2nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)


The 2nd Cavalry Division was a division of the regular British Army that saw service in the Peninsular War and in World War I, when it also known as Gough's Command, after its commanding general. It was part of the British Expeditionary Force that served in France in from 1914 to 1918.
It was involved 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.
On 11 November 1918 units of the division were east and north-east of Mons, in Belgium. Orders were received that the division would lead the advance of Fourth Army into Germany, a move that was to begin on 17 November 1918. On 1 December it crossed the frontier south of St. Vith. The winter was spent south of Liège, and demobilisation commenced. The division ceased to exist on 31 March 1919.
After the war the division was reformed in the Territorial Army.

History

Napoleonic Wars

During the Peninsular War, Wellington organized his cavalry into one, later two, cavalry divisions. They performed a purely administrative, rather than tactical, role; the normal tactical headquarters were provided by brigades commanding two, later usually three, regiments. On 19 June 1811, the cavalry was reorganized as two divisions and the existing Cavalry Division was redesignated as 1st Cavalry Division with the formation of the 2nd Cavalry Division.
Major General Sir William Erskine took command on formation. He was absent from 8 December 1811 to 8 April 1812, though at this time the division only comprised one brigade. He resumed command briefly, but committed suicide in Lisbon on 13 February 1813. The divisions were once again amalgamated as The Cavalry Division on 21 April 1813 with Lieutenant General Stapleton Cotton in command.

Assigned Brigades

The division was formed on 19 June 1811 with De Grey's and Long's Brigades; Long's Brigade was to remain with the division throughout its existence. Between 8 November 1811 and 23 March 1812 it commanded just one brigade and it never exceed three brigades in strength.
BrigadeFromTo
De Grey's19 June 18115 October 1811
Long's19 June 181121 April 1813
Le Marchant's30 August 18118 November 1811
von Bock's23 March 181214 April 1812
Slade's14 April 181221 April 1813
Rebow's25 January 18135 February 1813
Grant's15 April 181321 April 1813

First World War

Gough's Command

On 6 September, the formerly independent 5th Cavalry Brigade was joined with the 3rd Cavalry Brigade from the Cavalry Division as Gough's Command. Named for the commander of 3rd Cavalry Brigade, Brigadier-General Hubert Gough, it took part in the First Battle of the Aisne. On 13 September, the command was re-designated as the 2nd Cavalry Division, with the addition of divisional troops from the Royal Horse Artillery, Royal Engineers etc.
The 4th Cavalry Brigade joined the division on 14 October from 1st Cavalry Division to bring it up to the standard three brigade strength. The division remained on the Western Front until the end of the war.

1914–1917

In 1914, the division took part in First Battle of Ypres, notably the battle of Gheluvelt. In 1915, the division was in action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the Second Battle of Ypres notable the Battle of St Julien and the Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge.
1916 saw no notable actions, but in 1917 the division saw action in the Battle of Arras. and the Battle of Cambrai. At other times, the brigades formed dismounted units and served in the trenches as regiments under the command of their brigadiers.

War of movement

1918 saw the return of the war of movement and the division took part in the First Battle of the Somme notably the Battle of St Quentin, the Battle of the Lys, the Battle of Amiens and the Second Battle of the Somme.
The division was then split up with the 3rd Cavalry Brigade serving with First Army, 4th Cavalry Brigade with Third Army and 5th Cavalry Brigade with Fourth Army. The brigades variously took part in the battles of the Hindenburg Line: the battles of Canal du Nord, St. Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir Line and Cambrai and the Pursuit to the Selle. Its final action was to take part in the Advance in Picardy including the Battle of the Sambre and the capture of Mons.

Armistice

At the Armistice, units of the division had reached Clairfayts, Erquelinnes and Havré and St. Denis. On 15 November, the division was re-assembled near Maubeuge and ordered to advance into Germany as an advance screen for Fourth Army and form part of the Occupation Force. The move began on 17 November, Ciney and Rochefort were reached five days later and the 5th Cavalry Brigade crossed the German border south of St. Vith on 1 December.
In late December, the division moved to winter quarters south and south-east of Liège. It remained here until 30 January 1919 when it exchanged regiments with 1st and 3rd Cavalry Divisions then gradually moved back to England. The Division ceased to exist at midnight 31 March / 1 April 1919.

Order of battle

3rd Cavalry Brigade
The brigade joined Gough's Command on 6 September from The Cavalry Division and remained with the division until the end of the war.
UnitFromTo
4th HussarsMobilization
5th LancersMobilization
16th LancersMobilization
1/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry4 April 1918
D Battery, RHA17 September 1914
3rd Signal Troop, Royal EngineersMobilization
3rd Cavalry Brigade Field AmbulanceMobilization13 September 1914
3rd Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron, MGC29 February 1916
4th Cavalry Brigade
The brigade joined the division on 14 October from 1st Cavalry Division and remained with the division until the end of the war.
UnitFromTo
Household Cavalry Composite RegimentMobilization11 November 1914
6th Dragoon Guards Mobilization
3rd HussarsMobilization
1/1st Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars11 November 1914
J Battery, RHA16 September 1914
4th Signal Troop, Royal EngineersMobilization
4th Cavalry Brigade Field AmbulanceMobilization16 October 1914
4th Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron, MGC28 February 1916
5th Cavalry Brigade
The brigade, formerly independent, joined Gough's Command on 6 September and remained with the division until the end of the war.
UnitFromTo
2nd Dragoons Mobilization
12th Royal Lancers Mobilization
20th HussarsMobilization
J Battery, RHAMobilization16 September 1914
E Battery, RHA17 September 1914
4th Field Troop, Royal EngineersMobilization15 October 1914
5th Signal Troop, Royal EngineersMobilization
5th Cavalry Brigade Field AmbulanceMobilization13 September 1914
5th Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron, MGC28 February 1916
Divisional Artillery
Divisional Troops
The division was supported by the following units:
UnitFromTo
Engineers2nd Field Squadron, Royal Engineers16 October 1914
Signals2nd Signal Squadron, Royal Engineers28 September 1914
Medical2nd Cavalry Field Ambulance13 September 1914
Medical5th Cavalry Field Ambulance13 September 1914
Medical4th Cavalry Field Ambulance16 October 1914
MedicalNo. 4 Sanitary Section12 January 1915
Medical2nd Cavalry Division Field Ambulance Workshop26 February 191516 April 1916
Veterinary7th Mobile Veterinary Section16 September 1914
Veterinary8th Mobile Veterinary Section16 September 1914
Veterinary9th Mobile Veterinary Section15 October 1915
Army Service Corps424th Company, ASC
HQ 2nd Cavalry Divisional ASC		10 October 1914
Army Service Corps575th Company, ASC
2nd Cavalry Divisional Auxiliary Company		25 September 1915
Army Service Corps46th Company, ASC
2nd Cavalry Divisional Supply Column		Formation
Army Service Corps413th Company, ASC
2nd Cavalry Divisional Supply Column		Formation10 October 1916
Army Service Corps56th Company, ASC
2nd Cavalry Divisional Ammunition Park		Formation23 December 1917
Others772nd Divisional Employment Company16 September 1917

Territorial Army

In the 1920s the division was reformed from Yeomanry regiments in the Territorial Army with the following organisation:
; 5th Cavalry Brigade
; 6th Cavalry Brigade
; Royal Artillery
; Royal Engineers
; Royal Corps of Signals
; Royal Army Service Corps
; Royal Army Medical Corps
; Royal Army Ordnance Corps
On the outbreak of World War II 2nd Cavalry Division's units were reorganised as 1st Cavalry Division and served in Palestine, Iraq and Syria before being converted into 10th Armoured Division on 1 August 1941.

Commanders

The 2nd Cavalry Division had the following commanders:
FromRankName
FormationMajor-GeneralSir H. de la P. Gough
19 April 1915Major-GeneralC.T.McM. Kavanagh
15 July 1915Major-GeneralSir P.W. Chetwode, Bt.
6 November 1916Brigadier-GeneralT.T. Pitman
16 November 1916Major-GeneralW.H. Greenly
22 March 1918Brigadier-GeneralT.T. Pitman
27 March 1918Major-GeneralW.H. Greenly
28 March 1918Brigadier-GeneralT.T. Pitman
16 April 1918Major-GeneralT.T. Pitman

Citations