'The Blue Blood of the Land' The Yeomanry at Frezenberg Ridge 13 May 1915

For many people, the cavalry is viewed as a bit of an anachronism in the Great War - out of place in a modern industrial war. With the advent of trench warfare, the importance of the cavalry was rather diminished until open warfare resumed in 1918, their reconnaissance role being replaced by airpower, always seeming to be waiting for a breakthrough, and the trench system negated the need for them to act in protection of the Army from observation by the enemy 

However, the expansion of the cavalry to a Corps in October 1914, saw a number of Yeomanry Regiments sent to France, the first had arrived as early as September 1914, some in order to bring the Corps up to strength, others to act as divisional cavalry. This talk will look at arguably the heaviest fighting undertaken by the Yeomanry in France, when three Regiments fought dismounted with the Third Cavalry Division at Frezenberg Ridge on 13 May 1915, looking at the fighting from the perspective of each of the three Regiments involved and also from that of the German attackers from the 53. Reserve-Division.

John has been a long time student of military history and has studied the Great War in detail for over forty years. He is a regular visitor to the Western Front, and in 2025 was able to visit Gallipoli for the first time with Peter Hart. He gained his MA in the 'History of Britain and the First World War' from the University of Wolverhampton in 2020, where his dissertation was entitled 'Meeting the Enemy - The Management and Treatment of German Military Prisoners of War in Britain' and which included a case study on Sutton Bonington PoW Camp in Nottinghamshire. He is currently working on his PhD at the University of Wolverhampton where his Thesis looks at the role played by the Yeomanry between 1908-1918 with a focus on three specific Regiments. Since 2019, John has been the Chair of the WFA Midlands East Branch, which meets at Ruddington in Nottinghamshire on the second Friday of the month. Away from his studies, John is a passionate supporter of Notts County, although it is not unknown to see him sat with a former work colleague at the SMH Group Stadium watching Chesterfield!

Members and non-members of The Western Front Association are equally welcome. Any new members are guaranteed a friendly atmosphere and a warm welcome from a group of like-minded enthusiasts