The Royal Yeomanry

Fit, adaptable and self-reliant

The Royal Yeomanry is the senior light cavalry regiment in the British Army Reserve. Mounted in light armoured vehicles, we are a fast and highly mobile reconnaissance force with substantial firepower.

Active from:

1 April 1967

Role:

Light cavalry

Specialism:

Reconnaissance and Influence

Soldiers in the Royal Yeomanry operate in small teams, both on foot and behind the wheel of light armoured vehicles like the Land Rover RWMIK. As a Light Cavalry regiment, their role requires stealth, fitness, self-reliance and serious motivation.

We also have roles for medics, chefs and clerks who are vital part of the team.

  • Mounted and dismounted reconnaissance operations
  • Driving a range of high-performance cross-country vehicles
  • Using a range of weapon systems
  • Operating advanced communications equipment
  • Reading and understanding environments
  • Opportunity to learn and use foreign languages to engage with local populations

The Royal Yeomanry trains and deploys soldiers alongside the regular army around the world.

Past Deployments:

Operation Cabrit (Poland)

Operation Shader (Iraq)

Operation Turus (Nigeria)

Operation Herrick (Afghanistan)

Operation Telic (Iraq)

and on exercise in Kenya, California and Cyprus.

The Royal Yeomanry recruits from Fulham, Croydon, Windsor, Leicester, Nottingham, Telford and Dudley. Our soldiers come from all walks of life and usually join the squadron closest to them. All are united by the desire to serve their country.

 

The Royal Yeomanry’s regimental headquarters is based in London. It has squadrons in Fulham, Croydon, Leicester, Nottingham, Telford and Dudley.

Get Directions
  • A (Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry) Squadron
    Address: The Drill Hall, Cavendish Drive, Carlton, Nottingham, NG4 3DX
    Email: [email protected]
    Contact: 0115 961 8722
  • B (Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire) Squadron
    Address: Alamein House, Vicar Street, Dudley, West Midlands, DY2 8RH
    Email: [email protected]
    Contact: 01384 230166
  • C (Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry) Squadron
    Address: Sharpshooter House, Mitcham Road, Croydon, CR0 3RU
    Contact: 0208 6882138
    Email: [email protected] 
  • D (Shropshire Yeomanry) Squadron
    Address: Army Reserve Centre, Cavan Drive, Dawley Bank Telford TF4 2BQ
    Email: [email protected]
    Contact: 01952 632952
  • E (Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry) Squadron
    Address: Army Reserve Centre, Tigers Road, South Wigston, Leicester, LE18 4WS
    Email: [email protected] 
    Contact: 0116 2759559
  • F (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron
    F (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron, Fulham House, London SW6 3JS
    Email: [email protected]
    Contact: 020 7384 4238
  • Cardiff Troop, D Squadron
    Address: Llandaff ARC Gabalfa Avenue Cardiff CF14 2HX
    Email: [email protected] 

As a reconnaissance regiment, we operate in front of other friendly forces to gather intelligence on the enemy and the local environment, often at night and in poor weather conditions.

We use light armoured vehicles fitted with high-tech weaponry and the latest battlefield communications systems, along with surveillance optics to help them see at night – although we're equally at home on foot.

Our soldiers train and serve alongside our Regular Army counterparts, 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards. Together, we have been deployed on operations all over the world.

That's my spare time sorted.

Mike, 39

Past to present

The Royal Yeomanry was formed in 1967 from a number of historic yeomanry regiments. Since then, men and women from the regiment have served both in the UK and alongside the Regular Army in operational theatres across the world.

The Royal Yeomanry is formed.

The RY becomes the Army’s first Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare regiment.

The RY following mobilisation for Operation Telic becomes the only Reserve unit to be awarded the 'Iraq 2003' battle honour.

The regiment mobilises around 400 soldiers to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The regiment is converted to a light cavalry role.

The Royal Yeomanry become part of 7th Infantry Brigade (the Desert Rats), pairs with the Queen’s Dragoon Guards and deploys 14 soldiers with them to serve on operations in Poland.

List of equipment used

Jackal 2 is a high mobility weapons platform, with a unique air-bag suspension system allowing rapid movement across varying terrain.

The general purpose machine gun (GPMG) can be used as a light weapon and in a sustained fire role.

The GMG is usually mounted on WMIK Land Rovers but can also be used from ground-based tripods.

The powerful L1A1 12.7mm (.50) Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) is an updated version of the Browning M2 Fifty-cal.

On its introduction, it proved so accurate that the Army marksmanship tests had to be redesigned.

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Contact Us

The Royal Yeomanry’s regimental headquarters is based in Leicester. We has squadrons in Fulham, Croydon, Leicester, Nottingham, Telford, Dudley and Cardiff.

Telephone: 01162 759552

Email: [email protected] 

Address: RY Regimental Headquarters: Tigers Road, South Wigston, Leicester, LE18 4WS