Kent Yeomanry


The Kent Yeomanry was an artillery regiment of the Territorial Army formed in 1920 by the amalgamation of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry and West Kent Yeomanry. For the Second World War it was expanded to form two field artillery regiments - 97th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery and 143rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - which saw active service in North Africa, Italy and North-West Europe, both with the BEF in 1940 and on the Second Front in 1944–45. Post war it was reconstituted as 297th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery before being amalgamated in 1961 with the 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry to form the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry.

History

Formation

Following the experience of the First World War, it was decided that only the fourteen most senior yeomanry regiments would be retained as horsed cavalry, with the rest being transferred to other roles. As a result, on 20 August 1920, the Royal East Kent Yeomanry was amalgamated with the West Kent Yeomanry to form the Kent Yeomanry and simultaneously re-roled as field artillery to form 6th Army Brigade, RFA.
In 1921 the regiment regained its yeomanry title and was renumbered as the 97th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Within the brigade, two batteries were subtitled "Duke of Connaught's Own Yeomanry"385th at Canterbury and 386th at Ashfordand two were subtitled "Queen's Own Yeomanry"387th at Bromley and 388th at Maidstone. The regiment's HQ was also at Maidstone. Another title change came in June 1924 as the Royal Field Artillery was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery and the regiment became 97th Field Brigade, RA. The final change came in 1938 as artillery brigades became regiments, and the unit became 97th Army Field Regiment, RA in November.
By 1939 it became clear that a new European war was likely to break out, and the doubling of the Territorial Army was authorised, with each unit forming a duplicate. 97th Army Field Regiment, RA formed 143rd Field Regiment, RA. The new regiment continued the tradition of including batteries from both East and West Kent.

Second World War

97th (Kent Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

97th Army Field Regiment mobilized on 3 September 1939 at Maidstone under Eastern Command with 385th and 387th Batteries.
The regiment joined the BEF in May 1940, initially with III Corps then with the 5th Infantry Division. During the Battle of France, the regiment saw action at Saint-Valery-en-Caux in June 1940; after the German advance the regiment destroyed its guns and equipment and headed to Dunkirk for evacuation in Operation Dynamo.
Field regiments had been organised in 1938 into two 12-gun batteries. The experience of the BEF in 1940 showed the problem with this organisation: field regiments were intended to support an infantry brigade of three battalions. This could not be managed without severe disruption to the regiment. As a result, field regiments were reorganised into three 8-gun batteries. The third battery was formed in the regiment at Great Baddow in March 1941.
The regiment arrived in Iraq on 20 October 1941 and was initially under command of Tenth Army before being assigned to 10th Indian Infantry Division on 19 November. On 25 April 1942, 470th Battery left to form part of X Field Regt, RA. The rest of the regiment arrived in Egypt with the division on 31 May. On 5 July it came under command of British Troops in Egypt. The regiment dropped the "Army" designation on 13 September and on the same date joined the 7th Armoured Division. Armed with sixteen 25 pounders, the regiment served with 7th Armoured in the Second Battle of El Alamein. On 20 December it was placed under command of GHQ, Middle East Forces and 470th Battery was reformed for the regiment.
In October 1943 it rejoined the 10th Indian Division, serving in North Africa, Palestine and Italy, where it ended the war on the Adriatic coast near Trieste.
The Regimental HQ with 385th, 387th and 470th Batteries were placed in suspended animation on 15 December 1945.

143rd (Kent Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

143rd Field Regiment mobilized on 3 September 1939 at Ashford under Eastern Command with 386th and 388th Batteries. It spent the early part of the war in Iceland. While there, it was reorganised from two 12-gun batteries to three 8-gun batteries when the third battery was formed in the regiment in May 1941. It was authorised to use the "Kent Yeomanry" designation from 17 February 1942.
Arriving back in the UK, the regiment was assigned to the 49th Infantry Division, the Polar Bears, on 26 April 1942; it was to remain with the division for the rest of the war. The division began landing in Normandy on 12 June 1944 and participated in the North-West Europe Campaign. The regiment gave support to the British and Canadian forces attacking Caen. They were also in action around Le Havre as part of the First Canadian Army, at the Turnhout Canal and in the Battle of the Scheldt. The winter of 1944-1945 was spent on the Dutch - German border along the River Maas. Their final action was at Second Battle of Arnhem in April 1945.
The Regiment was placed in suspended animation after the war on 18 April 1946 and was disbanded on 1 January 1947.

Post war

The Kent Yeomanry was reconstituted in the Territorial Army on 1 January 1947 as 297th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA. HQ remained at Maidstone. On 1 May 1961, the regiment was amalgamated with 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry to form Kent and County of London Yeomanry.

Insignia

Upon conversion to artillery the regiment opted to wear the Royal Artillery cap and collar badges rather than their original yeomanry badges, although shoulder chains were authorised for wear on walking out dress for all ranks. During World War II special regimental pattern buttons for service dress were adopted by officers of 97th Field Rgt. These were flat, gilt, and engraved with the white horse of Kent over a scroll inscribed 'INVICTA' over the letters KY. Brass KY shoulder titles were worn on battledress by all ranks, and while in the Middle East officers wore a khaki drill slip-on shoulder strap below the rank badges with KY embroidered in white. An embroidered regimental arm badge consisting of the white horse on a black diamond was worn on the right arm by all ranks. The buttons, shoulder titles and arm badge continued to be worn after the war by 297th LAA Rgt until conversion to RAC in 1961.

Battle Honours

The Kent Yeomanry was the custodian of the battle honours of The Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles and The West Kent Yeomanry.
;Second World War
The Royal Artillery was present in nearly all battles and would have earned most of the honours awarded to cavalry and infantry regiments. In 1833, William IV awarded the motto Ubique in place of all battle honours.