15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade

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15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade
BranchImperial Service Troops
TypeCavalry
SizeBrigade (~ 1,700 men)
Part ofEgyptian Expeditionary Force
Imperial Mounted Division
XXI Corps
Australian Mounted Division
Desert Mounted Corps
2nd Mounted (later 5th Cavalry Division)
EngagementsWorld War I
Commanders
Notable
commanders
William A. Watson
Cyril R. Harbord
Insignia
AbbreviationISCB

The 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade was a

Jodhpur, Hyderabad, Mysore, and Patiala which each provided a regiment of lancers. A maximum of three regiments served in the brigade at any one time. The states of Kashmir, Idar and Kathiawar
provided smaller detachments for the brigade, which was at times reinforced by other British Empire regiments and artillery batteries when on operations.

In October 1914, the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade was moved by sea to Egypt to become part of the

5th Cavalry Division
when it became the 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade and played an active role in the British victory over Turkish forces in Palestine.

In total, eighty-four men from the brigade were killed in action or died of their wounds and another 123 were wounded. Several memorials were erected to commemorate the brigade in the Middle East and in India. The anniversary of the brigade's most famous victory, the Battle of Haifa, is still celebrated today by its successors in the Indian Army.

Background

A painted illustration showing a group of men wearing various 19th Century military uniforms – some wearing sand-coloured tunics, some red and some black. All of the men are wearing turbans of various colours.
Imperial Service Troops circa 1908

In 1888, the Indian Government proposed that the independent armies of the

North West Frontier and outside the Indian subcontinent. The states' forces were recognised by the Indian Government and the British Indian Army as allies, and their troops were subject to the Indian Army Act when serving alongside the Indian Army. When in the field, the commander of the British Forces alongside which any Imperial Service Troops were serving was recognised as the higher legal authority in accordance with the act.[1] To eliminate supply problems, states' armies' field uniform and weapons were the same as the regular Indian Army, and the Indian Government appointed a staff of officers designated Military Advisers and Assistant Military Advisers to assist the independent states' rulers in the training and organisation of their forces.[2] Imperial Service Troops were commanded by Indian officers. In contrast, British Indian Army units had British officers in all senior command posts; their own Indian Viceroy's commissioned officers were trained to only a troop or platoon level of command.[3]

The Imperial Service Troops included cavalry, infantry, artillery,

Somaliland Campaign.[3] By the start of the First World War, the princely states together provided fifteen cavalry regiments, thirteen infantry battalions, seven transport units, four companies of sappers, three camel corps regiments and two batteries of mountain artillery, totalling around 22,500 men.[4]

Brigade organisation

Officers of the Jodhpur Lancers serving in France, 1915

In October 1914, under the command of

Indian Army Medical Corps, with an establishment of five Indian officers, one British and ten Indians of other ranks.[5]

The fighting component of the brigade was formed from three cavalry regiments, each of five

Western Front in France, arrived in the theatre.[10][11] The final unit assigned to the brigade was the Imperial Service Machine-Gun Squadron formed on 10 June 1918 by amalgamating the three cavalry regiment's machine-gun sections into one unit.[12] Some sources refer to the squadron as the 15th Imperial Service Brigade Machine-Gun Squadron.[13]

Even though the brigade was an Imperial Service unit, the cavalry regiments and brigade headquarters included attached British Indian Army Special Service Officers (SSO), but only as advisors.

Mysore State Forces accompanied the Mysore Lancers as an observer. The Jodhpur Lancers joined the brigade with seven SSOs attached.[15] Throughout the war the establishment of British officers assigned to the cavalry regiments was gradually increased; in February 1915 there were four in each regiment, in 1917 another two were assigned and in mid-1918 a full complement of twelve British officers in each of the regiments was reached.[16]

Service history

A 1917 black and white line drawing map showing the Mediterranean Sea coastline of the Sinai Peninsula, with Port Said and the Suez Canal shown at far left and Rafa and the Egypt/Palestine border shown at far right. A small inset at bottom right shows the wider area of Egypt and Palestine.
Suez Canal, the Sinai Desert and Southern Palestine


1914

While waiting at Deolali to embark for Egypt, the brigade conducted regimental and brigade training programmes during which all ranks and animals were inspected, and those found unfit for service were returned to their regimental depots.

42nd (East Lancashire), and the 10th and 11th Indian Divisions, the latter included the Imperial Service Infantry Brigade as one of its three brigades.[19][20] Their Turkish opponents had around 25,000 men in the region, including the 25th Division.[19][nb 2]

1915

By the end of 1914, no contact had been made with any Turkish forces. In January 1915 the brigade was informed that a large Turkish force had moved into the

Toussoum they located the Turkish forces, estimated to be between three or four brigades in strength, and captured twenty-five men and ninety camels.[16][22] By 10 February the Turkish had withdrawn to the east and the canal was no longer in immediate danger, so the brigade returned to the canal and resumed their normal patrolling routine. At the end of February 1915 the Mysore and Hyderabad Lancers were ordered to return to the Sinai and destroy the water sources used by the Turkish during their advance.[16]

A dark-skinned man wearing a turban is mounted on a camel. He is holding a vertically aimed rifle in his right hand. Behind his is a background of trees.
Bikaner Camel Corps soldier

The brigade's next action was on 22 March when two squadrons of Hyderabad Lancers were included in a force sent to assault a Turkish formation of 800 infantry and 200 cavalry supported by artillery, entrenched ten miles (16 km) east of El Kubri. After a short fight the Turkish withdrew; it had been intended that the Lancers would move to cut off their retreat but the soft terrain prevented them getting into position in time.[23] On 7 April, patrols from Kantara reported a force of about 1,200 men had opened fire on them. To counter this new threat to the canal, the whole brigade was moved to Kantarah and the next day advanced into the Sinai, but failed to locate any Turkish troops and returned to Ismailia.[23]

On 28 April a patrol from the Bikaner Camel Corps was attacked by an estimated 400 men with artillery support. In response the brigade crossed the canal that night supported by infantry and Egyptian artillery and advanced on El Hawawish, where the Turkish were believed to be located.[23] By daybreak however their guide reported he was lost, so the brigade continued alone. Bypassing El Hawaish, they made for Bir Mahadat, arriving at midday they discovered the Turkish were withdrawing to the north. Setting off in pursuit they caught up with the Turkish rearguard, which was forced to stop and fight. For the loss of two killed and eight wounded the brigade killed twenty Turkish soldiers and captured thirteen. At 20:00 on 29 April, the pursuit was called off and the brigade returned to Ferry Post on the canal.[24] Several times in the following months the brigade responded to reports of Turkish incursions, but nothing came of them until 23 November when a Mysore Lancers squadron located a Turkish camel force of about sixty men fifteen miles (24 km) east of Kantarah. Pursued by the Lancers, the Turkish withdrew, during which the Lancers killed seven men, captured twelve and wounded several more. Among the dead was the Bedouin leader Rizkalla Salim who had led most of the Turkish raids on the canal, and with his death the attacks ceased.[24]

1916–1917

From January 1916, all patrolling east of the Suez Canal was left to the

Major-General W.A. Watson assumed command of the Nile Delta region and was replaced as brigade commander by Brigadier-General M.H. Henderson. In May 1916, the brigade was reduced to two cavalry regiments when the Patiala Lancers left for Mesopotamia. The brigade also carried out weapons and signal training, but the year ended without them being involved in any contact with the Turkish.[25]

Tel el Kebir
1916

In February 1917, the brigade was ordered to relieve the British

Maxim Guns and all ranks were put through training courses on the Vickers and a newer version of the Lee–Enfield Rifle, which had also just been issued. In September, the cavalry regiments' pack horses started to be replaced by horse-drawn wagons and each of the regiments was issued with twelve Hotchkiss machine-guns; one per troop.[28]

Third battle of Gaza

On 27 September, the brigade was once again moved to the front line and given responsibility for patrolling the area between the

Beit Lahi. As the Hyderabad Lancers approached their objective, they came under a heavy artillery bombardment. Leaving one squadron and their machine-guns behind to provide fire support, the rest of the Lancers attacked, capturing the Wadi Safieh line. The Lancers, still under artillery fire, held out until 16:30, when they were ordered to withdraw and rejoin the rest of the brigade now concentrated at Beit Lahi.[30]

The brigade now came under command of XXI Corps and at 01:45 on 8 November was ordered to move west of Beit Hanun and link up with the Australian Mounted Division, which was advancing from the east. As they moved to the east of Beit Hanun, the XXI Corps Cavalry Regiment, which was still attached to the brigade, came under heavy machine-gun and artillery fire, preventing the brigade from advancing further. The Turkish bombardment continued until 12:20, when they were observed withdrawing. The XXI Corps Cavalry Regiment and Mysore Lancers were ordered to encircle and cut off their retreat, however dug in Turkish positions at the Wadi Hesi once again halted the brigade advance. At 15:00 that day the brigade eventually made contact with the 4th Light Horse Brigade, completing the link up with the Australian Mounted Division.[31][32]

The morning of 9 November was spent trying to water the horses, some of which had had no water for over twenty-four hours, so the brigade did not move after the now retreating Turkish until after 11:20. Moving at their best speed, the brigade reached the high ground east of

El Tine. Early the next morning, patrols were again sent to locate the Turkish forces but at 07:00, the brigade was unexpectedly ordered back to Gaza. Despite the heavy fire the brigade had been subjected to, their casualties during the battle were light; only four officers and ten other ranks had been wounded, sixteen horses killed and another fifty wounded. The Turkish casualties were estimated at 100 dead; forty-nine were taken prisoner and five artillery guns were captured.[33]

1918

In a black and white photograph, a man wearing a turban and light-coloured tunic sits astride a dark-coloured horse facing left and holds a bayonet in his right hand. He is depicted against a desert landscape.
Mysore Lancers sowar and horse; note the method of carrying small arms ammunition in a bandolier on the man and around the horse's neck.

In early January, the brigade trained and re-equipped, which included the first issue of bayonets to the Lancers. On 2 April, the Hyderabad Lancers were detached from the brigade, coming under the command of the

2nd Mounted Division.[35][36] For almost a month the brigade was involved in training and staff exercises, during which time the brigade machine-gun squadron was formed. On 5 July, the brigade left for the Jordan Valley to resume their place in the front line.[36]

On 14 July, the brigade's squadrons were involved in several small battles in the

Haifa

In a black and white photograph, a large group of turbaned men on horseback ride through a dusty, sunlit street and into the distance, obscured by dust. A crown of civilians watch the men pass. A large, brick-built, two-storey building is on the left, and a similar structure is on the right.
Men from the brigade at Haifa after its capture

The next three weeks were taken up with regimental and brigade training, until 17 September when the brigade started returning to the front line. The Hyderabad Lancers were detached from the brigade on 22 September to escort 12,000 prisoners to

Beled Esh Sheikh where the leading squadron was shelled from Mount Carmel and came under small-arms fire from the region of the village. The Turkish had four artillery guns on the heights overlooking the brigade's line of approach and another six to the east of Haifa, supported by machine-gun posts and infantry to the west of the main Haifa road.[41]

The brigade deployed its forces, with one squadron from the Mysore Lancers supported by two machine-guns to capture Mount Carmel.[43] A second Mysore squadron would cover the main road while the remainder of the regiment with two machine-guns would advance along the Acre railway line. The Jodhpur Lancers would deploy in the open and wait further orders, while brigade headquarters and the remainder of the machine-gun squadron and the artillery battery would be to the north of Beled Esh Sheikh. When in position, the Jodhpur Lancers—supported by covering fire from the artillery—and the Mysore Lancers would charge the guns. At 11:45 the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry caught up with the brigade and one squadron was detached to support the Mysore Lancers on Mount Carmel. The attack was scheduled to start at 14:00 but before that, the artillery battery and reconnaissance patrols sent out to look for the Turkish positions kept up suppressing fire on them, to which the Turkish responded with counter-battery fire. The attack commenced on time; the Jodhpur Lancers advanced in squadron columns in the face of heavy Turkish rifle and machine-gun fire.[44]

The Lancers charged towards the railway line, but the terrain forced them to move to their left into a

Karmelheim, capturing a 6-inch naval gun, two mountain artillery guns, two machine-guns and seventy-eight prisoners. During the charge they were joined by a squadron from the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, who captured another fifty prisoners. Prisoners taken inside the town were two German officers, twenty-three Turkish officers and 664 other ranks. Two 6-inch naval guns, four 4.2-inch guns, six 77 mm guns, four 10-pound camel guns, ten machine-guns and a large quantity of ammunition were captured in Haifa. The brigade's own casualties were relatively light; one Indian officer and two other ranks were killed, and six Indian officers and twenty-eight other ranks were wounded. Sixty horses were killed and eighty-three were wounded.[45][46]

Advance to Homs

The brigade rested for the next two days and was rejoined by the Hyderabad Lancers on 25 September. At 05:00 the next day they resumed the advance, arriving at

Ottoman Fourth Army. By 09:30 on 1 October, the brigade was two miles (3.2 km) to the north of Kiswe but were then ordered to move to a new position two miles (3.2 km) east of Damascus, where they were to be the division reserve, while the 14th Cavalry Brigade was made responsible for the capture of Kiswe.[47][48]

The next day, 2 October, was the day that British Empire forces officially entered Damascus. This was marked by a short period of rest for the British forces and the brigade advance did not resume until 05:30 on 5 October. Their first objective was

El Kaa on 15 October, Kusseir on 16 October and Homs was reached at midday 17 October.[49]

Haritan

At Homs, the brigade rested for two days and on 19 October headed for

Alexandretta road and to clear Turkish trenches on the ridge to the west of Aleppo, but when they reached the ridge line on 26 October, the position had been evacuated.[49] Intelligence from locals suggested that a force of 1,000 men with two small artillery guns were heading north out of Aleppo, so the brigade set off in pursuit.[51] At 11:00, the leading two Jodhpur Lancers squadrons and a machine-gun section reached a position overlooking Haritan to the north of Aleppo when they came under Turkish small arms fire. Harbord ordered an immediate brigade attack; the Mysore Lancers would move around to the east of the ridge and charge the village, followed by the other two Jodhpur Lancer squadrons while the remainder of the brigade machine-gun squadron would move onto the ridge to provide covering fire, with the two other Jodhpur squadrons. The armoured cars of No. 12 Light Armoured Motor Battery arrived at 11:30 and were ordered along the main road to support the attack.[52]

In a black and white photograph, a man wearing a turban and military uniform sits astride a stationary, dark-coloured horse, facing left. In his right hand he holds aloft a sword. Directly behind them stands a single-storey, brick building with two large windows and a tiled roof.
Indian lancer near Aleppo in 1918

As the attack started, the leading armoured car developed a fault and returned to their start position, due to a misunderstanding, the rest of the battery followed them, taking them out of the attack.[53] The Mysore Lancers had also started their advance but moved further east to get into a position to charge after discovering the Turkish line was longer than expected, taking them out of range of their supporting machine-guns. At 12:00 the Lancers charged the Turkish position, killing fifty men and capturing twenty, but without any fire support from their machine-gun squadron they were unable to penetrate the Turkish defences and were forced to withdraw to the rear, dismount and keep the Turkish position under observation.[52] The extent of the Turkish position had not been fully appreciated, and was now estimated to be held by a force of 3,000 infantry, 400 cavalry, up to twelve artillery guns and between thirty and forty machine-guns.[53] One group of Turkish soldiers started towards the Mysore Lancers position, but halted about 800 yards (730 m) short and started to dig new defensive trenches. Unable to progress against the larger force, the brigade kept the position under observation and at 21:00, the Turkish were seen to be withdrawing and had completely evacuated their positions by midnight. At 23:15 the 14th Cavalry Brigade arrived, setting up their own observation lines, until daylight when they took over the 15th Brigade's positions.[54][55] In the day's battle, Turkish casualties were estimated to be around 100 men, while the brigade lost four British officers, including Holden attached to the Jodhpur Lancers, one Indian officer and sixteen other ranks. Twelve officers, six of them British, and forty-four other ranks were wounded, and three other ranks were reported missing.[55][56]

That night, the Turkish forces withdrew twenty miles (32 km) to Deir el Jemel to the north-west of Aleppo. The 5th Cavalry Division was not strong enough by itself to continue the advance and halted, waiting for the Australian Mounted Division to catch up with them.[57] On 27 October, the day after their unsuccessful charge, the brigade became the division reserve and was ordered back to Aleppo. Events now overtook them; at noon on 31 October, after the Armistice of Mudros had been agreed the previous day, the war with the Ottoman Empire ended.[55]

Disbandment

After the Armistice of Mudros, the brigade remained with 5th Cavalry Division in Palestine as part of the occupation forces. However, demobilization began immediately and the brigade was broken up by January 1920.

mentioned in despatches.[63]

Memorials

Trees surrounding a white stone obelisk shaped monument, inside a white walled compound, with hedges in the foreground
Teen Murti memorial park gate
Mysore Lancers Memorial at Bangalore in April 2004

The main memorial to the brigade is the Teen Murti (three soldiers) memorial in New Delhi, a stone and bronze sculpture inscribed with the names of those members of the brigade killed in action. The three statues represent soldiers from the Indian States of Hyderabad, Mysore and Jodhpur.[64][65] A memorial on the site of the fighting at Haritan is inscribed with the date of the battle, the units involved and details of the casualties.[66] The Port Tewfik Memorial was erected at the Suez Canal to commemorate the 4,000 Indian officers and soldiers killed during the Sinai and Palestine campaign who have no known grave.[67] The brigade's capture of Haifa on 23 September is remembered by the present Indian Army as Haifa Day,[68] and the Mysore and Jodhpur Lancers part in its capture was recognised by the British government, which awarded them the battle honour Megiddo.[69]

The British army commander Edmund Allenby in his despatches also commented on the contribution of the men in the brigade:

"I take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the valuable services and high soldierly qualities of the following contingents of Indian Imperial Service Troops which, through the generosity of their respective Ruling Chiefs, were placed at my disposal: — Hyderabad Lancers, Jodhpur Lancers, Kathiawar Signal Troop, Mysore Lancers."[70]

Formation

Commanders

  • Brigadier-General William Arthur Watson (October 1914 – 31 March 1916)[5]
  • Brigadier-General M. H. Henderson (31 March 1916 – 16 April 1917)[25]
  • Brigadier-General Cyril Rodney Harbord (16 April 1917 – 1920)[26]

Units assigned

  • 1st Hyderabad Lancers (October 1914 – 1918)
  • Mysore Lancers (October 1914 – 1918)
  • Patiala Lancers (October 1914 – May 1916)
  • Jodhpur Lancers (From 11 May 1918)
  • 124th Indian Cavalry Field Ambulance (October 1914 – 1918)
  • 15th Kathiawar Signal Troop (October 1914 – 1918)
  • 15th Imperial Service Machine Gun Squadron (From 10 June 1918)[71][72]

Units attached

See also

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ Zorwar Singh was one of the first four Indians to receive a commission in the British forces, as opposed to a commission in the British Indian Army.[7][8]
  2. Ottoman Turkish Empire. While the terms have distinct historical meanings, within many English-language sources the term "Turkey" and "Ottoman Empire" are used synonymously, although many academic sources differ in their approaches.[21]
    The sources used in this article predominately use the term "Turkey". .
Citations
  1. ^ Jaipur 1967, pp. XV–XVI
  2. ^ Jaipur 1967, p. XVII
  3. ^ a b Raugh 2004, p. 171
  4. ^ a b Duckers 2008, p. 33
  5. ^ a b c d e HMSO 1920, pp. 2–3
  6. ^ Gudmundsson 2005, pp. 52–53
  7. ^ "No. 27813". The London Gazette. 4 July 1905. p. 4636.
  8. ^ Sharma 1996, p. 22
  9. ^ a b HMSO 1920, p. 18
  10. ^ a b HMSO 1920, p. 4
  11. ^ Roy 2011, p. 213
  12. ^ HMSO 1910, p. 21
  13. ^ Sumner 2008, p. 10
  14. ^ Roy 2011, p. 151
  15. ^ HMSO 1920, pp. 2–4
  16. ^ a b c d e HMSO 1920, p. 6
  17. ^ HMSO 1920, p. 3
  18. ^ a b Preston 1921, p. 8
  19. ^ a b Carver 2004, p. 8
  20. ^ "No. 31476". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 July 1919. p. 9538.
  21. ^ Fewster, Basarin, Basarin 2003, pp. xi–xii
  22. ^ "No. 29632". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 June 1916. p. 6166.
  23. ^ a b c HMSO 1920, p. 7
  24. ^ a b HMSO 1920, p. 8
  25. ^ a b c HMSO 1920, p. 9
  26. ^ a b c HMSO 1920, pp. 10–11
  27. ^ "Imperial Mounted Division War Diary" (PDF). Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  28. ^ a b HMSO 1920, p. 13
  29. ^ a b c HMSO 1920, p. 14
  30. ^ HMSO 1920, pp. 14–15
  31. ^ HMSO 1920, p. 16
  32. ^ Preston 1921, p. 52
  33. ^ HMSO 1920, p. 17
  34. ^ HMSO 1920, p. 19
  35. ^ "Australian Mounted Division War Diary" (PDF). Australian War Museum. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  36. ^ a b c HMSO 1920, pp. 20–21
  37. ^ HMSO 1920, pp. 22–23
  38. ^ "No. 30994". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 November 1918. p. 13109.
  39. ^ Preston 1920, p. 154
  40. ^ a b HMSO 1920, p. 24
  41. ^ a b c HMSO 1920, p. 25
  42. ^ Preston 1921, p. 232
  43. ^ Preston 1921, p. 234
  44. ^ a b HMSO 1920, p. 26
  45. ^ HMSO 1920, pp. 26–27
  46. ^ Preston 1921, pp. 234–236
  47. ^ HMSO 1920, p. 28
  48. ^ Preston 1921, p. 273
  49. ^ a b HMSO 1920, pp. 28–29
  50. ^ Preston 1921, p. 288
  51. ^ Preston 1921, p. 291
  52. ^ a b HMSO 1920, p. 30
  53. ^ a b Preston 1921, p. 292
  54. ^ Preston 1921, p. 293
  55. ^ a b c HMSO 1920, p. 31
  56. ^ "Hyla Napier Holden". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  57. ^ "No. 31087". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 December 1918. p. 15188.
  58. ^ Perry 1993, p. 28
  59. ^ HMSO 1920, pp. 32–33
  60. ^ HMSO 1920, pp. 34–35
  61. ^ HMSO 1920, pp. 36–37
  62. ^ "Find War Dead (note screen needs completing with regiment name and war)". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  63. ^ HMSO 1920, pp. 38–43
  64. ^ "Teen Murti". University Scholars Programme Project. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  65. ^ Punja 1990, p. 118
  66. ^ HMSO 1920, p. 37
  67. ^ Commonwealth War Graves Commission. "Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial". Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  68. ^ Eyadat, Fadi (24 September 2010). "On 'Haifa Day,' India salutes WWI troops". Haaretz. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  69. ^ "Spectacular 61st Cavalry parade marks Raising Day in Jaipur". The Hindu. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  70. ^ "No. 31498". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 August 1919. p. 10194.
  71. ^ "Indian Cavalry in Palestine". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 21 May 1919. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  72. ^ General Edmund Allenby (4 February 1922). "Supplement to the London Gazette, 4 February 1920" (PDF). London Gazette. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
Bibliography

External links