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{{For|earlier formations in [[World War I]]|1st Indian Cavalry Division|1st Mounted Division}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{infobox military unit
|unit_name=1st Mounted Division 4th Cavalry Division
|image=
|caption=
|dates=April 1918 – 1921
|country=[[British Raj|India]]
|allegiance=
|branch=[[British Indian Army]]
|type=[[Cavalry]]
|role=
|size=[[Division (military)|Division]]
|command_structure=
|garrison=
|garrison_label=
|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors=
|colors_label=
|march=
|mascot=
|equipment=
|equipment_label=
|battles=[[World War I]]
*[[Sinai and Palestine Campaign|Palestine 1918]]
**[[Second Transjordan attack on Shunet Nimrin and Es Salt|Second Transjordan Raid]]
**[[Battle of Megiddo (1918)|Battle of Megiddo]]
**[[Capture of Damascus (1918)|Capture of Damascus]]
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
|battle_honours=
|battle_honours_label=
|disbanded=
|flying_hours=
|website=

|commander1=
|commander1_label=
|commander2=
|commander2_label=
|commander3=
|commander3_label=
|commander4=
|commander4_label=
|notable_commanders=[[Major-General]] [[George Barrow (Indian Army officer)|G. de S. Barrow]]

|identification_symbol=
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|identification_symbol_4=
|identification_symbol_4_label=
}}
The '''1st Mounted Division''' was a [[cavalry]] [[Division (military)|division]] that served as part of the [[Egyptian Expeditionary Force]] in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] in [[World War I]]. It was formed in April 1918 when the [[Yeomanry Mounted Division]] was merged with elements of the [[1st Indian Cavalry Division]] withdrawn from the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]]. In July 1918, the combined division was renamed as the '''4th Cavalry Division'''. It remained in Palestine after the end of the war on occupation duties until finally broken up in 1921.

==History==
===1st Mounted Division===
In March 1918, the [[1st Indian Cavalry Division]] was broken up in France. The British units (notably [[6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons]], [[17th Lancers]], [[1/1st Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons]] and [[A Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|A]], [[Q Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|Q]] and [[U Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|U Batteries]] [[Royal Horse Artillery|RHA]]) remained in France and the Indian elements were sent to Egypt.<ref name=Perry16>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=16}}</ref>

By an [[Egyptian Expeditionary Force]] GHQ Order of 12 April 1918, the mounted troops of the EEF were reorganised when the Indian Army units arrived in [[Theater (warfare)|theatre]]. On 24 April 1918, the [[Yeomanry Mounted Division]] was ''indianized''{{efn|British divisions were converted to the [[British Indian Army]] standard whereby brigades only retained one British regiment or battalion and most support units were Indian (artillery excepted).}} and its title was changed to '''1st Mounted Division''',<ref name=Becke34>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|p=34}}</ref> the third distinct division to bear this title.{{efn|See [[1st Mounted Division]] and [[3rd Mounted Division]].}}

On 24 April 1918, the [[6th Mounted Brigade]] was merged with elements of the [[5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade]], the [[8th Mounted Brigade]] with the [[8th (Lucknow) Cavalry Brigade]], and the [[22nd Mounted Brigade]] with the [[2nd (Sialkot) Cavalry Brigade]]. Six of the Yeomanry Regiments were merged in pairs, converted to Machine Gun Battalions, and posted to the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]]:<ref name=Becke33>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|p=33}}</ref>
*C Battalion, [[Machine Gun Corps]] was formed by the merger of the [[1/1st Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars]] and the [[1/1st Berkshire Yeomanry]]
*D Battalion, Machine Gun Corps was formed by the merger of the [[1/1st Lincolnshire Yeomanry]] and the [[1/1st East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry]]
*E Battalion, Machine Gun Corps was formed by the merger of the [[1/1st City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders)]] and the [[1/3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)]]
They were replaced by Indian Cavalry Regiments from France. The Field Ambulances and Mobile Veterinary Sections merged with their Indian counterparts. Other units were retained unchanged, though some were renumbered to reflect the new divisional designation.<ref name=Becke32>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|p=32}}</ref>

===4th Cavalry Division===
On 22 July 1918, the 1st Mounted Division was renumbered as the '''4th Cavalry Division''' and the brigades as the [[10th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army)|10th]], [[11th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army)|11th]] and [[12th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army)|12th Cavalry Brigade]]s.<ref name=Perry22>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=22}}</ref> The sub units (Signal Troops, Combined Cavalry Field Ambulances and Mobile Veterinary Sections) were renumbered on the same date.<ref name=Becke33/>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Order of Battle, September 1918<ref name=Perry22/>
|-
|valign=top|'''[[10th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army)|10th Cavalry Brigade]]''' 
[[1/1st Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry]] 
[[2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)]] 
[[38th King George's Own Central India Horse]] 
17th Machine Gun [[Squadron (army)|Squadron]] 
10th Cavalry Brigade Signal Troop 
10th Combined Cavalry [[Field Ambulance]], [[Royal Army Medical Corps|RAMC]] 
10th Mobile Veterinary Section
|valign=top|'''[[11th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army)|11th Cavalry Brigade]]''' 
[[1/1st County of London Yeomanry]] 
[[29th Lancers (Deccan Horse)]] 
[[36th Jacob's Horse]] 
21st Machine Gun Squadron 
11th Cavalry Brigade Signal Troop 
11th Combined Cavalry Field Ambulance, RAMC 
11th Mobile Veterinary Section
|valign=top|'''[[12th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army)|12th Cavalry Brigade]]''' 
[[1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry]] 
[[6th King Edward's Own Cavalry]] 
[[19th Lancers (Fane's Horse)]] 
18th Machine Gun Squadron 
12th Cavalry Brigade Signal Troop 
12th Combined Cavalry Field Ambulance, RAMC 
12th Mobile Veterinary Section
|-
|valign=top|'''[[XX Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (T.F.)]]''' 
[[Hampshire Royal Horse Artillery|Hampshire RHA]] 
[[Berkshire Royal Horse Artillery|Berkshire RHA]] 
[[Leicestershire Royal Horse Artillery|Leicestershire RHA]] 
XX RHA Brigade [[Ammunition column|Ammunition Column]]
|valign=top|'''Divisional Troops''' 
4th Field Squadron, [[Royal Engineers|RE]]<ref>6th Field Squadron, RE of the Yeomanry Mounted Division renumbered.</ref> 
4th Cavalry Division Signal Squadron<ref>Yeomanry Mounted Division Signal Squadron renamed.</ref> 
|valign=top|'''4th Cavalry Division Train'''<ref>Yeomanry Mounted Division Train renamed.</ref> 
999th Company [[Royal Army Service Corps|ASC]] 
1000th Company ASC 
1001st Company ASC 
1002nd Company ASC
|}

===Battles===
The 1st Mounted / 4th Cavalry Division served with the [[Desert Mounted Corps]] for the rest of the war, taking part in the [[Second Transjordan attack on Shunet Nimrin and Es Salt|Second Transjordan Raid]] (30 April to 4 May 1918) and the Final Offensive, in particular the [[Battle of Megiddo (1918)|Battle of Megiddo]] (19 to 25 September) and the [[Capture of Damascus (1918)|Capture of Damascus]] (1 October).<ref name=Perry24>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=24}}</ref>

After the [[Armistice of Mudros]], the division remained in Palestine on occupation duties after the end of the war. However, demobilization began immediately and most of the British war time units had left by May 1919, though the 1/1st County of London Yeomanry did not leave until March 1920. The division was finally broken up in 1921.<ref name=Perry24/>

==See also==

* [[5th Cavalry Division (British Indian Army)]] formed at the same time in a similar manner.
* [[List of Indian divisions in World War I]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book

| last = Becke | first = Major A.F.
| year = 1936
| title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2A. The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42-56)
| publisher = His Majesty's Stationery Office
| location = London
| isbn = 1-871167-12-4
}}
* {{cite book

| last = Perry | first = F.W.
| year = 1993
| title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions
| publisher = Ray Westlake Military Books
| location = Newport
| isbn = 1-871167-23-X
}}

{{Indian Divisions in World War I}}
{{Indian Expeditionary Forces}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:C4}}
[[Category:British Indian Army divisions]]
[[Category:Indian World War I divisions]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1918]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1921]]
[[Category:British cavalry divisions]]

4th Cavalry Division India - Revision history

Wikindia777 at 14:21, 11 February 2024