Yorkshire Mounted Brigade

The Yorkshire Mounted Brigade was a formation of Britain's part-time Territorial Force organised in 1908. Mobilised on the outbreak of World War I, its regiments had been posted away by 1915 so it was broken up. It never saw active service.

Yorkshire Mounted Brigade
Active1908–1915
Country United Kingdom
Branch Territorial Force
TypeYeomanry Cavalry
SizeBrigade
HQ (peacetime)York
EngagementsWorld War I

Precursor formation

From April 1893 the Army List began showing the Yeomanry Cavalry regiments grouped into brigades for collective training. They were commanded by the senior regimental commanding officer but they did have a Regular Army brigade-major. 13th Yeomanry Brigade, consisting of the Yeomanry regiments in Yorkshire, was organised as follows:[1]

The Yeomanry brigades disappeared from the Army List after the Second Boer War.[1]

Formation

Under the terms of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw.7, c.9), the Yeomanry Cavalry regiments were subsumed into the Territorial Force in 1908 and were formed into mounted brigades. Each consisted of three yeomanry regiments, a horse artillery battery and ammunition column, a transport and supply column and a field ambulance.[2]

As the name suggests, the Yorkshire Mounted Brigade comprised the Yeomanry regiments from the three Ridings of Yorkshire (the East Yorkshire regiment having been formed during the Second Boer War).[3] The Northumberland Hussars were attached for training in peacetime.[4]

World War I

The brigade was embodied on 4 August 1914 and apparently remained in Yorkshire.[5] The regiments left the brigade for other formations in 1915 and it ceased to exist.[4]

Regimental HQ and A Squadron joined 50th (Northumbrian) Division in Northumberland on 4 April. Landed at Le Havre on 18 April 1915
B Squadron joined 46th (North Midland) Division in Luton area. Landed at Le Havre on 28 February 1915
C Squadron joined 49th (West Riding) Division in Yorkshire. Landed at Le Havre on 16 April 1915
D Squadron was dissolved and men dispersed to other squadrons
In May 1916, the regiment reformed and became XVII Corps Cavalry Regiment. In August 1917 it was converted to infantry and absorbed into the 9th (Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment.[7]
  • The Yorkshire Dragoons was split up as divisional cavalry in June 1915:[6]
Regimental HQ and B Squadron joined 37th Division on Salisbury Plain by June 1915. Landed at Le Havre on 1 August 1915
A Squadron joined 17th (Northern) Division in Winchester area in June 1915. Landed at Le Havre on 16 July 1915
C Squadron joined 19th (Western) Division at Bulford on 26 June 1915. Landed at Le Havre on 20 July 1915
D Squadron was dissolved and men dispersed to other squadrons
In May 1916, the regiment reformed and became II Corps Cavalry Regiment. In October 1917 it became part of the Cavalry Corps Troops, before joining the 8th (Lucknow) Cavalry Brigade in 4th Cavalry Division in December. In February 1918, the division broken up so the regiment was dismounted and converted to a cyclist battalion, re-joining II Corps on 16 March 1918.[8]

By 1915, with its regiments having been posted away, the brigade was dissolved.[4]

See also

Notes

  1. 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).[13] Two Subsections formed a Section and in a six gun battery these would be designated as Left, Centre and Right Sections.[14]

References

  1. Army List, various dates.
  2. Westlake 1992, p. 14
  3. Conrad, Mark (1996). "The British Army, 1914". Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  4. James 1978, p. 36
  5. Rinaldi 2008, p. 60
  6. James 1978, p. 31
  7. Baker, Chris. "The Yorkshire Hussars". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  8. Baker, Chris. "The Yorkshire Dragoons". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  9. Baker, Chris. "The East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  10. James 1978, p. 25
  11. Baker, Chris. "The Northumberland Yeomanry". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  12. Becke 1936, p. 114
  13. Clarke 1993, p. 43
  14. Clarke 1993, p. 45
  15. Becke 1936, p. 113

Bibliography

  • Becke, Major A.F. (1936). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2A. The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56). London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 1-871167-12-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Clarke, W.G. (1993). Horse Gunners: The Royal Horse Artillery, 200 Years of Panache and Professionalism. Woolwich: The Royal Artillery Institution. ISBN 09520762-0-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • James, Brigadier E.A. (1978). British Regiments 1914–18. London: Samson Books Limited. ISBN 0-906304-03-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Rinaldi, Richard A (2008). Order of Battle of the British Army 1914. Ravi Rikhye. ISBN 978-0-97760728-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Westlake, Ray (1992). British Territorial Units 1914-18. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-168-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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