2nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)
| 2nd Cavalry Division | |
|---|---|
 Division insignia | |
| Active | 13 September 1914 – 31 March 1919 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Cavalry |
| Size | Division |
| Part of | Cavalry Corps |
| Engagements | World War I
|
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Hubert Gough Charles Kavanagh Philip Chetwode |
The2nd Cavalry Divisionwas adivisionof the regularBritish Armythat saw service in thePeninsular Warand inWorld War I,when it also known asGough's Command,after its commanding general. It was part of theBritish Expeditionary Forcethat served inFrancein from 1914 to 1918.[1] It was involved in most of the major actions where cavalry were used as a mounted mobile force, and also many where the troops were dismounted and effectively served as infantry.[2]
On 11 November 1918 units of the division were east and north-east of Mons, inBelgium.Orders were received that the division would lead the advance of Fourth Army intoGermany,a move that was to begin on 17 November 1918. On 1 December it crossed the frontier south ofSt. Vith.The winter was spent south ofLiège,and demobilisation commenced. The division ceased to exist on 31 March 1919.[2]
After the war the division was reformed in theTerritorial Army.[3]
History
[edit]Napoleonic Wars
[edit]During thePeninsular War,Wellingtonorganized his cavalry into one, later two, cavalry divisions. They performed a purely administrative, rather than tactical, role;[4]the normal tactical headquarters were provided by brigades commanding two, later usually three, regiments.[5]On 19 June 1811, the cavalry was reorganized as two divisions and the existing Cavalry Division was redesignated as1st Cavalry Divisionwith the formation of the2nd Cavalry Division.[6]
Major GeneralSir William Erskinetook command on formation.[6]He was absent from 8 December 1811 to 8 April 1812, though at this time the division only comprised one brigade.[7]He resumed command briefly, but committed suicide in Lisbon on 13 February 1813.[6]The divisions were once again amalgamated as The Cavalry Division on 21 April 1813 withLieutenant GeneralStapleton Cotton(of the 1st Cavalry Division) in command.[8]
Assigned Brigades
[edit]The division was formed on 19 June 1811 with De Grey's and Long's Brigades; Long's Brigade was to remain with the division throughout its existence. Between 8 November 1811 and 23 March 1812 it commanded just one brigade and it never exceed three brigades in strength.[9]
| Brigade | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| De Grey's | 19 June 1811[a] | 5 October 1811[b] |
| Long's | 19 June 1811[c] | 21 April 1813[d] |
| Le Marchant's | 30 August 1811[e] | 8 November 1811[f] |
| von Bock's | 23 March 1812[e] | 14 April 1812[b] |
| Slade's | 14 April 1812[g] | 21 April 1813[d] |
| Rebow's | 25 January 1813[e] | 5 February 1813[b] |
| Grant's | 15 April 1813[e] | 21 April 1813[d] |
First World War
[edit]Gough's Command
[edit]On 6 September, the formerly independent5th Cavalry Brigadewas joined with the3rd Cavalry Brigadefrom theCavalry DivisionasGough's Command.Named for the commander of 3rd Cavalry Brigade,Brigadier-GeneralHubert Gough,it took part in theFirst Battle of the Aisne(12–15 September). On 13 September, the command was re-designated as the2nd Cavalry Division,with the addition of divisional troops from theRoyal Horse Artillery,Royal Engineersetc.[10]
The4th Cavalry Brigadejoined the division on 14 October from1st Cavalry Divisionto bring it up to the standard three brigade strength. The division remained on theWestern Frontuntil the end of the war.[11]
1914–1917
[edit]In 1914, the division took part inFirst Battle of Ypres,notably the battle of Gheluvelt (29–31 October). In 1915, the division was in action at theBattle of Neuve Chapelle(10–12 March 1915) and theSecond Battle of Ypresnotable the Battle of St Julien (26 April–3 May) and the Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge (24–25 May).[10]
1916 saw no notable actions, but in 1917 the division saw action in theBattle of Arras(First Battle of the Scarpe, 9–11 April). and theBattle of Cambrai(the Tank Attack of 20 and 21 November, the Capture of Bourlon Wood of 24–28 November and the German Counter-Attack of 30 November–3 December).[10]At other times, the brigades formed dismounted units and served in the trenches as regiments under the command of their brigadiers.[12]
War of movement
[edit]1918 saw the return of the war of movement and the division took part in theFirst Battle of the Sommenotably theBattle of St Quentin(21–23 March), theBattle of the Lys(Battle of Hazebrouck of 14–15 April), theBattle of Amiens(8–11 August) and theSecond Battle of the Somme(Battle of Albertof 21–23 August and theSecond Battle of Bapaumeof 31 August–3 September).[13]
The division was then split up with the3rd Cavalry Brigadeserving withFirst Army,4th Cavalry BrigadewithThird Armyand5th Cavalry BrigadewithFourth Army.[13]The brigades variously took part in the battles of theHindenburg Line:the battles ofCanal du Nord(27 September–1 October),St. Quentin Canal(29 September–2 October),Beaurevoir Line(3–5 October) andCambrai(8–9 October) and thePursuit to the Selle(9–12 October). Its final action was to take part in theAdvance in Picardy(17 October–11 November) including theBattle of the Sambre(4 November) and the capture ofMons(11 November,3rd Canadian Divisionwith5th (Royal Irish) Lancersand one section[h]ofD Battery, RHA).[13]
Armistice
[edit]At theArmistice,units of the division had reachedClairfayts(5th Cavalry Brigade with Fourth Army),Erquelinnes(4th Cavalry Brigade with Third Army) andHavréandSt. Denis(3rd Cavalry Brigade with First Army). On 15 November, the division was re-assembled nearMaubeugeand ordered to advance into Germany as an advance screen for Fourth Army and form part of the Occupation Force. The move began on 17 November,CineyandRochefortwere reached five days later and the 5th Cavalry Brigade crossed the German border south ofSt. Vithon 1 December.[13]
In late December, the division moved to winter quarters south and south-east ofLiège.It remained here until 30 January 1919 when it exchanged regiments with1stand3rd Cavalry Divisionsthen gradually moved back to England. The Division ceased to exist at midnight 31 March / 1 April 1919.[13]
Order of battle
[edit]3rd Cavalry Brigade
[edit]
The brigade joined Gough's Command on 6 September fromThe Cavalry Divisionand remained with the division until the end of the war.[10]
| Unit | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| 4th (Queen’s Own) Hussars | Mobilization | |
| 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers | Mobilization | |
| 16th (Queen’s) Lancers | Mobilization | |
| 1/1stLeicestershire Yeomanry | 4 April 1918[i] | |
| D Battery, RHA | 17 September 1914[j] | |
| 3rd Signal Troop, Royal Engineers | Mobilization | |
| 3rd Cavalry Brigade Field Ambulance | Mobilization | 13 September 1914[k] |
| 3rd Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron,MGC | 29 February 1916[l] |
4th Cavalry Brigade
[edit]
The brigade joined the division on 14 October from1st Cavalry Divisionand remained with the division until the end of the war.[11]
| Unit | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Household Cavalry Composite Regiment | Mobilization | 11 November 1914[m] |
| 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) | Mobilization | |
| 3rd (King's Own) Hussars | Mobilization | |
| 1/1stQueen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars | 11 November 1914[n] | |
| J Battery, RHA | 16 September 1914[o] | |
| 4th Signal Troop, Royal Engineers | Mobilization | |
| 4th Cavalry Brigade Field Ambulance | Mobilization | 16 October 1914[p] |
| 4th Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron,MGC | 28 February 1916[l] |
5th Cavalry Brigade
[edit]
The brigade, formerly independent, joined Gough's Command on 6 September and remained with the division until the end of the war.[10]
| Unit | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) | Mobilization | |
| 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) | Mobilization | |
| 20th Hussars | Mobilization | |
| J Battery, RHA | Mobilization | 16 September 1914[o] |
| E Battery, RHA | 17 September 1914[q] | |
| 4th Field Troop,Royal Engineers | Mobilization | 15 October 1914[r] |
| 5th Signal Troop, Royal Engineers | Mobilization | |
| 5th Cavalry Brigade Field Ambulance | Mobilization | 13 September 1914[s] |
| 5th Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron,MGC | 28 February 1916[l] |
Divisional Artillery
[edit]- III Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery
- D Battery, Royal Horse Artilleryattached to 3rd Cavalry Brigade[t]
- E Battery, Royal Horse Artilleryattached to 5th Cavalry Brigade[t]
- J Battery, Royal Horse Artilleryattached to 4th Cavalry Brigade[t]
- 1/1st Warwickshire Battery, RHA(TF)[u]
- III Brigade Ammunition Column
Divisional Troops
[edit]The division was supported by the following units:[11]
| Unit | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineers | 2nd Field Squadron,Royal Engineers | 16 October 1914[r] | |
| Signals | 2nd Signal Squadron, Royal Engineers | 28 September 1914 | |
| Medical | 2nd Cavalry Field Ambulance | 13 September 1914[v] | |
| 5th Cavalry Field Ambulance | 13 September 1914[s] | ||
| 4th Cavalry Field Ambulance | 16 October 1914[p] | ||
| No. 4 Sanitary Section | 12 January 1915[12] | ||
| 2nd Cavalry Division Field Ambulance Workshop | 26 February 1915 | 16 April 1916[w] | |
| Veterinary | 7th Mobile Veterinary Section | 16 September 1914 | |
| 8th Mobile Veterinary Section | 16 September 1914[x] | ||
| 9th Mobile Veterinary Section | 15 October 1915[y] | ||
| Army Service Corps | 424th (Horsed Transport) Company, ASC HQ 2nd Cavalry Divisional ASC |
10 October 1914 | |
| 575th (Horsed Transport) Company, ASC 2nd Cavalry Divisional Auxiliary (Horse) Company |
25 September 1915 | ||
| 46th (Mechanical Transport) Company, ASC 2nd Cavalry Divisional Supply Column |
Formation | ||
| 413th (Mechanical Transport) Company, ASC 2nd Cavalry Divisional Supply Column |
Formation | 10 October 1916[z] | |
| 56th (Mechanical Transport) Company, ASC 2nd Cavalry Divisional Ammunition Park |
Formation | 23 December 1917 | |
| Others | 772nd Divisional Employment Company | 16 September 1917 |
Territorial Army
[edit]In the 1920s the division was reformed fromYeomanryregiments in theTerritorial Armywith the following organisation:[3]
- Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own)
- Yorkshire Dragoons (Queen's Own)
- Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers)
- Warwickshire Yeomanry
- Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment)
- Leicestershire Yeomanry (Prince Albert's Own)
- 11th (Honourable Artillery Company and City of London Yeomanry) Brigade,Royal Horse Artillery
- A & B HAC Batteries
- No 1 City of London (Yeomanry) Battery
- 2nd Cavalry Divisional Royal Engineers
- 2nd (Cheshire) Field Squadron
- 2nd Cavalry Divisional Signals (Middlesex Yeomanry)
- A & B (Middlesex Yeomanry) Squadrons
- 2nd Cavalry Divisional Train
- No 529 (Cheshire) Cavalry (Horse Transport) Company
- No 530 (Cheshire) Cavalry (Mechanical Transport) Company
- 170th Cavalry Field Ambulance
- 2nd Cavalry Divisional Detachment
On the outbreak ofWorld War II2nd Cavalry Division's units were reorganised as1st Cavalry Divisionand served inPalestine,IraqandSyriabefore being converted into10th Armoured Divisionon 1 August 1941.[22]
Commanders
[edit]The 2nd Cavalry Division had the following commanders:[23]
| From | Rank | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Formation | Major-General | Sir H. de la P. Gough |
| 19 April 1915 | Major-General | C.T.McM. Kavanagh |
| 15 July 1915 | Major-General | Sir P.W. Chetwode, Bt. |
| 6 November 1916 | Brigadier-General | T.T. Pitman(acting) |
| 16 November 1916 | Major-General | W.H. Greenly[aa] |
| 22 March 1918 | Brigadier-General | T.T. Pitman (acting) |
| 27 March 1918 | Major-General | W.H. Greenly (sick, 28 March 1918) |
| 28 March 1918 | Brigadier-General | T.T. Pitman (acting) |
| 16 April 1918 | Major-General | T.T. Pitman |
See also
[edit]
- List of British divisions in World War I
- British Army during World War I
- British Cavalry Corps order of battle 1914
- British cavalry during the First World War
Notes
[edit]- ^De Grey'sBrigade transferred fromThe Cavalry Divisionon formation of the 2nd Cavalry Division.
- ^abcBrigade transferred to the1st Cavalry Division.
- ^Long'sBrigade was formed on 13 June 1811 and joined 2nd Cavalry Division on formation on 19 June 1811.
- ^abcBrigade transferred to The Cavalry Division when the two cavalry divisions were amalgamated.
- ^abcdBrigade was newly formed and joined the division.
- ^Le Marchant'sBrigade transferred to the 1st Cavalry Division to replace Madden's Portuguese Brigade.
- ^Brigade transferred from the 1st Cavalry Division.
- ^A Subsection consisted of a single gun and limber drawn by six horses (with three drivers), eight gunners (riding on the limber or mounted on their own horses), and an ammunition wagon also drawn by six horses (with three drivers).[14]Two Subsections formed a Section and in a six gun battery these would be designated as Left, Centre and Right Sections.[15]
- ^Leicestershire Yeomanrywas originally with8th Cavalry Brigade,3rd Cavalry Division.It left the brigade on 14 March 1918 to become acyclistunit, then to form a machine gun battalion with theNorth Somerset Yeomanry.TheGerman spring offensiveforestalled this plan and the regiment was remounted and sent to the 2nd Cavalry Division. From 4 April it was split up with a squadron joining each regiment in 3rd Cavalry Brigade.[16]
- ^D Battery, RHAwas permanently attached to 3rd Cavalry Brigade from the Division'sIII Brigade, RHA.[11]
- ^3rd Cavalry Brigade Field Ambulance remained with 1st Cavalry Division when the brigade transferred to 2nd Cavalry Division.[17]
- ^abcCavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadrons were formed from the machine gun sections of the brigades' constituent regiments.[21]
- ^TheHousehold Cavalry Composite Regimentwas broken up and the squadrons rejoined their parent regiments.[18]
- ^Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars,aYeomanryregiment, joined from2nd South Midland Mounted Brigadeto replace the Household Cavalry Composite Regiment.[19]
- ^abJ Battery, RHAtransferred from5th Cavalry Brigadeto4th Cavalry Brigadeand was permanently attached thereafter.[20][11]
- ^ab4th Cavalry Brigade Field Ambulance transferred to 2nd Cavalry Division when the brigade joined from 1st Cavalry Division.[11]
- ^E Battery, RHAwas permanently attached to 5th Cavalry Brigade from the Division'sIII Brigade, RHA.[11]
- ^ab4th Field Troop, RE absorbed into 2nd Field Squadron, RE.[11]
- ^ab5th Cavalry Brigade Field Ambulance transferred to 2nd Cavalry Division when the brigade joined the division.[11]
- ^abcEquipped with six13 pounders.[11]
- ^1/1st Warwickshire Battery, RHAwas attached from 4 December 1914 to 14 April 1915. It then transferred to9th Cavalry Brigade,1st Cavalry Division.[12]
- ^2nd Cavalry Field Ambulance joined with 3rd Cavalry Brigade from 1st Cavalry Division.
- ^2nd Cavalry Division Field Ambulance Workshop absorbed into Divisional Supply Column.[12]
- ^8th Mobile Veterinary Section joined with 3rd Cavalry Brigade from 1st Cavalry Division.
- ^9th Mobile Veterinary Section joined with 4th Cavalry Brigade from 1st Cavalry Division.
- ^413th (M. T.) Company, ASC absorbed into 46th (M. T.) Company, ASC.[11]
- ^Assigned to temporary command of14th (Light) Divisionon 22 March 1918.[23]
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^"royalirishlancers".
- ^abBaker, Chris."The 2nd Cavalry Division in 1914-1918".The Long Long Trail.Retrieved8 August2013.
- ^abTA 1927.
- ^Haythornthwaite 1990,p. 103
- ^Reid 2004,p. 75
- ^abcReid 2004,p. 81
- ^Reid 2004,p. 82
- ^Reid 2004,p. 85
- ^Reid 2004,pp. 80–85
- ^abcdeBecke 1935,p. 14
- ^abcdefghijkBecke 1935,p. 12
- ^abcdBecke 1935,p. 11
- ^abcdeBecke 1935,p. 15
- ^Clarke 1993,p. 43
- ^Clarke 1993,p. 45
- ^James 1978,p. 22
- ^Becke 1935,p. 5
- ^James 1978,p. 11
- ^James 1978,p. 26
- ^Becke 1935,p. 4
- ^Baker, Chris."Cavalry units of the Machine Gun Corps".The Long Long Trail.Retrieved7 August2013.
- ^Joslen, pp. 25–6, 33, 189–91.
- ^abBecke 1935,p. 9
Bibliography
[edit]- Becke, Major A.F. (1935).Order of Battle of Divisions Part 1. The Regular British Divisions.London: His Majesty's Stationery Office.ISBN1-871167-09-4.
- Clarke, W.G. (1993).Horse Gunners: The Royal Horse Artillery, 200 Years of Panache and Professionalism.Woolwich: The Royal Artillery Institution.ISBN09520762-0-9.
- Haythornthwaite, Philip J. (1990).The Napoleonic Source Book.London: Guild Publishing.
- James, Brigadier E.A. (1978).British Regiments 1914–18.London: Samson Books Limited.ISBN0-906304-03-2.
- Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1960].Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945.Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press.ISBN978-1-84342-474-1.
- Reid, Stuart (2004).Wellington's Army in the Peninsula 1809–14.Vol. 2 of Battle Orders Series. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.ISBN1-84176-517-1.
- Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army,London: War Office, 7 November 1927.
External links
[edit]- Baker, Chris."The 2nd Cavalry Division in 1914-1918".The Long, Long Trail. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved24 June2015.
- "2nd Cavalry Division onThe Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918by PB Chappell ".Archived fromthe originalon 26 November 2007.Retrieved7 August2013.