1st South Western Mounted Brigade

The 1st South Western Mounted Brigade was a formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army, organised in 1908. By 1915 its regiments had been posted away so it was broken up; it never saw active service as a brigade. The Headquarters may have formed the HQ for 2/1st Southern Mounted Brigade.

1st South Western Mounted Brigade
Active1908โ€“1915
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeYeomanry
SizeBrigade
peacetime HQSalisbury
EngagementsWorld War I
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury

Formation

Under the terms of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw.7, c.9), the brigade was formed in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force. It consisted of three yeomanry regiments, a horse artillery battery and ammunition column, a transport and supply column and a field ambulance.[2] The Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry was attached for training in peacetime.[3]

As the name suggests, the units were drawn from South West England, predominantly Wiltshire, Somerset, Hampshire and Dorset.[4]

World War I

The brigade was mobilised on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War. Initially assigned to the Portsmouth Defences in August 1914,[5] the brigade moved to the Forest Row area of Sussex in October 1914.[3] Thereafter, the regiments left the brigade for other formations.

Regimental HQ and D Squadron joined 38th (Welsh) Division at Winchester
A Squadron joined 40th Division at Aldershot
B Squadron joined 41st Division at Aldershot about November 1915.
It was later brought back together as a corps cavalry regiment. It was converted to infantry and absorbed into 6th (Wiltshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment in September 1917.[11]
Regimental HQ and B Squadron joined 60th (2/2nd London) Division at Warminster on 26 April 1916
A Squadron joined 58th (2/1st London) Division at Ipswich on 21 March 1916
C Squadron joined 61st (2nd South Midland) Division at Ludgershall on 18 March 1916.
It was later brought back together as a corps cavalry regiment. In September 1917 it was converted to infantry and absorbed into the 15th (Hampshire Yeomanry) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment.[13]

By 1915, with its regiments having been posted away, the brigade was dissolved. The headquarters staff may have been used to form the 2/1st Southern Mounted Brigade.[3][6]

See also

Notes

  1. British divisions were converted to the British Indian Army standard whereby brigades only retained one British regiment or battalion and most support units were Indian (artillery excepted).

References

  1. Conrad, Mark (1996). "The British Army, 1914".
  2. Westlake 1992, p. 14
  3. James 1978, p. 36
  4. Conrad, Mark (1996). "The British Army, 1914". Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  5. Rinaldi 2008, p. 60
  6. James 1978, p. 18
  7. Sumner 2001, p. 10
  8. James 1978, p. 28
  9. "A brief history of 39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment" (PDF). MoD. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  10. James 1978, p. 30
  11. "The (Duke of Edinburgh's) Wiltshire Regiment". The Wardrobe. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  12. James 1978, p. 20
  13. Baker, Chris. "Hampshire Yeomanry". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  14. Becke 1936, p. 113
  15. Perry 1993, p. 22

Bibliography

  • Becke, Major A.F. (1936). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2A. The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42โ€“56). London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 1-871167-12-4.
  • James, Brigadier E.A. (1978). British Regiments 1914โ€“18. London: Samson Books Limited. ISBN 0-906304-03-2.
  • Perry, F.W. (1993). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions. Newport: Ray Westlake Military Books. ISBN 1-871167-23-X.
  • Rinaldi, Richard A (2008). Order of Battle of the British Army 1914. Ravi Rikhye. ISBN 978-0-97760728-0.
  • Sumner, Ian (2001). The Indian Army 1914-1947. Osprey Elite. Vol. 75. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-196-1.
  • Westlake, Ray (1992). British Territorial Units 1914-18. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-168-7.
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