South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry
| South Irish Horse | |
|---|---|
Regimental Badge
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| Active | 1902-1922 |
| Country | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Yeomanry |
| Role | Cavalry |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Defunct |
| Colonel-in-Chief | Field Marshal HRH Arthur W. P. A., Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, KG, KT, KP, GCB, GCSI |
The South Irish Horse was a Special Reserve cavalry regiment of the British Army. Formed on 2 January 1902 as the South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry. It was renamed as the South Irish Horse from 7 July 1908 and transferred to the Special Reserve (Cavalry). After fighting in the Great War the unit was disbanded in 1922 following the implementation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
Following the South African war, sixteen new yeomanry regiments were formed, two of these in Ireland. King Edward VII approved the formation of the North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry and the South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry in 1901. Their formation was sanctioned and gazetted on 7 January 1902. It was renamed as the South Irish Horse from 7 July 1908 and transferred to the Special Reserve (Cavalry). Squadrons were formed as follows:
The declaration of war against Germany in August 1914 found the South Irish Horse at summer camp, as was its sister regiment the North Irish Horse. The Expeditionary Force squadron of North Irish Horse (designated A Squadron), along with its counterpart in the South Irish Horse (designated B Squadron) was assigned to the British Expeditionary Force. Both squadrons sailed from Dublin on the SS Architect on 17 August 1914. More squadrons of the 'Horse' were to join the regiment in France. The South Irish Horse did not stay together as a unit, but squadrons were attached to different formations in the BEF as and when required:
In September 1917 the officers and men of the South Irish Horse were retrained as infantry and formed 7th (South Irish Horse) Battalion Royal Irish Regiment; the battalion formed part of the 49th Infantry Brigade in the 16th (Irish) Division. The battalion was caught in the German Spring Offensive in March 1918: the Official History records that, "two companies of 7th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, posted in forward zones, suffered terribly; not a man succeeded in escaping."
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