North Irish Horse - Ulster’S Cavalry

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The History of the North Irish Horse
The Formation of the North Irish Horse
The problems revealed by the Boer War were recognised and among the initial steps taken to remedy the deficiencies was the enactment of the Militia and Yeomanry Act 1901. This Act removed the restriction on the employment of an embodied Yeomanry outside the United Kingdom. It altered the conditions of enlistment, discipline and service and authorised the raising of new Yeomanry Regiments. If decreed that rifles would be issued in lieu of carbines and that swords and lances would be carried only on ceremonial occasions. The Raising of the North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry and the South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry resulted directly from these decisions. King Edward VII approved the formation of both Regiments on 20th December 1901 and the decision was transmitted to the Duke of Connaught, The General Officer Commanding Ireland, HRH Prince Arthur on 31st December 1901. This was gazetted on 7th January 1902.
The Beginnings of the Regiment and Years of the Great War
Recruiting did not start until February 1903 and four Squadrons were raised in spring of that year. The Honorary Colonel was the Duke of Abercorn, the Commanding Officer was the Earl of Shaftsbury – then aged 33 and the Second-in-command was the Marquis of Hamilton. RHQ and A Squadron were located in Skegoneill Avenue, Belfast close to the present-day Squadron in Dunmore Park Camp. B Squadron was in Londonderry, C Squadron in Enniskillen and D Squadron in Dundalk. The first training camp was in Blackrock Camp, Dundalk, in 1903 from 28th July to 10th August, the Regiment being organised into two composite Squadrons due to low numbers. Thereafter, camps were held every third year at the Curragh and other years at Ballykinler, Dundrum or Milligan or Bundoran. The Regiment was inspected annually by the Inspector-General of Cavalry.
The North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry became the North Irish Horse on 1st September 1908 becoming Special Cavalry Reserve in July of that year. This meant that North Irish Horse Officers and Soldiers were at a higher state of readiness to mobilise in the event of War that there Territorial Force counterparts and were thus paid at a slightly higher rate. Annual camp was extended to 24 days with one Squadron (6 Officers and 134 other ranks) on 48hr stand-by, designated as Expeditionary Squadron.
In December 1912 the Earl of Shaftsbury relinquished command and succeeded Duke of Abercorn, on his death in 1913 as Honorary Colonel held the appointment until 1946. On 4th August 1914 at the outbreak of war, the North Irish Horse received mobilisation orders and the Expeditionary Squadron, which became A Squadron, commanded by Major Lord Cole left Ulster on 7th August, proceeding to Dublin where they sailed to Le Havre in France, arriving on 19th August. The North Irish Horse were the very first non-Regular British troops in France, they immediately became GHQ troops attached to General Sir John French’s Headquarters at Le Cateau. A second Squadron commanded by Major Lord Massereene & Ferrard DSO, to become C Squadron was rapidly formed and arrived at Le Harve on 22nd August. From there they acted as rearguard to 4 Division in the retreat of Mons before being attached to 5 Division.
Regimental Headquarters moved to Antrim and proceeded to enlist and train personnel for further Squadrons and reinforcements. Three more Squadrons went to France as Divisional Cavalry Squadrons, sailing to respectively on 3rd May 1915 and 17th November 1915 and 11th January 1916. In June 1916 three Squadrons, A, D and E, were formed into one Regiment, this Regiment was commanded by the newly promoted Lt Col Viscount Cole. Two Squadrons, B and C, together with the Divisional Cavalry Squadron of the 36th (Ulster) Division, the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, were formed into a second Regiment. On 20th September 1917, the second Regiment became dismounted and became the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria’s Own) of the 36th (Ulster) Division. Both Regiments played a significant role in bringing the defeat of the Kaiser’s German forces and the end of the Great War. The total number of personnel of the North Irish Horse who served during the Great War was 70 Officers and 1, 931 other ranks, of whom 27 Officers and 123 other ranks were killed. Amongst many decorations for bravery was one Victoria Cross, awarded posthumously to Lt Col. Richard Annesley West for his actions at Courcelles and Vraicourt Manor. The South Irish Horse was disbanded at the end of July 1922 on the establishment of the Irish Free State.
The Second World War and into Armoured Legend
Early in 1939 approaches were made to the War Office to see, if they would, consider re-embodying the North Irish Horse as an armoured car Regiment. In 1939, the Prime Minister announced in Westminster that the North Irish Horse would be reconstituted: a simultaneous announcement was made in Stormont. The War Office authorised re-constitution on 30th August. On 11th September 1939, a special Army order was issued approving the transfer of the North Irish Horse from the Corps of Cavalry of the Line to the Royal Armoured Corps, establishing it as a Light Armoured Regiment of the Supplementary Reserve. On 15th September 1939 a recruiting office was opened in Belfast. Major Sir Ronald Ross Bt MC MP was appointed Commanding Officer and Major, the Earl of Erne as Second-in-command.
The Regiment moved to Enniskillen in November and recruiting proceeded. Sir Ronald Ross relinquished command following a severe illness. The Regiment sustained its first casualty in May 1940, when Major the Earl of Erne was killed in the Battle of France whilst on attachment to the 12th Lancers. In June 1940 the Regiment was ordered to Portrush for coastal defence work which was carried out with 1920 vintage Rolls Royce armoured cars and modern Humber reconnaissance vehicles. The battle role was changed from an Armoured Car Regiment to an Infantry Tank Unit and in July 1941, on moving to Ballykinler Camp, training commenced on Valentine Tanks. In October 1941 the North Irish Horse moved to England where it was equipped with the new Churchill tanks. Following intensive training in Wiltshire an anti-invasion role was undertaken in Norfolk and Suffolk.
In January 1943, under the command of Lt Col David Dawnay, the Regiment as part of 25 Tank Brigade sailed for Algeria as part of Operation Torch. It joined First Army in Tunisia and on arrival was hurriedly rushed forward to Hunt’s Gap and Sedjanane and played a central role in halting the Wehrmacht’s northern offensive. The North Irish Horse played a prominent part in all ensuing battles, culminating in being the first allied tanks to enter and liberate Tunis on 8th May. The first formidable German Tiger tank to be destroyed by the allies was commanded by Lt Hern (Latterly Her Majesty’s Race Horse Trainer) of the North Irish Horse. The Tiger tank had previously been able to engage British tanks at extended ranges and military analysts were eager to investigate the strengths and probe for the weaknesses of this superb tank.
The German and Italian forces surrendered on 13th May 1943 with 250, 000 prisoners being taken. The assault on Longstop Hill was perhaps the most outstanding exploit of the North Africa campaign. The involved Churchill tanks climbing and engaging fortified defensive positions on a hill the size of Slieve Donard, 850ms above sea-level. The German defenders commented on how impossible they thought this feat would have been until they witnessed it happening. This established the Churchill as a magnificent fighting vehicle in the Infantry support role. In April 1944, the Regiment under the command of Lord O’Neill joined the British Eighth Army in Italy. The first action was in support of the 1st Canadian Division in a frontal attack on the Hitler Line, a defensive barrier which included the Monastery at Monte Casino in the Liri Valley.
The line was pierced and heavy casualties were inflicted upon the enemy, but in the process the Canadian infantry suffered grievously with support from the North Irish Horse also having a heavy cost. The North Irish Horse lost 36 Officers and men killed and 36 wounded, as well as the loss of 32 tanks. In appreciation of the support they received, the Canadian Government awarded the Regiment the honour of wearing the Maple Leaf. This remains as the only Governmental awarded battle honour in the British Army and is worn on No2. Service Dress No1 Dress and Mess Dress of the Officers and Senior ranks. Sadly, on 24th October, the Commanding Officer, Lt Col, Lord Shane O’Neill was killed.
Following the breaking of the Hitler Line, the Regiment took its part in pursuing the enemy. It played a vital role in the slower advance against fierce opposition to the River Arno south of Florence. The transfer of the Eighth Army to the Adriatic Coast in August was followed by the successful battle to break through the Gothic Line, a defensive line that the Germans had planned to hold throughout the ensuing winter months. The autumn was spent in the relentless fight to reach the River Lamone, in atrocious weather and inhospitable country. Lt Col. LLewellan-Palmer DSO MC assumed command in early November. The Regiment was transferred to 21 Tank Brigade, commanded by Brigadier David Dawnay DSO in December and was responsible for holding the Army’s right flank until the starting of the spring offensive. In the final advance, which resulted in the total German surrender in Italy, the Regiments tanks were the first to reach the River Po.
When the Regiment formed in 1939, it consisted largely of men from Ulster, with a good sprinkling of men from the south of Ireland. As the war progressed it embraced men from most parts of the British Isles and a few from much farther afield. Some came by choice, others by random direction of a vast war machine, but war-time comradeship welded by battle and Regimental pride lasted long beyond hostilities and encouraged the growth of a strong Regimental Association. Casualties during the North African and Italian campaigns included 9 Officers and 64 other ranks killed. There are memorial windows to the dead of both wars in the entrance chamber of Belfast City Hall.
The Post-War Years and Onwards into the Future
In 1947 the North Irish Horse was reconstituted as an Armoured Car Regiment once again, this time in the Territorial Army, equipped with Daimler Armoured and Dingo Scout Cars. Recruitment remained all over Northern Ireland with TA centres in Belfast, Londonderry, Lurgan, Ballymoney and Enniskillen. The North Irish Horse survived the major re-organisation of the TA in 1956 and 1961 and from 1961 to 1967 it was one of the few Armoured Car Regiments to be retained. The Territorial Army was comprehensively re-organised in 1967 and a new Yeomanry Regiment, the Royal Yeomanry was formed based on former Regiments who had the best record for recruitment, efficiency and commitment. This saw the North Irish Horse reduced from Regimental to Squadron strength, becoming D Squadron of the RY. The new Regiment was equipped with Saladin Armoured Cars, Ferret Scout Cars and Saracen personnel carriers. These vehicles were superseded by Fox Armoured vehicles.
In 1993 after ‘Options for change’ the North Irish Horse lost its place in the Royal Yeomanry and became an independent Light Recce Squadron, equipped with Land Rovers and under the command of 107 (Ulster) Brigade. In November 1998 the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) took place. This moved the North Irish Horse as a light role independent race Squadron, into the Queen’s Own Yeomanry, initially as a support Squadron equipped with CVR(T) Spartan and latterly as a Sabre Squadron equipped with both CVR(T) Scimitars and Spartan. From 2003 and the outbreak of war in Iraq to the end of the Task Force Helmand campaign in Afghanistan, the North Irish Horse has had 54 deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans and UK. This tops the Regimental deployments within the Queen’s Own Yeomanry and testament to the legacy of dedication the North Irish Horse in known for.
The future heralds another Regimental move, this time out of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry and becoming part of a new Regiment with a Scottish alliance. This is to be titled the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry. The specific role of the North Irish Horse is also to change and revert back from the armoured role to becoming Light Cavalry Reserve, equipped with R-WMIK Land Rovers sporting Browning 50 Cal, heavy machine guns and the ever reliable General Purpose Machine Guns – GPMG. There appears much opportunity for the North Irish Horse to continue to prosper with both a new Regimental identity and operational role. The one consistency will always be the tenacity, good-humour and professionalism of those in the North Irish Horse.