Anzac Mounted Division
Encyclopedia
The ANZAC Mounted Division (officially known as the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division) was a mounted infantry (light horse) and mounted rifles division
formed in March 1916 in Egypt
during World War I
following the Battle of Gallipoli
when the Australia
n and New Zealand
regiments returned from fighting dismounted as infantry
. For the remainder of the war it served in the Middle East
, in the Sinai
, Palestine
and Syria
. Commanded by Major General Sir Harry Chauvel from March 1916 to 1917 when Major General Chaytor took command for the remainder of the war.
The title ANZAC indicated its composite Australian and New Zealand units and as such was possibly the first official use of this term for this purpose, rather than as a designation for an army corps
.
s. At its core were the following three brigades:
1st Light Horse Brigade
2nd Light Horse Brigade
3rd Light Horse Brigade
The 3rd Light Horse Brigade was transferred to the Imperial Mounted Division (which became the Australian Mounted Division
). The British 22nd Mounted (Yeomanry
) Brigade replaced the 3rd Light Horse Brigade until it left for the Yeomanry Mounted Division in July 1917.
New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
formed in March 1916 in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
following the Battle of Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
when the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
regiments returned from fighting dismounted as infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
. For the remainder of the war it served in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, in the Sinai
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
, Palestine
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Commanded by Major General Sir Harry Chauvel from March 1916 to 1917 when Major General Chaytor took command for the remainder of the war.
The title ANZAC indicated its composite Australian and New Zealand units and as such was possibly the first official use of this term for this purpose, rather than as a designation for an army corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
.
Composition
The division contained three or four mounted brigadeBrigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s. At its core were the following three brigades:
1st Light Horse Brigade1st Light Horse BrigadeThe 1st Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade first saw action during the Dardanelles Campaign in the Battle of Gallipoli. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they...
- 1st Light Horse Regiment (New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
) - 2nd Light Horse Regiment (QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
) - 3rd Light Horse Regiment (South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
)
2nd Light Horse Brigade2nd Light Horse BrigadeThe 2nd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade first saw action during the Dardanelles Campaign in the Battle of Gallipoli. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they...
- 5th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland)
- 6th Light Horse Regiment (New South Wales)
- 7th Light Horse Regiment (New South Wales)
3rd Light Horse Brigade3rd Light Horse BrigadeThe 3rd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I....
- 8th Light Horse Regiment (Victoria)
- 9th Light Horse Regiment (South Australia and Victoria)
- 10th Light Horse Regiment (Western Australia)
The 3rd Light Horse Brigade was transferred to the Imperial Mounted Division (which became the Australian Mounted Division
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division was a mounted infantry division formed in Egypt during World War I. When the British forces in the Middle East expanded in late 1916, a second mounted division was created called the Imperial Mounted Division...
). The British 22nd Mounted (Yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
) Brigade replaced the 3rd Light Horse Brigade until it left for the Yeomanry Mounted Division in July 1917.
22nd Mounted Brigade (1st North Midland)
- 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment)
- 1/1st Lincolnshire YeomanryLincolnshire YeomanryThe Lincolnshire Yeomanry was a volunteer cavalry unit of the British Army from 1794–1920.-Boer War:On 13 December 1899, the decision to allow volunteer forces serve in the Second Boer War was made...
- 1/1st East Riding of Yorkshire YeomanryEast Riding of Yorkshire YeomanryThe East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry was a unit of the British Army from 1794–1956.The regiment was formed as volunteer cavalry in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was converted to an armoured role in 1920. In 1956 it merged with two other Yorkshire yeomanry regiments to form...
New Zealand Mounted Rifles BrigadeNew Zealand Mounted Rifles BrigadeThe New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, consisting usually of four units of mounted infantry, fought in World War I and World War II. Initially a milita, under the instruction of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Henry Banks they formed the core of the New Zealand Army following successful service in the...
- Auckland Mounted Rifle RegimentAuckland Mounted Rifle RegimentThe Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment was a New Zealand Mounted Regiment formed for service during World War I. It was formed from units of the Territorial Foirce consisting of the 3rd Mounted Rifles the 4th Mounted Rifles and the 11th Mounted Rifles.They served in the Middle Eastern theatre of...
- Canterbury Mounted Rifle RegimentCanterbury Mounted Rifle RegimentThe Canterbury Mounted Rifle Regiment was a New Zealand Mounted Regiment formed for service during World War I.It was formed from Units of the Territorial Force consisting of one squadron each from the 1st Mounted Rifles , the 8th Mounted Rifles and the 10th Mounted Rifles.They served in the...
- Wellington Mounted Rifle RegimentWellington Mounted Rifle RegimentThe Wellington Mounted Regiment was a New Zealand Mounted Regiment formed for service during the Great War. It was formed from units of the Territorial Force consisting of the Queen Alexandra's 2nd Mounted Rifles the 6th Mounted Rifles and 9th Mounted Rifles.They served in the Middle Eastern...
Light Horse Field Ambulance
- Australian Light Horse Field Ambulance
- 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance
- 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance
- 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance
- New Zealand Mounted Rifles Field Ambulance
Palestine
- First Battle of GazaFirst Battle of GazaThe First Battle of Gaza was fought in and around the town of Gaza on the Mediterranean coast in the southern region of Ottoman Palestine on 26 March 1917, during World War I...
– 2nd Brigade and NZ Brigade - Second Battle of GazaSecond Battle of GazaThe Second Battle of Gaza, fought in southern Palestine during the First World War, was another attempt mounted by British Empire forces to break Ottoman defences along the Gaza-Beersheba line...
- Third Battle of GazaThird Battle of GazaThe Third Battle of Gaza was fought in 1917 in southern Palestine during the First World War. The British Empire forces under the command of General Edmund Allenby successfully broke the Ottoman defensive Gaza-Beersheba line...
- Battle of Beersheba
- Battle of Mughar RidgeBattle of Mughar RidgeThe Battle of El Mughar Ridge , took place on 13 November 1917 during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War...
Action of Ayun Kara - Battle of Jerusalem First Attack of Nahr el Auja
- Action of Jericho
- First Transjordan – Amman
- Second Transjordan – Es Salt
- Battle of Megiddo (1918)Battle of Megiddo (1918)The Battle of Megiddo took place between 19 September and 1 October 1918, in what was then the northern part of Ottoman Palestine and parts of present-day Syria and Jordan...
- Third Transjordan – Amman
Commanders
- Major General Henry ChauvelHenry George ChauvelGeneral Sir Harry Chauvel GCMG, KCB was a senior officer of the Australian Imperial Force who fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle Eastern theatre during the First World War. He was the first Australian to attain the rank of lieutenant general and later general, and the first to lead a corps...
(1916–17) - Major General Edward ChaytorEdward ChaytorMajor General Sir Edward Walter Clervaux Chaytor KCMG, KCVO, CB was a farmer, and a military commander of New Zealand troops in the Boer War and World War I....
(1917–19)
See also
- Military history of Australia during World War IMilitary history of Australia during World War IIn Australia, the outbreak of World War I was greeted with considerable enthusiasm. Even before Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, the nation pledged its support for the Empire alongside other Commonwealth nations and almost immediately began preparations to send forces overseas to...
- Sinai and Palestine CampaignSinai and Palestine CampaignThe Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
- Waler horseWaler horseThe Waler is an Australian breed of riding horses that developed from the horses that were brought to the Australian colonies in the 19th century...