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West Yorkshire Regiment
Cap badgeof the regiment
Active1685–1958
CountryKingdom of England(1685–1707)
Kingdom of Great Britain(1707–1800)
United Kingdom(1801–1958)
BranchBritish Army
TypeLine Infantry
Size1–3 Regular Battalions

Up to 2MilitiaandSpecial ReserveBattalions
Up to 4TerritorialandVolunteerBattalions

Up to 23 Hostilities-only Battalions
RHQBradford Moor Barracks(1873–1878)
Imphal Barracks,York(1878–1958)
Nickname(s)The Old and Bold
Calvert's Entire
The Powos[1]
Motto(s)Nec Aspera Terrent
(Latin:Difficulties do not daunt)[2]
MarchÇa Ira
AnniversariesImphal(22 June)
EngagementsNamur
Fontenoy
Falkirk
Culloden
Brandywine

TheWest Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)(14th Foot) was aninfantryregimentof theBritish Army.In 1958 it amalgamated with theEast Yorkshire Regiment(15th Foot) to form thePrince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshirewhich was, on 6 June 2006, amalgamated with theGreen Howardsand theDuke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)to form theYorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot).

History[edit]

Formation to 1776[edit]

Soldier of 14th regiment, 1742

The regiment was raised by SirEdward Halesin response to the 1685Monmouth Rebellion.[3]Following the 1688Glorious Revolutionand deposition ofJames II,Hales was replaced as colonel by William Beveridge; after serving in Scotland, the unit was sent toFlandersin 1693, and gained its firstbattle honouratNamurin 1695.[4]

After the 1697Treaty of Ryswick,the regiment served in Ireland until 1715, when it moved toScotlandto take part in the1715 Jacobite Rising.It fought atGlen Shielin 1719, before returning to England.[5]Posted toGibraltarin 1727 during the1727 Siege,it served there as part of the garrison for the next 15 years.[6]

During theWar of the Austrian Succession,it fought atFontenoyin 1745, before being recalled to Scotland to suppress the1745 Rebellion,taking part in the battles ofFalkirkandCulloden.[7]Following the reforms of 1751, it became the 14th Regiment of Foot, then returned to Gibraltar for another 8-year stay.[8]In 1765, when stationed at Windsor, it was granted royal permission for the grenadiers to wear bearskin caps with theWhite Horse of Hanoversignifying the favour of the King.[9]

In 1766, the regiment leftPortsmouthforNorth Americaand was stationed inNova Scotia.[10]

American War of Independence[edit]

Although part of the city garrison, the 14th was not involved in theBoston Massacre.Captain Thomas (29th Foot) was the officer of the day in charge of the duty detail (29th of Foot) that faced the crowds outside of the Customs House. The crowd that gathered began taunting the detail until a shot, then volley was fired into the crowd, three civilians were killed outright and two more died later. Captain Preston and the detail went to trial and were successfully defended by LawyerJohn Adamsthus ending tensions between the crown and the citizens of Boston for the time being.[11]

Regimental colours, 1845

The 14th remained in Boston until 1772, when it was sent toSt Vincentin the Caribbean to help suppress amaroonrebellion. By 1774, losses caused by fighting and disease meant it was scheduled to return to England; due to the rising tensions in the colonies, it was instead redeployed piecemeal toSt. Augustine, FloridaandProvidence Islandin theBahamas.[10]

In January 1776, the 14th was part of the amphibious expedition that took part in theburning of Norfolk, Virginia.[12]In August, the fleet returned to New York, where the remnants of the 14th were used to supplement other units, while its officers went back to Britain to recruit a new regiment.[13]

In 1777, one company each from the newly formed 14th and the15thregiments were sent to America under ColonelPatrick Fergusonto test the concept of therifle company.These fought at thebattle of Brandywineon 11 September; after returning to England, they became thelight companiesof their respective regiments.[14]

The French Wars[edit]

In 1782, the 14th was namedThe 14th (Bedfordshire) Regiment.The outbreak of theFrench Revolutionand the subsequent French invasion of the Low Countries led to a British force commanded by the Duke of York being sent to join troops of the Imperial Austrian army. The 14th distinguished themselves in numerous actions, at Famars and Valenciennes in 1793 and at Tournai in 1794, for which they were subsequently granted the battle honour 'Tournay'. At theBattle of Famars,in order to encourage the men, Lieutenant-ColonelWelbore Ellis Doyle,the commanding officer, ordered the band of the 14th to play the French revolutionary song “Ça Ira”.[15]

This was subsequently chosen as the Regimental march. In the final, unsuccessful attempt to check the French invasion of the Netherlands, the 14th also suffered heavy casualties in the hard-fought rearguard action at Geldermalsen on 8 January 1795. There followed the disastrous winter retreat into Germany. Returning to England the following May, the Regiment was then posted to the West Indies, where it was on duty until 1803. In February 1797, the regiment participated in the bloodlessinvasion of Trinidad.[16]

Regimental uniform, 1845

The outbreak of theNapoleonic Warsin 1803 led to the expansion of theBritish Army.The 14th formed a second battalion inBelfastin 1804, and a third battalion in 1813. The 1st Battalion spent much of the war on garrison duty in Bengal. In 1809, the Regiment was re-titledThe 14th (Buckinghamshire) Regiment.[17]The 1st Battalion served in India for 25 years until 1831. During this period, the 1st Battalion took part in campaigns against the French in Mauritius in 1810, and the Dutch in Java in 1811, with Java adding another Battle Honour.[18]

Between 1808 and 1809, the 2nd Battalion joined thePeninsular Armyand gained theBattle honourCorunna.[19]The 2nd Battalion saw service in theWalcheren Campaignand was disbanded in 1817.[20]The 3rd Battalion fought at theBattle of Waterlooin 1815; it was disbanded in 1816.[21]

The Victorian era[edit]

The 14th was then posted to the West Indies, Canada and Malta. In 1855, the Regiment served in theCrimean war.In 1876, thePrince of Walespresented new Colours to the 1st Battalion and conferred on the 14th the honoured title ofThe Prince of Wales's Own.A second battalion was again raised in 1858 and took part in theNew Zealand Warsand theSecond Anglo-Afghan War.[22]

British lines (Buckinghamshire Regiment) under fire. Illustration to theCrimean Warby James E. Alexander.

The regiment was not fundamentally affected by theCardwell Reformsof the 1870s, which gave it a depot atBradford Moor Barracksfrom 1873, or by theChilders reformsof 1881 – as it already possessed two battalions, there was no need for it to amalgamate with another regiment.[23]The regiment moved toImphal BarracksinYorkin 1878.[24]Under the reforms the regiment becameThe Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)on 1 July 1881.[25]

Between 1895 and 1896 the 2nd Battalion served in theGold Coastand took part in theFourth Ashanti War.[26]

Second Boer War[edit]

1899 saw the 2nd Battalion sent to theSecond Boer War 1899–1902in South Africa and after a number of engagements two members of the Battalion were awarded the Victoria Cross: Captain (later Colonel)Mansel-Jonesin February 1900,[27]and SergeantTraynorin February 1901.[28]The 4th (Militia) Battalion was embodied in December 1899, and 500 officers and men left for South Africa in February 1900.[29]The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Volunteer Battalions sent service companies to the Boer War and were granted the battle honourSouth Africa 1900–02.[30][31]

The 3rd (Militia) Battalion was embodied on 4 May 1900, and served 14 months atMaltabefore being stationed atChathamduring autumn 1901. The battalion disembodied on 1 October 1902.[32]

Early 20th century[edit]

In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming theTerritorial Forceand the latter theSpecial Reserve;[33]the regiment now had two Reserve and four Territorial battalions:

First World War[edit]

Memorial to the men of the 16th Battalion and the 18th Battalion of the regiment who died in the First World War

Regular Army[edit]

The 1st Battalion landed atSaint-Nazaireas part of the18th Brigadein the6th Divisionin September 1914 for service on theWestern Front.[34]The 2nd Battalion landed atLe Harveas part of the23rd Brigadein the8th Divisionin November 1914 also for service on the Western Front.[34]

Territorial Force[edit]

The 1/5th, 1/6th, 1/7th and 1/8th Battalions landed atBoulogne-sur-Meras part of theWest Riding Brigadein theWest Riding Divisionin April 1915 also for service on the Western Front.[34]The 2/5th, 2/6th, 2/7th and 2/8th Battalions landed at Le Havre as part of the185th (2/1st West Riding) Brigadein the62nd (2nd West Riding) Divisionin January 1917 also for service on the Western Front.[34]

New Armies[edit]

The 9th (Service) Battalion landed atSuvla BayinGallipolias part of the32nd Brigadein the11th (Northern) Divisionin August 1915; the battalion was evacuated from Gallipoli in January 1916 and landed inMarseillein July 1916 for service on the Western Front.[34]The 10th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the50th Brigadein the17th (Northern) Divisionin July 1915 for service on the Western Front.[34]The 11th (Service) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the69th Brigadein the23rd Divisionin August 1915 for service on the Western Front and then transferred to Italy in November 1917.[34]The 12th (Service) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the63rd Infantry Brigadein the21st Divisionin September 1915 also for service on the Western Front.[34]

Men of apioneerbattalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment, possibly the 21st (Service) Battalion (Wool Textile Pioneers), having a meal in a shell hole on the roadside nearYpres,Belgium,23 December 1917.

The 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Leeds), raised by the Lord Mayor and City ofLeeds,and the 16th (Service) Battalion (1st Bradford), raised by the Lord Mayor and City ofBradford,landed in Egypt as part of the93rd Brigadein the31st Divisionin December 1915 and then moved to France in March 1916 for service on the Western Front.[34]The 17th (Service) Battalion (2nd Leeds), raised by the Lord Mayor and City of Leeds, landed at Le Havre as part of the106th Brigadein the35th Divisionin February 1916 for service on the Western Front.[34]The 18th (Service) Battalion (2nd Bradford), raised by the Lord Mayor and City of Bradford, landed in Egypt as part of the93rd Brigadein the31st Divisionin December 1915 and then moved to France in March 1916 for service on the Western Front.[34]The 21st (Service) Battalion (Wool Textile Pioneers) landed in France aspioneerbattalion to the4th Divisionin June 1916 also for service on the Western Front.[34]

World War I Battalions[36]
Regular Territorial War Raised Reserve
1st Btn 5th Btn
  • 1/5th Btn (formed 1915, disembodied 1918)
  • 2/5th Btn (formed 1914, disembodied 1918)
  • 3/5th / 5th (Reserve) Btn (formed 1915, disbanded 1919)
 10th (Service) Btn (formed 1914, disbanded 1919) 3rd (2nd West York Light Infantry) (Reserve) Btn
2nd Btn 6th Btn
  • 1/6th Btn (formed 1915, disembodied 1920)
  • 6th (Reserve) Btn (formed 1915, absorbed in 1916)
 11th (Service) Btn (formed 1914, disbanded 1919) 4th (4th West Yorkshire Militia) (Extra Reserve) Btn
7th (Leeds Rifles) Btn
  • 1/7th Btn (formed 1915, disembodied 1919)
  • 2/7th (Leeds Rifles) Btn (formed 1914, Cadre 1918, absorbed in 1918)
  • 7th (Leeds Rifles) (Reserve) Btn (formed 1915, disbanded 1919)
 12th (Service) Btn (formed 1914, amalgamated in 1918) 19th (Reserve) Btn (formed 1915, transferred 1916 toTerritorial Reserve)
8th (Leeds Rifles) Btn(formed 1914)
  • 1/8th (Leeds Rifles) Btn (formed 1915, disembodied 1919)
  • 2/8th (Leeds Rifles) Btn (formed 1914, amalgamated in 1918)
  • 8th (Leeds Rifles) (Reserve) Btn (formed 1915, absorbed in 1919)
 14th (Reserve) Btn (formed 1914, disbanded 1916) 20th (Reserve) Btn (formed 1915, transferred 1916 toTerritorial Reserve)
9th (Yorkshire Hussars) Btn(formed 1914, disbanded 1919) 15th (1st Leeds) (Service) Btn (formed 1914, absorbed 1917) 22nd (Labour) Btn (formed 1916, transferred 1917 toLabour Corps)
16th (1st Bradford) (Service) Btn (formed 1914, disbanded 1918) 51st (Graduated) Btn (transferred in from Training Reserve 1917, became service btn 1919, disbanded 1919)
17th (2nd Leeds) (Service) Btn (formed 1914, absorbed 1917) 52nd (Graduated) Btn(transferred in from Training Reserve 1917, became service btn 1919, disbanded 1919)
18th (2nd Bradford) (Service) Btn (formed 1915, disbanded 1918) 53rd (Young Soldier) Btn (transferred in from Training Reserve 1917 (former 13th West Yorks), became service btn 1919, disbanded 1919)
21st (Wool Textile Pioneers) (Service) Btn (formed 1915, disbanded 1919) 1st Garrison Btn (formed 1915, disbanded 1920)
23rd (Service) Btn (formed 1918, absorbed 1918) 2nd (Home Service) Garrison Btn (formed 1916, transferred toRoyal Defence Corps1917)

Inter-war years[edit]

Governor and Commander-in-Chief of BermudaLieutenant-General SirLouis Bolstakes salute atProspect Campin 1930 (a Wing of the 1st Battalion was posted to theBermuda Garrisonfrom 1929 to 1931)
Men of the West Yorkshire Regiment and 10th Gurkha Rifles advance along the Imphal-Kohima road behindLee-Grant tanks,July 1944
Battalion HQ of 1st West Yorkshire Regiment in a temple near Meiktila, 28 February 1945.
Men of the West Yorkshire Regiment search Japanese dugouts in Meiktila, 28 February 1945.

In 1936 the8th (Leeds Rifles) Battaliontransferred to theRoyal Artilleryas 66th (Leeds Rifles, The West Yorkshire Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Brigade.[31][37]

In 1937, the 6th Battalion became49th (The West Yorkshire Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalionof theRoyal Engineers,converting to a searchlight regiment of the Royal Artillery in 1940.[30][38]

In April 1938, the7th (Leeds Rifles) Battalionconverted to the armoured role as45th (Leeds Rifles) Bn, Royal Tank Regiment.In June 1939, the company atMorleywas split off to form the cadre for a duplicate unit, the51st (Leeds Rifles) Bn, Royal Tank Regiment.[31][39]

Second World War[edit]

Both the 1st and 2nd battalions of the West Yorks served in theFar Eastthroughout theBurma Campaign,fighting in theBritish Fourteenth Army.The 2nd Battalion served with the9th Indian Infantry Brigadefrom November 1940.[40]

In 1942, 2/5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment was converted to armour, becoming113th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps.As with all infantry battalions converted in this way, they continued to wear their West Yorkshire cap badge on the black beret of the RAC.[41]

51st (Leeds Rifles) Royal Tank Regiment,formed as a 2nd Line duplicate of45th (Leeds Rifles) Royal Tank Regiment(previously the 7th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion of the West Yorks), served in25th Army Tank Brigadein the Italian campaign under the command ofBrigadierNoel Tetleyof the Leeds Rifles, who was the only Territorial Army RTR officer to command a brigade on active service. The regiment distinguished itself in support of the1st Canadian Infantry Divisionin the assault on theHitler Linein May 1944. At the request of the Canadians, 51 RTR adopted the Maple Leaf as an additional badge, which is still worn by its successors, the Leeds Detachment (Leeds Rifles), Imphal (PWO) Company, The East and West Riding Regiment.[39]

Postwar years[edit]

In 1948, the 1st and 2nd Battalions were amalgamated and were stationed in Austria. They then moved to Egypt and on to Malaya. After a tour of duty inNorthern Irelandin 1955–56, the 1st Battalion took part in theSuez Operationand was then stationed inDoveruntil the amalgamation in July 1958.[42]

In 1956, the merged 45th/51st (Leeds Rifles) RTR returned to the infantry role as 7th (Leeds Rifles) Bn West Yorkshire Regt and in 1961 it re-absorbed the 466th (Leeds Rifles) Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, RA, to form The Leeds Rifles, The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire.[31]

Regimental Museum[edit]

The regimental collection is held by the York Army Museum which is based at theTower Street drill hallinYork.[43]

Battle honours[edit]

The regiment's battle honours were as follows:[17]

  • Namur 1695, Tournay, Corunna, India, Java, Waterloo, Bhurtpore, Sevastopol, New Zealand, Afghanistan 1879–80, Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1899–1902 (South Africa 1900–02 for Volunteer Battalions)
  • The Great War [31 battalions]:Aisne 1914 '18, Armentières 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers, Hooge 1915, Loos, Somme 1916 '18, Albert 1916 '18, Bazentin, Pozières, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Thiepval, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, Arras 1917 '18, Scarpe 1917 '18, Bullecourt, Hill 70, Messines 1917 '18, Ypres 1917 '18, Pilckem, Langemarck 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Rosières, Villers Bretonneux, Lys, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Marne 1918, Tardenois, Amiens, Bapaume 1918, Drocourt-Quéant, Hindenburg Line, Havrincourt, Épéhy, Canal du Nord, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914–18, Piave, Vittorio Veneto, Italy 1917–18, Suvla, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1915–16
  • The Second World War:North-West Europe 1940, Jebel Dafeis, Keren, Ad Teclesan, Abyssinia 1940–41, Cauldron, Defence of Alamein Line, North Africa 1940–42, Pegu 1942, Yenangyaung 1942, North Arakan, Maungdaw, Defence of Sinzweya, Imphal, Bishenpur, Kanglatongbi, Meiktila, Capture of Meiktila, Defence of Meiktila, Rangoon Road, Pyawbwe, Sittang 1945, Burma 1942–45
  • 7th Bn (Leeds Rifles) wore a Maple Leaf badge in commemoration of the assault on the Adolf Hitler Line, and bore the badge of the Royal Tank Regiment with dates '1942–45' and two scrolls inscribed 'North Africa' and 'Italy' as an honorary distinction on the colours and appointments.[44]

Victoria Crosses[edit]

The following members of the Regiment were awarded theVictoria Cross:

Colonels-in-Chief[edit]

Colonels of the Regiment[edit]

Colonels of the regiment included:[17]

14th Regiment of Foot[edit]

14th (Bedfordshire) Regiment of Foot[edit]

14th (Buckinghamshire) Regiment[edit]

The 14th (Buckinghamshire) Prince of Wales's Own Regiment[edit]

The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)[edit]

The West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own)[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Farmer, John S. (1984).The Regimental Records of the British Army.Bristol: Crecy Books. p. 105.ISBN0 947554 03 3.
  2. ^Pine, L G (1983).A Dictionary of mottoes.London: Routledge & K. Paul. p. 146.ISBN0-7100-9339-X.
  3. ^Cannon, p. 10
  4. ^Cannon, p. 17
  5. ^Cannon, p. 22
  6. ^Cannon, p. 26
  7. ^Cannon, pp.28-29
  8. ^Cannon, p. 31
  9. ^Cannon, p. 32
  10. ^abCannon, p. 34
  11. ^Knollenberg, pp. 76–78
  12. ^Russell 2000,p. 74.
  13. ^"Battle of Brandywine"(PDF).Retrieved14 March2016.
  14. ^"Major Patrick Ferguson, Inspector of Militia".Retrieved14 March2016.
  15. ^Cannon, p. 40
  16. ^Cannon, p. 57
  17. ^abc"The West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own)".Regiments.org. Archived fromthe originalon 4 January 2006.Retrieved13 March2016.
  18. ^Cannon, p. 68
  19. ^Cannon, p. 63
  20. ^Cannon, p. 65
  21. ^Cannon, p. 74
  22. ^"Regiments involved in the Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878–1880".Garen Ewing.Retrieved14 March2016.
  23. ^"Training Depots 1873–1881".Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 10 February 2006.Retrieved16 October2016.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)The depot was the 10th Brigade Depot from 1873 to 1881, and the 14th Regimental District depot thereafter
  24. ^"A History of Imphal Barracks"(PDF).Ministry of Defence.Retrieved29 March2014.
  25. ^"No. 24992".The London Gazette.1 July 1881. pp. 3300–3301.
  26. ^Joslin; Litherland; Simpkin (1988).British Battles and Medals.Spink, London. p. 180.
  27. ^"No. 27214".The London Gazette.27 July 1900. p. 4653.
  28. ^"No. 27356".The London Gazette.17 September 1901. p. 6101.
  29. ^"The War – Embarcation of Troops".The Times.No. 36070. London. 20 February 1900. p. 8.
  30. ^abc"6th Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment".Regiments.org. Archived fromthe originalon 27 December 2005.Retrieved13 March2016.
  31. ^abcde"The Leeds Rifles".Regiments.org. Archived fromthe originalon 26 December 2005.Retrieved13 March2016.
  32. ^"Naval & Military intelligence".The Times.No. 36882. London. 25 September 1902. p. 8.
  33. ^"Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).31 March 1908.Retrieved20 June2017.
  34. ^abcdefghijklm"The West Yorkshire Regiment".The Long, Long Trail.Retrieved13 March2016.
  35. ^abc"Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)".Orbat. Archived fromthe originalon 16 October 2005.Retrieved13 March2016.
  36. ^Frederick 1984,pp. 177–80
  37. ^"66 (Leeds Rifles)(W Yorks Rgt) Heavy AA Regt RA (TA)".Blue Yonder. Archived fromthe originalon 18 February 2011.Retrieved13 March2016.
  38. ^"49 (W Yorks Regt) Searchlight Regiment RA (TA)".Blue Yonder. Archived fromthe originalon 7 January 2009.Retrieved13 March2016.
  39. ^ab"45th (Leeds Rifles) Royal Tank Corps (TA)".Yorkshire Volunteers. Archived fromthe originalon 21 July 2006.Retrieved13 March2016.
  40. ^"9th Indian Infantry Brigade".Orders of Battle.Retrieved14 March2016.
  41. ^Forty p. 51.
  42. ^"West Yorkshire Regiment".British Army units 1945 on.Retrieved14 March2016.
  43. ^"The York Army Museum wins Heritage Lottery Fund support".9 December 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 17 December 2017.Retrieved16 December2017.
  44. ^Army List1959

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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