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Regiments / The West Yorkshire Regiment [NA]/[EU]
« on: October 19, 2015, 05:36:34 am »The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
Formation:
The regiment was raised by Sir Edward Hales in 1685, by order of King James II. One of the nine new regiments of foot, raised to meet the Monmouth rebellion it was termed Hales's Regiment. The regiment served in Flanders between 1693 and 1696 and gained its first battle honour at Namur in 1695. In 1694 the regiment took precedence as the 14th Regiment of Foot.
1715 saw the regiment moved to Scotland to fight the Jacobite Rebellion. In 1727 the regiment played a major part in defending Gibraltar against the Spanish, where it remained garrisoned for the next 15 years. 1745 saw the regiment in Flanders fighting at Fontenoy before being recalled to Scotland to fight '45 Rebellion. Fighting at Falkirk and Culloden, becoming the 14th of Foot in 1751. The regiment returned to Gibraltar in 1751 for another 8-year stay. In 1759, when stationed at Windsor, it was granted royal permission to wear the White Horse of Hanover signifying the favour of the King.
In 1768, the regiment under Lieutenant Colonel William Dalrymple, arrived in Boston via Halifax, during the crisis surrounding the Townshend Acts. In a show of force, the 14th and 29th were marched though the town to erect a tent city on Boston Common. Detachments of the two regiments were sent to take possession of Faneuil Hall, the "unofficial" headquarters of the Sons of Liberty where they seized all of the firearms stored there.
In 1782 the 14th was named The 14th (Bedfordshire) Regiment. The arrival of the French Revolution and the subsequent French invasion of the Low Countries caused troops to be sent to protect trade interests. The 14th gained its second battle honour around Lille. In 1793 at the battle of Famars in Flanders the 14th became the only regiment ever to win its regimental march in battle, the French revolutionary song “Ça Ira”. They returned to England in 1795, then the Regiment was posted to the West Indies where it was on duty until 1803. In February 1797 the regiment participated in the bloodless invasion of Trinidad.
World War 1:
World War I saw numerous battalions of The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) serving at Neuve-Chappelle, Loos, the Somme, Passchendaele, Ypres, Marne, Arras, Cambrai and Gallipoli. At its peak The West Yorkshire Regiment numbered 37 battalions, 66 Battle Honours were bestowed and four Victoria Crosses were awarded.
The four TF battalions formed the West Yorkshire Brigade, which mobilised as 146 Brigade, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division on the outbreak of World War I and served in France 1915–18. They raised duplicate battalions (2/5th, 2/6th, 2/7th, 2/8th) that constituted 185 Bde in 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division, which also served in France 1917–18. In 1915 they formed further reserve battalions (3/5th, 3/6th, 3/7th, 3/8th) that served in the British Isles.
BATTLE HONOURS
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