british cavalry world war british cavalry british_army units action world war captain 4th royal irish guards reputed british soldier kill german soldier sword regiment reputed fired british shot shortly august near belgian village following engagement fought british soldiers western_europe ninety years earlier year war france cavalry brigades formed british cavalry divisions regiments served brigades cavalry divisions formed service western regiments fought campaign theatre world war british cavalry served doctrine british cavalry highly influenced experiences second boer war years earlier commander preferred irregular units professional cavalry regiments necessity cavalry doctrine changed emphasis placed firepower covering fire flanks machine guns attached artillery support cavalry charges dominated higher command positions british_army war officers command western original commander went command palestine campaign chief imperial general staff altogether western officers commanded british armies provided cavalry commanded corps seven served divisional commanders decorations awarded victoria_cross britain highest award bravery face enemy awards came month war thirty british regular army cavalry regiments fought recognised theatre war western killed including senior officers background traditional role cavalry war scouting gathering information enemy location strength movements denying enemy information forces tasks include raiding enemy territory damaging infrastructure economy avoiding conflict enemy forces field battle cavalry expected charge break enemy infantry cavalry formations prestige gained participating cavalry charge additional officers attempt join possible notable examples include 15th joining war winston_churchill 4th joining 21st charge battle normal peacetime british_army cavalry formation brigade twice cavalry division formed time second second boer war south_africa major conflict fought british_army world war fighting south_africa strong colonial mounted contingent strong regular cavalry led way tactical development better trained better armed efficient correctly trained use right weapons tactics conflict british armed swords carried lance cavalry issued rifles ones rest army regular cavalry regiments considered poor quality general sir commanding advance left cavalry regiments irregular mounted forces carry patrols boer opponents taught cavalry army lessons engagement held british cavalry division supported artillery batteries seventy men held entire british_army effective tactics forced british cavalry short time leave swords concentrate firepower proved british_army value size rifle soon cavalry practising working advancing open order change tactics evidenced charge way relieve siege cavalry horses rifles instead swords defending charge later described ideal cavalry operation cavalry charge term generally understood prove time british cavalry division conducted mounted charge following boer war calls disbandment cavalry notable persons commander chief forces lord roberts sir cavalry share army budget cut cent recruiting cavalry suspended year added commonwealth defence act proposed force brigades formed militia brigades planned mounted infantry known light horse year lord roberts appointed 5th guards position surprising choice roberts earlier described certainly general year endorsing change policy recommending instead enemy charge cavalry engage rifle fire cavalry survive necessity british cavalry doctrine change emphasis firepower cavalry charges supported covering fire flanks machine guns guns support change policy required hours rifle sword practice day proficient infantry rifles regiment 14th recorded having class shots thirty second class class shots resulting reforms helped shape cavalry contribution established cavalry division supported brigades horse artillery trained mounted charge armed rifles major power cavalry regiments armed maxim machine guns replaced issue tools carried troop demonstrated cavalry doctrine changed boer wars organisation prior start world war serving thirty british_army cavalry regiments regiments line cavalry regiments consisting seven guards regiments british_army term cavalry regular army units mounted regiments army territorial force reserve regiments special reserve regiments horse cavalry regiments amounting men serving overseas british india south_africa egypt regiments based great_britain assigned cavalry brigades regiments brigade identified cavalry division declaration war august cavalry joined rest france fifth independent cavalry brigade formed regiments based england british cavalry brigades larger french german brigades regiments provide reconnaissance force infantry divisions regiments 15th 19th split squadron assigned infantry division august thirty second regiment formed squadrons drawn regiments existence proved short lived disbanded november manpower returning parent regiments early war reserve cavalry regiments formed provide training recruits cavalry regiments saw combat 6th 8th 9th 10th regiments easter rising dublin thirty officers ranks largest unit available dublin commander brigadier general 7th guards commanders cavalry represented british_army higher ranks officers command armies western commanders world war field came 19th 7th respectively 3rd guards rose rank private field marshal general chief staff chief imperial general staff december 6th started war commander went command army replaced commander army 10th previously commanded 16th known war involvement incident mutiny started war brigade commander commander corps replaced 12th previously commanded australian 1st guards commanded 15th commanded campaign later transferred western temporarily commander taking command 19th commanded 10th commanded 19th commanded commanded 6th commanded altogether world war british cavalry provided corps seven divisional commanders divisions brigades original cavalry division consisted ninety man headquarters brigades artillery batteries men field squadron men engineers signal squadron men headquarters field men total men horses wagons cars eighteen pounder guns vickers machine guns large force mounted asked serve cavalry division equivalent weakened infantry brigades artillery infantry division higher allocation artillery compared foreign cavalry divisions september cavalry division numbered joined formed september formed september end year british cavalry regiments artillery support elements india france serving cavalry divisions 1st arrived november 2nd december renumbered 4th december numbered prevent confusion similar numbered british indian brigades generally known names example instead 5th example british indian cavalry divisions came command end occasions british temporarily regiments send lines establishment created british cavalry divisions formed cavalry brigade 1st brigade raised 1st division cavalry brigades formed cavalry battalion numbered parent brigades formed example cavalry regiments formed company machine gun section battalion brigades smaller infantry division brigades disadvantage felt formation cavalry brigade having battalions instead infantry formation cavalry battalion having albeit larger companies opposed infantry battalion divisional sized formation raised contained british cavalry regiments served campaign division like indian divisions british regiment brigade april british_army formed cavalry brigades serving cavalry divisions cavalry brigade headquarters seven officers seven men controlled cavalry regiments battery pounder guns provided signals troop man assigned hold horses brigade rifle fire equivalent infantry battalion british cavalry regiments serving western having remained india internal security duties 7th 14th 21st regiments left regiment 21st remained action winning awarded british war march cavalry corps disbanded divisions assigned british armies skeleton corps staff retained allow establishment new corps required happen following september time appointed inspector general training cavalry divisions cavalry divisions went period training organisation issuance new equipment major changes withdrawal regiments machine guns concentration newly formed brigade machine gun squadrons sections machine guns section division received light armoured car battery equipped rolls armoured cars training covered topics cross trench systems mobile equipment tactics employ entrenched enemy blowing filling trenches skill arms including machine guns bayonet fighting cavalry regiment british cavalry regiment composed officers ranks commanding officer lieutenant colonel major second command officers headquarters adjutant signals officer medical officer officer ranks included warrant officer thirty seven senior non commissioned officers seven officers ranks regiments based india men regimental headquarters seven armed vickers machine guns assigned machine gun section proposed regiment machine guns declined financial reasons remaining men regiment squadrons troops squadron commanded major captain second command squadron men officers squadron sergeant major squadron sergeant ranks troop officer thirty ranks regiments india squadrons men squadron look regiment horses attached regimental headquarters officer sergeant responsible killing wounded sick horses sergeant saddle tree maker squadron sergeant troop smith regiment riding horses seventy draught horses pack horses eighteen horse drawn wagons british cavalry armed pattern sword armed feet lance steel head mounted ash armed lee rifles unlike french german counterparts armed shorter range war progressed issued helmets hand grenades trench mortars hotchkiss light machine guns replacement hotchkiss issued troop greatly increased firepower cavalry regiments like infantry dressed uniform service dress cap instead infantry carried ammunition french comparison looked place napoleonic wars wore blue red uniforms breast metal plates brass steel helmets germans standard field grey uniform wore polish style helmets fronts wore jackets steel helmets casualties trench warfare western dominated artillery infantry cavalry suffered dead casualties comparison infantry regiment northumberland casualties unlike huge losses infantry regiments cavalry regiments suffered dead 3rd guards dead killed 7th eighty dead 21st remained india war dead included major general brigadier generals lieutenant killed war cavalry having assumed command infantry battalion aftermath british_army tried learn lessons world war incorporate doctrine 1920s 1930s general staff tried establish small professional army result general reduction army resulted cavalry branch reduced numbers famous regiments amalgamated 1st 2nd life guards life guards line cavalry sixteen regiments amalgamated new regiments 3rd 6th guards 3rd prince wales guards 5th guards 6th 5th royal guards previous regimental numbers new regimental names new regiments 4th 7th royal guards 13th 18th royal 14th 20th king 15th 19th king 16th 5th queen finally 17th 21st british cavalry advanced served syria second world war eventually cavalry regiments regiment retains horses formed life guards amalgamation blues 1st royal british cavalry regiments brigades divisions units served british cavalry brigades divisions corps war
British cavalry during the First World War