The mounted arm of the volunteers became known as the "Gentlemen and Yeomanry Cavalry", who 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 county.

[7][8] Despite the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, the Yeomanry was retained by the government "for Military Service in aid of the Civil Power" in the absence of organised police forces.

The West Somerset Yeomanry was reorganised in 1831 and Charles Kemeys Kemeys-Tynte, Member of Parliament for Bridgwater was appointed Colonel Commandant on 25 July 1831.

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.

[5] Due to the string of defeats during Black Week in December 1899, the British government realised that more troops, in addition to the regular army, were needed in South Africa to fight the Second Boer War.

The Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry regiments to provide service companies of about 115 men each, trained as Mounted infantry.

[4][5][6][19][20][21][22] On arrival, the battalion joined a Yeomanry brigade under Col Viscount Downe to take part in Lord Roberts' advance from Bloemfontein.

[23] However, formations were frequently reorganised, and by mid-April the 7th Bn was operating under Major-General John Brabazon in Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert Chermside's column.

[20] From September 1900 the fighting developed into Guerrilla warfare, and the mounted troops took part in 'drives' trying to catch groups of Boers, and providing escorts for convoys.

The First Contingent of the IY returned home after its year's service, and the next time the 7th Bn went in to action, in May 1901, its ranks had been refilled with raw recruits from England.

[35][36] The 1/1st West Somerset Yeomanry remained in Essex for the next year, moving to Great Bentley in October 1914 and Tendring the following month.

[4][33][34][37][38] The 1/2nd South Western Mounted Bde arrived at Mudros on 1 October, transferred to the SS Osmanieh and sailed for Suvla Bay.

On 3 November the brigade did its first tour of duty in the firing line, with 1/1st WSY relieving 9th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers in the forward trenches at 'Lone Tree Gully'.

It was relieved by 9th Bn Sherwood Foresters on 11 November and returned to Oxford St, later marching via Lala Baba and Salt Lake to the A Section support trenches.

1/1st West Somerset Yeomanry was embarked during the last night of the operation, 19/20 December, when the secret evacuation was achieved without a single casualty.

The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was about to cross the Sinai Peninsula and begin its invasion of Palestine, and began the process of turning the dismounted yeomanry into a new infantry division for this campaign.

[48][49][51] While Turkish attention was fixed on Gaza City by a heavy bombardment from land and sea, XX Corps, including 74th (Y) Division led by 229th Bde, made a night approach march on 30/31 October to attack Beersheba on the Turks' landward flank.

The other two brigades of the division then attacked through the dust clouds of the preliminary bombardment at 12.15 next day, while the Desert Mounted Corps swept round the flank and into Beersheba itself.

The Battle of Beersheba was a resounding success, and XX Corps pressed on northwards as the Turks fell back to the Sheria Position.

Here the fighting was tougher, and two counter-attacks had to be driven off, but after a short pause for reorganisation, 229th Bde began rolling up the Turkish line, reaching its final objective (the Beersheba railway) at 13.15.

The leading brigade was thrown into a confused situation and 229th Bde moved in on 30 November to restore the line but one outpost could not be permanently recovered even after hard fighting that continued until 3 December.

74th (Y) Division's attack on a narrow front was carried out by two battalions of 229th Bde: 12th (Ayr & Lanark Yeomanry) Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers in the lead, and 12th (WSY) Somerset LI in support.

The brigade first had to clear some enemy machine gun outposts and capture its assigned jumping-off trench, which the 3rd Australian Division had failed to secure the day before.

A fullscale attack on these strong positions (the Battle of Épehy) therefore had to be organised, and during the pause 74th (Y) Division suffered many casualties from Mustard gas.

[48][57] After several days of patrolling and raiding, 74th (Y) Division discovered early on the morning of 8 November that the enemy had abandoned their positions and it occupied Tournai, with troops crossing the Scheldt by temporary footbridges.

The following day, 11 November, the division crossed the Dendre Canal and occupied Ath at 08.30; at 11.00 the Armistice with Germany came into force, ending hostilities.

Partial mechanisation was carried out from 1927, but the guns retained iron-tyred wheels until pneumatic tyres began to be introduced just before the outbreak of World War II.

[78][83] At the outbreak of the war, 55th Field Regiment mobilised as part of 45th Division, which served on anti-invasion duties after the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) had been evacuated from Dunkirk.

[82][84] The BEF's experience in the Battle of France showed the problem with the two-battery organisation: field regiments were intended to support an infantry brigade of three battalions.

[67] The West Somerset Yeomanry were awarded the following battle honours:[5][12] South Africa 1900–01 Somme 1918, Bapaume 1918, Hindenburg Line, Épéhy, Pursuit to Mons, France and Flanders 1918, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1916–17, Gaza, Jerusalem, Tell 'Asur, Palestine 1917–18 Units of the Royal Artillery do not carry battle honours: traditionally their motto Ubique ('Everywhere') is held to cover them all