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- 3rd Cavalry Division during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

3rd Cavalry Division



   3rd Cavalry Division was formed at Windmill Hill Camp at Ludgershall in early September 1914. It left there on 5 October and began to embark next day at Southampton. After some sailing delay due to suspected submarine activity in the English Channel, it arrived at Ostende on 8 October and proceeded to Bruges as part of IV Corps. The Division then remained on the Western Front in France and Flanders, taking part in the following engagements:

1914

  • The Antwerp operations
  • Battles of Ypres 1914
  • The Battle of Langemarck
  • The Battle of Gheluvelt
  • The Battle of Nonne Bosschen

1915

  • Winter Operations 1914-15
  • The Battle of Frezenburg Ridge
  • The Battle of Loos

1916

No major engagements

1917

  • The First Battle of the Scarpe
  • The attack on Monchy le Preux

1918

The Battle of St Quentin

Between 22 and 25 March 1918 the Division provided the 3rd Dismounted Division, organised into three dismounted brigades. It also provided a mounted detachment under "Harman's Detachment" and then "Reynolds's Force" between 23 and 29 March.

  • The actions at the Somme crossings
  • The Battle of the Avre
  • The Battle of Amiens
  • The Battle of Cambrai 1918
  • The Pursuit to the Selle
  • The Final Advance in Flanders

By 11th of November 1918 the advance units of the Division had reached the line of the River Dender at Leuze and Lessines.

The Division was selected to advance into Germany as an advance screen for Second Army and form part of the Occupation Force. The move began on 17 November; Waterloo was reached four days later. Transport and supply difficulties caused a change of plan and the Division remained in Belgium throughout the winter. The Division ceased to exist at midnight 31 March / 1 April 1919.

Order of Battle of the 3rd Cavalry Division

6th Cavalry Brigade began to form on 19 September 1914

  • 1st Royal Dragoons
  • 10th Hussars left for 8th Cav Brigade 20 November 1914, rejoined from 8th Cav Brigade 12 March 1918
  • 3rd Dragoon Guards joined 4 November 1914
  • 1/1st North Somerset Yeomanry joined 13 November 1914, left for 8th Cav Brigade 13 March 1918
  • C Battery, RHA joined 19 October 1914
  • 6th Signal Troop RE
  • 6th Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron MGC formed 29 February 1916

7th Cavalry Brigade formed on 1 September 1914

  • 1st Life Guards left 10 March 1918
  • 2nd Life Guards left 10 March 1918
  • Royal Horse Guards left for 8th Cav Brigade 21 November 1914
  • 1/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry joined 12 November 1914, left for 8th Cav Brigade 7 November 1917
  • K Battery, RHA joined 1 October 1914
  • 7th Signal Troop RE
  • 7th Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron MGC formed 29 February 1916, broken up 14 April 1918
  • 7th Dragoon Guards joined 10 March 1918
  • 6th Inniskilling Dragoons joined 10 March 1918
  • 17th Lancers joined 10 March 1918

8th Cavalry Brigade formed 20 November 1914, left 14 March 1918

  • Royal Horse Guards joined from 7th Cav Brigade 21 November 1914, rejoined 7th Cav Brigade 7 November 1917
  • 10th Hussars joined from 6th Cav Brigade 20 November 1914, rejoined 6th Cav Brigade 12 March 1918
  • 1/1st Essex Yeomanry joined 11 December 1914
  • G Battery, RHA joined 25 November 1914, left for 5th Cavalry Division 13 March 1918
  • 8th Signal Troop RE
  • 8th Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron MGC formed 29 February 1916, left for 7th Cav Brigade 11 March 1918
  • 1/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry joined from 7th Cav Brigade 7 November 1917

Canadian Cavalry Brigade attached between 10 April and 17 June 1916, joined 13 March 1918

  • Royal Canadian Dragoons
  • Lord Strathcona's Horse
  • Fort Garry Horse
  • Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Brigade
  • Cavalry Cavalry Machine Gun Squadron
  • Canadian Signal Troop RE

Divisional Artillery

XV Brigade, RHA and XV Brigade Ammunition Column, RHA formed 1 October 1914 and retitled as IV Brigade in May 1915

Royal Engineers

  • 3rd Field Squadron joined 19 October 1914
  • 3rd Signal Squadron formed 12 September 1914

Royal Army Medical Corps

  • 6th Cavalry Field Ambulance formed 14 September 1914
  • 7th Cavalry Field Ambulance formed 3 October 1914
  • 20th Cavalry Field Ambulance joined ?, left 23 December 1914
  • 8th Cavalry Field Ambulance joined 23 December 1914, left 14 March 1918
  • 7th Canadian Field Ambulance joined 13 March 1918
  • No 12 Sanitary Section joined 9 January 1915

Royal Army Veterinary Corps

  • 13th Mobile Veterinary Section
  • 14th Mobile Veterinary Section
  • 20th Mobile Veterinary Section joined 9 March 1915, left 14 March 1918
  • 'A' Canadian Veterinary Section joined 13 March 1918

Other Divisional Troops

  • 7th Motor Machine Gun Battery MGC joined 30 March 1916, left 18 July 1917
  • 3rd Cavalry Divisional HQ ASC 81 (Horsed Transport) Company, formed 14 September 1914
  • 3rd Cavalry Divisional Auxiliary (Horse) ASC 576 (Horsed Transport) Company, formed 23 September 1915
  • 3rd Cavalry Divisional Supply Column ASC 73 and 414 (Mechanical Transport) Companies, formed 4 and 16 September 1914 respectively. 73 absorbed 414 on 10 October 1916.
  • 773rd Divisional Employment Company formed 16 September 1917
  • 3rd Cavalry Division Field Ambulance Workshop joined 14 May 1915, absorbed into Divisional Supply Column 1 April 1916


4th Oct 1914 Orders Received

8th Oct 1914 On the Move

9th Oct 1914 Anxiety

11th Oct 1914 Orders

18th Oct 1914 Planning  location map

19th Oct 1914 Hard Fighting  location map

20th Oct 1914 Defensive Line

21st Oct 1914 Hard Fighting

29th Oct 1914 Hard Fighting

30th Oct 1914 Hard Fighting

31st Oct 1914 Hard Fighting  location map

9th Dec 1914 Inspection

9th Dec 1914 Inspection

10th Dec 1914 Field Exercise

11th Dec 1914 On the March  location map

12th Dec 1914 Inspection  location map

13th Dec 1914 Orders Received  location map

14th Dec 1914 On the March

14th Dec 1914 On the March  location map

15th Dec 1914 Stand To

15th Dec 1914 Stand to  location map

16th Dec 1914 On the March

16th Dec 1914 On the March  location map

17th Dec 1914 Training

17th Dec 1914 Training  location map

18th Dec 1914 Exercise

18th Dec 1914 Training  location map

19th Dec 1914 Lecture

19th Dec 1914 Lectures  location map

20th Dec 1914 Church Parade  location map

21st Dec 1914 Training  location map

22nd Dec 1914 Training  location map

23rd Dec 1914 Recce  location map

24th Dec 1914 Reconnaissance Training  location map

25th Dec 1914 Church Parade  location map

26th Dec 1914 Training  location map

27th Dec 1914 Church Parade  location map

28th Dec 1914 Patrols  location map

29th Dec 1914 Patrols  location map

30th Dec 1914 Recce Patrols  location map

31st Dec 1914 Improving of Billets  location map

16th Jan 1915 Machine Guns

22nd Jan 1915 Brigade Exercise

1st Feb 1915 Exercise

2nd Feb 1915 Advance Party

3rd Feb 1915 In Trenches  location map

4th Feb 1915 Shelling  location map

5th Feb 1915 Instruction  location map

6th Feb 1915 Instruction  location map

7th Feb 1915 Quiet  location map

8th Feb 1915 Shelling  location map

9th Feb 1915 Reliefs  location map

11th Feb 1915   location map

12th Feb 1915 Reliefs

12th Feb 1915 Reliefs  location map

13th Feb 1915 On the March

14th Feb 1915 Reliefs

14th Feb 1915 Reliefs  location map

15th Feb 1915 Exercise

16th Feb 1915 Exercise

17th Feb 1915 Inspection

18th Feb 1915 Exercise

19th Feb 1915 Training

20th Feb 1915 Exercise

21st Feb 1915 Church Parade

22nd Feb 1915 Parade

23rd Feb 1915 Snow

24th Feb 1915 Training

25th Feb 1915 Parade

26th Feb 1915 Staff Ride

27th Feb 1915 Training

28th Feb 1915 Church Parade

1st Mar 1915 Inspection

4th Mar 1915 Working Party

6th Mar 1915 Working Party

7th Mar 1915 Working Party

8th Mar 1915 Training

9th Mar 1915 Outpost Scheme

10th Mar 1915 On the March

12th Mar 1915 Ready to Move

13th Mar 1915 On the March

14th Mar 1915 Ready to Move

15th Mar 1915 On the March

16th Mar 1915 Ready to Move

17th Mar 1915 Inspection

18th Mar 1915 Orders Received

19th Mar 1915 Snow

20th Mar 1915 Training

21st Mar 1915 Church Parade

23rd of March 1915  Quiet Day   location map

23rd Mar 1915 Practice Attack

25th Mar 1915 Courts Martial

26th Mar 1915 Parade

27th Mar 1915 Very Cold

29th Mar 1915 Inspection

30th of March 1915  Hostile MG Damaged?   location map

20th April 1915 Posting

20th Apr 1915 Inspection

23rd Apr 1915 On the March

24th Apr 1915 On the March  location map

25th Apr 1915 On the March  location map

26th Apr 1915 On the March  location map

27th Apr 1915 Heavy Shelling  location map

28th Apr 1915 On the March  location map

29th Apr 1915 Stand to

30th Apr 1915 Stand to

1st May 1915 Stand to

2nd May 1915 Stand to

3rd May 1915 On the March

4th May 1915 On the March

5th May 1915 Digging in

7th May 1915 On the March

8th May 1915 Standing by

9th May 1915 Orders

10th May 1915 Working Parties

11th May 1915 Draft

12th May 1915 Working Parties

13th of May 1915 Bombardment of front line

13th of May 1915 DLI to Cavalry Division

13th May 1915 In Action  location map

14th May 1915 In the Trenches

16th May 1915 Messages  location map

17th May 1915 In Reserve  location map

18th May 1915 In Reserve  location map

19th May 1915 In Reserve  location map

20th May 1915 Working Parties  location map

21st May 1915 On the Move  location map

22nd May 1915 In Billets

26th May 1915 Inspection

27th May 1915 Route March

28th May 1915 Recce

29th May 1915 Reliefs  location map

30th May 1915 Heavy Shelling

31st May 1915 New CO

1st of June 1915 Letter of Appreciation

1st of June 1915 Normal Situation

1st Jun 1915 Working Party

2nd Jun 1915 Working Party

3rd Jun 1915 Gas Alert

4ht of June 1915   location map

4th Jun 1915 Inspection

5th Jun 1915 Reliefs

6th Jun 1915 Leave

7th Jun 1915 Reorganisation

9th Jun 1915 Horses

10th Jun 1915 Inspection

11th Jun 1915 Working Party

12th Jun 1915 Reinforcements

13th Jun 1915 Inspection

14th Jun 1915 Instruction

15th Jun 1915 Instruction

16th Jun 1915 Instruction

17th Jun 1915 Instruction

18th Jun 1915 Inspection

19th Jun 1915 Inspection

20th Jun 1915 Church Parade

21st Jun 1915 Training

24th Jun 1915 Training

25th Jun 1915 Training

26th Jun 1915 Training

1st Jul 1915 Inspection

3rd Jul 1915 Baths

4th Jul 1915 Lectures

5th Jul 1915 Training

6th Jul 1915 Instruction

7th Jul 1915 Course

9th Jul 1915 Inspection

11th of Aug 1915 

11th of Aug 1915   location map

20th of Aug 1915 

5th September 1915 Defences

21st Sep 1915 Orders  location map

26th Sep 1915 Dismounted Cavalry in Action

5th March 1916 British Cavalry Corps Ceased to Exist

22nd March 1917 A Route March for General Vaughan

1st April 1917 Military Medal Ribbons Awarded

11 April 1917 Heavy Casualties  location map

11th April 1917 Supplementary War Diary Record   location map

24th Mar 1918 Cavalry in Support

13th August 1918 Special Order

23rd November 1918 Change of Plans

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



Want to know more about 3rd Cavalry Division?


There are:181 items tagged 3rd Cavalry Division available in our Library

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Those known to have served with

3rd Cavalry Division

during the Great War 1914-1918.

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220427

Tpr. Leonard Spencer Strudwick 10th Hussars

Leonard Strudwick served with the 10th Hussars during WW1.

Paul Strudwick








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