6th Indian Cavalry Brigade
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6th Indian Cavalry Brigade | |
---|---|
Active | 10 March 1915 – March 1919 |
Country | British India |
Allegiance | British Crown |
Branch | British Indian Army |
Type | Cavalry |
Size | Brigade |
Part of | 6th (Poona) Division Cavalry Division (Mesopotamia) |
Engagements | World War I |
The 6th Indian Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and was broken up soon after the end of the war.
History
On February 1916, orders were sent from India to form a cavalry brigade in Mesopotamia. As a result, the 6th Indian Cavalry Brigade was formed with the 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry which had arrived in Mesopotamia in November 1914 with 6th (Poona) Division, 16th Cavalry and S Battery, Royal Horse Artillery which arrived earlier in the month, and 7th Hariana Lancers which departed India on 28 February to complete the brigade.[1] It served in the campaign in Mesopotamia for the rest of the First World War.[2]
Initially acting in an independent role, the brigade took part in the Battle of Shaiba (12–14 April 1915), and Operations in Persian Arabistan (21 April–18 June) including the Affair of Khafajiya (14–16 May). It then took part in the Battle of Kut al Amara (28 September).[3] From 6 October, the brigade was placed under the command of the 6th (Poona) Division and with it took part in the advance on Baghdad including the Battle of Ctesiphon (22–24 November) and the subsequent withdrawal – Affair of Umm at Tabul (1 December) – to Kut. It left the division there on 6 December before it got besieged.[4]
From the start of 1916, the brigade was involved in efforts to raise the siege, including the Action of Sheikh Sa'ad (6–8 January), the Action of the Wadi (13 January), the First Attack on Hanna (21 January) and the Attack on the Dujaila Redoubt (8 March).[3] These were in vain and the division surrendered on 29 April.[5]
On 8 December 1916, The Cavalry Division was organized from the 6th and 7th Indian Cavalry Brigades, the latter having arrived from the Western Front in August. With the division, it took part in the Second Battle of Kut including the Advance to the Hai and Capture of the Khudaira Bend (14 December 1916–19 January 1917), the Capture of the Hai Salient (25 January–5 February 1917), the Capture of the Dahra Bend (9–16 February). It then took part in the Pursuit to Baghdad.[3]
When that division was disbanded it served on as an independent brigade.
Order of battle
The brigade commanded the following units during the First World War:[6]
- 33rd Queen Victoria's Own Light Cavalry (joined on formation from 6th (Poona) Division)
- 16th Cavalry (joined on formation from Lucknow, 8th (Lucknow) Division[7])
- S Battery, Royal Horse Artillery (joined on formation from Bangalore, 9th (Secunderabad) Division[8])
- 7th Hariana Lancers (joined on formation from Ferozepore, 3rd Lahore Divisional Area[9])
- 23rd Cavalry (Frontier Force)
- 14th (King's) Hussars
- 4th Cavalry
- 21st Prince Albert Victor’s Own Cavalry (Frontier Force)
- 22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force)
- 11th King Edward's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse)
- 1st Patalia Lancers (I.S.)
- 6th Machine Gun Squadron[a]
- 15th Machine Gun Squadron[a]
- 2nd Troop, 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Madras Miners and Sappers
- 6th Cavalry Brigade Signal Troop
- 131st Combined Cavalry Field Ambulance
- 5th Mobile Veterinary Section
- 6th Cavalry Brigade Supply and Transport Company
Commanders
The brigade had the following commanders:[10]
From | Rank | Name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
10 March 1915 | Brigadier-General | H. Kennedy | |
28 October 1915 | Brigadier-General | H.L. Roberts | sick, 17 January 1916 |
15 February 1916 | Brigadier-General | R.C. Stephen | sick, 18 May 1916 |
28 May 1916 | Brigadier-General | M.E. Willoughby | |
11 July 1916 | Brigadier-General | S.F. Crocker | |
10 February 1917 | Brigadier-General | P. Holland-Pryor |
See also
Notes
- ^ a b 6th Machine Gun Squadron joined in September 1916. It was renumbered as 15th Machine Gun Squadron in May 1917.[1]
References
- ^ a b Perry 1993, p. 31
- ^ Perry 1993, p. 32–33
- ^ a b c Perry 1993, p. 32
- ^ Perry 1993, p. 75
- ^ Perry 1993, p. 76
- ^ Perry 1993, p. 30
- ^ Perry 1993, p. 102
- ^ Perry 1993, p. 108
- ^ Perry 1993, p. 56
- ^ Perry 1993, p. 29
Bibliography
- Griffith, Paddy (1998). British Fighting Methods in the Great War. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-71463495-1.
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(help) - Perry, F.W. (1993). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions. Newport, Gwent: Ray Westlake Military Books. ISBN 1-871167-23-X.
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: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Rinaldi, Richard A (2008). Order of Battle of the British Army 1914. Ravi Rikhye. ISBN 978-0-97760728-0.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help)
External links
- Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
- Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine