Members of the Dorset Yeomanry are set to celebrate its rich history at a special exhibition in Dorchester’s Keep Museum this month supported by Humphries Kirk Solicitors.
The members, which include many families and supporters of the Yeomanry across Dorset, together with the current serving Yeomanry will mark the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign and the Battle of Scimitar Hill in which the 5th Battalion Dorset Regiment and the Queen’s Own Dorset Yeomanry both fought.
Lieutenant James Colonel Selby Bennett TD, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Keep Museum and senior partner at Humphries Kirk solicitors, said: “The gathering at the Keep Museum will bring together many interconnected strands blending the history of the soldiers of Dorset with the current serving men and women the Squadron of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.
“The 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign and in particular of the Battle of Scimitar Hill is one of great significance for the men and women of Dorset. The courage of these volunteer soldiers was inspirational and I am so glad that today we are able to celebrate that the County, the Regiment and the actual families of which these soldiers were part are all still here, ready to salute their bravery.”
Today, the Dorset Yeomanry is a flourishing territorial unit, now part of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry based at Bovington. Current Association members include the grandchildren of the Commanding Officer at Gallipoli, Lieutenant Colonel Troyte-Bullock. The President of the Dorset Association is Mr James Gibson-Fleming who is also the grandson of Lieutenant Colonel Sir Randolph Baker, Bart., who commanded the Regiment in WW1.
One of the casualties at Scimitar Hill was Lieutenant Sir Thomas Lees, Bart. of Lytchett Minster. His great nephews Major Christopher Lees and Lieutenant Colonel James Selby Bennett joined the Yeomanry, rising to command a Squadron and to command the regiment respectively.
The Keep Military Museum and its special exhibitions Gallipoli and the WWI Trench are open to the public from 9.30am to 4.30pm 6 days per week.
The Royal Wessex Yeomanry is based at the Armour Centre, Allenby Barracks, Bovington, Dorset BH20 6JA, 01929 403773 and is actively recruiting for soldiers.