The Queen’s Own Worcestershire Yeomanry Comrades Association gathered at the Poppy Memorial in Cripplegate Park to remember the gallant stand of the local mounted regiment during the Great War.

The service was conducted by Rev Vic Van Den Bergh, the Padre of the Comrades Association and Colonel Stamford Cartwright of the association and curator of the Regimental Museum.

The poignant remembrance service takes place annually and is usually held in St George’s Chapel in Worcester Cathedral. However, Covid-19 restrictions prompted a move to the park, taking place this year on April 22.

It worked really well and allowed for Worcester people to be part of the service.

In 1916, the Worcestershire Yeomanry fought in two heroic battles in the hot Sinai Desert. A small force of Yeomen were tasked to guard some Royal Engineers who were developing a series of wells in the Desert, including near a small rise at Oghratina. Another force of Yeomanry were stationed at the tented camp at Qatia, East of the Suez Canal.

The small force at Oghratina was attacked just before dawn on Easter Sunday, 23rd April 1916, by an Ottoman Force of just over 3,000 men with supporting artillery, machine guns and mounted troops.

This was led by German Colonel Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein! What followed was an action that should have gone down in the annals of the British Army, however, the war on the Western Front and an uprising in Ireland would take all the news headlines.

The Worcestershire Yeomanry at Oghratina were overrun and soon the enemy force was on a collision course with the camp at Qatia. Another heroic action was fought here and by the afternoon of Easter Sunday, nine Officers and 101 Troopers lay dead in the desert sand.

A further 235 were marched into Prison camps in Turkey, where many more would die. The Muster later that day recorded only 54 soldiers.

The service was supported by the Friends of the Worcestershire Yeomanry Museum and the Regiment’s successor Squadrons based in Redditch and Dudley.

It was great to see just over 100 people come together to remember. The Worcestershire Regiment has Gheluvelt Park and we have Cripplegate Park. Its close proximity to Pitchcroft is ideal. The Yeomanry had a riding school on Pitchcroft and trained on there since their formation in 1794.

If you wish to join the Friends of the Worcestershire Yeomanry Museum, please visit the Friends Facebook page (Friends of the Worcestershire Yeomanry).

The Regimental Museum is currently based in the City Museum and Art Gallery in Foregate Street and also worth a visit.