Inns of Court and City Yeomanry - Regimental & Squadron History

Regimental & Squadron History

Known by its new title since 2009, the Inns of Court & City and Essex Yeomanry (ICCEY) has its headquarters in Chancery Lane, London (pictured). It is the successor to three historic volunteer units, namely The Inns of Court Regiment (ICR), The City of London Yeomanry (COLY) and The Essex Yeomanry (EY).

Foundation

The Inns of Court & City Yeomanry (IC&CY) was formed only in 1961, through the amalgamation of The Inns of Court Regiment (The Devil's Own) and The City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders). But it can trace its direct roots back at least to the first written records of the former in 1584, when 95 members of The Inns of Court entered into a solemn pledge to defend Queen Elizabeth I against the threat of Spain's Armada.

Just like today, many volunteers were recruited among the legal community at times of national peril, and so it was at an inspection in Hyde Park in 1803, during the Napoleonic Wars, that George III is reputed to have styled such a litigious body as 'The Devil's Own' - a title that lives on today.

By mid-nineteenth century, the Inns of Court Regiment (ICR) had evolved from a Volunteer Rifle Corps. The other half of the unit, The City of London Yeomanry, was raised from volunteers of the 20th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry only in the late 1890s, and served with distinction in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Its nickname, The Rough Riders was taken from a famous body of volunteer horsemen who fought in the Spanish-American War of 1898. Further battle honours were won in both World Wars - full details can be seen at the appropriate links (above).

1960s Defence Reforms

During the period prior to 1967, the IC&CY served as an armoured car regiment (as did many other Yeomanry units). The 1967 reorganisation of the TA then led to the regiment being reduced to an infantry company, and assigned as A Company (Inns of Court and City Yeomanry), the London Yeomanry and Territorials. In 1968, the London Yeomanry and Territorials was disbanded, but a cadre of the Regiment, consisting of 3 officers and 5 other ranks, was retained in the Royal Armoured Corps, thereby ensuring the continuation of the Regiment's name in the Army List, and the retention of its headquarters and historical mess at Lincoln's Inn. Its spirit and purpose were kept alive by the active participation of these IC&CY personnel, until it was re-constituted as a TA unit with Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, gracious in her acceptance of the Royal Honorary Colonelcy. Personnel from A Company were then used to form 68 (Inns of Court and City Yeomanry) Signal Squadron, in the newly-formed 71st (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment.

Many of the traditions of the antecedent regiments were retained, or blended into the new entity (for example, the Squadron assumed both the grace and the Regimental Quick March of the ICR (the Nancy Dawson), blended the ICR and COLY cap badges, and used both colours on the yeomanry stable belt). The cadre itself was disbanded in 1975.

The Home Service Force

A Home Service Force Squadron was badged as IC&CY and designated as 348 (IC&CY) Signals Squadron HSF from 1986 to 1993. The squadron was based at Lincoln's Inn and wore the original IC&CY cap badge. 348 Squadron was organised on the lines of an infantry rifle company and had a key point defence role. The HSF unit ran on for another 12 months as a semi-official Defence Platoon, its final parade being in 1994.

Merger with the Essex Yeomanry

Following the reorganisation of the Royal Signals Reserves in 2009, '68 (IC&CY) Signal Squadron' merged with '70 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron' to form '68 (The Inns of Court & City and Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron', or 'ICCEY' for short. Again, some of the traditions of both were incorporated into the new entity, which is why, for example, the Squadron still wears a green Rifles-style beret.