Opening Times: 1st March – 30th November are 10:30 – 16:30 Wed-Sun Incl. Registered Charity Number: 1138821 Issue 5
Curator’s Notes
Captain Mick Holtby
Well, what a summer we are enjoying and with the sun
come the visitors. You may be interested to know that visitor
numbers this season from 1st March 2013 stand at 14, 238,
whilst our visitor total since opening in July 2011 are well
over 55,000, I think you will agree, not bad for a small rural
Museum.
On education the Museum
continues its involvement with
the local schools In March we
were able to collaborate once
again with our friends at
Perlethorpe
Environmental
Centre who had engaged a
travelling Museum called
We’ll Meet Again, and
specialise in 1940’s living history for schools. It is run by a
husband and wife team, he as a sergeant in the Home Guard
and she a member of the Woman’s Land Army. The amount
of original uniform, weapons and everyday items they provide
for use by the children is staggering. Classes go through a
series of lectures and drills ranging from rationing, air raid
drills to marching and weapon handling. I was called upon to
instruct groups of six on Vickers heavy machine gun which
seemed to go down really well. During that week we had
some 263 children through the Museum. To date a further
162 students have taken part in educational activities
organised by the Museum. Other events that have taken
place include two visits to Thoresby by the Trent Valley
Military Vehicle Trust (TVMVT), who specialise in WWII
vehicles. The first was in May and based in the courtyard, this
was a warm up for run for the much larger event ‘Picnic in the
Park’ which was held in June. Vehicles from the TVMVT
were joined by Call Sign Alpha, who provided several post
war vehicles as well as a modern WMIK from the Sherwood
Rangers Yeomanry. Other attractions included the Worksop
Miners Welfare Band, a Police Dog Display Team, and an
Engine from the local fire service. We even had a bouncy
castle assault course for the children. Both events were free
to enter for the public and very well received, the latter
attracted over 1,000 visitors during the day. It is hoped that
we can run this event again in 2014.Talking of 2014, plans
are well in hand to mount a special exhibition to
commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of WWI.
It is envisaged that the exhibition will run for five years with
the emphasis changing each year to reflect key events
relevant to our regiments during the course of the war and the
effects on those on the home front.
Newsletter Foreword
Following the Coalition Government’s Strategic Defence and
Security Review (SDSR) the Prime Minister ordered a further
review into the Reserve Forces and the Future Reserves 20
study led by General Sir Nicholas Houghton, the Vice Chief
of the General Staff (now the Chief of the Defence Staff),
recommended a ‘Whole Force Concept’ of fully integrated
Regulars and Reserves in all three services.
The recently published White Paper sets out the future roles,
training, terms and conditions of the Reserve Forces and the
proposition for individual Reservists, their Families,
Employers and Communities. After a number of years in
which the roles and training of Reserves have lacked clarity
and funding the Reserves now have a clearly established and
strong future as part of the integrated Regular and Reserve
‘whole force’. The name of the Territorial Army is to be
changed to become the Army Reserve to reflect these
changes as they affect the Army. Army 2020 set out the
future structure of the Army and an integrated Regular and
Reserve (Territorial) Army and announced a reduction in the
size of the Regular Army to a trained strength of 82000 and
an Army Reserve with an increased trained strength of 30000
(but a reduced number of established units and sub units);
and a subsequent announcement set out the planned basing
of the Regular units in the UK, which also includes the return
of the British Army from Germany. These reviews have led
to the amalgamation of the Queen’s Royal Lancers (QRL)
and the 9/12 Lancers to form The Royal Lancers which has
already been announced in an earlier newsletter and in July
2013 the Secretary of State announced the future basing of
the Army Reserve to give effect to the whole force concept
and greater integration between Regulars and Reserves.
As a result of this review the South Notts Hussars (SNH) will
lose their role as Gunners and their serving unit, 307 (South
Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry RHA) Battery, will be
placed into suspended animation. This follows decisions
made to align the Royal Artillery’s Reserve Regiments and
Batterys alongside the Regular Regiments and there will be
no Regular Gunner Regiment in the East Midlands or East of
England. Our parent Regiment, 100 (Yeomanry) Regiment
RA, will also disband as will our sister Battery, 201
(Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Battery based in
Luton. The SNH have served as Gunners since 1922 so this
decision is something of a shock and a great disappointment
to the whole SNH family, however we are delighted that we
are to join the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) as part of
the Royal Yeomanry in Nottingham, also to be joined by the
Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry (LDY) to form A
(Sherwood Rangers, Leicestershire and Derbyshire and
South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry) Squadron Royal
Yeomanry. This will be a big change for us and it will be a
wrench to say farewell to our Permanent Staff and Instructors
at Bulwell, where C Company 4 MERCIAN will take over the
Reserve Centre but it is also an exciting opportunity to reunite with the SRY with whom we share a common heritage
as part of the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cavalry formed in
1794.
Colonel Tim Richmond
MUSEUM NEWS September 2013
Tel: 01623 824222
www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk
70th Anniversary of the Victory in North Africa May 1943
Both the 16th/5th Lancers and the 17th/21st Lancers as part of 26th Armoured Brigade deployed to North Africa in November
1942. The 17th/21st Lancers were not initially deployed with the Division but as part of ‘Blade Force' under Lieutenant Colonel
Richard Hull, a 17th/21st Lancer. The plan was that Blade Force would act as a spearhead invasion force into Tunisia. The
Force was to move from Algiers, in concert with the 8th Army who were moving west from Egypt, having advanced from El
Alamein. The role of the 17th/21st Lancers within Blade Force was to provide a flank guard for the 78th Infantry Division, which
was to occupy the city. Blade Force made a rapid advance of 300 miles before being held up at the crossroads between Sidi
Nasir station and Mateur by strong German resistance. This delay allowed the Germans to reinforce and thus foil the bid to
capture Tunis. As a result Blade Force was broken up and the 17th/21st Lancers were returned to 26th Armoured Brigade.
On the 19th of February 1943, the Germans launched a major counter
attack into the Kasserine Pass towards Thala. The 26th Armoured Brigade
was tasked with stopping the German advance. The 16th/5th and the 1st
Guards Brigade were ordered to take up defensive positions at Sbiba
some 20 miles east of Thala. By dawn on the 21st, the 17th/21st Lancers
was in a position blocking the road from Thala to Kasserine. All that day it
fought a difficult delaying action in which fourteen tanks were lost. At dusk
the Regiment retired into a leaguer. After a short time the sound of tanks
moving on the road was heard; the enemy had resumed his advance in the
dark and led the attack with a Valentine tank which had been abandoned
by the Regiment at Tebourba in December. This ruse completely deceived
the infantry in front of the regimental leaguer. It was not until the Germans
opened fired that anyone realised what had happened. The first person to
react was the Adjutant, Captain Ponsonby, who firing the gun of his own
tank, destroyed four German tanks in quick succession. Soon the other
tanks joined in and three more tanks were destroyed. The German attack
dissolved; although the Regiment remained in the area for the next three
days, the Germans did not renew the attack, but retired eastwards.
Protected only by the inferior armour of the Valentine and out gunned by the German tanks, the cost was high. Although the
pass was held, the 17th/21st Lancers was reduced to only twelve tanks. It was after this encounter that the Regiment was
withdrawn from the line and re-equipped with the American Sherman tank mounting a 75mm gun. This represented a great
improvement on the old 'Tommy Cookers' (Valentines), both in terms of firepower and armoured protection. The stage was
now set for the Battle of Fondouk, on the 8th and 9th April, in which the Regiment was to play a leading role. The Fondouk Pass
was a flat, open plain, 1000 yards wide, dominated on both sides by steep rocky heights. The plan was for the Regiment to
break through the pass and cut off the retreating German forces. During a reconnaissance on the evening of the 8th, the
Regiment lost four tanks. At 9.00 a.m. on the 9th the 17th/21st was ordered to force the Pass at any cost. The area was mined,
and covered by both artillery and anti-tank guns positioned both in the pass and on the high ground. For two hours the
Regiment tried to break through the Pass, sustaining such heavy losses that only a handful of tanks were left in action.
Information that the dry riverbed to the left might prove to be a way through was passed to Brigade Headquarters. At 11.30, HQ
26th Armoured Brigade ordered the 16th/5th Lancers to try that route, which despite a number of losses to men and tanks,
proved successful. Although the subsequent break-through was achieved, the delay allowed the German forces to retreat
unmolested towards Tunis. 16th /5th & 17th/21st Lancers losses were nineteen killed and forty three wounded, with forty tanks
put out of action. Survivors referred to this action as ‘Balaklava II’.
On the 11th April 1943 General Alexander had decided how enemy forces in Tunisia would be eliminated. 1st Army under
General Anderson would make the main effort but 8th Army would attack first, North West from Enfidaville along the coast to
draw off enemy forces. 1st Army would then make its attack through the Medjez – Massicult Road with General Allfrey’s V
Corps. At the same time Crockers IX Corps would attack in the Pont de Fachs – Gubellet area with 1st & 6th Armoured
Divisions and 46th Infantry Division. The French XIX Corps were to hold the eastern dorsal between IX Corps and 8th Army
they were to attack enemy as permitted. The US II Corps was shifted to the North east of Medjez to Bizerte. Monty started his
attack on the 19th April by attacking Jebal Garcia and Jebal Takrouna. This attack by the 4th Indian Division and the New
Zealand Division met with fierce resistance, there were some 23 Axis Battalions in front of the 8th Army and they were not
going to give Monty an easy ride to Tunis. On the 24 April
Crocker advanced with 46th Brigade supported by masses of
Artillery, 1st Armoured Brigade from 8th Army had joined IX
Corps for this attack. There was lots of banter between 1st &
6th Armoured Divisions, who thought themselves superior to
6th Armoured Division but there was mutual respect.
Opposing the 26th Armoured Brigade were old enemies; the
Hermann Goering Division & 10th Panzer Division. They had
months to prepare their positions and they would pay for
every yard. The attack lasted till the 26th April but the enemy
held firm and the attack failed. In the North the division had
made some progress, but no breakthrough. A new plan was
needed.
MUSEUM NEWS September 2013
Tel: 01623 824222
www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk
General Alexander now switched IX Corps through V Corps and made a
determined push through the Medjerda valley. To do this he moved 7th
Armoured Division- 4th Indian Division and the 201 Guards Brigade through
to IX Corps. General Horrocks had taken over the Division from General
Crocker. The orders were simply to take Tunis.
On the 5th May, Horrocks’ attack was preceded with Allfrey’s V Corps who
advanced down the Medjez valley and secured the left flank. In the early
hours of the 6th of May over 600 guns opened fire on the ground in front of
IX Corps. Z hour was 0300 and the leading Infantry Division advanced on a
3000 yards frontage, by 0730 they had punched a hole in the German
defences wide enough for the Armoured Divisions to get through, initially the going was slow due to a minefield but by 1045
they had reached the front of Fanes. The Armoured Division commanders were keen to secure a firm base and waited for the
infantry to catch up, this took some hours. By 1700, 26th Armoured Brigade stopped for the night 2 miles east of Massicult with
7th Armoured just north of the town.
When the advance continued on the 7th May they met little
resistance. The Hermann Goering Division had been reduced, 15th
Panzer was all but destroyed. The Germans were confused as to
which direction the attacks were coming from, the orders had gone
out that on the 6th May, German resistance had collapsed and those
units still active should make their way either north to Bizerta or
make for the Cape Bon peninsular. Armoured Cars of the 11th
Hussars & Derbyshire Yeomanry had reached the outskirts of Tunis
– Tunis had fallen.
The final action of the North Africa campaign was the capture of the
Cape Bon Peninsula. The Germans were trying to delay its capture
long enough to allow evacuation of their Army by sea. The 17th /21st Lancers conducted a 'charge' along the beach totally out
manoeuvring the German defensive positions. Enemy resistance crumbled, thousands of prisoners were taken, and thus
ended the campaign. Axis losses totalled 620,000 men as casualties or prisoners of war - more than Germany lost during the
subsequent Italian campaign. Allied losses at 260,000 casualties - 220,000 British, 20,000 French, and 20,000 American, with
70,000 allied casualties incurred in the fighting lasting from Operation Torch in November of 1942 to the fall of Tunisia on the
13th May of 1943.
Acts of Valour – Cpl Charles Wooden VC 17th Lancers
The Victoria Cross (VC) was introduced on 29
January 1856 by Queen Victoria to honour acts
of valour during the Crimean War. Since then,
the medal has been awarded 1,357 times to
1,354 individual recipients. Only 14 medals, ten
to members of the British Army, and four to the
Australian Army, have been awarded since the
Second World War. The traditional explanation
of the source of the gunmetal from which the
medals are struck is that it derives from Russian
cannon captured at the siege of Sevastopol. Recent research has
thrown doubt on this story, suggesting a variety of origins for the
material actually making up the medals themselves. Research has
established that the gunmetal for many of the medals came from
Chinese cannons that may have been captured from the Russians in
1855.
Born in Kiel on 24.3.1827. Enlisted 17th Lancers in 1845, served
with the Regiment in the Crimean war 1854-56, and was present at
the battles of the Alma, the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava
where his horse was killed, Inkerman and the siege of Sevastopol,
he also saw service in the Indian Mutiny 1857.
Wooden was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry at Balaklava.
The citation reads "For having after the retreat of the Light Cavalry
at the Battle of Balaklava, being instrumental, together
with Dr James Mouat C.B. in saving the life of Lieutenant
Colonel Morris C.B. 17th Lancers, by proceeding under a
heavy fire to his assistance when he was lying very
dangerously wounded in an exposed situation". His V.C.
was gazetted on 26.10.1858. (LG No. 22194 of
26.10.1858)
Promoted from the ranks of the 17th Lancers as QuarterMaster in the 104th Bengal Fusiliers, and from that
regiment he was transferred with the same rank into the
5th Lancers on 21.3.1865, left the Army in 1871.
He died at Dover by his own hand on 24 April 1876, and
is buried at St. James's Cemetery, Dover in an
unmarked grave.
His
nickname in the 17th
Lancers as "Tish Me The Devil" which was the
answer he gave one night
in his broken English
accent to a sentry who
challenged him.
A reminder to all that Lt Col Nigel Best, former Commanding Officer QRL, will talk on the recent
tour Op Herrick 17 in Afghanistan. The talk will take place at the Museum on 17 October. For
more details please contact the curator
MUSEUM NEWS September
2013
Tel: 01623 824222
www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk
The Holden Cup
Colonel Robert Holden
Commanding the South Notts Hussars
1848 –1868
The Museum recently had two important visitors Mr Tony
Holden and his cousin Robert both relatives of Colonel
Robert Holden who served in the South Notts Hussars for
forty years, twenty as its Commanding Officer.
Colonel Holden was an extremely popular Officer, and in a
farewell letter to every member of the Regiment he states;
I beg to offer to yourself, to every officer, non
commissioned officer, and member of the corps, my
sincere and grateful thanks for the constant, uniform, kind
support ever awarded to me during my connection with the
Regiment. My best wishes are with you for time and
eternity.
The Regiment presented Colonel
Holden with a silver urn, which thanks
to Tony and Robert, now stands
proudly on display in the silver cabinet
at the museum in Thoresby Park.
Another member of the family Lt A F
Holden served in the South Notts
Hussars during World War 1. He was
awarded the Military Cross. He
commanded the South Notts Hussars
from 1935 –1939.
Col Robert Holden (centre)
Captain Ichabod Wright of Mapperley (1767–1862)
This small but historically important
painting by John Boultbee hangs in
the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
Museum in the drill hall in Carlton.
Painted in 1803, it portrays the 36
year old Captain Ichabod Wright of
Mapperley, who raised the first
Nottingham Troop of Yeomanry in
1794, nine years earlier. The painting
has served to remind generations of
Sherwood Rangers of their joint
heritage with the South Notts
Hussars.
Diary Dates
17 October Op Herrick 17
Presentation 1830-2100 hrs
Lt Col Nigel Best talks on the recent
QRL tour Op Herrick 17 in
Afghanistan. Wine and Canapés will
be served
13 March 2014 James Holland
talk
James Holland, distinguished author
will talk on Lt Col Stanley
Christopherson - CO SRY from DDay to the end of the war. His war
diaries are due for publication in
February next year.
11 May 2014 Trent Valley Military
Vehicles Trust in the Courtyard
The TVMT will make a return trip to
the courtyard bringing with them a
range of restored military vehicles
5-6 July 2014 Picnic in the Park
This year’s event was such a
success we plan to repeat it next
year. But Bigger!
You’ve Got Mail!
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the Queen’s Royal Lancers and
Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum
Interesting Artefacts - Royal Forrester Pattern Carbine
Royal Forester pattern flintlock cavalry carbine as used by the 16th and 17th Light Dragoons in the American War of
Independence. Purportedly 1 of only 3 original’s known in the world, 1. in the Smithsonian institute. 2. In a private collection. 3.
In the Museum.
Although conforming in overall outline to the standard Elliott Pattern Carbine, the Forrester has several distinctive variations.
The most obvious of these being the used of the more expensive flat Lock & Cock, another variation is the forward fastening of
the sling bar (which has two screws through the fore end securing a small base plate on the front of the bar). Note also the
somewhat shorter and heavier trigger guard. The barrel is secured by three flat keys or slides instead of screws, and the
second ram rod pipe is also a departure from the usual design, being trumpet – mouthed.
Overall length 43.19inches (109.7cm)
Barrel 27.75 inches (70.49 cm)
Calibre 0.65 inch (16.5mm)