4th County Of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

An entire division devoted to Infantry Sharpshooters, or is it an 'ace' armoured brigade?
Fought in Normandy alongside the 27th British Armoured who suffered at the hands of Michael Wittman.

 

No, they weren't 'snipers' or anything like that - I beleive the name came from their tradition and history : -

http://www.regiments.org/milhist/uk/cav-yeo/london/LonCo4KEH.htm

 

This was a territorial cavalry regiment, formed in 1908 from a militia unit called The Sharpshooters.

In WW2 they were an armoured unit that indeed did fight at Villers-Bocage; after that action it was amalgamated with the 3rd County of London Yeomanry and became the 3/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters).

It's war diaries up to July 1944 are on-line at:

http://www.warlinks.com/armour/4_cly/4cly_43.html

 

Cheers fellas for both the links.

 

for a good insight inot the regiment in normandy read the After the Battle book on Villiers Bacage. It was after this action that regiment was amalgamated with its parent regiment.

 

Agree with you there, Mahross - ' Villers - Bocage : Through The Lens ' is a really fascinating shot-by-shot account of the engagement.