In late 1915, a Franco-British force landed at Salonica in Greece to offer assistance and to pressure its government to declare war against
12482-772: The Spring offensive ( Operation Grapeshot ) began on 23 April, and the German forces in Italy surrendered on 2 May. 9th Armoured Bde Group was then selected for operations in the Far East. The personnel were airlifted back to the UK from Italy in August, but before they could reorganise and retrain the Surrender of Japan ended the war. The second line unit of the Middlesex Yeomanry joined 2nd Armoured Division HQ in Northern Command on 4 March 1940. When
12640-856: The TF's London Mounted Brigade . Regimental HQ moved to the Duke of York's Headquarters in Chelsea in 1912. In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ( 7 Edw. 7 , c.9 ) which brought the TF into being, it 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,
12798-530: The UK having been detached from 11th Armoured Division . It merged with the former cavalry divisional signals and became the larger part of 10th Armoured Divisional Signals, while the Middlesex Yeomanry provided 9th Armoured Brigade Signal Squadron . The former CO of 11th Armoured Divisional Signals, Lt-Col R.H.O. Coryton, took command, and the CO of Cavalry Division Signals, Lt-Col the Hon Somerset Maxwell , MP ,
12956-540: The UK while the rest of 2nd Armoured Division sailed to Egypt. It finally arrived on 2 October, long after 2nd Armoured Division had been captured. The brigade served through the rest of the Western Desert Campaign under the command alternately of 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions, seeing action at the Relief of Tobruk in November 1941, and the battles of Gazala , Mersa Matruh , First Alamein and Alam el Halfa . From
13114-609: The West was very successful. By the end of August, the Allied left, which included the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), was in full retreat , and the French offensive in Alsace-Lorraine was a disastrous failure, with casualties exceeding 260,000. German planning provided broad strategic instructions while allowing army commanders considerable freedom in carrying them out at the front, but von Kluck used this freedom to disobey orders, opening
13272-558: The Yeomanry held the line for two days. Jerusalem surrendered on 9 December. The crisis on the Western Front caused by the German spring offensive in March 1918 led to an urgent call for reinforcements from Palestine. A number of formations were 'Indianised', roughly two-thirds of their British units being sent to France and replaced by Indian Army units. The Yeomanry Division was one such, becoming
13430-430: The Younger . Under Schlieffen, 85% of German forces in the west were assigned to the right wing, with the remainder holding along the frontier. By keeping his left-wing deliberately weak, he hoped to lure the French into an offensive into the "lost provinces" of Alsace-Lorraine , which was the strategy envisaged by their Plan XVII . However, Moltke grew concerned that the French might push too hard on his left flank and as
13588-459: The advance towards Florence , then was switched to the left to support the success of 4th Indian Infantry Division . For the next phase of the campaign, Operation Olive to breach the Gothic Line, 9th Armoured Bde was back with 10th Indian Division in X Corps; Brigade HQ controlled two armoured car regiments patrolling the mountainous country. 9th Armoured Bde HQ was then pulled out of the line for
13746-446: The aggressor, German Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg delayed the commencement of war preparations until 31 July. That afternoon, the Russian government were handed a note requiring them to "cease all war measures against Germany and Austria-Hungary" within 12 hours. A further German demand for neutrality was refused by the French who ordered general mobilization but delayed declaring war. The German General Staff had long assumed they faced
13904-471: The area round Brandon, Suffolk , to take part in the Allied landings in Normandy ( Operation Overlord ). The brigade was to sail in assault landing craft and land on D Day and D + 1, followed by the rest of 7th Armoured Division. It embarked on Landing Craft Tank (LCTs) at Felixstowe on 4 June and landed successfully on Gold Beach during the morning of D + 1 (7 June). World War I World War I or
14062-606: The area was afflicted with traffic congestion and likened to a series of traffic islands. Modern development of the area is the result of the creation of the temporary Albertopolis reached by Exhibition Road, whose terrain now includes the Natural History Museum , the Geological Museum , the Science Museum , the Victoria and Albert Museum, London Oratory and since 1915, the Lycée Français . Other local institutions include
14220-466: The attack by the Austro-Hungarian army under Mackensen's army of 250,000 that was already underway. Serbia was conquered in a little more than a month, as the Central Powers, now including Bulgaria, sent in 600,000 troops in total. The Serbian army, fighting on two fronts and facing certain defeat, retreated into northern Albania . The Serbs suffered defeat in the Battle of Kosovo . Montenegro covered
14378-504: The autumn it moved to Melton Constable . In May 1918 the regiment moved to Ireland and was stationed at The Curragh , still in 2nd Cyclist Brigade, until the end of the war. The 3rd Line regiment was formed in April 1915 at Ranelagh and in the summer it was affiliated to a Reserve Cavalry Regiment in Eastern Command . In the summer of 1916 it was affiliated to the 6th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at The Curragh . Early in 1917 it
14536-623: The beginning of May 1900 the 11th Battalion IY, under the command of Lt-Col W.K. Mitford of the Middlesex Yeomanry, was with 8th Division in Lt-Gen Sir Leslie Rundle 's column. Lord Roberts resumed his advance into the Orange Free State on 3 May, ordering Rundle to prevent any Boers from re-occupying the south-east of the country. On 25 May Maj Henry Dalbiac (a former Royal Artillery officer and veteran of Tel el Kebir ) with 34th (Middlesex) Company, acting as advance guard, entered
14694-535: The best way of achieving this. However, the Foreign Ministry had no solid proof of Serbian involvement. On 23 July, Austria delivered an ultimatum to Serbia, listing ten demands made intentionally unacceptable to provide an excuse for starting hostilities. Serbia ordered general mobilization on 25 July, but accepted all the terms, except for those empowering Austrian representatives to suppress "subversive elements" inside Serbia, and take part in
14852-483: The border and pre-empt such a move. To avoid violating Belgian neutrality, he was told any advance could come only after a German invasion. Instead, the French cabinet ordered its Army to withdraw 10 km behind the German frontier, to avoid provoking war. On 2 August, Germany occupied Luxembourg and exchanged fire with French units when German patrols entered French territory; on 3 August, they declared war on France and demanded free passage across Belgium, which
15010-481: The brigade completed the closure of the net by seizing the fords at Makhadet el Masudi and gathering another 5000 prisoners. 4th Cavalry Division now turned north to cooperate with the Arab Northern Army 's advance on Damascus . The men were beginning to suffer from malaria, influenza and hunger, and the advance slowed, but on 30 September 11th Brigade was pushed on ahead and caught up with Col T.E. Lawrence and
15168-417: The brigade embarked and joined Eighth Army in Italy on 5 May. The brigade was allotted to XIII Corps , which in turn assigned it to 78th Infantry Division for the Battle of Lake Trasimeno beginning on 20 June. While the fighting continued, 10th Indian Infantry Division of X Corps took up the advance and 9th Armoured Bde was transferred to its command. The brigade protected the corps' right flank during
15326-515: The brigade was ordered overseas. The regiment entrained for Avonmouth Docks where the men embarked on the Nile on 14 April and sailed for Egypt . The horses were loaded aboard the cramped and insanitary Crispin , and 32 died during the voyage. On arrival the brigade was sent to the Suez Canal defences near Ismailia , being redesignated the 4th (London) Mounted Bde. On 10 August the 2nd Mounted Division
15484-410: The camp, sweeping through the tents and transport lines in the dark. Of around 550 men in camp, almost 350 were killed or captured in the Battle of Groenkop , and the camp was looted by the hungry Boers. However, it was their last major success, and the war ended in April 1902. The Middlesex IY companies earned the regiment its first Battle honour : South Africa 1900–01 . The IY concept was considered
15642-457: The campaign against Vichy French forces in Syria . Its role was to advance across the desert from Iraq and capture Palmyra , while a direct attack ( Operation Exporter ) was made from Palestine towards Damascus by a force including part of 1st Cavalry Division. 4th Cavalry Brigade's advance with Habforce was continually harried by Vichy Air Force attacks and it lost a lot of men and vehicles. After
15800-583: The campaign saw the first use of anti-aircraft warfare after an Austrian plane was shot down with ground-to-air fire, as well as the first medical evacuation by the Serbian army. Upon mobilisation, in accordance with the Schlieffen Plan , 80% of the German Army was located on the Western Front, with the remainder acting as a screening force in the East. Rather than a direct attack across their shared frontier,
15958-636: The capital of the recently annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina . Cvjetko Popović , Gavrilo Princip , Nedeljko Čabrinović , Trifko Grabež , Vaso Čubrilović ( Bosnian Serbs ) and Muhamed Mehmedbašić (from the Bosniaks community), from the movement known as Young Bosnia , took up positions along the Archduke's motorcade route, to assassinate him. Supplied with arms by extremists within the Serbian Black Hand intelligence organisation, they hoped his death would free Bosnia from Austrian rule. Čabrinović threw
16116-568: The chance of a decisive outcome, while it had failed to achieve the primary objective of avoiding a long, two-front war. As was apparent to several German leaders, this amounted to a strategic defeat; shortly after the First Battle of the Marne , Crown Prince Wilhelm told an American reporter "We have lost the war. It will go on for a long time but lost it is already." On 30 August 1914, New Zealand occupied German Samoa (now Samoa ). On 11 September,
16274-519: The command of Maj-Gen Michael Gambier-Parry was holding the front when Gen Erwin Rommel opened the Axis counter-offensive ( Operation Sonnenblume ) and began pushing it back. It was taking almost two hours to transmit messages to Cyrenaica Command and the fighting became confused. On 6 April Cyrenaica Command ordered 2nd Armoured Division HQ to withdraw, but it is unlikely that the order ever got through, though it
16432-464: The cost of 199 submarines. World War I also saw the first use of aircraft carriers in combat, with HMS Furious launching Sopwith Camels in a successful raid against the Zeppelin hangars at Tondern in July 1918, as well as blimps for antisubmarine patrol. Faced with Russia in the east, Austria-Hungary could spare only one-third of its army to attack Serbia. After suffering heavy losses,
16590-513: The creation of new independent states, including Poland , Finland , the Baltic states , Czechoslovakia , and Yugoslavia . The League of Nations was established to maintain world peace, but its failure to manage instability during the interwar period contributed to the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Before World War II , the events of 1914–1918 were generally known as the Great War or simply
16748-449: The creation of strong defensive systems largely impervious to massed infantry advances, such as barbed wire , machine guns and above all far more powerful artillery , which dominated the battlefield and made crossing open ground extremely difficult. Both sides struggled to develop tactics for breaching entrenched positions without heavy casualties. In time, technology enabled the production of new offensive weapons, such as gas warfare and
16906-946: The crowds listened to music and drank wine, as if nothing had happened." Nevertheless, the impact of the murder of the heir to the throne was significant, and has been described by historian Christopher Clark as a "9/11 effect, a terrorist event charged with historic meaning, transforming the political chemistry in Vienna". Austro-Hungarian authorities encouraged subsequent anti-Serb riots in Sarajevo . Violent actions against ethnic Serbs were also organised outside Sarajevo, in other cities in Austro-Hungarian-controlled Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia. Austro-Hungarian authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina imprisoned approximately 5,500 prominent Serbs, 700 to 2,200 of whom died in prison. A further 460 Serbs were sentenced to death. A predominantly Bosniak special militia known as
17064-528: The day against odds of 20 to 1, with the attackers closing to within 40 yards (37 m). Fighting continued until late in the afternoon when troops from the 53rd (Welsh) Division drove off the attackers. The Yeomanry post had lost 4 dead and 14 wounded. Meanwhile, Point 720 held by two troops from B Squadron, Middlesex Yeomanry, commanded by Major Alexander Malins Lafone , had been attacked by several Ottoman cavalry squadrons, and later by heavy rifle and machine gun fire and occasional artillery shells. The post
17222-485: The desert in exceptionally hot weather, digging the heavy vehicles out when they broke through the surface of the poor tracks, and under attack by German aircraft. The direct road to Habbaniya was blocked by Iraqi troops at Ramadi , but engineers from Habbaniya had bridged the canal to the south and Kingcol arrived from that direction on 18 May. Kingcol and the Habbaniya garrison now attacked Fallujah , moving up both sides of
17380-557: The early 1880s the regiment's headquarters (HQ) moved to 43 Albemarle Street in London's West End, later to 25 Chapel Street off Edgware Road , and it had the following organisation: The regiment evolved to become the Middlesex Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry (Uxbridge) in 1871 and, by order of Field Marshal the Duke of Cambridge , serving at that time as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces ,
17538-591: The empty town of Senekal . The Boers attacked the town later in the day, killing Dalbiac and three others. Four of the troopers were wounded and 13 surrendered, while seven made their escape. The rest of the division reoccupied the town later in the day. The war ground on as the Imperial forces tried to control the Boer Commandos with a system of blockhouse lines. Rundle's force was building one such line that had reached Tweefontein just before Christmas 1901, watched by
17696-457: The exhibition, in order to create a base for institutions dedicated to the arts and sciences, leading to the foundation of the Royal Albert Hall , three museums, the Royal School of Mines later a world renowned technological university, the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Organists there. The market gardens of the rural area began to make way for a series of hospitals, such as
17854-622: The expansion of the French colonial empire . In 1873, Bismarck negotiated the League of the Three Emperors , which included Austria-Hungary , Russia and Germany. After the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War , the League was dissolved due to Austrian concerns over the expansion of Russian influence in the Balkans , an area they considered to be of vital strategic interest. Germany and Austria-Hungary then formed
18012-562: The fall of Damascus and Palmyra, the Syria–Lebanon campaign ended on 14 July with the Armistice of Saint Jean d'Acre . Having progressed with its mechanisation 1st Cavalry Division was reorganised as 10th Armoured Division on 1 August 1941 in Syria, though it was still short of vital units and equipment. 4th Cavalry Brigade became 9th Armoured Brigade (in fact motorised rather than armoured) and
18170-908: The first day (4 November). Two days later it was running short of fuel. On 11 November, while the New Zealanders continued their pursuit, 9th Armoured Bde was withdrawn and returned to join 10th Armoured Division in the Delta. By the beginning of 1943 it was back in Syria. 10th Armoured Division was not required for the Sicilian or Italian campaigns , where the terrain was not suitable for large armoured formations, and divisional HQ and signals were finally disbanded on 15 June 1944. Its component brigades, however, continued as independent formations. 9th Armoured Bde joined Ninth Army in May 1943 and remained with it Palestine and Syria until returning to Egypt in March 1944. On 30 April
18328-400: The first time on the Western Front. Several types of gas soon became widely used by both sides and though it never proved a decisive, battle-winning weapon, it became one of the most feared and best-remembered horrors of the war. In February 1916, the Germans attacked French defensive positions at the Battle of Verdun , lasting until December 1916. Casualties were greater for the French, but
18486-643: The following organisation: Following the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the Army List from December 1875. This assigned Regular and Yeomanry units places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for the 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The Middlesex Yeomanry were assigned as 'divisional troops' to 3rd Division of II Corps based at Dorking , alongside Regular units of infantry, artillery and engineers. In
18644-586: The front. Serbian and French troops finally made a breakthrough in September 1918 in the Vardar offensive , after most German and Austro-Hungarian troops had been withdrawn. The Bulgarians were defeated at the Battle of Dobro Pole , and by 25 September British and French troops had crossed the border into Bulgaria proper as the Bulgarian army collapsed. Bulgaria capitulated four days later, on 29 September 1918. The German high command responded by despatching troops to hold
18802-526: The globe, some of which were subsequently used to attack Allied merchant shipping . These were systematically hunted down by the Royal Navy, though not before causing considerable damage. One of the most successful was the SMS ; Emden , part of the German East Asia Squadron stationed at Qingdao , which seized or sank 15 merchantmen, a Russian cruiser and a French destroyer. Most of the squadron
18960-534: The high ground, while their trenches tended to be better built; those constructed by the French and English were initially considered "temporary", only needed until an offensive would destroy the German defences. Both sides tried to break the stalemate using scientific and technological advances. On 22 April 1915, at the Second Battle of Ypres , the Germans (violating the Hague Convention ) used chlorine gas for
19118-435: The introductions of tanks and aircraft . World War I was one of the deadliest conflicts in history , resulting in an estimated 10 million military dead and more than 20 million wounded , plus some 10 million civilian dead from causes including genocide . The movement of large numbers of people was a major factor in the deadly Spanish flu pandemic. The causes of World War I included the rise of Germany and decline of
19276-467: The investigation and trial of Serbians linked to the assassination. Claiming this amounted to rejection, Austria broke off diplomatic relations and ordered partial mobilisation the next day; on 28 July, they declared war on Serbia and began shelling Belgrade . Russia ordered general mobilization in support of Serbia on 30 July. Anxious to ensure backing from the SPD political opposition by presenting Russia as
19434-482: The level of individual unit HQs; each brigade was allocated a squadron and the establishment for cavalry divisional signals included its own Light Aid Detachment of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps . At first, the division's role was internal security, while its mounted units underwent mechanisation. The signal unit detached Troops that formed new signal units for service at Tobruk and on Crete . Then, after
19592-549: The line, but these forces were too weak to re-establish a front. South Kensington South Kensington is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton . Its name was supplanted with the advent of the railways in the late 19th century and the opening (and shutting) and naming of local tube stations. The area has many museums and cultural landmarks with
19750-420: The north. The first incumbent, one Percival Frye, just happened to be the nephew of Archdeacon Alfred Pott , vicar of the neighbouring Kensington parish. It was followed by: The area is the subject of Donovan 's song "Sunny South Kensington", about the area's reputation as the hip part of London in the 1960s. Roman Polanski 's film, Repulsion (1965) was partly filmed in South Kensington. Morgan cars ,
19908-409: The ocean, even to neutral ships. Since there was limited response to this tactic, Germany expected a similar response to its unrestricted submarine warfare. The Battle of Jutland in May/June 1916 was the only full-scale clash of battleships during the war, and one of the largest in history. The clash was indecisive, though the Germans inflicted more damage than they received; thereafter the bulk of
20066-427: The personnel sailed from Naples to Glasgow , docking on 7 January 1944. By 1944 an armoured brigade signal squadron (4 Sqn of divisional signals) was organised as Sqn HQ (2 officers and 23 other ranks (ORs)), W Troop (1 officer and 51 ORs) with brigade HQ, V Trp (19 ORs) with the motor battalion, and X, Y and Z Trps (each of 15 ORs) with the three armoured regiments. 22nd Armoured Brigade was re-equipped and trained in
20224-681: The protection of the " cruiser rules ", which demanded warning and movement of crews to "a place of safety" (a standard that lifeboats did not meet). Finally, in early 1917, Germany adopted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare , realising the Americans would eventually enter the war. Germany sought to strangle Allied sea lanes before the United States could transport a large army overseas, but, after initial successes, eventually failed to do so. The U-boat threat lessened in 1917, when merchant ships began travelling in convoys , escorted by destroyers . This tactic made it difficult for U-boats to find targets, which significantly lessened losses; after
20382-464: The regiment was withdrawn with 8th Mounted Brigade to Egypt and then moved up to the Palestine Front , where it joined the Yeomanry Mounted Division that was forming at Khan Yunis in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF). The campaign was coming to the end of a period of stalemate, with the EEF preparing to renew its offensive. The Turkish Yildirim Army Group carried out a reconnaissance in force in late October against 8th Mounted Brigade, which
20540-415: The term First World War was in September 1914 by German biologist and philosopher Ernst Haeckel who stated, "There is no doubt that the course and character of the feared 'European War' ... will become the first world war in the full sense of the word." For much of the 19th century, the major European powers maintained a tenuous balance of power , known as the Concert of Europe . After 1848, this
20698-584: The threat posed by the closing of this gap was more important than competing with the Royal Navy. After Germany expanded its standing army by 170,000 troops in 1913, France extended compulsory military service from two to three years; similar measures were taken by the Balkan powers and Italy, which led to increased expenditure by the Ottomans and Austria-Hungary. Absolute figures are difficult to calculate due to differences in categorising expenditure since they often omit civilian infrastructure projects like railways which had logistical importance and military use. It
20856-479: The unit consisted of over 100 men organised in two Troops . It was once called out, in 1801 to prevent rioting. After the Treaty of Amiens was concluded in 1802 the regiment was disbanded following a spate of industrial unrest and rioting, authorisation was given on 10 December 1830 to raise two new troops of Yeomanry in the Uxbridge district. It was raised as the Uxbridge Squadron of Yeomanry Cavalry with troops at Harefield and West Drayton , in 1830. The regiment
21014-424: The vicinity, thus adding a link directly to the political, commercial and financial heart of the capital in Westminster , the West End and the City of London , but owing to under use, it was shut in 1934. During the Second World War it was used by the 26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade . Since the First World War it has become a cosmopolitan area attracting Belgian and French refugees, but also Poles during
21172-429: The war ended with the Armistice of 11 November 1918 . The Paris Peace Conference of 1919–1920 imposed settlements on the defeated powers, most notably the Treaty of Versailles , by which Germany lost significant territories, was disarmed, and was required to pay large war reparations to the Allies. The dissolution of the Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman Empires redrew national boundaries and resulted in
21330-420: The war in the Middle East a month later. The 2nd Line regiment was formed at Chelsea in 1914 and in November 1914 it was at Ranelagh Park . By June 1915 it was with 2/1st London Mounted Brigade in 2/2nd Mounted Division and was at Bylaugh Park (north east of East Dereham ) in Norfolk . In October it was at Blickling Hall . On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in
21488-413: The war involved British, French, and German colonial forces in Africa. On 6–7 August, French and British troops invaded the German protectorates of Togoland and Kamerun . On 10 August, German forces in South-West Africa attacked South Africa; sporadic and fierce fighting continued for the rest of the war. The German colonial forces in German East Africa , led by Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck , fought
21646-418: The west , which despite initial successes left the German Army exhausted and demoralised. A successful Allied counter-offensive from August 1918 caused a collapse of the German front line. By early November, Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary had each signed armistices with the Allies, leaving Germany isolated. Facing a revolution at home , Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on 9 November, and
21804-416: The west, the residential and hotel area of Gloucester Road . South Kensington station lies on the junction of several thoroughfares: principally the Old Brompton Road , Harrington Road and Pelham Street and a stone's throw from the arterial Cromwell Road . It is furthermore criss-crossed by the Exhibition Road and the stately Queen's Gate and Prince Consort Road . Until road lay-out improvements in 2012,
21962-513: The world wars the regiment was converted to the signals role and it provided communications for armoured formations in the Second World War , including service in minor operations in Iraq , Palestine , Syria and Iran , as well as the Western Desert , Italian and North-West European campaigns. It continued in the postwar Territorial Army and its lineage is maintained today by 31 (Middlesex Yeomanry and Princess Louise's Kensington) Signal Squadron , Royal Corps of Signals , which forms part of
22120-406: Was absorbed into the 2nd Reserve Cavalry Regiment at The Curragh. After the war, it was clear that there were more cavalry units than needed and it was decided that only the 14 most senior Yeomanry regiments would retain their mounts, forming the 2nd Cavalry Division in the reorganised Territorial Army (TA). Most of the remainder chose to convert to armoured cars or artillery in 1920. Uniquely,
22278-445: Was already under way, and part of the division was sent up into Cyrenaica in early February before it was really ready, where it reinforced the near-exhausted 7th Armoured Division in the final stages of the operation. The rest of the division remained on the lines of communication . There was now a pause in operations, but even by the end of March the division was short of serviceable equipment. On 31 March 2nd Armoured Division under
22436-419: Was attached to it from 26 August to 8 September. As an independent formation, 9th Armoured Bde was assigned to support the 2nd New Zealand Division in the Second Battle of El Alamein . In the first phase ( Operation Lightfoot ) on 23 October, the New Zealanders took most of their objectives, but 9th Armoured ran into an undetected minefield and was held up. At daybreak it was in the open and under fire. During
22594-414: Was called upon to provide an escort for King William IV as he passed through Uxbridge to visit the Marquess of Westminster at Moor Park in 1834. The unit was called out on several occasions, notably in 1832 and at the time of the 1848 Chartist meeting on Kennington Common , but merely 'stood by' in barracks and saw no action. The Uxbridge Squadron became the Middlesex Yeomanry Cavalry in 1838 with
22752-403: Was challenged by Britain's withdrawal into so-called splendid isolation , the decline of the Ottoman Empire , New Imperialism , and the rise of Prussia under Otto von Bismarck . Victory in the 1870–1871 Franco-Prussian War allowed Bismarck to consolidate a German Empire . Post-1871, the primary aim of French policy was to avenge this defeat, but by the early 1890s, this had switched to
22910-423: Was due in part to a considerable decrease in sales between 2015 and 2016 in addition to the company expanding its online presence. Tim Waterstone opened his first eponymous Waterstones bookshop in 1982 in Old Brompton Road. It has given way to a Little Waitrose . Caffè Nero also started life as a single coffee shop in Old Brompton Road, opened by Ian Semp in 1990. It was subsequently bought out and became
23068-415: Was holding a 14 miles (23 km) outpost line along the el Buqqar ridge to cover railway construction parties. At 04:10 on 27 October a post on Point 630 held by the Middlesex Yeomanry was attacked by an Ottoman cavalry patrol in great strength, bringing on the Battle of Buqqar Ridge . Two Yeomanry troops ordered forward in support advanced through heavy fire to find the post almost surrounded. A squadron of
23226-443: Was immediately detached to cross Iraq with 'Hazelforce' and take part in the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran . 9th Armoured and 2nd Indian Brigades advanced to Shahabad in conjunction with other columns and on 28 August the pro- Axis Persian government fell. British and Soviet forces entered Teheran on 17 September and 9th Armoured Brigade returned to Palestine the following month. In March 1942 'F' Divisional Signals arrived from
23384-434: Was launched four hours after Zero at 08.40 and advanced against slight resistance. The division paused after 12 hours, then overran the Turks' primitive third line defences. It paused to water the horses in the evening, then moved off again an hour before midnight, riding into the German–Turkish HQ at Afulah and then heading east to Beisan to cut off Turkish retreat. The division rode 70 miles (110 km) in 34 hours. There
23542-464: Was ordered to reorganise as a dismounted formation and prepare to proceed overseas. Each regiment left a squadron HQ and the officers and men of two troops to look after the horses. On 13 August the rest of the regiment (16 officers and 320 other ranks) entrained for Alexandria where they boarded the Caledonia the next day. It arrived at Mudros on 16 August, transhipped them to the Doris next day, and on 18 August they landed at Suvla Bay to join in
23700-433: Was out of communication from 06.00 and reinforcements were unable to break through. After six hours and two unsuccessful mounted charges, the final attack on Hill 720 was made by 1200 Ottoman cavalry supported by machine-gun and artillery fire. All except three of the Yeomanry on Hill 720 were killed. Major Lafone was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for encouraging his men to resist the Ottoman attack. On 31 October 1917
23858-436: Was picked up by 3rd Armoured Brigade 's HQ. Divisional HQ and a collection of other units was caught by Rommel's forces at Mechili on 7 April. Gambier-Parry rejected two offers to surrender while his troops and HQ staff fought off attacks, and some units broke out at dawn the following day, but most of 2nd Armoured Division HQ and Signals became Prisoners of War . 22nd Armoured Brigade and its signal squadron had been left in
24016-426: Was re-named "South Kensington" in 1868. To facilitate public access to the museums, the railway company built a pedestrian tunnel directly from the station concourse to an exit halfway up Exhibition Road, next to the now defunct Royal Mail sorting office, to avoid crowds having to cross the Cromwell Road. In 1906 the new Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway company opened the Brompton Road tube station in
24174-654: Was refused. Early on the morning of 4 August, the Germans invaded, and Albert I of Belgium called for assistance under the Treaty of London . Britain sent Germany an ultimatum demanding they withdraw from Belgium; when this expired at midnight, without a response, the two empires were at war. Germany promised to support Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia, but interpretations of what this meant differed. Previously tested deployment plans had been replaced early in 1914, but those had never been tested in exercises. Austro-Hungarian leaders believed Germany would cover its northern flank against Russia. Beginning on 12 August,
24332-430: Was relieved on 17 September by the Scottish Horse , one look-out mistakenly reporting the arrival of some Scottish Gaelic -speaking soldiers as a Turkish break-in. When the Middlesex Yeomanry were withdrawn to Lala Baba on 1 November they were reduced to fewer than 50 men. They were evacuated to Mudros and then Egypt to recuperate, the regiment regaining its independence in December. During December 1915 and January 1916
24490-600: Was returning to Germany when it sank two British armoured cruisers at the Battle of Coronel in November 1914, before being virtually destroyed at the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December. The SMS Dresden escaped with a few auxiliaries, but after the Battle of Más a Tierra , these too were either destroyed or interned. Soon after the outbreak of hostilities, Britain began a naval blockade of Germany . This proved effective in cutting off vital supplies, though it violated accepted international law. Britain also mined international waters which closed off entire sections of
24648-418: Was still a 25 miles (40 km) gap through which the Turks could escape across the River Jordan , and on 23 September 11th Cavalry Brigade was ordered to ride south down both banks of the river to cut off this route. It encountered the HQ elements of the German Asia Corps at Makhadet abu Naji; after a fight the cavalry charged to seal off both sides of the ford, capturing 4000 prisoners. The following morning
24806-586: Was the foundation of German foreign policy but in 1890, he was forced to retire by Wilhelm II . The latter was persuaded not to renew the Reinsurance Treaty by his new Chancellor , Leo von Caprivi . This gave France an opening to agree the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1894, which was then followed by the 1904 Entente Cordiale with Britain. The Triple Entente was completed by the 1907 Anglo-Russian Convention . While not formal alliances, by settling long-standing colonial disputes in Asia and Africa, British support for France or Russia in any future conflict became
24964-407: Was the last British attack delivered on the Suvla Front. From now on the regiment took its turns holding the front line. By 4 September the Yeomanry were so weak from casualties and sickness that the brigade (1/1st County of London (Middlesex), 1/1st City of London (Rough Riders) and 1/3rd County of London (Sharpshooters) ) was formed into a composite 4th London Regiment of Yeomanry . The regiment
#510489