British Yeomanry Mounted Division
Encyclopedia
The Yeomanry Mounted Division was a Territorial Force
cavalry
division formed at Khan Yunis
in Palestine
in June 1917 from three yeomanry
mounted brigades. In April 1918 it was renamed 1st Mounted Division, the third such division to bear that title. In July 1918, the division was renamed the 4th Cavalry Division and the brigades were likewise renamed as cavalry brigades.
In April 1918 six of the regiments were withdrawn from the division and sent to France
, being converted from Yeomanry to battalions of the Machine Gun Corps
. They were replaced by Indian
cavalry regiments from the British Indian Army
which meant that the complete break-up of the division was averted.
The brigade joined from the Imperial Mounted Division.
8th Mounted Brigade (1st London)
The brigade had been serving in Saloniki
during the Macedonian front
before joining the division in July 1917.
22nd Mounted Brigade (1st North Midland)
The brigade joined from the ANZAC Mounted Division
.
XX Brigade Royal Horse Artillery
.
10th Cavalry Brigade
11th Cavalry Brigade
12th Cavalry Brigade
XX Brigade Royal Horse Artillery
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
division formed at Khan Yunis
Khan Yunis
Khan Yunis - often spelt Khan Younis or Khan Yunnis - is a city and adjacent refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics the city, its refugee camp, and its immediate surroundings had a total population of 180,000 in 2006...
in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in June 1917 from three 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:...
mounted brigades. In April 1918 it was renamed 1st Mounted Division, the third such division to bear that title. In July 1918, the division was renamed the 4th Cavalry Division and the brigades were likewise renamed as cavalry brigades.
In April 1918 six of the regiments were withdrawn from the division and sent to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, being converted from Yeomanry to battalions of the Machine Gun Corps
Machine Gun Corps
The Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank...
. They were replaced by Indian
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
cavalry regiments from the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
which meant that the complete break-up of the division was averted.
Order of Battle July 1917
6th Mounted Brigade (2nd South Midland)- 1/1st Dorset Yeomanry
- 1/1st Berkshire YeomanryBerkshire Yeomanry94 Signal Squadron forms part of 39 Signal Regiment. They are currently based in three locations in the Home Counties...
- 1/1st Royal Buckinghamshire YeomanryRoyal Buckinghamshire YeomanryThe Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry was formed in 1794, when King George III was on the throne and William Pitt the Younger was the Prime Minister, of Great Britain. Across the English Channel, Britain was faced by a French nation which had recently guillotined its King and which possessed a...
- 17th Machinegun SquadronMachine Gun CorpsThe Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank...
The brigade joined from the Imperial Mounted Division.
8th Mounted Brigade (1st London)
- 1/1st County of London YeomanryCounty of London YeomanrySeveral British Army regiments have born the title County of London Yeomanry . Most have been mounted, then armoured regiments.-1st County of London Yeomanry:...
- 1/1st City of London YeomanryThe City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders)The City of London Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Territorial Army, formed in 1901 and amalgamated in 1961.It was originally formed in 1900 for service in the Second Boer War as the 20th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. The battalion's adopted nickname of "Rough Riders" originated...
- 1/3rd County of London Yeomanry
- 21st Machinegun Squadron
The brigade had been serving in Saloniki
British Salonika Army
The British Salonika Army was a British field army of the British Army during World War I.-First World War:The Army was formed in Salonika in May 1916 under Lieutenant General George Milne to oppose Bulgarian advances in the region as part of the Macedonian front...
during the Macedonian front
Macedonian front (World War I)
The Macedonian Front resulted from an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria. The expedition came too late and in insufficient force to prevent the fall of Serbia, and was complicated by the internal...
before joining the 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...
- 18th Machinegun Squadron
The brigade joined from the ANZAC Mounted Division
Anzac Mounted Division
The ANZAC Mounted Division was a mounted infantry and mounted rifles division formed in March 1916 in Egypt during World War I following the Battle of Gallipoli when the Australian and New Zealand regiments returned from fighting dismounted as infantry...
.
XX Brigade Royal Horse Artillery
- Hampshire Battery RHARoyal Horse ArtilleryThe regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
- Berkshire Battery RHA
- Leicester Battery RHA
Order of Battle July 1918
The "mounted" brigades were redesignated as "cavalry" brigades when the division was renamed as the 4th Cavalry Division. The two regiments of each brigade that did not remain were combined into battalions of the Machine Gun Corps and sent to France. They were replaced by regiments of the recently disbanded 1st Indian Cavalry Division1st Indian Cavalry Division
The 1st Indian Cavalry Division was a regular division of the British Indian Army. The division sailed for France from Bombay on October 16, 1914 , under the command of Major General H D Fanshawe. The division was re designated the 4th Cavalry Division in November 1916. During the war the Division...
.
10th Cavalry Brigade
- 1/1st Dorset Yeomanry
- 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)The 2nd Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1809. It served in the Nepal and First World Wars. During the reconstruction of the British Indian Army in 1922 it was amalgamated with the 4th Cavalry....
- 38th Central India Horse
- 17th Machinegun SquadronMachine Gun CorpsThe Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank...
11th Cavalry Brigade
- 1/1st County of London YeomanryCounty of London YeomanrySeveral British Army regiments have born the title County of London Yeomanry . Most have been mounted, then armoured regiments.-1st County of London Yeomanry:...
- 29th Lancers (Deccan Horse)
- 36th Jacob's Horse36th Jacob's Horse- Origins :Raised by Lieut. John Jacob of the Bombay Artillery, they served first in Southern Afghanistan and later under Sir Charles Napier in the taking of Scinde....
- 21st Machinegun Squadron
12th Cavalry Brigade
- 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment)
- 6th Prince of Wales's Cavalry6th Prince of Wales's Cavalry- Origin :Raised in 1842 at Fatehgarh by Lieut. Ryves, they first saw service in the Gwalior campaign earning the battle honour “Punniar”.The various changes and amalgamations are listed below.- History :*1842 8th Irregular Cavalry...
- 19th Lancers (Fane's Horse)
- 18th Machinegun Squadron
XX Brigade Royal Horse Artillery
- Hampshire Battery RHARoyal Horse ArtilleryThe regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
- Berkshire Battery RHA
- Leicester Battery RHA