The 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was a division of the

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

formed at the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. It served on the Western Front, being renamed as 5th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916. In March 1918, the 5th Cavalry Division was broken up. The British and Canadian units remained in France and the Indian elements were sent to Egypt to help constitute 2nd Mounted Division.

History

The division sailed for

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

from

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

on 16 October 1914, under the command of Major-General G. A. Cookson. During the war the division would serve in the trenches as infantry. Due to the difference on troop levels, each cavalry brigade, once dismounted, formed a dismounted regiment. In March 1916 the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was attached to the British Fourth Army. On 1 July 1916 the 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade moved into a reserve position on the

Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France * Somme, Queensland, Australia * Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), ...

, ready to exploit any breakthrough. The same brigade was sent up again on 14 July, to

Montauban Montauban (, ; ) is a commune in the southern French department of Tarn-et-Garonne. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, and the sixth most populated of Oc ...

to support the attack on the

Bazentin Bazentin () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Situated between Amiens to the southwest and Arras to the north, on the D73 road. Population History * 1914–1918: The village, in the middle o ...

– Longueval ridge. At 17.30, the leading two regiments were ordered to advance between High Wood and Delville Wood. The British 7th Dragoon Guards and the Indian 20th Deccan Horse galloped forward to a position between the woods, but little could be achieved. At 03.30 on 15 July, they returned to Montauban, having suffered casualties of 74 men and 110 horses. Cavalry units were again brought forward on 15 September to support the attack on Flers-Courcelette, but were not drawn into the fighting and played no further part in the Battle of the Somme except as labour units in reserve. The high number of officer casualties suffered early on had an effect on its later performance. British officers that understood the language, customs, and psychology of their men could not be quickly replaced, and the alien environment of the Western Front had some effect on the soldiers. The 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was renamed the 5th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916, and attached to the 5th Army. In March 1918, the division was transferred to Egypt, its two British regular cavalry regiments (8th Hussars and 7th Dragoon Guards) remaining in France.

Order of battle

5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade ''(left on 15 September 1915 for 1st Indian Cavalry Division)'' * 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons * 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) * 38th King George's Own Central India Horse * X Battery, Royal Horse Artillery 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade ''(left in June 1916 for

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

)'' *

13th Hussars The 13th Hussars (previously the 13th Light Dragoons) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army established in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War and the First World War but then amalgamated ...

* 3rd Skinner's Horse * 18th King George's Own Tiwana Lancers ''(transferred in June 1916 to 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade)'' * 30th Lancers (Gordon's Horse) ''(joined in June 1916 from 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade)'' * V Battery, Royal Horse Artillery * 15th Machine Gun Squadron ''(joined in February 1916)'' 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade * 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards * 20th Deccan Horse * 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse * N Battery, Royal Horse Artillery * 13th Machine Gun Squadron ''(joined on 29 February 1916)'' 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade ''(joined on 15 September 1915 from 1st Indian Cavalry Division)'' Hodsons Horse France 1917 IWM Q 2061

* 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars *

9th Hodson's Horse 4th Horse (Hodson's Horse) is a part of the Indian Army Armoured Corps, Armoured Corps of the Indian Army, which had its beginnings as an irregular cavalry regiment during the time of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Formation The regiment was ra ...

* 30th Lancers (Gordon's Horse) ''(transferred in June 1916 to 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade)'' * 18th King George's Own Lancers ''(joined in June 1916 from 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade)'' * X Battery, Royal Horse Artillery * 14th Machine Gun Squadron ''(joined on 29 February 1916)'' Canadian Cavalry Brigade ''(joined on 17 June 1916 from 3rd Cavalry Division)'' *

Royal Canadian Dragoons The Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) is the senior armoured regiment of the Canadian Army by precedence. It is one of three armoured regiments in the Regular Force and forms part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. The colonel-in-chief of the ...

* Lord Strathcona's Horse *

Fort Garry Horse The Fort Garry Horse is a Canadian Army Reserve armoured warfare, armoured regiment based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is part of 3rd Canadian Division's 38 Canadian Brigade Group. It traces its history to a cavalry regiment first formed in ...

Royal Canadian Horse Artillery The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery is the name given to the regular field artillery units of the Canadian Army. Organization The Regular Force has three RCHA regiments: ; 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery: this is the descendant of ...

Brigade (A and B Batteries, RCHA) * Canadian Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron II Indian Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery ''( XVII Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery from 26 November 1916)'' * N Battery, Royal Horse Artillery ''(with 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade)'' * X Battery, Royal Horse Artillery ''(with 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade, to Mesopotamia with brigade)'' * X Battery, Royal Horse Artillery ''(with 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade then 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade)'' * II Indian RHA Brigade Ammunition Column

References

Bibliography

* * * * *

External links

2nd Indian Cavalry Division, The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918
{{DEFAULTSORT:C2 British Indian Army divisions Indian World War I divisions Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1918 British cavalry divisions 1914 establishments in India

History

Order of battle

See also

References

Bibliography

External links