Fife and Forfar Yeomanry

The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry (FFY) was an Armoured Yeomanry Regiment of the British Territorial Army from 1793 to 1956 when it was amalgimated with the Scottish Horse.

It was raised to counter the threat of invasion by France in the late 18th Century but first saw service in the Boer War. The Regiment saw heavy fighting in both the Great War and World War II.

Today the combined regiments are perpetuated by "C" (FFY/SH) Squadron of The Queen's Own Yeomanry based in Cupar in Fife.

The Fife and Forfar Light Horse

 * The Forfar Troop (aka The Angus Cavalry) Raised in 1793 but it was not until 1875 when they attached themselves to the Fife Light Horse.


 * Fifeshire Light Dragoons (a Fencible Cavalry unit) Raised in 1798 was renamed The Fife Yeomanry Cavalry soon after, it name again gaining the designation “Royal” to its title in 1814 after receiving the thanks of both Houses of Parliament for its services.


 * Fifeshire Mounted Rifle Volunteers In 1860 "The Royal Fife Yeomanry Cavalry" was re-roled as "Fifeshire Mounted Rifle Volunteers" (FMRV) were under the command of the Earl of Rosslyn.


 * 1st Fifeshire Light Horse Volunteer Corps The FMRV were re-roled once more as Light Horse in 1870 and 1875 The Forfar Troop were formally attached forming The Fife and Forfar Light Horse.

20th Company of The Imperial Yeomanry
At the start of the Boer War volunteers from the Fife and Forfar Light Horse whose regiment could not be sent overseas volunteered to form The 20th (Fife and Forfar) Company Imperial Yeomanry for service in South Africa.

The Company served in South Africa from early 1900 and during it campaign received a total of 500 officers and men from the Fife and Forfar Light Horse.

The Fife and Forfar Imperial Yeomanry
In May 1901 the Fifeshire Volunteer Light Horse and the Forfarshire Volunteer Light Horse were amalgamated, and converted into a regiment of Imperial Yeomanry, to be designated the Fife and Forfar Imperial Yeomanry. The "Imperial" was dropped from the title on the formation of the Territorial Force in 1908.

The Great War
Highland Mounted Brigade

They were dismounted and eventually became The 14th (FFY) Battalion, of The Black Watch As part of the 74th (Yeomanry) Division they served in Egypt and Palestine in 1917 and 1918 before being moving to France in 1918.

Between The Wars
After the First World War, the FFY converted to armoured cars and became the 20th (Fife and Forfar Yeomanry) Armoured Car Company, Royal Tank Corps.

Second World War


The 1st FFY

51st (Highland) Infantry Division

British Expeditionary Force

Dunkirk

9th Armoured Division

79th Armoured Division

The 2nd FFY

11th Armoured Division

Operation Epsom

Operation Goodwood

Operation Bluecoat

Battle of the Bulge

1947-1956
When the Territorial Army was re-formed in May 1947, the FFY resumed their pre-war role as an Armoured Car Regiment.

On 1 November 1956 the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse was formed by the amalgamation of the FFY with The Scottish Horse both Regiments were in the Royal Armoured Corps and had neighbouring recruiting areas. The Fife and Forfar retained two squadrons and the brass band under the new structure, but a new combined cap badge was designed and the new regiment would wear the Atholl Bonnet of The Scottish Horse as their head dress.

Memorials
The Scottish National War Memorial, which was built after a proposal in 1917 by the Duke of Atholl in Edinburgh Castle contains a memorial and book of remembrance to all Scottish Regiments.

There is a carved stone plaque dedicated to 'To the memory of all ranks - The Fife Light Horse and The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry 1860–1918' inside the ruined church building at Tulliallan Old Churchyard (also known as Woodlea Old Cemetery) Kincardine on Forth. See The Scottish War Memorial Project external link below.

A Fife and Forfar Memorial Font together with a book of remembrance is housed at Cupar Old Parish Church. The font was dedicated on 6 May 1951.

Another memorial was gifted by The Regiment to the Parish Church of Forfar (Old) on Sunday 28 October 1951.

On 7 September 2001 the South-of the Border Group of the Regimental Association dedicated a plaque, tree and bench in Yeomanry Avenue at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas near Lichfield, to those of the 1st and 2nd FFY who gave their lives 1939-1945.

Battle Honours of The FFY
The battle honours of the FFY are displayed on the guidon which was laid up at Cupar Old Parish Church when the Regiment was amalgamated. After amalgamation the battle honours were carried on to the Guidon of the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse and today are represented on the Guidon of the Queen's Own Yeomanry.


 * Boer War
 * South Africa 1900-01
 * Great War
 * Somme 1918
 * Bapaume 1918
 * Hindenburg Line
 * Epehy
 * France and Flanders 1918
 * Gallipoli 1915
 * Egypt 1915-17
 * Gaza
 * Jerusalem
 * Palestine 1917-18
 * World War II
 * Dunkirk
 * Cheux
 * Bourguebus Ridge
 * Le Perier Ridge
 * Scheldt
 * Ourthe
 * Rhineland
 * Rhine
 * North-West Europe 1940, 44-45

Guidons


The FFY's 1st Guidon which displayed the Regiments Boer War battle honours was presented on 17 July 1909 at the Carthaugh, Cupar by the 9th Earl of Elgin, Lord-Lieutenant of Fife.

On 2 October 1955 a new Guidon with World War I battle honours added was presented again at the Carthaugh, Cupar by Lieutenant-General Horatius Murray (standing in for Field-Marshal Sir John Harding who had just been assigned to the job of Governor of Cyprus). The 1909 guidon was laid up on 25 July 1956 in the Scottish National War Memorial, Edinburgh Castle.

The Regiments World War II battle honours were not awarded until after amalgamation with the Scottish Horse in 1956 and so they are displayed on the Guidon of the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse presented in 1958. The FFY's 1955 Guidon was laid up on 2 November 1958 in Cupar Old Parish Church.

FFY Cap Badge
The cap badge of the FFY is a mounted knight (The Thane of Fife). It was also worn on the collars of the officers and men of the Squadron and on the arms above the chevrons of all Senior Non- Commissioned Officers.

Warrant Officers
Unlike all other ranks the Squadron Sergeants Major, the RSM and the SQMS wore a brown leather cross belt with No 2 Dress, officers cap badges, brown shoes and brown gloves.

Head Dress


The F&FIY wore a brick coloured slouch hat with a short blue plume (Band members wore red plumes)

As a part of the RTC the black beret became regimental head dress in 1924 and was worn up until amalgamation with the Scottish Horse in 1956 when it was replaced by the Atholl Bonnet.

During World War II the 2nd FFY wore a square of Ancient Hunting McIntosh tartan as a badge backing on their berets. The tartan was worn in honour of Lieut Col A.H. McIntosh who had helped raise the 2nd Regiment in April 1939 and was their first commanding officer.

The side hat of the Officers is navy with a red top and silver piping.

Stable Belt Colours
The FFY wore a stable belt in the regimental colours of crimson and yellow with a dark blue stripe.

Regimental Music
Unusually for Regiment located in Scotland, The FFY regiment had its own brass band rather than a pipe band, which at various times was mounted until the Boer War.

The Quick March of the Regiment was "Wee Cooper of Fife".

The Slow March of the Regiment was "Bonnie Dundee"

Affiliated Regiments and Formations

 * - 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards

Alliances

 * 🇦🇺 - The 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers

The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry Locomotive
A British Rail Class 55 'Deltic' diesel locomotive D9006 (later 55006), built between 1961 and 1962 by English Electric, was named after the Regiment. It was designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London King's Cross and Edinburgh. A replica of the Locomotive's name plate is on display in Yeomanry House, Cupar.