Image ID: 08038

Sherwood Rangers or Imperial Yeomanry ?, soldiers with bicycles, leaving for the Boer War ?

Courtesy of Southwell Minsterr

Southwell Railway Station
Southwell
England

An untitled picture which could be Sherwood Rangers or Imperial yeomanry before leaving for the Boer War ? (please let us know if you can identify the troup or the occasion). The Sherwood Foresters have a distinguished history prior to World War 1. The Cardwell reforms of 1881 brought together the 45th and 95th Regiments of Foot with the Militia of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire plus the volunteer regiments of the two counties, to form The Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment). (It is of interest that it was not until 1902 that Nottinghamshire was added to the title.) The Regiment now consisted of: 1st Battalion (45th), 2nd Battalion (95th), 3rd (late Derbyshire Militia) and 4th (late Royal Sherwood Foresters) Militia Battalions, and 1st and 2nd (Derbyshire) and 3rd and 4th (Nottinghamshire) Volunteer Battalions. The Headquarters of the Regimental District was established in Derby. The outbreak of the Boer War in 1899 (1899-1902) found both regular battalions in Malta and during November of that year the 1st Battalion sailed for South Africa where they were to remain until the end of the War in 1902. They took part in most of the major battles and shared all the hard marching and privations of that long campaign. On one occasion they marched 400 miles in 45 days and were engaged with the enemy 28 times. The 4th Battalion and service companies of the Volunteer Battalions also took part in the campaign with great credit. The 2nd Battalion, still stationed in Malta, provided volunteers for the many mounted infantry companies. VCs were won by Cpl H Beet and Pte W Bees, while amongst the many other decorations bestowed on Foresters were no fewer than twenty-two Distinguished Conduct Medals. Alternatively the picture could be of yeomanry. In 1900 the Imperial Yeomanry volunteers were authorised by Royal Warrant for service in the Second Anglo-Boer War. The first Contingent companies of volunteers (10,242 men) formed throughout UK for 12 months service; some were newly raised, and others (one third) were sponsored by part-time Yeomanry Cavalry regiments which were not liable for overseas service.

Date: 1900

Organisation Reference: NCCE001844

Organisation: