page_title: Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
section_title: First World War
hierarchical_section_title: Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry / History / First World War
caption_attribution_description: English: Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone in Rose Hill Cemetery, Cowley, Oxfordshire to Pte A Greenfield, Royal Wilts Yeomanry, who died in 1919
context_page_description: The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom established in 1794. It was disbanded as an independent Territorial Army unit in 1967, a time when the strength of the Territorial Army was greatly reduced. The regiment lives on in B and Y Squadrons of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.
  The regiment took part in the Second Boer War as part of the Imperial Yeomanry. In the First World War, it fought on the Western Front, but saw relatively little action as horsed cavalry. After conversion to infantry, it fought in the trenches, notably during 3rd Ypres in 1917 and during the German Spring Offensive in 1918.
  In the Second World War, the regiment fought in the Middle East, seeing action in Syria against Vichy French forces, as well as operations in Iraq and Iran. It then joined 9th Armoured Brigade, seeing action in North Africa and Italy. With this formation, it took part in the Second Battle of El Alamein, spearheading the break-out of the 2nd New Zealand Division during Operation Supercharge on 2 November 1942.
context_section_description: In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw. 7, c.9) which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service. Therefore, TF units were split in August and September 1914 into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. Later, a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments.
caption: CWGC headstone in Rose Hill Cemetery, Cowley, Oxfordshire of an RWY private who died in 1919 six months after the Armistice
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