Queen's Own Yeomanry

The Queen's Own Yeomanry (QOY) is a reserve light cavalry reconnaissance regiment of the British Army and part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It provides trained reservists for reconnaissance, security and protected mobility tasks, complementing the regular Army's Light Dragoons. The regiment is currently associated with 19th Brigade within 1st (UK) Division and operates the Jackal vehicle. The regiment was created on 1 April 1971 as the 2nd Armoured Car Regiment through the consolidation of five existing Yeomanry units drawn from northern and middle England and south-west Scotland. Its early Cold War role was closely connected with the British Army of the Rhine, where it performed armoured reconnaissance duties in Germany. This role reflected the wider purpose of the Territorial Army's armoured formations: maintaining a reserve capability that could reinforce regular forces during a major European conflict. The unit's geographical responsibilities and structure changed over time. Following the 1999 Strategic Defence Review, its recruiting and organisational footprint expanded or shifted toward eastern Scotland and Northern Ireland. Under the Army 2020 reforms, three squadrons transferred to the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry, while the QOY received two squadrons from the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry. The regiment subsequently settled into a four-squadron structure comprising A Squadron, B Squadron, C Squadron and D Squadron, each retaining historical county and yeomanry identities. QOY personnel have deployed on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a reserve regiment, it combines part-time military service with civilian employment and recruits primarily across Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Lancashire, Cheshire, Northumberland and Merseyside. Its contemporary reconnaissance function is based less on heavy tracked armour than on lighter protected vehicles, surveillance equipment, machine guns and digital battlefield communications. The regiment has also preserved ceremonial and historical traditions. Its cap badge is based on the running fox badge associated with the former East Riding Yeomanry, while individual squadrons retain distinctive collar badges and buttons. The regiment's stable belt and shoulder flashes use Prussian blue with two cavalry-gold stripes. In 2007, Prince Charles, then the regiment's Royal Honorary Colonel, presented a new crimson silk Guidon at Alnwick Castle. The QOY and its constituent squadrons have received civic freedoms from communities including Newcastle upon Tyne, York, South Ayrshire and Chester.

The Queen's Own Yeomanry was formed on 1 April 1971 as the 2nd Armoured Car Regiment. Its creation brought together five Yeomanry units from northern and middle England and south-west Scotland, creating a reserve armoured reconnaissance formation with a broad regional recruiting base. The title Queen's Own Yeomanry reflected the regiment's composite heritage rather than the creation of a wholly new military tradition. During the Cold War, the regiment served as a British Army of the Rhine regiment in Germany and held an armoured reconnaissance role. Its purpose was to provide reserve capacity for surveillance and battlefield reconnaissance in support of British and allied formations. The regiment's inherited traditions remained visible through its badges, squadron identities, ceremonial practices and civic affiliations. The Strategic Defence Review of 1999 led to changes in the regiment's geographic footprint. Its responsibilities and locations came to include parts of eastern Scotland and Northern Ireland. These changes formed part of a wider reorganisation of Britain's reserve forces and altered the relationship between the regiment and the communities from which it recruited. The regiment later contributed personnel to British military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. These deployments demonstrated the changing nature of its work: although rooted in armoured reconnaissance, the unit increasingly supported expeditionary operations through protected mobility, surveillance and reinforcement of regular formations. Army 2020 brought another major structural change. Three of the regiment's squadrons transferred to the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry, while two squadrons from the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry joined the Queen's Own Yeomanry. The resulting organisation consists of four squadrons: A Squadron, identified with the Yorkshire Yeomanry; B Squadron, associated with the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry; C Squadron, associated with Cheshire Yeomanry; and D Squadron, associated with the Northumberland Hussars. The regiment is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is paired with the Light Dragoons. Its current operational vehicle is the Jackal, a light protected mobility platform suited to reconnaissance and patrol tasks. Before this transition, the regiment used Land Rover Defender-based RWMIK vehicles equipped with general-purpose and heavy machine guns, Bowman digital communications and specialist surveillance equipment including thermal imaging. The shift from tracked or heavier armoured reconnaissance vehicles toward lighter protected mobility reflects broader changes in British Army reserve capability. The regiment's headquarters is at Fenham Barracks in Newcastle upon Tyne, with squadrons based in York, Wigan, Chester and Newcastle. Its main recruiting area includes Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Lancashire, Cheshire, Northumberland and Merseyside. The QOY therefore combines a national defence role with strong local affiliations. Ceremonial continuity is an important part of its identity. The regiment wears a variation of the running fox cap badge of the former East Riding Yeomanry, while its squadrons retain their own collar badges and buttons. Its stable belt and shoulder flashes are Prussian blue with two horizontal cavalry-gold stripes. On 22 September 2007, a new crimson silk Guidon was presented at Alnwick Castle. The regiment and its constituent formations have also received civic freedoms, including Newcastle upon Tyne, York, South Ayrshire and Chester. These honours connect the modern reserve regiment to the long civic and military traditions of British Yeomanry.

• 2022

  Association with the reactivated 19th Brigade

  [1]Queen's Own Yeomanryen.wikipedia.org

  The regiment became part of the reactivated 19th Brigade within 1st (UK) Division.

• 2018

  Introduction of Jackal 1 vehicles

  [1]Queen's Own Yeomanryen.wikipedia.org

  The regiment adopted Jackal 1 vehicles to harmonise its equipment with the Light Dragoons.

• 2013

  Re-equipment with RWMIK vehicles

  [1]Queen's Own Yeomanryen.wikipedia.org

  As CVR(T) vehicles were phased out across the Army, the regiment moved to Land Rover Defender-based RWMIK vehicles with weapons, digital communications and surveillance systems.

• 2007

  Presentation of a new Guidon

  [1]Queen's Own Yeomanryen.wikipedia.org

  A new ceremonial Guidon was presented to the regiment at Alnwick Castle on 22 September.

• 1999

  Geographical reorganisation after the Strategic Defence Review

  [1]Queen's Own Yeomanryen.wikipedia.org

  The regiment's geographical locations and responsibilities changed, including links to eastern Scotland and Northern Ireland.

• 1971

  Formation as the 2nd Armoured Car Regiment

  [1]Queen's Own Yeomanryen.wikipedia.org

  The Queen's Own Yeomanry was formed on 1 April from five Yeomanry units drawn from northern and middle England and south-west Scotland.

A geographically distributed Army Reserve cavalry regiment that supplies reconnaissance, surveillance and protected mobility capability while preserving historic county-based Yeomanry identities.

• Light protected mobility vehicle · 2018

  Jackal 1

  The Jackal 1 is the regiment's principal contemporary vehicle capability. It supports reconnaissance, patrol and protected mobility tasks and provides a lighter platform than traditional armoured reconnaissance vehicles. Its adoption in 2018 aligned the Queen's Own Yeomanry with its paired regular regiment, the Light Dragoons.

• Light armoured vehicle · 2013

  RWMIK

  The Land Rover Defender-based RWMIK was used by the regiment after the withdrawal of CVR(T) vehicles. It could carry a general-purpose machine gun and Browning .50 heavy machine gun and was supported by Bowman digital communications and surveillance equipment, including thermal imaging.

• British Army operations in Iraq

  Iraq · United Kingdom

  Soldiers from the Queen's Own Yeomanry served on British military operations in Iraq as part of the regiment's operational contribution to overseas deployments.

  Source
• British Army operations in Afghanistan

  Afghanistan · United Kingdom

  Personnel from the regiment served in Afghanistan, demonstrating the reserve regiment's role in providing deployable personnel for expeditionary operations.

  Source

• 2018

  Standardisation on Jackal 1 vehiclesGeneration change

  Background

  The regiment required a modern light protected mobility platform after earlier changes away from CVR(T) vehicles.

  Action taken

  The Queen's Own Yeomanry re-equipped with Jackal 1 vehicles, matching the vehicle family used by the Light Dragoons.

  Aftermath

  The change reinforced the regiment's light cavalry reconnaissance and protected mobility role.

  Source

• Army 2020 restructuringStrategy

  Background

  The Army 2020 reforms reorganised the Army Reserve and changed the distribution of Yeomanry squadrons.

  Action taken

  Three squadrons transferred to the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry, while two squadrons from the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry joined the Queen's Own Yeomanry.

  Aftermath

  The regiment adopted its present four-squadron structure and regional footprint.

  Source

1. 1Queen's Own Yeomanryen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Queen's Own Yeomanry - British Armyarmy.mod.uk