The 2nd Mounted Division was a cavalry

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

that served as part of the

Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–15), at the beginning ...

in Palestine in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. 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in April 1918 when three brigades already in Palestine were merged with elements of the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division withdrawn from the Western Front. 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 The 7th (The Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1688 as Lord Cavendish's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as the 7th (The Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards for Princess Charlotte in 1788. ...

, 8th Hussars and N and X Batteries RHA) remained in France and the Indian elements were sent to Egypt. By an

GHQ Order of 12 April 1918, the mounted troops of the EEF were reorganised when the Indian Army units arrived in

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

. On 24 April 1918, the 2nd Mounted Division was formed on the Indian Establishment. This new formation should not be confused with the original

2nd Mounted Division The 2nd Mounted Division was a yeomanry ( Territorial Army cavalry) division that served in the First World War. At the outbreak of war it was assigned to defence of the Norfolk coast. In March 1915 it formed a 2nd Line duplicate of itself, ...

that saw action in the Gallipoli Campaign, though the 5th and 7th Mounted Brigades served in both. *the 5th Mounted Brigade was transferred from the

Australian Mounted Division The Australian Mounted Division originally formed as the Imperial Mounted Division in January 1917, was a mounted infantry, light horse and yeomanry division. The division was formed in Egypt, and along with the Anzac Mounted Division formed p ...

and merged with elements of the 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade *the

7th Mounted Brigade The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Mounted Brigade (later numbered as the 7th Mounted Brigade) was a yeomanry brigade of the British Army, formed as part of the Territorial Force in 1908. It served dismounted in the Gallipoli Campaign before ...

(which had been acting in an independent role) was merged with elements of the 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade *the 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 of the 5th Mounted Brigade and the 1/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars of 7th Mounted Brigade) to form B Battalion,

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) 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 the First World War. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks ...

; it was posted to France, arriving in June. The 1/1st Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars became the XX Corps Cavalry Regiment. They were replaced by Indian Cavalry Regiments from France. *the Field Ambulances and Mobile Veterinary Sections merged with their Indian counterparts. *the Essex Battery, RHA and ammunition column joined with 7th Mounted Brigade. *Other divisional elements were raised for the new division.

5th Cavalry Division

On 22 July 1918, the 2nd Mounted Division was renumbered as the 5th Cavalry Division and the brigades as the

13th In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octave pl ...

, 14th and 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigades. The sub units (Signal Troops, Combined Cavalry Field Ambulances and Mobile Veterinary Sections) were renumbered on the same date.

Battles

The 2nd Mounted / 5th Cavalry Division served with the

Desert Mounted Corps The Desert Mounted Corps was an army corps of the British Army during the First World War, of three mounted divisions renamed in August 1917 by General Edmund Allenby, from Desert Column. These divisions which served in the Sinai and Pales ...

for the rest of the war, taking part in the Second Transjordan Raid (30 April to 4 May 1918, 15th I.S. Brigade only), Affair of Abu Tellul (14 July), and the Final Offensive including the Battle of Megiddo (1925 September), Capture of Haifa (23 September, 15th I.S. Brigade only) and Damascus (1 October), Affair of Haritan (26 October, 15th I.S. Brigade only) and Occupation of Aleppo (26 October). 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.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:C5 British Indian Army divisions Indian World War I divisions Military units and formations established in 1918 Military units and formations disestablished in 1920 British cavalry divisions 1918 establishments in British-administered Palestine