Australian Mounted Division

Narrative

The Australian Mounted Division was formed in Egypt as the Imperial Mounted Division in February 1917 from the 3rd Light Horse Brigade of the Anzac Mounted Division, the 4th Light Horse Brigade, reconstituted after having been broken up the year before, and two British mounted brigades.

The Australian government protested this move being made without consultation and sent Brigadier General R. M. McC. Anderson from England to negotiate with the authorities in Egypt. As a result, the division was renamed the Australian Mounted Division on 20 June 1917 and became an Australian unit. British units were gradually phased out except for the artillery, which remained entirely British to the end.

The Imperial Mounted Division first saw action in the First Battle of Gaza in March 1917 and it was heavily engaged in the Second Battle of Gaza in April 1917. During the Third Battle of Gaza it made a charge at Beersheba to capture the wells before they could be destroyed by the Germans. This was the last of history's great cavalry charges.

Afterward it pursued the enemy to Jerusalem. Units of the Australian Mounted Division became he first mounted troops to enter Jerusalem in December 1917.

In March and again in April 1918, the division made major raids across the Jordan River.

In August 1918, the Australian Mounted Division participated in the final breakthrough and engaged in a high speed pursuit to Damascus, which it entered ahead of any other allied troops in October 1918. Between 19 September 1918 and 2 October 1918 the division captured 31,335 prisoners.

Commanders

• Major General W. Hodgson 8 February 1917 to past November 1918

Campaigns

Palestine: First Battle of Gaza, Second Battle of Gaza, Third Battle of Gaza, Beersheba, Jerusalem, Jericho, Es Salt, Megiddo, Damascus

Memorial (including Anzac Mounted Division)

Canberra

Casualties (including Anzac Mounted Division)

• killed in action: 1,168
• died of wounds: 566
• other deaths: 598
• prisoners: 83
• wounded: 7,590
• total: 10,005

British Imperial Mounted Division (Egypt, February 1917)

• Imperial Mounted Division Artillery
  • British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade [16 x 18 pounders]
    • 1/1 Nottingham, 1/1 Berkshire Batteries
    • A and B Batteries, Honourable Artillery Company
    • British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column
• Imperial Mounted Division Engineers
  • Imperial Field Squadron
    • 3rd, 4th Field Troops
    • British 6th, 7th Field Troops
  • Imperial Signal Squadron
• Imperial Mounted Division Medical Services
  • 3rd,4th Light Horse Field Ambulances
  • British 1/1, 1/2 South Midlands Mounted Brigade Field Ambulances
  • 8th Sanitary Section
• 3rd Light Horse Brigade
  • 8th,9th,10th Light Horse Regiments (Victoria; Victoria and South Australia; Western Australia)
  • 3rd Machinegun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns]
  • 3rd Signal Troop
• 4th Light Horse Brigade
  • 4th,11th,12th Light Horse Regiments (Victoria; Queensland and South Australia; New South Wales)
  • 4th Machinegun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns]
  • 4th Signal Troop
• British 5th Mounted Brigade
  • 1/1 Warwickshire Yeomanry,1/1 Gloucester Hussars, 1/1 Worcestershire Yeomanry
  • British 16th Machinegun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns]
• British 6th Mounted Brigade
  • 1/1 Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars,1/1 Queens Own Dorsetshire Yeomanry, 1/1 Berkshire Yeomanry
  • British 17th Machinegun Squadron [Vickers machine guns]
• Imperial Mounted Division Train
  • 3rd,4th Supply Sections
  • 27th Depot Unit of Supply
• Imperial Mounted Division Veterinary Services
  • 8th,9th Mobile Veterinary Sections
  • British 3/1, 4/1 South Midlands Mobile Veterinary Sections

Australian Mounted Division (Palestine, August 1917)

• Australian Mounted Division Artillery
  • British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade [18 x 18 pounders]
    • British 1/1 Nottingham Battery
    • British A and B Batteries, Honourable Artillery Company
    • British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column
• Australian Mounted Division Engineers
  • 2nd Field Squadron
  • 2nd Signal Squadron
• Australian Mounted Division Medical Services
  • 3rd,4th Light Horse Field Ambulances
  • British 1/1 South Midlands Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance
  • 8th Sanitary Section
• 3rd Light Horse Brigade
  • 8th,9th,10th Light Horse Regiments (Victoria; Victoria and South Australia; Western Australia)
  • 3rd Machine Gun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns]
  • 3rd Signal Troop
• 4th Light Horse Brigade
  • 4th,11th,12th Light Horse Regiments (Victoria; Queensland and South Australia; New South Wales)
  • 4th Machine Gun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns]
  • 4th Signal Troop
• British 5th Mounted Brigade
  • British 1/1 Warwickshire Yeomanry,1/1 Gloucester Hussars, 1/1 Worcestershire Yeomanry
  • British 19th Machinegun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns]
  • British 6th Signal Troop
• Australian Mounted Division Train
  • 35th,36th,37th,38th Australian Army Service Corps Companies
  • 27th Depot Unit of Supply
• Australian Mounted Division Veterinary Services
  • 8th,9th Mobile Veterinary Sections
  • British 3/1 South Midlands Mobile Veterinary Section

  Australian Mounted Division (Palestine, July 1918)

• Australian Mounted Division Artillery
  • British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade [18 x 13 pounders]
    • British 1/1 Nottingham Battery
    • A and B Batteries, Honourable Artillery Company
    • British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column
• Australian Mounted Division Engineers
  • 2nd Field Squadron
  • 2nd Signal Squadron
• Australian Mounted Division Medical Services
  • 3rd,4th,5th Light Horse Field Ambulances
  • 8th Sanitary Section
• 3rd Light Horse Brigade
  • 8th,9th,10th Light Horse Regiments (Victoria; Victoria and South Australia; Western Australia)
  • 3rd Machine Gun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns]
  • 3rd Signal Troop
• 4th Light Horse Brigade
  • 4th,11th,12th Light Horse Regiments (Victoria; Queensland and South Australia; New South Wales)
  • 4th Machine Gun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns]
  • 4th Signal Troop
• 5th Light Horse Brigade
  • 14th ,15th Light Horse Regiments
  • French 1er Regiment Mixte de Cavalerie Du Lavant
  • New Zealand 2nd Machine Gun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns]
  • 5th Signal Troop
• Australian Mounted Division Train
  • 35th,36th,37th,38th Australian Army Service Corps Companies
  • 27th Depot Unit of Supply
• Australian Mounted Division Veterinary Services
  • 8th,9th,10th Mobile Veterinary Sections

Main 1st Division 2nd Division 3rd Division 4th Division 5th Division 6th Division NZ & Australian Division Anzac Mounted Division Australian Mounted Division

Page created by Ross Mallett
ross@metva.com.au
Last update 28 June 2010