2nd Cavalry Division

The 2nd Cavalry Division was a British Army formation rather than a commercial brand. It was created on 19 June 1811 during the Peninsular War, when Arthur Wellesley's army reorganised its cavalry into two divisions. The formation initially had an administrative and coordinating role: British cavalry divisions commonly controlled brigades, while tactical employment in the field remained largely a brigade responsibility. Major General Sir William Erskine was appointed its first commander. The division's early organisation included De Grey's and Long's Brigades, although its strength varied and it briefly operated with only one brigade. In April 1813 it was merged back into a single Cavalry Division. The formation was recreated during the First World War. In September 1914, the independent 5th Cavalry Brigade and the 3rd Cavalry Brigade were grouped as Gough's Command, named after Brigadier-General Hubert Gough. On 13 September the command became the 2nd Cavalry Division, with supporting artillery, engineers and other divisional troops added. The 4th Cavalry Brigade joined from the 1st Cavalry Division on 14 October, giving the division the standard three-brigade structure. It served with the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front from 1914 until the Armistice. Although organised as a mounted formation, the division operated in the changing conditions of industrialised trench warfare. Its cavalry fought mounted actions when opportunities arose, but its brigades were also frequently dismounted and used as infantry in defensive and offensive operations. The division participated in major engagements including the First Battle of Ypres, Neuve Chapelle, the Second Battle of Ypres, Arras and Cambrai. In 1918 it took part in the German spring offensive battles around St Quentin and Hazebrouck, the Allied advance at Amiens, the Second Battle of the Somme, the battles associated with the Hindenburg Line, the Pursuit to the Selle and the final advance in Picardy. Its units were sometimes distributed among different armies, reflecting the flexible use of cavalry during the return to mobile warfare. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the division was reassembled and assigned to the advance into Germany as part of the occupation force. Elements crossed the German frontier south of St Vith on 1 December and spent the winter in quarters south and southeast of Liège. Demobilisation and reorganisation followed in early 1919, and the division ceased to exist at the end of March 1919. It was later reformed in the Territorial Army during the 1920s from yeomanry regiments. At the outbreak of the Second World War, its units were reorganised as the 1st Cavalry Division. That successor formation served in Palestine, Iraq and Syria before being converted into the 10th Armoured Division on 1 August 1941. The historical 2nd Cavalry Division therefore represents a sequence of British cavalry formations associated especially with the Peninsular War, the Western Front and the interwar Territorial Army.

The 2nd Cavalry Division originated in the British cavalry reorganisation undertaken during the Peninsular War. On 19 June 1811, Wellington's forces divided their cavalry into two administrative divisions, and the existing Cavalry Division was redesignated as the 1st Cavalry Division while the new 2nd Cavalry Division was formed. Major General Sir William Erskine became its first commander. The division was initially associated with De Grey's and Long's Brigades, though its organisation was unstable; for a period it contained only one brigade. Erskine was absent for several months, briefly resumed command and died by suicide in Lisbon in February 1813. In April of that year the two cavalry divisions were reunited under Lieutenant General Stapleton Cotton. The division was recreated in the opening phase of the First World War. On 6 September 1914, the 3rd Cavalry Brigade and the independent 5th Cavalry Brigade were combined as Gough's Command. The command fought at the First Battle of the Aisne before being redesignated the 2nd Cavalry Division on 13 September. Divisional artillery, engineers and other supporting units were added, and the 4th Cavalry Brigade transferred from the 1st Cavalry Division on 14 October. This produced a three-brigade division that remained on the Western Front for the rest of the war. The division fought at the First Battle of Ypres, including Gheluvelt, in 1914. In 1915 it participated in Neuve Chapelle and the Second Battle of Ypres, including the actions around St Julien and Bellewaarde Ridge. The following year produced no comparably prominent named action, but the division continued to provide mounted and dismounted manpower. In 1917 it took part in the First Battle of the Scarpe during the Arras offensive and in the fighting around Cambrai, including the initial tank attack, the capture of Bourlon Wood and the German counter-attack. During 1918, the division experienced the renewed movement of the Western Front. It fought around St Quentin during the German spring offensive, at Hazebrouck during the Battle of the Lys, and at Amiens and Albert during the Allied counteroffensive. It was later divided operationally: its brigades served with First, Third and Fourth Armies. They participated in the battles of the Canal du Nord, St Quentin Canal, the Beaurevoir Line and Cambrai, followed by the pursuit toward the Selle and the final advance in Picardy. On Armistice Day, elements were near Clairfayts, Erquelinnes, Havré and St Denis, while associated units participated in the capture of Mons. The division was reassembled near Maubeuge on 15 November 1918 and assigned to the advance into Germany as a screen for Fourth Army. The movement began on 17 November, and the 5th Cavalry Brigade crossed the German frontier south of St Vith on 1 December. The division spent the winter near Liège. After exchanges of regiments with the 1st and 3rd Cavalry Divisions, it moved toward demobilisation and ceased to exist at midnight on 31 March/1 April 1919. In the 1920s the name was revived in the Territorial Army. Its organisation included yeomanry cavalry brigades, Royal Horse Artillery, engineers, signals, transport, medical and ordnance elements. At the start of the Second World War, the Territorial Army formation was reorganised as the 1st Cavalry Division. That formation later served in Palestine, Iraq and Syria and was converted into the 10th Armoured Division in August 1941.

• 1941

  Successor formation converted to armour

  [1]2nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)en.wikipedia.org

  The related 1st Cavalry Division, formed through the reorganisation of the 2nd Cavalry Division's units, became the 10th Armoured Division on 1 August.

• 1920

  Territorial Army reformation

  [1]2nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)en.wikipedia.org

  The formation was reconstituted in the Territorial Army from yeomanry regiments.

• 1919

  First World War division disbanded

  [1]2nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)en.wikipedia.org

  The wartime division ceased to exist at the end of March or beginning of April.

• 1918

  Advance into Germany

  [1]2nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)en.wikipedia.org

  After the Armistice, the division formed part of the advance and occupation force, with the 5th Cavalry Brigade crossing the frontier south of St Vith on 1 December.

• 1914

  Recreated on the Western Front

  [1]2nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)en.wikipedia.org

  Gough's Command became the 2nd Cavalry Division on 13 September after the First Battle of the Aisne.

• 1813

  Reabsorbed into the Cavalry Division

  [1]2nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)en.wikipedia.org

  The separate cavalry divisions were merged again in April under Lieutenant General Stapleton Cotton.

• 1811

  Formation during the Peninsular War

  [1]2nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)en.wikipedia.org

  The British cavalry structure in Wellington's army was divided into two divisions on 19 June, creating the 2nd Cavalry Division.

A mounted British Army formation designed to coordinate cavalry brigades, provide mobile battlefield forces and, when required, fight dismounted as infantry.

• 1918Final campaigns of the First World War

  France · Belgium

  The division served at St Quentin, Hazebrouck, Amiens, Albert, the Hindenburg Line battles, the Pursuit to the Selle and the advance in Picardy, with its brigades sometimes assigned to separate armies.

  Outcome. Its units advanced toward and beyond Mons before the Armistice and subsequently entered Germany as part of the occupation force.

  Source
• 1917Arras and Cambrai

  France

  The division fought in the First Battle of the Scarpe during the Arras offensive and in the Cambrai operations, including the attack on Bourlon Wood and the German counter-attack.

  Source
• 1915Neuve Chapelle and Second Ypres

  France · Belgium

  The division participated in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the Second Battle of Ypres, including actions at St Julien and Bellewaarde Ridge.

  Source
• 1914First World War: Western Front

  France · Belgium

  The division fought in the First Battle of Ypres, including the battle of Gheluvelt, and later served both mounted and dismounted in trench warfare.

  Outcome. The division remained on the Western Front until the Armistice.

  Source
• 1811Peninsular War

  Iberian Peninsula

  The original division served as part of Wellington's British cavalry organisation during the Peninsular War, primarily coordinating cavalry brigades rather than acting as a permanently independent tactical formation.

  Outcome. The cavalry divisions were reunited in 1813.

  Source

• 1918

  Operational separation of cavalry brigadesStrategy

  Background

  The return of movement warfare created demand for cavalry across several British field armies.

  Action taken

  The 3rd, 4th and 5th Cavalry Brigades were assigned respectively to First, Third and Fourth Armies for portions of the campaign.

  Aftermath

  The brigades supported the Hindenburg Line battles and the final Allied advance before being reassembled after the Armistice.

  Source

• 1914

  Conversion between mounted and dismounted employmentStrategy

  Background

  The trench conditions of the Western Front limited opportunities for traditional mounted cavalry operations.

  Action taken

  The division repeatedly supplied dismounted units to fight in trenches while retaining its cavalry organisation for mobile operations.

  Aftermath

  The formation participated in both infantry-style trench battles and the mobile operations that resumed in 1918.

  Source

1. 12nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)en.wikipedia.org