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 Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry regiments to provide service companies of approximately 115 men each.

[3] The first contingent of recruits contained 550 officers, 10,371 men with 20 battalions and four companies,[4] which arrived in South Africa between February and April 1900.

[9] The 1st Line regiment was mobilised on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War and was in the Canterbury area (under Second Army of Central Force[10]) until September 1915.

[11] It was dismounted and left Kent for Liverpool; on 24 September it boarded RMS Olympic and sailed the next day.

[13] The brigade, with the regiment, was withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916[14] and formed part of the Suez Canal Defences.

[13] The brigade served as part of the Suez Canal Defences from 14 March to 26 July attached to 42nd (East Lancashire) Division;[13] it then joined the Western Frontier Force.

[16] The brigade was with the Suez Canal Defences when, on 14 January 1917, Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) Order No.

[19] With the end of the war, the troops of 74th Division were engaged in railway repair work and education was undertaken while demobilisation began.

[14] In October 1916 it handed its horses over to 2/1st Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry and in November was converted to a cyclist unit.

In March 1917 it resumed its identity as 2/1st Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry at Woodbridge, still in 3rd Cyclist Brigade.

In April 1918, the regiment moved with its brigade to Ireland and was stationed in Dublin and then Claremorris; there was no further change before the end of the war.

[14] Following the experience of the First World War, it was decided that only the fourteen most senior yeomanry regiments would be retained as horsed cavalry,[21] with the rest being transferred to other roles.

[24] The West Kent Yeomanry (Queen's Own) was awarded the following battle honours:[2] South Africa 1900–01 Somme 1918, Bapaume 1918, Hindenburg Line, Épehy, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1918, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1916–17, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tell 'Asur, Palestine 1917–18