The 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry was an active service cavalry unit formed by the Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) during World War I. It was sent to the Mediterranean in 1915 and after several changes of plan it arrived in Egypt, where it served with the Western Frontier Force. Later, it participated in the Sinai and Palestine campaign, including the battles of Gaza, Mughar Ridge and Nebi Samwil, the decisive Battle of Megiddo and the Capture of Damascus. It remained in Palestine on security duties for some months before being demobilised.
Mobilisation
When war was declared on 4 August 1914, the Staffordshire Yeomanry, a mounted regiment of Britain's Territorial Force (TF), mobilised at Stafford under Lieutenant-Colonel William Bromley-Davenport, its commander since 1910. The regiment assembled with the North Midland Mounted Brigade (NMMB) and went with it to its war station at Diss in Norfolk, where the brigade came under 1st Mounted Division in September.
The part-time TF was intended to be a home defence force in wartime, and its members could not be compelled to serve overseas. However, on 10 August 1914, the TF was invited to volunteer for overseas service and the majority did so. On 15 August, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate regiments, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring the 1st Line TF formations being sent overseas. Later, the 2nd Line was prepared for overseas service, and a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments.
Service
While in East Anglia the 1st Mtd Division was part of the defence forces for the East Coast, but at the same time its units and formations were training for active service. One by one its 1st Line mounted brigades embarked for overseas service and were replaced by the 2nd Line. The turn of the 1/1st NMMB came on 30 September 1915 when it was ordered to re-equip and reorganise to full war establishment (it was replaced in the division by 2/1st NMMB). By now 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry was commanded by Lt-Col Henry Clowes, who had been second-in-command of the regiment on the outbreak of war.
On 26 October Lt-Col Clowes, Major Viscount Lewisham and nine other officers went to Devonport to embark on HM Transport Northland as an advance party sent to Mudros, the base for the Gallipoli campaign. Eleven men and 11 mules of the regiment also embarked with the 1/1st East Riding Yeomanry (1/1st ERY) on HMT Victorian. The rest of the regiment entrained at Norwich for Southampton and sailed next day aboard HMT Nessian with 16 officers and 501 other ranks (ORs). The convoy was heading for Malta, but when it passed Gibraltar on 2 November it was ordered to proceed to the Salonika front and steamed past Malta. Then on 6 November it received orders by wireless to re-route to Alexandria in Egypt. It disembarked there on 9 November, the advance party who had travelled via Mudros rejoining on 22 November.
Western Frontier
On 23 November the regiment moved by train to Cairo and then on 28 November, also by train, it went to Faiyum, south west of Cairo, where 1/1st NMMB became part of the Western Frontier Force (WFF). The Senussi had just invaded Egypt from Libya and 1/1st NMMB's role was to keep order in the Faiyum Oasis area and also to block the desert route to the Nile. 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry was stationed at Deir al Azab Camp with one Troop on outpost duty every night. From here it carried out patrols and route marches throughout the area. 1/1st North Midland Mounted Brigade was numbered as 22nd Mounted Brigade in March 1916.
When Lt-Col Clowes died in hospital on 8 March, Lt-Col Bromley-Davenport took over, but five days later he was promoted to Temporary Brigadier-General to command 22nd Mounted Bde. Major Sir Percival Heywood, 4th Baronet, was promoted to command 1/1st Staffs Yeomanry. A number of men from 1/1st Staffs Yeomanry volunteered to serve with the Imperial Camel Corps at this time, and on 12 June the regiment received a draft of reinforcements from 3/1st Staffs Yeomanry at Aldershot. The regiment continued its patrol work, squadrons being moved around the area as required. On 11 October it was moved to the WFF's outpost line, the on 1 November it returned to Deir al Azab.