The Great War

Oxfordshire Yeomanry Units which served in The Great War

1/1st Oxfordshire Yeomanry, Territorial Force. 04 August 1914 serving as part of the 2nd South Midlands Mounted Brigade at:

Headquarters - Oxford

A Squadron - Oxford

B Squadron - Woodstock

C Squadron - Henley-on-Thames

D Squadron - Banbury.

In August 1914 the unit moved to Reading, brigade coming under orders of 1st Mounted Division. By 15 August the brigade had moved to Norfolk.

On 29 August 1914 the brigade moved to Churn, Oxfordshire and brigade transferred to 2nd Mounted Division.

The Regiment was detached from 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade and became attached to the Royal Naval Division. They were sent to Dunkirk, France on the 19th September 1914. In so doing, the regiment became the first Territorial unit to embark for a theatre of war and the first to see action.

On 31 October 1914 the regiment joined 2nd Cavalry Brigade in 1st Cavalry Division.

On 11 November 1914 the regiment transferred to 4th Cavalry Brigade in 2nd Cavalry Division.

2/1st Oxfordshire Yeomanry, Territorial Force. Formed at Oxford in Jan 1915. Joined the 2/2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade.

The Regiment was based in King's Lynn from early 1915 until June 1916 when there was a steady move of troops towards France. Initially set to join a Cyclist unit, but this got changed to the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (OBLI). Around 10% of the 200 men transferred had met with their deaths within a couple of weeks after going over the top with the 6th OBLI at Le Transloy (part of the Battle of the Somme), France.

3/1st Oxfordshire Yeomanry, Territorial Force. Formed at Oxford in 1915. Joined the 8th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry at the Curragh in Ireland. In 1917, it became the 2nd Reserve Regiment of Cavalry at the Curragh, Ireland. There are records of aged members of the OY being stationed at Lowestoft towards the end of the war.

Seventeen reserve regiments were formed when the army mobilised in August 1914. Most of them had two or more of the active cavalry regiments affiliated to them and the intention was for the reserve to supply drafts to the affiliated regiments. In June 1915 the 3rd Line regiments of the Yeomanry (the training units of the cavalry of the Territorial Force) were also affiliated with these reserve regiments. There was a major reorganisation in early 1917, reducing the number of regiments.