| 8th Cavalry Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1914–1918 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Cavalry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 3rd Cavalry Division |
| Engagements | World War I |
The 8th Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Army in World War I. It was formed in Belgium in 1914 and served on the Western Front as part of the 3rd Cavalry Division. It left the 3rd Cavalry Division on 14 March 1918.
The 3rd Cavalry Division began forming at Ludgershall, Wiltshire in September 1914 with just two cavalry brigades (the 6th and the 7th). [1] To bring the division up to the standard strength of three brigades, the 8th Cavalry Brigade was formed in Belgium on 20 November 1914. [2] With the addition of its third brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division obtained a third Cavalry Field Ambulance (8th, from England on 23 December) and a third Mobile Veterinary Section (20th, from England on 9 March 1915). [3]
The Brigade was initially formed with the 10th Royal Hussars from 6th Cavalry Brigade [lower-alpha 1] and the Royal Horse Guards from 7th Cavalry Brigade [lower-alpha 2] on 20 November. The third regiment, the 1/1st Essex Yeomanry, did not join from the Eastern Mounted Brigade in England until 11 December. A signal troop joined on formation and G Battery, Royal Horse Artillery (six 13 pounders) joined from V Brigade, RHA of 8th Infantry Division on 25 November. [3] On 29 February 1916, a Machine Gun Squadron was formed from the machine gun sections of the brigade's constituent regiments. [4]
The brigade served with the 3rd Cavalry Division on the Western Front until March 1918. It joined the division too late to take part in any of the 1914 actions, but in 1915 the division saw action in the Second Battle of Ypres (Battle of Frezenberg Ridge, 11–13 May) and the Battle of Loos (26–28 September). 1916 saw no notable actions, but in 1917 the division took part in the Battle of Arras (First Battle of the Scarpe, 9–12 April). [1] At other times, the brigade formed a dismounted unit and served in the trenches (as a regiment under the command of the brigadier). [5]
In March 1918, the 4th (formerly 1st Indian) and 5th (formerly 2nd Indian) Cavalry Divisions were broken up in France. The Indian elements were sent to Egypt where they formed part of the new 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions which played a major part in the successful conclusion of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. The British and Canadian units remained in France [6] and most of them were transferred to the 3rd Cavalry Division causing it to be extensively reorganized. [3]
The yeomanry regiments were concentrated in the 8th Cavalry Brigade; it left the 3rd Cavalry Division on 14 March 1918, the day after the Canadian Cavalry Brigade joined from 5th Cavalry Division. [2] It appears to have been dissolved at this point as the constituent regiments (the Essex, [7] Leicestershire [8] and North Somerset Yeomanry [9] ) were slated to be converted to cyclist units, G Battery, RHA was posted to XVII Brigade, RHA, [10] and 8th MG Squadron joined 7th Cavalry Brigade. [3]
| Unit | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Horse Guards | 20 November 1914 | 7 November 1917 [lower-alpha 3] |
| 10th (Prince Of Wales’s Own Royal) Hussars | 20 November 1914 | 12 March 1918 [lower-alpha 4] |
| 1/1st Essex Yeomanry | 11 December 1914 | 14 March 1918 [lower-alpha 5] |
| 1/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry | 7 November 1917 [lower-alpha 3] | 14 March 1918 [lower-alpha 6] |
| 1/1st North Somerset Yeomanry | 13 March 1918 [lower-alpha 4] | 14 March 1918 [lower-alpha 7] |
| G Battery, RHA | 25 November 1914 | 13 March 1918 [lower-alpha 8] |
| 8th Signal Troop Royal Engineers | 20 November 1914 | |
| 8th Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron, MGC | 29 February 1916 | 11 March 1918 [lower-alpha 9] |
The 8th Cavalry Brigade had the following commanders: [2]
| From | Rank | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 23 November 1914 | Brigadier-General | C.B. Bulkeley-Johnson (killed, 11 April 1917) |
| 11 April 1917 | Lieutenant-Colonel | Lord Tweedmouth (acting) |
| 14 April 1917 | Brigadier-General | A.G. Seymour |
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The Leicestershire Yeomanry (Prince Albert's Own) was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794 and again in 1803, which provided cavalry and mounted infantry in the Second Boer War and the First World War and provided two field artillery regiments of the Royal Artillery in the Second World War, before being amalgamated with the Derbyshire Yeomanry to form the Leicestershire and Derbyshire (Prince Albert's Own) Yeomanry in 1957. The regiment's lineage is currently perpetuated by E (Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry) Squadron of the Royal Yeomanry.
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The 3rd Cavalry Division was a division of the British Army in the First World War. It was formed at Ludgershall, Wiltshire England in September 1914 under the command of Major-General the Hon. Julian Byng. The division moved to Belgium in the first week of October 1914, landing at Ostend, although its third Brigade was only formed there once. During the war the division took part 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.
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The 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade was a yeomanry brigade of the British Army, formed as part of the Territorial Force in 1908.
The London Mounted Brigade was a yeomanry brigade of the British Army, formed as part of the Territorial Force in 1908.
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The 1st Mounted Division was a cavalry division that served as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in Palestine in World War I. It was formed in April 1918 when the Yeomanry Mounted Division was merged with elements of the 1st Indian Cavalry Division withdrawn from the Western Front. In July 1918, the combined division was renamed as the 4th Cavalry Division. It remained in Palestine after the end of the war on occupation duties until finally broken up in 1921.
The 2nd Mounted Division was a cavalry division that served as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in 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. 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.
