A Regimental War Memorial of the Leicestershire Yeomanry consisting of a stone cenotaph on a raised stepped base at Bradgate Park's highest point on Old John Hill with inscriptions on metal plaques. There is a cross and wreath in relief in top half of memorial. The Regimental badge is also displayed.
Inscriptions -
North/South face badges:
LEICESTERSHIRE
PRINCE ALBERTS OWN YEO
SOUTH AFRICA 1900-02North face plaque:
TO THE
GLORY OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY
OF THOSE GALLANT
LEICESTERSHIRE
YEOMEN WHO FELL
IN THE GREAT WAR
1914-1918 South face plaque:
SOUTH
AFRICA 1900-1902
"YPRES 1914-15" ST
JULIEN . FREZENBERG
ARRAS 1917 . SCARPE
1917 . AMIENS . HINDEN
BURG LINE . CANAL
DU NORD . PURSUIT
TO MONS . FRANCE
& FLANDERS 1914-1918South face WWII plaque:
IN MEMORY OF
ALL OFFICERS, WARRANT OFFICERS, NON-COMMISSIONED
OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE
153 & 154 (LEICESTERSHIRE YEOMANRY) FIELD REGIMENTS R.A.
WHO FELL IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR
1939-1945 A marker near the monument reminds us:
PLEASE REMEMBER THIS HOLY GROUND"
Leicestershire YeomanryThe regiment was formed on the creation of the Territorial Force in April 1908 and placed under orders of the North Midland Mounted Brigade. It was headquartered in Leicester with the squadrons being headquartered as follows:
A Sqn: Melton Mowbray (and drill stations at Uppingham, Rearsby, Harby and Oakham)
B Sqn: Leicester
C Sqn: Loughborough (Whitwick, Mountsorrel and Leicester)
D Squadron: Lutterworth (Market Bosworth, Market Harborough, Wigston, Ibstock and Hinckley)
1/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry August 1914 : after completing mobilisation the regiment moved with the rest of the brigade to Norfolk and was placed under orders of 1st Mounted Division.
3 November 1914: having left brigade, the regiment landed in France.
12 November 1914: came under orders of 7th Cavalry Brigade in 3rd Cavalry Division.
November 1917: moved to 8th Cavalry Brigade in same division.
14 March 1918: left brigade with intention of being converted into a cyclist unit. This intention was dropped and instead the regiment merged with the with the North Somerset Yeomanry to form a machine gun unit. This was short lived and the regiment remounted.
4 April 1918: regiment split up, one squadron going each to of the 4th Hussars and the 5th and 16th Lancers, all in 3rd Cavalry Brigade.
2/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry Formed in September 1914 as a “second line” (training, draft-supplying reserve) for the 1/1st. Came under orders of 2/1st North Midland Mounted Brigade.
October 1915 : moved with the brigade to Norfolk and placed under orders of 1st Mounted Division, replacing 1/1st North Midland Mounted Brigade when it left for Salonika.
April 1916 : brigade renamed 3rd Mounted Brigade.
July 1916: at Holt in Norfolk. Converted into a cyclist unit, under orders of 3rd Cyclist Brigade in 1st Cyclist Division.
November 1916: became a mounted unit again, at Bishop’s Stortford; brigade renamed 2nd Mounted Brigade and was under orders of a new 1st Mounted Brigade (formerly 3rd and 2/2nd Mounted Divisions).
By May 1917: moved to Leybourne in Kent.
August 1917: converted into a cyclist unit, under orders of 12th Cyclist Brigade in Cyclist Division. Moved to Tonbridge.
Early 1918: moved to Canterbury and then remained there.
3/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry Formed in 1915 as a “third line” (training, draft-supplying reserve for the 1/1st and 2/1st) and was: affiliated to 12th Reserve Cavalry regiment at Aldershot.
Early 1917: absorbed into 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Aldershot.
In the 1917 renumbering of the Territorials, the Leicestershire Yeomanry issued numbers from the block 255001-260000. Corps of Hussars."
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