The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry Part 10

In Fife, however, thanks to the inspiration and energy of Sir William Erskine and Mr Wemyss of Cuttlehill, it was very popular; and when the Earl of Crawford was appointed Colonel Commandant in September 1798 there were already seven mounted troops.

With change of name to the Royal Fifes.h.i.+re Yeomanry Cavalry, and under the successive command of Lieut.-Colonel Morison of Naughton (1803), Colonel J. Anstruther Thomson of Charlton (1809), and Colonel W.

Wemyss (1823) the Regiment continued to flourish, receiving in 1814--the year which saw the close of the war--the thanks of both Houses of Parliament for its services.

In 1822 the Regiment took part in the Review held by His Majesty King George IV. on Portobello sands where, according to a contemporary account, "the novelty of an exhibition of this order, and the pa.s.sion allowable of the ladies to see their gallant and rustic lords and lovers relinquis.h.i.+ng the habiliments of common life and flouris.h.i.+ng in scarlet and glory, produced an immense crowd."

In December 1827 an Order was circulated announcing the disbandment of many yeomanry regiments, and among those on the list was The Royal Fife. Arms were returned to store, and the Regiment actually disbanded in 1828. The Perths.h.i.+re, Clackmannans.h.i.+re, and Kinross-s.h.i.+re Yeomanries were also disbanded at this time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DETACHMENT AT H.M. THE KING'S VISIT TO EDINBURGH.

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[Ill.u.s.tration: REGIMENTAL DRILL AT ANNSMUIR WITH SKELETON ENEMY.

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The troublous times of 1830 reached their height in the winter of that year, and many yeomanry regiments were re-established, amongst them being the Fifes.h.i.+re Yeomanry Cavalry, commanded by General Balfour of Balbirnie. The Regiment was again disbanded in 1838, the same fate overcoming the Stirlings.h.i.+re Yeomanry.

In 1856 the Forfar Yeomanry were re-raised, and in 1860 the Fifes.h.i.+re Mounted Rifle Volunteers, under command of Lieut.-General The Earl of Rosslyn, Captain Anstruther Thomson, son of the officer who had commanded the Fife Yeomanry and Fife Fencible Cavalry half a century before, Captain Whyte Melville of the 9th Lancers, Captain Oswald of the Grenadier Guards, son of Captain Oswald of Dunnikier of the Royal Rifles, and Captain Sir Arthur Halkett, who had carried the colours of the 42nd Royal Highlanders at the Battle of the Alma, were the Troop leaders.

Though the Regiment was only officially accepted in June, they were present at the Royal Review in Edinburgh in September, marching past Her Majesty The Queen in rear of the Scots Greys.

In 1862 the Forfar Yeomanry were disbanded, and for the next fourteen years there were no Yeomanry in Forfars.h.i.+re.

In 1870, on the application of Lieut.-Colonel Anstruther Thomson, the Mounted Rifle Volunteers were turned into Light Horse, and the Corps was called the 1st Fifes.h.i.+re Volunteer Light Horse Corps, with an establishment of 240 all ranks.

Towards the end of 1875 a movement was made to raise a Forfars.h.i.+re Troop of Light Horse, and early in 1876 a strong Troop, known as the 1st Forfars.h.i.+re Light Horse Volunteer Corps, was raised at Dundee under command of Captain P.A.W. Carnegy of Lour and attached to the Fife Light Horse.

In 1895 Lieut.-Colonel John Gilmour of Montrave succeeded to the command of the Regiment, and introduced the Squadron System--"A"

Squadron having its headquarters at Cupar, "B" Squadron at Dunfermline, and the "Forfar" Squadron at Dundee.

In October 1899 the South African War broke out, and early in 1900 the 20th Company Imperial Yeomanry was formed. Captain Chappell Hodge, late 12th Lancers, was given command, and under him were Lieutenants J. Gilmour and J. Simpson. They embarked on 27th February for Cape Town where they were given their horses, and proceeded to join General Sir A. Hunter's Division for the relief of Mafeking. The "Fifes"

crossing the Vaal captured the town of Christiana in the Transvaal--the first act of war on Transvaal soil.

After the death of Captain Hodge, Captain R. Purvis took command till wounded at Nooitgedacht, when Lieutenant J. Gilmour succeeded him.

In May 1901 the first contingent, after having marched 2575 miles and taken part in 85 engagements, proceeded home.

The 20th Company Imperial Yeomanry continued to serve till the end of the war, receiving in all 498 officers and men from the Fife and Forfar Light Horse.

The conversion of the Light Horse into Imperial Yeomanry took place in 1901, and the Regiment then became the Fife and Forfar Imperial Yeomanry--in 1908, on the formation of the Territorial Force, the word "Imperial" was dropped.

In 1901 Lieut.-Colonel Sir John Gilmour retired and was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel T.H. Erskine of Grangemuir, the present Honorary Colonel of the Regiment.

On the outbreak of war in 1914 the Regiment was commanded by Lieut.-Colonel A. Mitch.e.l.l of Luscar, subsequent Commanding Officers being Lieut.-Colonels J. Gilmour, J. Younger, J.M. M'Kenzie, and D.D.

Ogilvie. During this period the Adjutants were Captains M.E. Lindsay, H.S. Sharp, A.C. Smith, W.D. Brown, R. Colthart, and J.W. Ormiston.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GROUP SHOWING SIX SUCCESSIVE COMMANDING OFFICERS.

_Standing (left to right)_--Lt. Younger, Capt. Lumsden, Lt. Stewart, Capt. Haig, Col. Anstruther Thomson, Lt. Russell, Lt. Wright (Yorks.h.i.+re Dragoons), Lt. Nairn, Capt. Dewar.

_Sitting_--Major Osborne, Major Gilmour, Major Mitch.e.l.l, Major Erskine, Lt.-Col. Sir J. Gilmour, Capt. Burgoyne (Adjutant), Major Marshall, Major Lawson.

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[Ill.u.s.tration: THE CADRE ON ARRIVAL AT KIRKCALDY (see page 142).

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