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2nd Indian Cavalry Division  Divisional History  The 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was a division of the British Indian Army formed at the outbreak of World War I. It served on the Western Front, being renamed as 5th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916. In March 1918, the 5th Cavalry Division was broken up. The British and Canadian units remained in France and the Indian elements were sent to Egypt to help constitute 2nd Mounted Division. The division sailed for France from Bombay on October 16, 1914, under the command of Major General G A Cookson. During the war the division would serve in the trenches as infantry. Due to the difference on troop levels each cavalry brigade, once dismounted, formed a dismounted regiment. In March 1916 the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was attached to the British Fourth Army. On July 1, 1916 the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade moved into a reserve position on the Somme, ready to exploit any breakthrough. The same brigade was sent up again on July 14, to Montauban to support the attack on the Bazentin, Longueval ridge. At 1730 the leading two regiments were ordered to advance between High Wood and Delville Wood. The British 7th Dragoon Guards and the Indian 20th Deccan Horse galloped forward to a position between the woods, but little could be achieved. At 0330 on July 15, they returned to Montauban, having suffered casualties of 74 men and 110 horses. Cavalry units were again brought forward on September 15 to support the attack on Flers-Courcelette, but were not drawn into the fighting and played no further part in the Battle of the Somme except as labour units in reserve. The high number of officer casualties suffered early on had an effect on its later performance. British officers that understood the language, customs, and psychology of their men could not be quickly replaced, and the alien environment of the Western Front had some effect on the soldiers. The 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was renamed the 5th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916 and attached to the 5th Army. In March 1918 the division was transferred to Egypt, although its two British regular cavalry regiments (8th Hussars and 7th Dragoon Guards) remained in France. Order of Battle December 1914 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade to 15 September 1915, then to 1st Indian Cavalry Division 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) 38th King George's Own Central India Horse X Battery, Royal Horse Artillery 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade to June 1916 13th Hussars 3rd Skinner's Horse 18th King George's Own Lancers V Battery, Royal Horse Artillery 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards 20th Deccan Horse 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse N Battery, Royal Horse Artillery II Indian Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery N Battery, RHA attached to 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade V Battery, RHA attached to 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade X Battery, RHA attached to 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade then 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade II Indian RHA Brigade Ammunition Column Order of Battle March 1917 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade from 1st Indian Cavalry Division on 15 September 1915 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars 9th Hodson's Horse 30th Lancers (Gordon's Horse)X Battery, Royal Horse Artillery 14th Machine Gun Squadron 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards 20th Deccan Horse 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse N Battery, Royal Horse Artillery 13th Machine Gun Squadron Canadian Cavalry Brigade from June 1916 Royal Canadian Dragoons Lord Strathcona's Horse Fort Garry Horse Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Brigade (A and B Batteries, RCHA) Canadian Cavalry Brigade Machine Gun Squadron XVII Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (II Indian Brigade, RHA redesignated) N Battery, RHA attached to 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade X Battery, RHA attached to 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade XVII RHA Brigade Ammunition Column Order of Battle September 1918 Main article: Battle of Megiddo (1918) 13th Cavalry Brigade (Brigadier General Philip James Vandeleur Kelly) Royal Gloucestershire Hussars 9th Hodson's Horse 18th King George's Own Lancers 14th Cavalry Brigade (Brigadier General Goland Vanhalt Clarke) Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 20th Deccan Horse 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade (Brigadier General Cyril Rodney Harbord) Jodhpur Lancers Mysore Lancers 1st Hyderabad Lancers B Battery, Honourable Artillery Company Essex Battery RHA with Divisional Ammunition Column. 11th LAM Battery No. 1 Light Car Patrol 7th May 1916 Appointment 14th July 1916 Standby at half hours notice all day 17th of July 1916  On the Move   If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about 2nd Indian Cavalry Division? There are:3 items tagged 2nd Indian Cavalry Division available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War. Those known to have served with 2nd Indian Cavalry Division during the Great War 1914-1918. This page is new, as yet no names have been submitted. All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2023 marks 24 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Looking for help with Family History Research?    Please see Family History FAQ's Please note: We are unable to provide individual research. Can you help? The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Announcements 13 4th May 2024     Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. 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