Bot at 22:09, 24 May 2022

2022-05-24T22:09:12Z

New page

{{For|earlier formations in [[World War I]]|2nd Indian Cavalry Division|2nd Mounted Division}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{infobox military unit
|unit_name=2nd Mounted Division 5th Cavalry Division
|image=
|caption=
|dates=April 1918 – April 1920
|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]]
**[[Battle of Abu Tellul|Affair of Abu Tellul]]
**[[Battle of Megiddo (1918)|Battle of Megiddo]]
**[[Capture of Damascus (1918)|Capture of Damascus]]
**[[Battle of Aleppo (1918)|Occupation of Aleppo]]
|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 (United Kingdom)|Maj.-Gen.]] [[Henry John Milnes MacAndrew|H.J.M. Macandrew]]

|identification_symbol=
|identification_symbol_label=
|identification_symbol_2=
|identification_symbol_2_label=
|identification_symbol_3=
|identification_symbol_3_label=
|identification_symbol_4=
|identification_symbol_4_label=
}}
The '''2nd 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in April 1918 when three brigades already in Palestine were merged with elements of the [[2nd Indian Cavalry Division]] withdrawn from the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]]. In July 1918, the division was renamed as the '''5th Cavalry Division'''. It remained in Palestine after the end of the war on occupation duties until finally broken up in 1920.

==Formation==
===2nd Mounted Division===
In March 1918, the [[2nd Indian Cavalry Division]] was broken up in France. The Canadian ([[Canadian Cavalry Brigade]]) and British units (notably [[7th Dragoon Guards]], [[8th Hussars]] and [[N Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|N]] and [[X Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|X Batteries]] [[Royal Horse Artillery|RHA]]) remained in France and the Indian elements were sent to Egypt.<ref name=Perry20>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=20}}</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 2nd Mounted Division was formed<ref name=Perry28>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=28}}</ref> on the Indian Establishment.{{efn|[[British Indian Army]] standard whereby brigades only retained one British regiment or battalion and most support units were Indian (artillery excepted).}} This new formation should not be confused with the original [[2nd Mounted Division]] that saw action in the [[Gallipoli Campaign]], though the 5th and 7th Mounted Brigades served in both.<ref name=Perry27>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=27}}</ref>
*the [[5th Mounted Brigade]] was transferred from the [[Australian Mounted Division]] and merged with elements of the [[3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade]]
*the [[7th Mounted Brigade]] (which had been acting in an independent role) was merged with elements of the [[9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade]]
*the [[15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade|Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade]] (which had been on service in Egypt and Palestine since 1914) joined as the division's third brigade
*two of the Yeomanry Regiments were merged ([[1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry]]<ref name=James29>{{harvnb|James|1978|p=29}}</ref> of the 5th Mounted Brigade and the [[1/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars]]<ref name=James26>{{harvnb|James|1978|p=26}}</ref> of 7th Mounted Brigade) to form B Battalion, [[Machine Gun Corps]]; it was posted to France, arriving in June. The [[1/1st Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars]] became the [[XX Corps (United Kingdom)|XX Corps]] Cavalry Regiment.<ref name=James31>{{harvnb|James|1978|p=31}}</ref> They were replaced by Indian Cavalry Regiments from France.
*the Field Ambulances and Mobile Veterinary Sections merged with their Indian counterparts.<ref name=Becke32>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|p=32}}</ref>
*the Essex Battery, [[Royal Horse Artillery|RHA]] and ammunition column joined with 7th Mounted Brigade.<ref name=Becke33>{{harvnb|Becke|1936|p=33}}</ref>
*Other divisional elements were raised for the new division.<ref name=Perry26>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=26}}</ref>

===5th Cavalry Division===
On 22 July 1918, the 2nd Mounted Division was renumbered as the '''5th Cavalry Division''' and the brigades as the [[13th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army)|13th]], [[14th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army)|14th]] and [[15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade|15th (Imperial Service)]] Cavalry Brigades. The sub units (Signal Troops, Combined Cavalry Field Ambulances and Mobile Veterinary Sections) were renumbered on the same date.<ref name=Perry26/>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Order of Battle, September 1918<ref name=Perry26/>
|-
|valign=top|'''[[13th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army)|13th Cavalry Brigade]]''' 
[[1/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars]] 
[[9th Hodson's Horse]] 
[[18th King George's Own Lancers]] 
19th Machine Gun [[Squadron (army)|Squadron]] 
13th Cavalry Brigade Signal Troop 
13th Combined Cavalry [[Field Ambulance]], [[Royal Army Medical Corps|RAMC]] 
13th Mobile Veterinary Section
|valign=top|'''[[14th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army)|14th Cavalry Brigade]]''' 
[[1/1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry]] 
[[20th Deccan Horse]] 
[[34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse]] 
20th Machine Gun Squadron 
14th Cavalry Brigade Signal Troop 
14th Combined Cavalry Field Ambulance, RAMC 
14th Mobile Veterinary Section
|valign=top|'''[[15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade]]''' 
Mysore Lancers 
1st Hyderabad Lancers 
1st Jodhpur Lancers 
15th I.S. Machine Gun Squadron 
15th Kathiawar Signal Troop 
15th I.S. Cavalry Field Ambulance 
15th I.S. Mobile Veterinary Section
|-
|valign=top|'''Artillery''' 
[[Essex Royal Horse Artillery|Essex Battery, RHA]] 
[[Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery|Nottinghamshire Battery, RHA]]{{efn|Nottinghamshire, RHA was attached from [[Australian Mounted Division]] from September to October 1918.<ref name=Perry51>{{harvnb|Perry|1992|p=51}}</ref>}} 
Ammunition Column
|valign=top|'''Divisional Troops''' 
5th Field Squadron, [[Royal Engineers|RE]]{{efn|7th Field Squadron, RE was renumbered as 5th Field Squadron, RE.<ref name=Perry26/>}} 
5th Cavalry Division Signal Squadron 
|valign=top|'''5th Cavalry Division Train''' 
1044th Company [[Royal Army Service Corps|ASC]] 
1103rd Company ASC 
1104th Company ASC 
1105th Company ASC
|}

==Battles==
[[File:IWM Q12386Damascus.jpeg|thumb|Gloucester Yeomanry march through Damascus on 2 October 1918]]
The 2nd Mounted / 5th 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, 15th I.S. Brigade only), [[Battle of Abu Tellul|Affair of Abu Tellul]] (14 July), and the Final Offensive including the [[Battle of Megiddo (1918)|Battle of Megiddo]] (19{{snd}}25 September), [[Battle of Haifa (1918)|Capture of Haifa]] (23 September, 15th I.S. Brigade only) and [[Capture of Damascus (1918)|Damascus]] (1 October), [[Charge at Haritan|Affair of Haritan]] (26 October, 15th I.S. Brigade only) and [[Battle of Aleppo (1918)|Occupation of Aleppo]] (26 October).<ref name=Perry28/>

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 the middle of 1919. 14th Cavalry Brigade was broken up in September 1919, and the 15th (I.S.) Cavalry Brigade in January 1920. The division (and 13th Cavalry Brigade) was finally broken up in April 1920.<ref name=Perry28/>

==See also==
{{portal|World War I}}
* [[4th Cavalry Division (British Indian Army)]] formed at the same time in a similar manner.
* [[List of Indian divisions in World War I]]

==Notes==
{{notelist|2}}

==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 = James | first = Brigadier E.A.
| year = 1978
| title = British Regiments 1914–18
| publisher = Samson Books
| location = London
| isbn = 0-906304-03-2
}}
* {{cite book

| last = Perry | first = F.W.
| year = 1992
| title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5A. The Divisions of Australia, Canada and New Zealand and those in East Africa
| publisher = Ray Westlake Military Books
| location = Newport
| isbn = 1-871167-25-6
}}
* {{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:C5}}
[[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 1920]]
[[Category:British cavalry divisions]]
[[Category:1918 establishments in British-administered Palestine]]

5th Cavalry Division India - Revision history

Bot at 22:09, 24 May 2022