The Yeomanry Cavalry and the Reconstitution of the Territorial Army

This paper provides an insight into the complex relationship between Britain’s amateur cavalry regiments – the Yeomanry Cavalry – and their political and military masters during the reforming of the Territorial Army in the early 1920s. It discusses the force’s use of its influential political lobby to shape its future in the face of a determined restructuring exercise of the whole Territorial Army, but argues against the suggestion it was simply reactionary or anachronistic in its approach. As a county institution with a pedigree stretching back more than 125 years, the Yeomanry was naturally opposed to the fundamental changes being forced upon it: being dismounted to rebalance the Territorial Army with more artillery and a number of armoured car regiments. However, despite the interference of powerful advocates and elements of the force itself, and the eventual minor alterations to the original General Staff plan, the vast majority of regiments converted successfully to new arms, with only one voluntarily disbanding. This analysis finishes by highlighting the considerations that have always limited political interference with the Territorial Army, providing a cautionary historical example of the dangers of asking too much from the voluntary system.