Ayrshire Yeomanry Cap Badge

Although this badge dates to the second world war the Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick's own) Yeomanry remains Scotland's senior yeomanry with a tradition stretching back as far back as 1793. It is currently the only Territorial Cavalry unit in the lowlands and is now equipped with armoured reconnaissance vehicles. The Ayrshire Yeomanry is the senior yeomanry regiment in Scotland and the seventh yeomanry regiment in Great Britain. It was formed in 1793 by Archibald, Lord Kennedy, being then known as the Ayrshire Yeomanry Cavalry. When, in 1838, there was a general disbandment of yeomanry regiments only two - the Ayrshire and the Lanarkshire - were retained in Scotland.   During the South African War of 1899-1902, the volunteers from the Ayrshire and Lanarkshire Yeomanries served in the campaign as the 17th Company of the 6th (Scottish) Battalion of Imperial Yeomanry. In the Great War of 1914-1918, the regiment was originally on active service in Gallipoli and Egypt. In January of 1917, the Ayrshire Yeomanry and Lanarkshire Yeomanry were formed into the 12th (Ayr and Lanark Yeomanry) Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. The division to which the battalion was then attached was composed mainly of yeomanry units and was popularly known as the "Broken Spurs". The battalion took part in operations in Palestine and thereafter served in europe on the Western Front. In the Second World War of 1939-1945, the regiment fought as the 151st and 152nd (Ayrshire Yeomanry) Field Regiments, Royal Artillery, in North Africa, Italy and North-West Europe. By 1949, the regiment had been re-formed as a unit of the Royal Armoured Corps.