Hard Fighting

Book excerpt: This account, following on from Unicorns - The History of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 1794- 1899, covers the Regiments war service between 1900 and 1945.During the Boer War the SRY formed part of the first volunteer unit to see active service overseas fighting the Boer Commandos as cavalry. For its role in the ill-fated 1915 Gallipoli campaign, the Regiment was awarded the Kings Colour and then fought Allenbys victorious campaign against the Turks.During the Second World War the Regiment initially saw service in Palestine, at the siege of Tobruk and the fall of Crete. After acting as Special Forces in Ethiopia, they were converted to armour and fought through from Alamein to Tripoli before returning to North-west Europe for D-Day and the advance to Germany. In so doing they won thirty Battle Honours and 159 awards including eighty-three for gallantry.General Sir Brian Horrocks later wrote no armoured regiment can show a finerrecord of hard fighting. Hence the title of this invaluable regimental history.