Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units and sub-units in the British Army Reserve which are descended from volunteer cavalry regiments that now serve in a variety of different roles.

History

Origins
In the 1790s, following the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, the perceived threat of invasion of the Kingdom of Great Britain was high. To improve the country's defences, Volunteer regiments were raised in many counties from yeomen. While the word "yeoman" in normal use meant a small farmer who owned his land, Yeomanry officers were drawn from the nobility or the landed gentry, and many of the men were the officers' tenants or had other forms of obligation to the officers. At its formation, the force was referred to as the Yeomanry Cavalry. Members of the yeomanry were not obliged to serve overseas without their individual consent.

Early 19th century
During the first half of the nineteenth century, Yeomanry Regiments were used extensively in support of the civil authority to quell riots and civil disturbances, including the Peterloo Massacre; as police forces were created and took over this role, the Yeomanry concentrated on local defence. In 1827, it was decided for financial reasons to reduce the number of yeomanry regiments, disbanding those that had not been required to assist the civil power over the previous decade. A number of independent troops were also dissolved. Following these reductions, the yeomanry establishment was fixed at 22 corps (regiments) receiving allowances and a further 16 serving without pay.

During the 1830s, the number of yeomanry units fluctuated, reflecting the level of civil unrest in any particular region at any particular time. The Irish Yeomanry, which had played a major role in suppressing the rebellion of 1798, was completely disbanded in 1838.

Mid and late 19th century
For the next thirty years, the Yeomanry Force was retained as a second line of support for the regular cavalry within Britain. Recruiting difficulties led to serious consideration being given to the disbandment of the entire force in 1870, but instead measures were taken the following year to improve its effectiveness. These included requirements that individual yeomanry troopers attend a minimum number of drills per year in return for a "permanent duty" allowance, and that units be maintained at a specific strength. Yeomanry officers and permanent drill instructors were required to undergo training at a newly established School of Instruction and the Secretary of State for War took over responsibility for the force, from individual Lords Lieutenant of counties. While these reforms improved the professionalism of the Yeomanry Force, numbers remained low (only 10,617 in 1881).

In 1876, the role of the Yeomanry Force was fixed as that of light cavalry. During the previous decades, horse artillery troops had been raised to be attached to a number of yeomanry regiments and dismounted detachments appeared where horses were not available in sufficient numbers. These supernumerary units were now abolished.

Boer War

During the Second Boer War, companies of Imperial Yeomanry were formed to serve overseas from volunteers from the Yeomanry. In 1901, all yeomanry regiments were redesignated as "Imperial Yeomanry", and reorganised. In 1908, the Imperial Yeomanry was merged with the Volunteer Force to form the Territorial Force, of which it became the cavalry arm. The "Imperial" title was dropped at the same time.

World War I and later
On the eve of World War I in 1914, there were 55 Yeomanry regiments (with two more formed in August 1914), each of four squadrons instead of the three of the regular cavalry. Upon embodiment, these regiments were either brought together to form mounted brigades or allocated as divisional cavalry. For purposes of recruitment and administration, the Yeomanry were linked to specific counties or regions, identified in the regimental title. Some of the units still in existence in 1914 dated back to those created in the 1790s, while others had been created during a period of expansion following on the Boer War.

After the First World War, the Territorial Force was disbanded and later reformed and redesignated as the Territorial Army. Following the experience of the war, only the fourteen senior yeomanry regiments retained their horses, with the rest being re-designated as armoured car companies, artillery, engineers, or signals. Two regiments were disbanded. The converted units retained their yeomanry traditions, with some artillery regiments having individual batteries representing different yeomanry units.

World War II
On the eve of the Second World War in 1939, the Territorial Army was doubled in size, with duplicate units formed; this led to some regiments being de-amalgamated. The last mounted regiment of yeomanry was the Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons, who were converted to an armoured role in March 1942, and later converted into an infantry battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry—KOYLI. Volunteers from the Yeomanry served in the Long Range Desert Group from 1940 through to 1943, incorporated into "Y Patrol".

Post-war
There were reductions in the size of the TA in both 1957 and 1961, which led to the amalgamation of some pairs of yeomanry regiments. There was a major reduction in reserve forces in 1967 with the formation of the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve; all existing yeomanry regiments were reduced to squadron, company or battery sub-units. A number of further reorganisations have taken place since then.

Current Yeomanry regiments
In the current Army Reserve, several remnants of former Yeomanry regiments are still serving, usually as a sub-unit of a larger unit:

Royal Yeomanry
C&S (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron
A (Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry) Squadron
B (Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry) Squadron
C (Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry) Squadron (Croydon)
D (Shropshire Yeomanry) Squadron
E (Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry) Squadron
The Royal Yeomanry Band (Inns of Court & City Yeomanry)

Royal Wessex Yeomanry
B (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Squadron
A (Dorset Yeomanry) Squadron
C (Royal Gloucestershire Hussars) Squadron
D (Royal Devon Yeomanry) Squadron
Y (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Squadron

Queen's Own Yeomanry
A (Yorkshire Yeomanry) Squadron
B (Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry) Squadron
C (Cheshire Yeomanry) Squadron
C & S (Command and support) (Northumberland Hussars) Squadron

Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry
A (Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick's Own) Yeomanry) Squadron in Ayr
B (North Irish Horse) Squadron in Beflast and Coleraine
C (Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse) Squadron in Cupar
E (Lothians and Border Yeomanry) Squadron in Edinburgh

Other remnants of yeomanry units

Royal Signals
32 (Scottish) Signal Regiment
40 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron
37 Signal Regiment
54 (Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry) Support Squadron
39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment
93 (North Somerset Yeomanry) Support Squadron
94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron
71st (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment
31 (Middlesex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron
36 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron
68 (Inns of Court & City Yeomanry) Signal Squadron
265 (Kent and County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)) Support Squadron

Royal Artillery
104 Regiment Royal Artillery
C (Glamorgan Yeomanry) Troop
106 (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery
457 (Hampshire Carabiniers Yeomanry) Battery
295 (Hampshire Yeomanry) Battery

Army Air Corps
6 Regiment, Army Air Corps
677 (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Squadron Army Air Corps

Royal Engineers
101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment
2 (Surrey Yeomanry) Field Troop
1 (Sussex Yeomanry) Field Troop
71 Engineer Regiment
Lovat Scouts

Royal Logistic Corps
157 (Welsh) Regiment RLC
224 (Pembroke Yeomanry) Squadron
398 (Flint & Denbighshire Yeomanry) Squadron

165 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC
710 (Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars) Operational Hygiene Squadron
142 (Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars) Vehicle Squadron

First Aid Nursing Yeomanry  (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps)
In 1907 the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was established as an all female volunteer organisation to provide a link between field hospitals and the front line, with their primary role being to rescue the wounded, rather than provide nursing care. Because the organisation as initially formed was mounted it adopted the yeomanry name. The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry is an independent charity that is not part of the Armed Forces, today it provides teams to aid civil agencies.

See also

Imperial Yeomanry
Yeomanry order of precedence
List of Yeomanry Regiments 1908
List of British Army Yeomanry Regiments converted to Royal Artillery

Other uses of yeoman:
 Yeomen Warders of His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London
 Yeomen of the Guard, the King's Body Guard

References

Yeomanry regiments of the British Army
Cavalry regiments of the British Army
Army Reserve (United Kingdom)
Yeomen
요먼대()는 영국 육군의 부대지정명으로 사용되는 표현이다. 그 기원은 요먼(중소자영농)들로 이루어진 의용기병대였으나, 오늘날에는 예비군의 다양한 부대에서 요먼대라는 명칭을 사용하므로 기병부대라고만 한정할 수 없게 되었다.

1790년대 프랑스 혁명과 뒤이은 쿠데타에 의한 나폴레옹 1세의 등장은 영국(당시엔 그레이트브리튼 왕국)에 침략에 대한 공포를 불러일으켰다. 국방을 위해 여러 주에서 요먼들이 의용연대를 모집했다. 요먼들은 자영소농들이었으나, 이 요먼연대를 지휘하는 장교들은 귀족 또는 재지신사였다. 이렇게 만들어진 연대들을 집합적으로 요먼대라고 부르게 되었다. 요먼대는 의용군단의 기병대를 맡았는데, 이 시기의 의용기병대로서의 요먼대를 요먼기병대(1794년-1908년)라고 한다.

19세기 상반기 요먼연대들은 폭동이나 소요 진압 같은 공권력의 역할을 수행했다. 피털루 학살도 이들 요먼연대들에 의해 일어난 것이다. 그러다 경찰 개념과 조직이 발명되어 그 역할을 대체하자 요먼대는 향토방위 업무에 집중했다. 1827년 재정적 문제로 요먼연대의 수를 줄이기로 했고, 지난 10년간 문민법집행 보조에 동원된 경험이 없는 요먼연대들은 해산되었다. 이 때의 군축으로 요먼대는 유급 22개 연대, 무급 16개 연대로 정리되었다. 1830년대에 요먼연대의 수는 각 지역의 불온정도에 따라 등락을 거듭했다. 예컨대 1798년 연합 아일랜드인의 난을 진압했던 아일랜드인 요먼대는 1838년 해산되었다.

이후 30여년간 요먼대는 영국의 정규 기병대를 보조하는 2선급 전력으로 보존되었다. 신병 모집의 곤란으로 인해 1870년 모든 요먼대를 해산할 것이 고려되기도 했으나, 대신 효율성 강화를 위한 여러 개혁을 하는 것으로 대신되었다. 요먼대에 소속된 각 요먼병들이 1년 중 일정 기간의 의무 훈련을 받는 대신 임금을 받게 되었다. 요먼대를 지휘하는 장교나 훈련 교관들은 새로 설치된 훈련학교를 이수하도록 했고, 각 주에 파견된 국왕대리경의 소관이었던 요먼대 군령권을 중앙정부의 전쟁성이 회수해 갔다. 이런 개혁들은 요먼대의 수를 적게 유지하면서 전문성을 향상시켰다(1881년 기준 10,617명). 원래 요먼대들에는 기마포병부대, 또 말이 충분하지 않을 경우 하마부대 따위의 병종들이 혼성되어 있었는데 1876년 모든 요먼병을 경기병으로 통일하고 다른 병종의 요먼대는 폐지시켰다.

제2차 보어전쟁 당시 해외의 의용병들로 구성된 제국 요먼대가 편성되었다. 1901년, 모든 요먼대를 "제국 요먼대"로 재명명하고 재편성했다. 1908년 제국요먼대는 의용군과 합병되어 국토군을 형성하고 국토군의 기병대가 되었다. 동시에 "제국" 접두사는 삭제되었다.

제1차 세계대전 직전인 1914년에는 55개 요먼연대가 있었고, 같은 해 8월 2개 연대가 더 편성되었다. 정규연대들은 3개 대대로 이루어졌지만 요먼연대들은 4개 대대로 이루어졌다. 이 요먼연대들은 함께 묶여 기마여단으로 편성되거나 사단 예하 기병대로 배속되었다.   요먼연대의 군정권은 각 주 또는 지역과 밀접하게 연결되어 있었는데, 이는 연대 이름들마다  연고지 이름이 붙어 있는 것에서 알 수 있다. 이 요먼대들 중에는 요먼대 개념이 처음 생긴 1790년대부터 백 년 넘게 지속된 부대도 있었다. 1차대전 이후 국토군은 해산되었고 국토육군으로 재편성되었다. 대전쟁을 거치면서 요먼대들은 차량화보병, 포병, 공병, 통신병 등으로 전환되었고, 기병을 유지하는 고참 요먼대는 14개밖에 남지 않았다. 그 중 2개 연대는 해산되었다. 병과가 바뀐 요먼대들도 요먼대의 이름과 전통을 유지했다.

제2차 세계대전 발발 직전인 1939년, 국토육군은 크기가 2배로 커졌고, 산하 부대의 수도 2배가 되었다. 때문에 해산되었던 요먼대 일부가 재편성되었다. 마지막 기병요먼대인 왕비소유 요크셔 용기병대가 1942년 3월 기갑부대로, 그리고 얼마 뒤 국왕소유 요크셔 경보병대의 보병대대로 전환되면서 기병 요먼대는 완전히 사라졌다.

전후 1957년과 1961년 두 차례 국토육군의 감축이 이루어졌고, 몇몇 요먼대들은 2개가 하나로 통폐합되었다. 1967년 예비군에 대규모 군축이 이루어짐과 동시에 국토육군이 국토육군 의용예비역으로 전환되었다. 이 때 남아있는 요먼연대들은 모두 대대, 중대, 포대급으로 축소되었다. 그 뒤로도 여러 차례재조직이 이루어졌다.

현존 요먼대 목록 
왕립 요먼대
C&S 대대 (웨스트민스터 용기병대)
A대대 (노팅엄셔 요먼대)
B대대 (스태퍼드셔, 워윅셔, 우스터셔 요먼대)
C대대 (켄트 사격병 요먼대)
D대대 (슈롭셔 요먼대)
E대대 (레스터셔 더비셔 요먼대)
왕립 요먼단 (법조원 시내 요먼대)

왕립 웨식스 요먼대
B대대 (왕립 윌트셔 요먼대)
A대대 (도르싯 요먼대
C대대 (왕립 글로스터셔 검기병대)
D대대 (왕립 데번 요먼대)
Y대대 (왕립 윌트셔 요먼대)

여왕소유 요먼대
A (요크셔 요먼대)
B (랭커스터 공작소유 요먼대
C (체셔 요먼대
사령지원대대 (노섬벌랜드 검기병대)

스코틀랜드 북아일랜드 요먼대
A대대 (에어셔 캐릭 백작소유 요먼대)
B대대 (북아일랜드 기마병대)
C대대 (파이프 포르퍼 요먼대 스코틀랜드 기마병대)
E대대 (로디언 국경 요먼대)

각주 

 
육군예비역 (영국)