Officer, The Shropshire Yeomanry, 1795

Description

The Shropshire Yeomanry was a regiment of the British Army raised in 1795 by Mr. Cludde (whose image this plate represents). The uniform was devised by Mr. Cludde for the Wrekin troop, after summoning the original public meeting and been elected captain. In 1814 the Wrekin troop amalgamated with others to form the Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry. It served as a cavalry and infantry regiment in WW I and as a cavalry and artillery regiment in the WW II. Amalgamated with the Shropshire Royal Horse Artillery in 1969 the regiment was replaced by No. 4 Squadron, 35 (South Midlands) Signal Regiment and the Shropshire Yeomanry Cadre. These later formed the Shropshire Yeomanry Squadron of the Queen’s Own Mercian Yeomanry before their amalgamation into the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry. In 2014 A and B Squadrons were subordinated to The Royal Yeomanry and the regiment disbanded. This is a light cavalry uniform of an old-fashioned cut. Waistcoat and short-tailed coat had been replaced by a short closed coatee. The yeomanry bought their own clothes so could design it as they liked. The sword, unusually, is slung from a shoulder-belt. Between 1939 and 1945 it fought as the 75th and 76th Medium Regiments, Royal Artillery, but after the war it became mechanised cavalry again. 

Source: Portrait of Mr. Chudde, described and reproduced in the regimental history.