2nd Mounted Division

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

2nd Mounted Division
Active2 September 1914 – 21 January 1916
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeYeomanry
SizeDivision
Part ofIX Corps
EngagementsWorld War I
Gallipoli Campaign
Battle of Scimitar Hill
Commanders
Notable
commanders
General Sir William Eliot Peyton KCB KCVO DSO

The 2nd Mounted Division was a

Gallipoli from April to December 1915, under the command of Major General William Peyton
, before being disbanded in January 1916.

A different 2nd Mounted Division, was formed in Egypt in 1918 from the Indian elements of the 5th Cavalry Division in France, but then renumbered as the

.

History

Formation

A decision was made to form a new mounted division from the mounted brigades in and around the

London Mounted Brigade at Streatley. The brigades were relatively widely dispersed to allow an adequate water supply for the horses and to provide sufficient training areas.[5]

Order of Battle, September 1914[6]
1st South Midland Mounted Brigade

1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry

1/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars

1/1st Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars

London Mounted Brigade

1/1st County of London Yeomanry

1/1st City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders)

1/3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

Medical

1st South Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC
2nd South Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC
Notts. and Derby. Field Ambulance, RAMC
London Field Ambulance, RAMC

2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade

1/1st Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars

1/1st Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars

1/1st Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry[n 1]

1/1st Berkshire Yeomanry

Royal Horse Artillery (Territorial Force)

I Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (T.F.)

1/1st Warwickshire RHA and 1st South Midland Ammunition Column

II Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (T.F.)

1/1st Berkshire RHA
and 2nd South Midland Ammunition Column
1/1st Nottinghamshire RHA
and Notts. and Derby. Ammunition Column
1/A Battery, HAC
and London Ammunition Column
1/B Battery, HAC[n 2]
Veterinary

1st South Midland Mobile Veterinary Section
2nd South Midland Mobile Veterinary Section
Notts. and Derby. Mobile Veterinary Section
London Mobile Veterinary Section

Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Mounted Brigade

1/1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry

1/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars

1/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry

Signal Service

1st South Midland Signal Troop
2nd South Midland Signal Troop
Notts. and Derby. Signal Troop
London Signal Troop
2nd Mounted Division Signal Squadron

2nd Mounted Division Train

1st South Midland Transport and Supply Column, ASC
2nd South Midland Transport and Supply Column, ASC
Notts. and Derby. Transport and Supply Column, ASC
London Transport and Supply Column, ASC
2nd Mounted Division Company, ASC

  1. ^ 1/1st Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry replaced 1/1st Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars who landed in France on 22 September 1914.[7]
  2. ^ a b B Battery, Honourable Artillery Company replaced Warwickshire RHA who landed in France on 1 November 1914.[7] It was the first Territorial Force artillery battery to go on active service.[8]

In November 1914, the division moved to Norfolk on coastal defence duties. Headquarters was established at Hanworth and the mounted brigades were at King's Lynn (1st South Midland), Fakenham (2nd South Midland), Holt (Notts. and Derby.) and Hanworth (London).[5]

Egypt

In March 1915, the division was put on warning for overseas service. In early April, the division starting leaving

Ismaïlia on Suez Canal defences.[5] The mounted brigades were numbered at this time.[7]

On 10 August 1915, the division was reorganized as a dismounted formation in preparation for service at

Suvla Bay that night.[5]

Order of Battle, August 1915[6]
1st (1st South Midland) Mounted Brigade

1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry
1/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
1/1st Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars

5th (Yeomanry) Mounted Brigade

1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry

1/2nd County of London Yeomanry

2nd (2nd South Midland) Mounted Brigade

1/1st Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars
1/1st Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry
1/1st Berkshire Yeomanry

Signal Service

2nd Mounted Division Signal Squadron

3rd (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Mounted Brigade

1/1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
1/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars
1/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry

Medical

2nd South Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC
London Field Ambulance, RAMC

4th (London) Mounted Brigade

1/1st County of London Yeomanry
1/1st City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders)
1/3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

2nd Mounted Division Train

2nd Mounted Division Company, ASC

Gallipoli

The division landed at "A" Beach, Suvla Bay on the night of 17 August / morning of 18 August and moved into reserve positions at Lala Baba on the night of 20 August. On 21 August it advanced to Chocolate Hill under heavy fire and took part in the attack on Hill 112.[12]

Due to losses during the Battle of Scimitar Hill and wastage during August 1915, the division had to be reorganised.[b] On 4 September 1915, the 1st Composite Mounted Brigade was formed from the 1st, 2nd and 5th Mounted Brigades, and the 2nd Composite Mounted Brigade from the 3rd and 4th Mounted Brigades.[13] Each dismounted brigade formed a battalion sized unit, for example, 1st South Midland Regiment (Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire Yeomanry).[14]

The Scottish Horse Mounted Brigade landed as Suvla on 2 September and joined the division. Likewise, the Highland Mounted Brigade joined the division after landing on 26 September. Both brigades were dismounted in the UK before sailing directly for Gallipoli.[7]

Order of Battle, September 1915[6]
1st Composite Mounted Brigade

1st South Midland Regiment
2nd South Midland Regiment
5th Yeomanry Regiment

Engineers

1st Kent Field Company, RE
2nd Kent Field Company, RE

2nd Composite Mounted Brigade

3rd Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment
4th London Regiment

Signal Service

2nd Mounted Division Signal Squadron

Scottish Horse Mounted Brigade

1/1st Scottish Horse

1/2nd Scottish Horse

1/3rd Scottish Horse

Medical

2nd South Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC
London Field Ambulance, RAMC
Scottish Horse Field Ambulance, RAMC
Highland Field Ambulance, RAMC

Highland Mounted Brigade

1/1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry

1/1st Lovat Scouts

1/2nd Lovat Scouts

2nd Mounted Division Train

2nd Mounted Division Company, ASC

Return to Egypt

The division returned to Egypt from Gallipoli in December 1915 and was reformed and remounted.[13] The artillery batteries and other units left in Egypt rejoined the division between 10 and 20 December 1915.[15] However, the dismemberment of the division began almost immediately as units were posted to the Western Frontier Force or to various other commands.

On 21 January 1916, 2nd Mounted Division was disbanded.[13]

Commanders

The 2nd Mounted Division had the following commanders:[20]

From Rank Name
31 August 1914
Major-General
W.E. Peyton
21 August 1915 Brigadier-General P.A. Kenna, VC (acting)
23 August 1915 Major-General W.E. Peyton
13 November 1915 Brigadier-General Marquis of Tullibardine (acting)
14 November 1915 Major-General W.E. Peyton

See also

Notes

  1. divisions) formed duplicate 2nd Lines with the same structure as their 1st Line parents.[3]
  2. ^ At this time, a cavalry or yeomanry regiment had a strength of 550 officers and men. Having left a party of 100 officers and men in Egypt, they would have landed in Gallipoli no more than 450 strong, or about 6,300 for the 14 regiments. This would be about half the strength of an infantry division (12 battalions of 1,000 officers and men).

References

  1. ^ Rinaldi 2008, p. 35
  2. ^ Baker, Chris. "Was my soldier in the Territorial Force (TF)?". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e James 1978, p. 36
  4. ^ Rinaldi 2008, p. 36
  5. ^ a b c d Becke 1936, p. 16
  6. ^ a b c Becke 1936, p. 12
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Becke 1936, p. 14
  8. ^ Baker, Chris. "The Royal Horse Artillery". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  9. ^ James 1978, p. 35
  10. ^ James 1978, p. 34
  11. ^ Becke 1936, p. 15
  12. ^ Westlake 1996, pp. 250–283 passim
  13. ^ a b c Becke 1936, p. 17
  14. ^ Becke 1936, p. 13
  15. ^ Frederick 1984, p. 449
  16. ^ a b c d Perry 1992, p. 55
  17. ^ a b Becke 1936, p. 33
  18. ^ a b James 1978, p. 23
  19. ^ James 1978, p. 20
  20. ^ Becke 1936, p. 9

Bibliography

External links