The Shropshire Yeomanry dates its origins to the French Revolutionary Wars, when volunteer cavalry units were raised throughout the country.

[2] South Shropshire and Shrewsbury Yeomanry troops were also present during the 1821 Cinderloo Uprising which saw 3,000 colliers in present-day Telford go on strike to protest the lowering of their wages.

Clashes between the Yeomanry and the workers resulted in the deaths of two strikers whilst another was arrested and later hanged.

[3] The Yeomanry was not intended to serve overseas, but 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.

A Royal Warrant was issued on 24 December 1899 to allow volunteer forces to serve in the Second Boer War.

The regiment had its headquarters at Kingston House in St Alkmunds Place in Shrewsbury at that time.

[8] The 1/1st Shropshire Yeomanry was mobilised with the Welsh Border Mounted Brigade on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War.

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

On 25 February, the War Office granted permission and the new 74th (Yeomanry) Division started to form.

Here the dismounted Yeomanry underwent training for service on the Western Front, particularly trench warfare and gas defence.

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

[17] The 2nd Line regiment was formed in 1914 and joined the 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade in the Newcastle area of Northumberland in January 1915[18] (along with the 2/1st Cheshire Yeomanry and the 2/1st Denbighshire Hussars).

[11] In April 1916, it moved with its brigade to East Anglia where it joined the 1st Mounted Division; it replaced its 1st Line, which had departed (dismounted) for Egypt.

[25] As the 6th most senior regiment in the order of precedence, the Shropshire Yeomanry was retained as horsed cavalry.

[27] After intensive training, 101 battery moved through the desert to Tripoli, then went to Syracuse in Sicily and saw its first action.

[28] The Regiment went on to serve in the Apennines against the Gothic Line and on to the final offensives of the 8th Army in Spring 1945.

The end of the war found the 75th Medium Regiment in defensive positions facing Tito's Yugoslav army in Venezia Giulia.

[27] After the conversion from Horsed Cavalry to Gunners in 1940, "B" and "C" Squadrons formed the nucleus of the 76th Medium Regiment as 112 and 113 Batteries, and where equipped with Great War 60-pounders, although these were later replaced by 6-in.

[27] In January 1943, the Regiment left Egypt and motored by way of the Sinai Desert along the Trans-Jordan Pipeline to Baghdad to join the Persia and Iraq Force ("Paiforce").

[27] In May 1943, more guns arrived and combined operations with further intensive training were carried out in the Suez Canal area.

howitzers and 113 Battery 4.5s; but shortly after landing, 112 lost its guns to another Yeomanry Regiment, receiving 4.5s in exchange.

[27] In April 1945, the Regiment again moved across Italy to the east coast to join the final offensive with the 8th Army.

[32] The Shropshire Yeomanry was awarded the following battle honours (honours in bold are emblazoned on the regimental colours):[33] Honorary Distinction: Badge of the Royal Regiment of Artillery with year-dates "1943–45" and two scrolls: "Sicily" and "Italy" In 1872 the newly amalgamated Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry adopted a heavy dragoon style dark-blue uniform with red facings plus silver and bronze spiked helmet.