The Bombay Army of the Honourable East India Company was the last of the Presidency armies to form Horse Artillery, only forming the 1st Troop, Bombay Horse Artillery on 11 November 1811. By the time the Indian Rebellion of 1857 broke out, the Bombay Horse Artillery had grown to four batteries, organized as the Horse Brigade, Bombay Artillery. Although the Bombay Army was almost completely unaffected by the Rebellion, the British Crown took direct control of India from the East India Company on 1 November 1858 under the provisions of the Government of India Act 1858. The Presidency armies transferred to the direct authority of the British Crown and its European units were transferred to the British Army. Henceforth artillery, the mutineers most effective arm, was to be the sole preserve of the British Army. On 19 February 1862, the Bombay Horse Artillery transferred to the Royal Artillery as its 4th Horse Brigade. On transfer, 4th Horse Brigade, Royal Artillery comprised:
A Battery, 4th Horse Brigade - formerly 1st Troop, Bombay Horse Artillery at Deesa
B Battery, 4th Horse Brigade - formerly 2nd Troop, Bombay Horse Artillery at Kirkee
The 1st Brigade with 10 batteries was much larger than the other four. A reorganization of the Horse Artillery on 13 April 1864 saw 1st Brigade split as A and B Brigades, 2nd Brigade become C Brigade, 3rd become D Brigade, 4th become E Horse Brigade, Royal Artillery, and 5th become F Brigade. As battery designations were tied to the brigade the battery was assigned to, the batteries were also redesignated, the first of a bewildering series of redesignations. E Horse Brigade, RA now comprised:
A Battery, E Horse Brigade - formerly A/4 Battery at Nusserabad
B Battery, E Horse Brigade - formerly B/4 Battery at Kirkee
C Battery, E Horse Brigade - formerly C/4 Battery at Mhow
D Battery, E Horse Brigade - formerly D/4 Battery at Ahmednagar
From 1866, the term "Royal Horse Artillery" appeared in Army List hence the brigade was designated E Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery from about this time. The brigade was broken up on 1 February 1871 and the batteries were transferred to C and D Brigades. It was reformed on 31 March 1875 with five batteries. Another reorganization on 14 April 1877 saw the number of brigades reduced to three and E Brigade was broken up again. Its batteries were transferred to C Brigade and redesignated again, for example, A/E Battery becoming A Battery, C Brigade. The number of brigades was further reduced to two in 1882. The brigade system was finally abolished in 1889. Henceforth, batteries were designated in a single alphabetical sequence in order of seniority from date of formation.
V Brigade, RHA
Formation
The brigade system was revived in 1901. Each brigade now commanded just two batteries and a small staff. Initially, batteries were not assigned to brigades in any particular order, but in 1906, at the insistence of Edward VII, brigades were redesignated so that batteries were roughly in order of seniority. V Brigade, RHA was formed on 1 March 1901 as the XI Brigade-Division, RHA with G Battery and O Battery. In 1903 it was redesignated as XI Brigade, RHA and was stationed at Ambala. On 1 October 1906, it was redesignated as V Brigade, RHA.
World War I
At the outbreak of World War I, the brigade was at Ipswich attached to 5th Cavalry Brigade, still commanding G and O Batteries. On 9 October 1914, the newly reformed Z Battery, RHA joined the brigade. It joined 8th Division at Winchester on formation. With 8th Division, it crossed to France on 4 and 5 November 1914 and served with the division on the Western Front until January 1917. While with the division, it saw action at the battles of Neuve-Chapelle, Neuve Chapelle again, Aubers Ridge, Bois-Grenier, and of the Somme. On 24 November 1914, G Battery was transferred to XV Brigade, RHA in 3rd Cavalry Division. O and Z batteries exchanged their 13 pounders for 18 pounders on 8 June 1915. It remained as a two-battery brigade until 8 May 1916 when D Battery joined. This was formed from one section of 55th Battery and one section of 57th Battery, both of CXXVIII Brigade, RFA. D/V Battery was broken up on 13 January 1917 and the sections returned to their parent batteries.
Army brigade
On 13 January 1917, the brigade left 8th Division and became V Army Brigade, RHA. On the same day, B Battery of CLXXXVIII Brigade, RFA joined and was renamed as A/V Battery. A/V Battery was redesignated as 402nd Battery on 1 June. On 9 April 1918, G and N Batteries, RHA joined from XVII Army Brigade, RHA and 402nd Battery transferred to XIV Brigade, RFA as 141st Battery, RFA. At the Armistice, the brigade was serving as Army Troops with the Fourth Army with G, N, O and Z Batteries RHA.
