2nd Mounted Division
2nd Mounted Division | |
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Active | 2 September 1914 – 21 January 1916 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Yeomanry |
Size | Division |
Part of | IX Corps |
Engagements | World War I
|
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | General Sir William Eliot Peyton KCB KCVO DSO |
The 2nd Mounted Division was a
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
1st South Midland Mounted Brigade 1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry 1/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars 1/1st Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars
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London Mounted Brigade 1/1st County of London Yeomanry 1/1st City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) 1/3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
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Medical 1st South Midland 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
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Royal Horse Artillery (Territorial Force) I Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (T.F.)
II Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (T.F.)
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Veterinary 1st South Midland Mobile Veterinary Section |
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Mounted Brigade 1/1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 1/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars 1/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry
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Signal Service 1st South Midland Signal Troop |
2nd Mounted Division Train 1st South Midland Transport and Supply Column, ASC |
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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
On 10 August 1915, the division was reorganized as a dismounted formation in preparation for service at
1st (1st South Midland) Mounted Brigade 1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry |
5th (Yeomanry) Mounted Brigade
1/2nd County of London Yeomanry
|
2nd (2nd South Midland) Mounted Brigade 1/1st Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars |
Signal Service 2nd Mounted Division Signal Squadron |
3rd (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Mounted Brigade 1/1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry |
Medical 2nd South Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC |
4th (London) Mounted Brigade 1/1st County of London Yeomanry |
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]
1st Composite Mounted Brigade 1st South Midland Regiment |
Engineers |
2nd Composite Mounted Brigade 3rd Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment |
Signal Service 2nd Mounted Division Signal Squadron |
Scottish Horse Mounted Brigade 1/1st Scottish Horse 1/2nd Scottish Horse 1/3rd Scottish Horse
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Medical 2nd South Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC |
Highland Mounted Brigade 1/1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry 1/1st Lovat Scouts 1/2nd Lovat Scouts
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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.
- Imperial Mounted Division in January 1917.[16]
- 6th Mounted Brigade in April 1916.[3] It served with the Western Frontier Force from January to October 1916[16] and also joined the Imperial Mounted Division in January 1917.[16]
- 8th Mounted Brigade.[3] From November 1916 to June 1917 it also served at Salonika[7] before returning to Egypt in June 1917. The brigade joined the newly formed Yeomanry Mounted Division on 21 July 1917 at el Fuqari.[17]
- Yeomanry Mounted Brigade left the 2nd Mounted Division on 7 December 1915, was reformed and remounted, and joined the Western Frontier Force.[7] By March 1916, the brigade had been broken up.[19][18]
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
- List of British divisions in World War I
- British yeomanry during the First World War
Notes
- divisions) formed duplicate 2nd Lines with the same structure as their 1st Line parents.[3]
- ^ 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
- ^ Rinaldi 2008, p. 35
- ^ Baker, Chris. "Was my soldier in the Territorial Force (TF)?". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d e James 1978, p. 36
- ^ Rinaldi 2008, p. 36
- ^ a b c d Becke 1936, p. 16
- ^ a b c Becke 1936, p. 12
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Becke 1936, p. 14
- ^ Baker, Chris. "The Royal Horse Artillery". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ James 1978, p. 35
- ^ James 1978, p. 34
- ^ Becke 1936, p. 15
- ^ Westlake 1996, pp. 250–283 passim
- ^ a b c Becke 1936, p. 17
- ^ Becke 1936, p. 13
- ^ Frederick 1984, p. 449
- ^ a b c d Perry 1992, p. 55
- ^ a b Becke 1936, p. 33
- ^ a b James 1978, p. 23
- ^ James 1978, p. 20
- ^ Becke 1936, p. 9
Bibliography
- Becke, Major A.F. (1936). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2A. The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56). London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 1-871167-12-4.
- Frederick, J.B.M. (1984). Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978. Wakefield, Yorkshire: Microform Academic Publishers. ISBN 1-85117-009-X.
- James, Brigadier E.A. (1978). British Regiments 1914–18. London: Samson Books Limited. ISBN 0-906304-03-2.
- Perry, F.W. (1992). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5A. The Divisions of Australia, Canada and New Zealand and those in East Africa. Newport: Ray Westlake Military Books. ISBN 1-871167-25-6.
- Rinaldi, Richard A (2008). Order of Battle of the British Army 1914. Ravi Rikhye. ISBN 978-0-9776072-8-0.
- Westlake, Ray (1996). British Regiments at Gallipoli. Barnsley: Leo Cooper. ISBN 0-85052-511-X.