Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Staffordshire Yeomanry Cavalry

 

Other Ranks, Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Staffordshire Yeomanry Cavalry

Albert Pattern Helmet, c. 1890

The regiment was part of the expansion of the militia, raised in 1794 for defence against foreign invasion and later frequently called out in support of the civil powers. The first Troop in the county was raised in July at the Swan Inn as the Stafford Troop of the Staffordshire Volunteer Cavalry. Soon there were five Troops in the county, which were loosely regimented as the Staffordshire Regiment of Gentlemen and Yeomanry (one of the first counties to be regimented).

The Yeomanry generally declined in importance and strength after the end of the French wars, but this was not the case in industrial areas. The Staffordshire Yeomanry was regularly called out in support of the civil power and was expanded to twelve troops in 1819.

In 1832 the regiment escorted the Duchess of Kent and her daughter Princess Victoria when they visited Lieut. Colonel Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield (the regiment's second-in-command), at Shugborough Hall. After Princess Victoria ascended the throne as Queen Victoria, the regiment was given the title of Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Staffordshire Yeomanry Cavalry (often referred to as the Queen's Own Royal Yeomanry).

The regiment fielded two companies with the Imperial Yeomanry during the Second Boer War, the 6th (Staffordshire) Company and the 106th (Staffordshire) Company. This earned the regiment its first battle honour: South Africa 1900–01. The regiment was re-designated the Staffordshire Imperial Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) in 1901.