| Unit Name: | 1st Cavalry Division |
| Dates: | August 1914 – March 1919 31 October 1940 – 1 August 1941 |
| Allegiance: | British Crown |
| Type: | Cavalry |
| Size: | DivisionSecond World War 11,097 men 6,081 horses 1,815 vehicles |
| Command Structure: | Cavalry Corps (First World War) |
| Battles: | First World War Battle of Mons (1914) Rearguard Action of Solesmes Rearguard Affair of Etreux Rearguard Actions of Villers-Cotterets Actions on the Aisne Heights Battle of Flers-Courcelette 1916 Battle of Arras 1917 Battle of Cambrai 1917 First Battle of the Somme 1918 Battle of Amiens 1918 Second Battle of the Somme 1918 Hindenburg Line 1918 Final Advance in Artois Final Advance in PicardySecond World War |
| Notable Commanders: | Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby |
The 1st Cavalry Division was a regular Division of the British Army during the First World War where it fought on the Western Front. During the Second World War it was a first line formation, formed from Yeomanry Regiments. It fought in the Middle East before being converted to the 10th Armoured Division.
During the Peninsular War, Wellington organized his cavalry into The Cavalry Division from June 1809 under Major-General Sir William Payne. This performed a purely administrative, rather than tactical, role; the normal tactical headquarters were provided by brigades commanding two, later usually three, regiments. On 3 June 1810, Payne returned home and his second-in-command, Major-General Stapleton Cotton, took command. Cotton was to remain in command thereafter and effectively acted as Wellington's chief of cavalry.
On 19 June 1811, the cavalry was reorganized as two divisions and The Cavalry Division was redesignated as 1st Cavalry Division with the formation of the 2nd Cavalry Division. The divisions were once again amalgamated as The Cavalry Division on 21 April 1813 with Cotton (Lieutenant-General from 1 January 1812) still in command.
The Cavalry Division was re-raised for service during the Second Boer War.
The 1st Cavalry Division was one of the first Divisions to move to France in 1914, they would remain on the Western Front throughout the war. It participated in most of the major actions where cavalry were used as a mounted mobile force, they would also be used as dismounted troops and effectively serve as infantry.[1] On 11 November 1918, orders were received that the Division would lead the advance of Second Army into Germany, by 6 December, having passed through Namur, the Division secured the Rhine bridgehead at Cologne.
See main article: 1st Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom).
1st Signal Troop, Royal Engineers
1st Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron (from February 1916)
See main article: 2nd Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom).
2nd Signal Troop, Royal Engineers
2nd Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron (from 28 February 1916)
See main article: 9th Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom). 9th Cavalry Brigade was formed in France on 14 April 1915 with the 15th Hussars and the 19th Hussars. These regular cavalry regiments had been serving on the Western Front since August 1914 as divisional cavalry squadrons assigned to infantry divisions. The brigade remained with 1st Cavalry Division for the rest of the war.
| Unit | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 April 1915 | |||
| 14 April 1915 | |||
| 12 June 1915 | 10 March 1918 | ||
| April 1918 | |||
| 10 March 1918 | |||
| 1/1st Warwickshire Battery, RHA (TF) | 14 April 1915 | 21 November 1916 | |
| 1 December 1916 | |||
| 14 April 1915 | |||
| 28 February 1916 |
III Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery transferred to 2nd Cavalry Division on formation on 17 September 1914
III RHA Brigade Ammunition Column
VII Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery
I Battery, RHA attached to 1st Cavalry Brigade from 17 September 1914
L Battery, RHA withdrawn after Action at Néry on 1 September 1914
(Tempy) Z Battery, RHA from 1 to 27 September 1914
H Battery, RHA from 28 September 1914, attached to 2nd Cavalry Brigade
1/1st Warwickshire Battery, RHA (TF) from 14 April 1915 to 21 November 1916, attached to 9th Cavalry Brigade
Y Battery, RHA from 1 December 1916, attached to 9th Cavalry Brigade
VII RHA Brigade Ammunition Column
1st Field Squadron Royal Engineers
1st Signal Squadron, Royal Engineers
See main article: Anglo-Iraqi War, Syria–Lebanon campaign and Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. On 31 October 1939, during the Second World War, the 1st Cavalry Division was reformed. It was assigned to Northern Command, and took command of two pre-war First Line Territorial Army cavalry brigades (the 5th and 6th) and the newly formed 4th Cavalry Brigade. It was the only cavalry division in the British Army during the war.
It departed the United Kingdom in January 1940, transited across France, and arrived in Palestine on 31 January 1940. It served as a garrison force under British Forces, Palestine and Trans-Jordan.
In May 1941, the Divisional Headquarters and elements of the division (notably the 4th Cavalry Brigade), together with a battalion of infantry from the Essex Regiment (the 1st Battalion), a mechanised regiment from the Arab Legion and supporting artillery was reorganised as Habforce for operations in Iraq including the relief of the base at RAF Habbaniya and the occupation of Baghdad. Following this, in July 1941, Habforce was placed under the command of Australian I Corps and was involved in operations against the Vichy French in Syria, advancing from eastern Iraq near the Trans-Jordan border to capture Palmyra and secure the Haditha - Tripoli oil pipeline.[2]
On 1 August 1941, the 1st Cavalry Division was converted into the 10th Armoured Division. 10th Armoured Division later fought at the Battles of Alam Halfa and El Alamein. The 10th Armoured Division was disbanded in Egypt on 15 June 1944.
See main article: 4th Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom).
| Unit | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 November 1939 | 12 January 1941 | ||
| 13 January 1941 | 31 July 1941 | ||
| 15 November 1939 | 21 March 1941 | ||
| 3 December 1939 | 2 October 1940 | ||
| 8 January 1941 | 31 July 1941 | ||
| 22 March 1941 | 31 July 1941 |
See main article: 5th Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom).
| Unit | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire Hussars | 3 September 1939 | 22 March 1941 | |
| 3 September 1939 | 2 February 1941 | ||
| 3 September 1939 | 18 March 1942 | ||
| 20 March 1941 | 20 March 1942 | ||
| 21 March 1941 | 7 June 1941 | ||
| 15 July 1941 | 21 March 1942 | ||
| 30 April 1941 | 4 June 1941 |
See main article: 6th Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom).
| Unit | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 September 1939 | 21 March 1941 | ||
| 3 September 1939 | 28 April 1941 | ||
| 5 June 1941 | 31 July 1941 | ||
| 3 September 1939 | 20 March 1941 | ||
| 3 October 1940 | 7 January 1941 | ||
| 1 March 1941 | 31 July 1941 | ||
| 23 March 1941 | 31 July 1941 |
The division also commanded the following support units:
104th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
106th (Lancashire Hussars) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
107th (South Nottinghamshire Hussars) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
2nd Field Squadron, Royal Engineers
141st Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers
1st Cavalry Divisional Signals (Middlesex Yeomanry), Royal Corps of Signals
550th Company, Royal Army Service Corps, TA[3]
The 1st Cavalry Division had the following commanders during the First World War:
| From | Rank | Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobilization | Major-General | E.H.H. Allenby | |
| 12 October 1914 | Major-General | H. de B. de Lisle | |
| 27 May 1916 | Major-General | Hon. C.E. Bingham | |
| 24 October 1915 | Major-General | R.L. Mullens |
| From | Rank | Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 October 1939 | Major-General | J.G.W. Clark | |
| 27 June 1940 | J.J. Kingstone (acting) | ||
| 1 July 1940 | Major-General | J.G.W. Clark | |
| 26 February 1941 | Brigadier | J.J. Kingstone (acting) | |
| 8 May 1941 | Major-General | J.G.W. Clark |