XVII Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery

II Indian Brigade, RHA
XVII Brigade, RHA
XVII Army Brigade, RHA
Active December 1914 – 17 April 1918
Country  United Kingdom
Branch  British Army
Type Artillery
Size Battalion
Part of 2nd Indian Cavalry Division
Engagements

World War I

Western Front

II Indian Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade[lower-alpha 1] of the Royal Horse Artillery formed at the outbreak of World War I. It served with 2nd Indian Cavalry Division on the Western Front. It was redesignated XVII Brigade, RHA in February 1917 and XVII Army Brigade, RHA just before being disbanded in April 1918.

History

II Indian Brigade, RHA

II Indian Brigade, RHA was formed in December 1914 for the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division in France.[3] It commanded

Each battery was armed with six 13 pounder guns.

The brigade served with the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division on the Western Front and the brigade commander acted as Commander Royal Horse Artillery (CRHA).[7] In practice, the batteries were permanently assigned to the cavalry brigades, viz:[8]

In June 1916, 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade (complete with V Battery, RHA) left the division and was reformed for service in Mesopotamia. Its place was taken by the Canadian Cavalry Brigade with its attached Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Brigade (A and B Batteries, RCHA each with four 13 pounders).[9]

Other than the Battle of the Somme in 1916 (Battle of Bazentin Ridge, 14–17 July and Battle of Flers-Courcelette, 15–22 September) and the Battle of Cambrai in 1917, the division was not involved in battle. Instead, it was held in reserve in case of a breakthrough, although it did send parties to the trenches on a number of occasions. They would hold the line, or act as Pioneers; such parties were designated as, for example, the Mhow Battalion.[10]

XVII Brigade, RHA

On 26 November 1916, 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was renamed 5th Cavalry Division.[8] Consequently, on 24 February 1917, the brigade was redesignated as XVII Brigade, RHA.[9]

In March 1918, the 5th Cavalry Division was broken up in France. The British and Canadian units remained in France and the Indian elements were sent to Egypt to help constitute 2nd Mounted Division.[9] The brigade became XVII Army Brigade, RHA[lower-alpha 2] at this time, though this new identity was short lived.[3]

On 13 March, G Battery, RHA joined from IV Brigade, RHA (3rd Cavalry Division) to bring the brigade back up to three batteries.[3] On 9 April, G and N Batteries, RHA left for V Army Brigade, RHA.[11][lower-alpha 3] On 17 April 1918, the brigade HQ was dissolved.[12][lower-alpha 4]

Notes

  1. ↑ The basic organic unit of the Royal Artillery was, and is, the Battery.[1] When grouped together they formed brigades, in the same way that infantry battalions or cavalry regiments were grouped together in brigades. At the outbreak of World War I, a field artillery brigade of headquarters (4 officers, 37 other ranks), three batteries (5 and 193 each), and a brigade ammunition column (4 and 154)[2] had a total strength just under 800 so was broadly comparable to an infantry battalion (just over 1,000) or a cavalry regiment (about 550). Like an infantry battalion, an artillery brigade was usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel. Artillery brigades were redesignated as regiments in 1938.
  2. ↑ Army Brigades, RHA and RFA were artillery brigades that were excess to the needs of the divisions, withdrawn to form an artillery reserve.
  3. ↑ Frederick[12] says N Battery joined V Army Brigade, RHA on 13 January 1917. Perry[9] claims the N Battery was still with XVII Brigade, RHA in March 1918.
  4. ↑ Clarke[13] states that X Battery, RHA left the brigade on 8 October 1917. This disagrees with Frederick[12] which says it was still with the brigade in April 1918. Perry[9] implies that it was still with the brigade in March 1918 but elsewhere[14] states that the battery joined 4th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade, 7th Meerut Divisional Area in India in January 1918. Post-war, X Battery RHA joined VI Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery from Germany in early 1919.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "The Royal Artillery". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  2. ↑ Baker, Chris. "What was an artillery brigade?". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Frederick 1984, p. 447
  4. ↑ Perry 1993, p. 109
  5. ↑ Perry 1993, p. 87
  6. ↑ Perry 1993, p. 69
  7. ↑ Perry 1993, p. 17
  8. 1 2 Perry 1993, p. 18
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Perry 1993, p. 19
  10. ↑ Perry 1993, p. 20
  11. ↑ Clarke 1993, p. 144
  12. 1 2 3 Frederick 1984, p. 448
  13. ↑ Clarke 1993, p. 146
  14. ↑ Perry 1993, p. 94
  15. ↑ Clarke 1993, p. 149

Bibliography

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