Westminster Dragoons Imperial Yeomanry Regiment Cap Badge

Guaranteed original. Complete & intact. This is an original Westminster Dragoons Imperial Yeomanry Regiment Cap Badge for sale. In good condition. Please see our other items for more original WW1, WW2 & post war British military cap badges for sale including other Westminster Dragoons Imperial Yeomanry Regiment cap badges.

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The Westminster Dragoons were formed in 1901 as the 2nd County of London Yeomanry, to meet the need identified during the Second Boer War for a body of trained mounted infantry. The unit was from the start a smart regiment filled with wealthy gentlemen from the City and the West End. Their attitude and attire was such that, as they strutted across West London, members became known as the ‘Piccadilly Peacocks’. The unit’s first officers were posted to the WDs from the 1st Royal Dragoons, one of the forerunners of the Blues and Royals; one of the first troop leaders was the Maharajah Shri Raj Rajeshwar. They brought with them the Royals’ then-current capbadge, which was later adopted by Colonels and Brigadiers, which is why, until a common Royal Yeomanry cap badge was adopted in 2006, young WD officers often found themselves amused at being saluted by officers of higher rank. The WD stable belt (worn in barracks) bears the Royal racing colours – the imperial hues of purple, gold and scarlet as a result of the personal friendship of its first commanding officer, Colonel Charles Burn, with King Edward VII. Even at this time the WDs were at the forefront of using new equipment, being the second unit in the British army to be equipped with mobile wireless. In 1910 Lord Howard de Walden presented two Marconi pack sets to the Westminster Dragoons, the first sets in the army being those of the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry.

In 1914, the regiment consisted of four squadrons and was Headquartered at Elverton Street, Westminster, attached to the London Mounted Brigade for training. The First World War broke out while the WDs were on annual camp and they were immediately mobilised. The regiment was posted to Egypt, arriving at Alexandria on 25 September 1914, thereby being one of the first Yeomanry regiments to go overseas on active service. On 19 January 1915 they joined the 1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry to form the Yeomanry Mounted Brigade. The brigade joined the 2nd Mounted Division on 13 August and was redesignated as 5th (Yeomanry) Mounted Brigade. It was dismounted to take part in the Gallipoli Campaign the regiment left a squadron headquarters and two troops (about 100 officers and men) in Egypt to look after the horses. The regiment landed at “A” Beach, Suvla Bay on 18 August and moved into reserve positions at Lala Baba on the night of 20 August. On 21 August it advanced to Chocolate Hill and was in reserve for the attacks on Scimitar Hill and Hill 112.

Due to losses during the Battle of Scimitar Hill and wastage during August 1915, the 2nd Mounted Division had to be reorganised. On 4 September 1915, the 1st Composite Mounted Brigade was formed from 1st (1st South Midland), 2nd (2nd South Midland) and 5th (Yeomanry) Mounted Brigades. Each dismounted brigade formed a battalion sized unit, hence the regiment was amalgamated with the Hertfordshire Yeomanry to form 5th Yeomanry Regiment. 5th Yeomanry Regiment left Suvla on 31 October 1915 for Mudros. It left Mudros on 27 November, arrived Alexandria on 1 December and went to Mena Camp, Cairo. The brigade left the 2nd Mounted Division on 7 December, was reformed and remounted, and joined the Western Frontier Force. The Yeomanry Mounted Brigade was broken up by March 1916, and the regiment was attached to the 6th Mounted Brigade, still in the Western Frontier Force. As they were the first formed body of troops to enter Jerusalem, they bear the liberation of that city as a battle honour. See General Allenby’s account of the fall of Jerusalem and Battle of Jerusalem (1917). In April 1918, the regiment left XX Corps and was reformed as F Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. F Battalion, MGC was posted to France, arriving on 1 June 1918. On 19 August 1918 it was renumbered as 104th (Westminster Dragoons) Battalion, Machine Gun Corps. They remained on the Western Front for the rest of the war. At the Armistice, it was serving as Army Troops with the Second Army.

Please see our other items for more original WW1, WW2 & post war British military cap badges for sale including other Westminster Dragoons Imperial Yeomanry Regiment cap badges.