IMPERIAL YEOMANRY BATTALIONS

Extract from "Absent-Minded Beggars" by Will Bennett

The first contingent consisted of the 1st to 79th Companies, with the exception of the 64th which was not raised. Most of these companies continued with replacements from the second or third contingent units. Those listed as arriving in Beira were part of the Rhodesian Field Force. Where two battalion numbers are given this means that the company switched battalions. Follow the link to see this list in company order

Battalion

Company

County/Name

Arrived in South Africa
(1st contingent only, 1900)

1st

1st

Wiltshire

20th March

1st

2nd

Wiltshire

20th March

1st

3rd

Gloucestershire

20th March

1st

4th

Glamorgan

20th March

2nd

5th

Warwickshire

25th February

2nd

21st

Cheshire

25th February

2nd

22nd

Cheshire

25th February

2nd

32nd

Lancashire Hussars

25th February

 

2nd

103rd

Warwickshire

 

2nd

110th

Northumberland

 

3rd

9th

Yorkshire Hussars

20th February

 

3rd

10th

Sherwood Rangers

20th February

 

3rd

11th

Yorkshire Dragoons

20th February

 

3rd

12th

South Notts Hussars

20th February

 

3rd

98th

North Riding of Yorkshire Volunteer Artillery

 

3rd

109th

Yorkshire Hussars

 

3rd

111th

Yorkshire Dragoons

 

4th

6th

Staffordshire

21st February

 

4th

7th

Leicestershire

5th March

 

4th

8th

Derbyshire

21st February

 

4th

28th

Bedfordshire

5th March

 

4th

104th

Derbyshire

 

4th

106th

Staffordshire

 

5th

13th

Shropshire

27th February

 

5th

14th

Northumberland

27th February

 

5th

15th

Northumberland

27th February

 

5th

16th

Worcestershire

2nd March

 

5th

100th

Northumberland

 

5th

101st

Northumberland

 

5th

102nd

Worcestershire

 

6th

17th

Ayrshire

19th March

 

6th

18th

Queen's Own Royal Glasgow

19th March

 

6th

19th

Lothian and Berwick

19th March

 

6th

20th

Fife and Fofar Light Horse

20th March

 

6th

107th

Lanarkshire

 

6th

108th

Royal Glasgow

 

7th

25th

West Somerset

29th March

 

7th

26th

Dorset

23rd March

 

7th

27th

Devon

23rd March

 

7th

48th

North Somerset

23rd March

 

7th

69th

Sussex

24th April

 

8th

23rd

Lancashire

5th March

 

8th

24th

Westmorland and Cumberland

5th March

 

8th

77th

Manchester

3rd May

 

8th

99th

Irish

 

8th

105th

Manchester

 

9th

29th

Denbighshire

5th March

 

9th

30th

Pembrokeshire

6th April

 

9th

31st

Montgomeryshire

6th April

 

9th

49th

Montgomeryshire

6th April

 

9th

88th

Welsh Yeomanry

 

9th

89th

Montgomeryshire

 

10th

37th

Buckinghamshire

28th February

 

10th

38th

Buckinghamshire

28th February

 

10th

39th

Berkshire

28th February

 

10th

40th

Oxfordshire

27th February

 

11th

33rd

East Kent

20th March

 

11th

34th

Middlesex

20th March

 

11th

35th

Middlesex 

20th March

 

11th

36th

West Kent  

20th March

 

11th

112th

Middlesex

 

12th

42nd

Hertfordshire 

28th March

 

12th

43rd

Suffolk

23rd February

 

12th

44th

Suffolk

28th March

 

12th/4th

41st

Hampshire

23rd February

 

13th

45th

Dublin Hunt

6th April

 

13th

47th

Duke of Cambridge's Own

8th March

 

13th

54th

Belfast

28th March

 

13th/12th

46th

Belfast

28th March

 

14th

53rd

East Kent

29th March

 

14th/11th

62nd

Middlesex

3rd May

 

14th/5th

55th

Northumberland

6th April

 

15th

58th

Berkshire

4th April

 

15th

56th

Buckinghamshire

10th April

 

15th

57th

Buckinghamshire

4th April

 

15th

59th

Oxfordshire

29th March

 

16th/1st

63rd

Wiltshire

29th March

 

16th/3rd

66th

Yorkshire

10th April

 

16th/8th

74th

Dublin

3rd May

 

17th

50th

Hampshire

(Beira) 4th May

 

17th

60th

North Irish Horse (Belfast)

(Beira) 4th May

 

17th

61st

South Irish Horse (Dublin)

(Beira) 4th May

 

17th

65th

Leicestershire

(Beira) 4th May

 

18th

67th

Sharpshooters

(Beira) 4th May

 

18th

70th

Sharpshooters

(Beira) 4th May

 

18th

71st

Sharpshooters

(Beira) 4th May

 

18th

75th

Sharpshooters

(Beira) 4th May

 

19th

52nd

Paget's Horse

4th April

 

19th

68th

Paget's Horse

4th April

 

19th

73rd

Paget's Horse

24th April

 

19th/12th

51st

Paget's Horse

4th April

 

20th

72nd

Rough Riders

3rd May

 

20th

76th

Rough Riders

3rd May

 

20th

78th

Rough Riders

3rd May

 

20th

79th

Rough Riders

3rd May

 

21st

80th

2nd Sharpshooters

 

21st

81st

2nd Sharpshooters

 

21st

82nd

2nd Sharpshooters

 

21st

83rd

2nd Sharpshooters

 

22nd

84th

2nd Rough Riders

 

22nd

85th

2nd Rough Riders

 

22nd

86th

2nd Rough Riders

 

22nd

87th

2nd Rough Riders

 

23rd

90th

3rd Sharpshooters

 

23rd

91st

3rd Sharpshooters

 

23rd

92nd

3rd Sharpshooters

 

23rd

93rd

3rd Sharpshooters

 

24th

94th

Metropolitan Mounted Rifles

 

24th

95th

Metropolitan Mounted Rifles

 

24th

96th

Metropolitan Mounted Rifles

 

24th

97th

Metropolitan Mounted Rifles

 

25th

115th

Sharpshooters

 

25th

116th

Sharpshooters

 

25th

117th

Sharpshooters

 

25th

118th

Sharpshooters

 

26th

119th

Younghusband's Horse

 

26th

120th

Younghusband's Horse

 

26th

121st

Younghusband's Horse

 

26th

122nd

Younghusband's Horse

 

27th

123rd

Unknown

 

27th

124th

Unknown

 

27th

125th

Unknown

 

27th

126th

Unknown

 

28th

127th

Westminster Dragoons

 

28th

128th

Westminster Dragoons

 

28th

129th

Westminster Dragoons

 

28th

130th

Westminster Dragoons

 

29th

131st

Irish Horse

 

29th

132nd

Irish Horse

 

29th

133rd

Irish Horse

 

29th

134th

Irish Horse

 

29th

175th

Irish Horse

 

29th

176th

Irish Horse

 

30th

135th

Unknown

 

30th

136th

if raised, not listed

 

30th

137th

Unknown

 

30th

138th

Unknown

 

31st

139th

Fincastle's Horse

 

31st

140th

Fincastle's Horse

 

31st

141st

Fincastle's Horse

 

31st

142nd

Fincastle's Horse

 

31st

177th

Fincastle's Horse

 

32nd

143rd

Unknown

 

32nd

144th

if raised, not listed

 

32nd

145th

Unknown

 

32nd

146th

Unknown

 

33rd

147th

Unknown

 

33rd

148th

Unknown

 

33rd

149th

Unknown

 

33rd

150th

Unknown

 

34th

151st

Unknown

 

34th

152nd

Unknown

 

34th

153rd

Unknown

 

34th

154th

Unknown

 

None

113th

Lovat's Scouts

 

None

114th

Lovat's Scouts

 

None

178th

Lovat's Scouts

 

64th

Not raised

 

155th to 174th

These are not listed but battalions numbered 35th to 39th were raised for the third contingent. At four companies per battalion this corresponds exactly with these company numbers.

Sources: British Battles and Medals published by SPink & Son; Roberts Papers WO105/40; Imperial Yeomanry Companies of the Boer War by Paul Till, Orders and Medals Research Society Journal Autumn 1992; Imperial Yeomanry Missing Designations by Dave Buxton, Coin and Medal News August 1987; South African War Casualty Roll.

Last updated: 22 July, 2025

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