West Kent Yeomanry
| Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry | |
|---|---|
Cap badge of the Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry
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| Active | 1794 – 20 August 1920 |
| Country |
 Kingdom of Great Britain (1794–1800) United Kingdom (1801–1920) |
| Branch |
 British Army
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| Type |
Yeomanry Infantry |
| Size | Regiment Three Regiments (First World War) |
| Peacetime HQ | Maidstone |
| Motto(s) | "Liberty, Loyalty, Property" |
| Engagements | |
South Africa 1900–01
First World War
The Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry was a British Army regiment formed in 1794. It served in the Second Boer War and the First World War. It amalgamated with the Royal East Kent (The Duke of Connaught's Own) Yeomanry (Mounted Rifles) to form the Kent Yeomanry in 1920.
Under threat of invasion by the French Revolutionary government from 1793, and with insufficient military forces to repulse such an attack, the British government under William Pitt the Younger decided in 1794 to increase the Militia and to form corps of volunteers for the defence of the country. The mounted arm of the volunteers became known as the "Gentlemen and Yeomanry Cavalry".
In 1827 the government disbanded the Yeomanry Regiments in those districts where they had not been mobilised in the previous 10 years. The Kent Regiment was stood down and their equipment returned to the regular army. In 1830 the West Kent Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry was reformed and in 1864 the regiment was awarded the title "Queen's Own" and became known as the West Kent Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry (Queen's Own).
On 13 December 1899, the decision to allow volunteer forces serve in the Second Boer War was made. Due to the string of defeats during Black Week in December 1899, the British government realized they were going to need more troops than just the regular army, thus issuing a Royal Warrant on December 24, 1899. This warrant officially created the Imperial Yeomanry. The Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry regiments to provide service companies of approximately 115 men each. In addition to this, many British citizens (usually mid-upper class) volunteered to join the new regiment.
The first contingent of recruits contained 550 officers, 10,371 men with 20 battalions and four companies, which arrived in South Africa between February and April, 1900. Upon arrival, the regiment was sent throughout the zone of operations. The Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry provided troops for the 36th Company, 9th Battalion.
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