Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry

The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry
Cap badge of the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry
Active	1 November 1992-2014
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Yeomanry
Role	Armour Replacement
Size	One regiment
Part of	Royal Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQ	RHQ - Telford A Squadron - Dudley B Squadron - Telford C Squadron - Chester D Squadron - Wigan H-Detachment - Hereford
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief	HM The Queen
Honorary Colonel	Major General The Duke of Westminster KG OBE TD DL
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash

The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the United Kingdom's Territorial Army. It served in the armoured replacement role, providing replacement tank crews for regular armoured regiments.

The regiment was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of The Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry and The Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry as part of the Options for Change. In 1999, it absorbed a squadron from The Queen's Own Yeomanry, bringing it to a strength of four squadrons plus the headquarters squadron.

In October 2006, the RMLY became a single cap badge regiment, when the individual cap badges of each squadron were replaced by the newly designed RMLY cap badge. This incorporates the Mercian Eagle from the Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry with the Red Rose from the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry. This is also the point at which H-Det joined the regiment, to provide a Recce troop. H-Det was renamed Manoeuvre and Support Squadron in 2011, when it was given Squadron status; it still consists of the Recce troop, but now also houses the "hoop" (coms for the squadron).

In July 2013, it was announced that the RMLY would be restructured for the Army 2020 plan. The regimental HQ will be shifted to Edinburgh. A Squadron will resubordinate to The Royal Yeomanry, while D Squadron will resubordinate to The Queen’s Own Yeomanry. B and C Squadron will be removed from the Army ORBAT. Instead, A, B and C Squadron from the Queen’s Own Yeomanry will subordinate to the HQ at Edinburgh. It will be paired with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and subordinate to 51st Infantry Brigade. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond stated that it may be renamed as "The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry"

The RMLY consists of a Recce Troop, a Command Troop (within the Det. based in Hereford) and four sabre squadrons. Each of the sabre squadrons perpetuates a historic Yeomanry regiment, which is reflected in their subtitles: