Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry - World War II

World War II

The regiment began to mobilise in August 1939. Initially it was assigned as Divisional Cavalry to 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, then to 4th Cavalry Brigade commanded by Brigadier J. J. Kingstone as part of the 1st Cavalry Division bound for Palestine. The regiment served there and in Syria, North Africa and Iraq. In North Africa the unit served as a searchlight regiment in ports such as Tobruk and Benghazi. In January 1941, after 150 years, their horses were finally replaced by motorised transport. In June they were involved in the successful campaign against Vichy French forces in Syria, in spite of being desperately short of equipment and serviceable machine-guns. In July 1941, 4th Cavalry Brigade became 9th Armoured Brigade and participated in the expedition into Persia, with the regiment fighting as motorised infantry. In December, they received their first Honey tanks, finally becoming an armoured regiment.

In May 1942 the regiment moved to Egypt with the brigade, which became an independent brigade placed under the operational control of 2nd New Zealand Division under the command of Lt General Sir Bernard Freyberg, VC. The brigade was in reserve during the Battle of Alam el Halfa and in October began training for the Battle of El Alamein.