After Britain was drawn into the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger proposed on 14 March 1794 that the counties form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry (Yeomanry) that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant to subdue any civil disorder within the country.

[6] This was never more than a paper organisation, but from April 1893 the Army List showed the Yeomanry regiments grouped into brigades for collective training.

[6] Viscount Eversley was succeeded as CO in 1868 by his son-in-law, Sir Henry St John-Mildmay, 5th Baronet of Dogmersfield Park, a former Major in the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays).

[6][7][8] 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 to fight the Second Boer War.

[11][13] The first company left Southampton on 31 January 1900, bound for Cape Town,[14] and the whole first contingent arrived in South Africa between February and April.

On the outbreak of war he joined Sir John French's staff, and later commanded the Canadian Cavalry Brigade in action.

7, c.9) which brought the TF into being, it was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country.

On 15 August 1914, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units.

[23] In May 1915 it was with 2/1st South Western Mounted Brigade at Calne and moved in September to Canterbury, to Maresfield in October and then to Tiptree in March 1916.

On 16 May 1918, the regiment landed in Dublin and was posted to Maryborough (now Portlaoise) with companies at Tullamore and Birr, still in 2nd Cyclist Brigade; there was no further change before the end of the war.

Following the experience of the war, it was decided that only the fourteen most senior yeomanry regiments would be retained as horsed cavalry,[39] with the rest being transferred to other roles.

The expanded unit was no longer an 'Army' field brigade, but took the 55th's place in 43rd (Wessex) Division, with the following organisation:[3][4][41][42][46][47] The battery titles were quite fluid at this time: in 1929, 219 Bty was redesignated 'Isle of Wight'; later it moved to Albert Road, Cosham, and took 'Cosham' as its subtitle.

[6][7] At the end of the 1930s when war with Germany was again imminent, the need for improved anti-aircraft (AA) defences for Britain's cities became apparent, and a programme of converting existing TA units was pushed forward.

[51][52] 35 AA Brigade was responsible for the Gun Defence Area (GDA) protecting the city and naval base of Portsmouth.

[61] After 15 September, the intensity of Luftwaffe daylight attacks fell, and the emphasis switched to night bombing of industrial towns (The Blitz).

[71][72] In the autumn of 1942 the regiment, equipped with 24 3.7-inch guns, was joined by its own HAA Signal Section of the Royal Corps of Signals (RCS) and by November it was fully organised for mobile operations with the following composition:[73] 72nd (Hampshire) HAA Rgt sailed from the River Clyde in late October as part of 52 AA Bde in First Army for Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa.

[74][75][76] Leaving some batteries to unload and set up an 'Inner Artillery Zone' (IAZ) around Algiers, 52 AA Bde began a long march eastwards.

The need to get AA units forward quickly to protect the vital airfields had been foreseen, and one of 72nd HAA Rgt's batteries went on by sea direct to Bougie.

The Axis air forces reacted quickly and 72nd HAA Rgt suffered equipment losses when the liner SS Cathay was sunk off Bougie.

At first it was only protected by LAA guns, but a battery of 72nd HAA Rgt came up, even though it had lost its gun-laying (GL) radar set in a torpedoed ship.

By the end of November, the AA deployment had reached planned levels, but V Corps' advance had been held by the rapid arrival of German forces.

As the Allies built up strength for a renewed advance, the emphasis for the AA units turned to defence for the ports and airfields against heavy attacks by the Luftwaffe.

By January the arrival of reinforcements allowed 52 AA Bde to concentrate on providing front line support for V Corps.

When IX Corps came into the line for the 'dogfight' to penetrate the mountain passes near Fondouk, 72nd HAA Rgt was assigned to it and was heavily engaged in both the AA and ground roles.

[83][84] The role of the AA units turned to protecting the North African embarkation ports for the forthcoming Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky).

[85] 72nd (Hampshire) HAA Regiment was not employed in 'Husky', nor in the assault phase of the subsequent Allied invasion of the Italian mainland, but it formed part of 22 AA Bde, which landed and took over the air defence of Naples in late October 1943.

Naples was a difficult city to defend against air attack, with a large anchorage, port facilities and airfields such as Bagnoli, all overlooked by mountains, but 22 AA Bde established a fully integrated layout of HAA and LAA guns with early warning and gun-laying radar, and involving US Army and Italian Co-belligerent Army units.

A number of AA units including 72nd HAA Rgt began to be disbanded in the latter part of 1944, and the regiment passed into suspended animation 30 January 1945.

[99][100] While many yeomanry regiments had simplified their dress uniforms after 1902, the Hampshire Carabiniers retained the dark blue tunic and overalls (tight fitting cavalry trousers), with white facings, of the regular 6th Dragoon Guards as a model.

[42] The following served as Honorary Colonel of the regiment:[4][6][7] The Hampshire Yeomanry has been awarded the following battle honours:[4] South Africa 1900–01 Messines 1917, Somme 1918, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Arras 1918, Ypres 1918, Courtrai, France and Flanders 1916–17 '18, Italy 1917–18 Battle honours are not awarded to the Royal Artillery.