The Imperial Yeomanry was created on December 24, 1899 — most units being raised during 1900 and 1901 — to allow volunteer cavalry troops to fight as mounted infantry alongside regular troops of the British Army in the Second Boer War as, at that time, Yeomanry regiments had no obligation to fight overseas. December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers is commonly known as cavalry. ... Mounted Infantry were a soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot with muskets or rifles. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British military. ... Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one from December 16, 1880-March 23, 1881 and the second from October 11, 1899-May 31, 1902 both between the British and the settlers of Dutch origin (called Boere, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South Africa that put... In the 1790s, the threat of invasion of England was high, with the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. ...

Volunteers did so for periods of twelve months; few did more than a single twelve-month engagement.

Unusually for cavalry regiments and emphasising its mounted infantry role, the Imperial Yeomanry was not organised into Squadrons but Battalions and Companies, the latter of 115 men. Certain units were sponsored by existing Yeomanry regiments. Many companies had county names and affiliations and certain battalions were named, such as the 18th (Sharpshooters), 19th (Paget's Horse), 20th (Rough Riders), 24th (Metropolitan Mounted Rifles). The British Isles are divided into the following traditional counties (also vice counties or historic counties). ...

A total of 39 battalions and 3 companies were raised under the Imperial Yeomanry; it was formally disbanded on April 1, 1908 but had not fought since the war ended on May 31, 1902 finally leaving South Africa in 1903. April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining, as the last day of May. ... 1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1903 has the latest occurring solstices and equinoxes for 400 years, because the Gregorian calendar hasnt had a leap year for seven years or a century leap year since 1600. ...

External links

• Regiments.org page; lists all battalions and companies and gives key dates (http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/cav/ImpYeo.htm)
• History (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/kevinasplin/IYhistory.html)