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2nd Light Horse Brigade
The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade was initially formed as a part-time militia formation in the early 1900s in New South Wales. In 1914, the brigade was re-constituted as part of the AIF. The brigade first saw action while serving in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the Gallipoli campaign. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they served in the ANZAC Mounted Division from March 1916 as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign until the end of the war. After the war, the AIF light horse regiments were demobilised and disbanded; however, the brigade briefly existed as a part-time militia formation in New South Wales until 1921 when its regiments were reorganised into cavalry brigades.
The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was initially raised as part of the militia in the early 1900s, being formed sometime between 1902 and 1905. That formation was raised in northern New South Wales, and consisted of three Australian Light Horse regiments – the 4th (Hunter River Lancers), 5th (Northern River Lancers) and 6th (New England Light Horse). The 4th had depots around Newcastle, Muswellbrook and Cessnock, and other smaller centres; the 5th was based in several locations including Lismore, Grafton, and Casino; and the 6th was based in several small towns including Armidale, Glen Innes and Tamworth. In 1912, an Army-wide reorganisation resulted in some regimental designations being redistributed. Largely, the 2nd Light Horse Brigade was unaffected. While it lost the 4th Light Horse Regiment to the 1st Light Horse Brigade in Queensland, part of the regiment was retained for training purposes. The other two regiments – the 5th and 6th – were retained in the 2nd Light Horse Brigade, although some of the smaller depot locations were changed.
At the outbreak of the war August 1914 the Australian Government decided to raise the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force (AIF) consisting of 20,000 troops comprising an infantry division and a light horse brigade of three regiments to be used at the discretion of Britain. These regiments were raised from volunteers for overseas service, as the provisions of the Defence Act did not allow conscripts to be deployed overseas. Nevertheless, many of the recruits were drawn from the various militia light horse formations created as a consequence of the Kitchener Report 1910 and the introduction of Universal Training, although they were assigned to freshly raised units that were separate to the light horse regiments raised as part of the militia. Initial enlistments outstripped expectations and, as a result, a total of three light horse brigades as well as two divisional cavalry regiments were formed in the early part of the war.
The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was raised as part of the 2nd Contingent of the AIF, which was hastily put together at the beginning of September 1914. It was organised into three regiments – the 5th, 6th and 7th – each of approximately 520 men. The brigade's three regiments were drawn from Queensland (5th) and New South Wales (6th and 7th), although it had initially been proposed that the 7th would be recruited from Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. These units were raised throughout September and October, and the brigade embarked for the Middle East, departing from Sydney in December 1914. The band of the 6th Light Horse Regiment played So Long, written by patriotic Australian composer May Summerbelle, as they set sail.
Arriving in Egypt, in February 1915, training was undertaken at Maadi Camp, during which further drafts of reinforcements were received from Australia. Training focused initially on individual skills, before progressing to collective training at squadron, regimental and eventually brigade level. The brigade's commander was Colonel (later Major General) Granville De Laure Ryrie; he commanded the brigade throughout the war except for a temporary detachment during 1916.
During the early part of the war, the brigade was attached to the New Zealand and Australian Division. In mid-May 1915, the brigade was deployed to Gallipoli as reinforcements for the infantry that had landed in April, who had become pinned around a small perimeter around a beachhead at Anzac Cove; deployed in a dismounted role, the brigade was assigned as corps troops directly under the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. About a quarter of the strength of each light horse regiment remained in Egypt with their horses; however, additional reinforcements were provided prior to their arrival at Gallipoli, to bring them up to strength.
Upon arrival, the brigade was broken up due to concerns about the capacity of its staff, including its commander, Ryrie, and his brigade major; however, it was reformed in June after a new brigade major was appointed. The regiments were pushed into the line, largely on the far right of the position and undertook mainly defensive roles throughout the remainder of the campaign. During this time, the light horsemen undertook patrolling operations, manned outposts, carried out sniping and worked to dig trenches and lay down wire. The 5th Light Horse Regiment in particular saw hard service around a position called Wilson's Lookout during October and November, during which time it was severely depleted by illness. The brigade was relieved from its forward positions by infantry from John Monash's 4th Brigade in November, by which time winter had set in and it had begun snowing. By 20 December, all three regiments were withdrawn from the peninsula, as part of the general withdrawal that followed the decision to abandon the position. They were subsequently returned to Egypt, sailing via Mudros.
After the evacuation from Gallipoli, the Australian and New Zealand forces in the Middle East were reorganised. There were a large number of reinforcements that had arrived in Egypt at this time, and while the infantry was to be deployed to the Western Front, the mounted units were to remain in the Middle East. This resulted in the establishment of the Anzac Mounted Division, which consisted of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Light Horse Brigades, and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade. At this time, the brigade provided a British Territorial horsed artillery battery, the Somerset Battery, which was detached from III Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (T.F.). Until July 1916, the brigade was supported by a machine gun section, but this was expanded to a full squadron, equipped with 12 machine guns. A light horse training regiment was also established for each brigade, to provide trained reinforcements, while other supporting elements including signals, logistic, engineer, medical and veterinary support units were also assigned.
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2nd Light Horse Brigade
The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade was initially formed as a part-time militia formation in the early 1900s in New South Wales. In 1914, the brigade was re-constituted as part of the AIF. The brigade first saw action while serving in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the Gallipoli campaign. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they served in the ANZAC Mounted Division from March 1916 as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign until the end of the war. After the war, the AIF light horse regiments were demobilised and disbanded; however, the brigade briefly existed as a part-time militia formation in New South Wales until 1921 when its regiments were reorganised into cavalry brigades.
The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was initially raised as part of the militia in the early 1900s, being formed sometime between 1902 and 1905. That formation was raised in northern New South Wales, and consisted of three Australian Light Horse regiments – the 4th (Hunter River Lancers), 5th (Northern River Lancers) and 6th (New England Light Horse). The 4th had depots around Newcastle, Muswellbrook and Cessnock, and other smaller centres; the 5th was based in several locations including Lismore, Grafton, and Casino; and the 6th was based in several small towns including Armidale, Glen Innes and Tamworth. In 1912, an Army-wide reorganisation resulted in some regimental designations being redistributed. Largely, the 2nd Light Horse Brigade was unaffected. While it lost the 4th Light Horse Regiment to the 1st Light Horse Brigade in Queensland, part of the regiment was retained for training purposes. The other two regiments – the 5th and 6th – were retained in the 2nd Light Horse Brigade, although some of the smaller depot locations were changed.
At the outbreak of the war August 1914 the Australian Government decided to raise the all-volunteer Australian Imperial Force (AIF) consisting of 20,000 troops comprising an infantry division and a light horse brigade of three regiments to be used at the discretion of Britain. These regiments were raised from volunteers for overseas service, as the provisions of the Defence Act did not allow conscripts to be deployed overseas. Nevertheless, many of the recruits were drawn from the various militia light horse formations created as a consequence of the Kitchener Report 1910 and the introduction of Universal Training, although they were assigned to freshly raised units that were separate to the light horse regiments raised as part of the militia. Initial enlistments outstripped expectations and, as a result, a total of three light horse brigades as well as two divisional cavalry regiments were formed in the early part of the war.
The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was raised as part of the 2nd Contingent of the AIF, which was hastily put together at the beginning of September 1914. It was organised into three regiments – the 5th, 6th and 7th – each of approximately 520 men. The brigade's three regiments were drawn from Queensland (5th) and New South Wales (6th and 7th), although it had initially been proposed that the 7th would be recruited from Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. These units were raised throughout September and October, and the brigade embarked for the Middle East, departing from Sydney in December 1914. The band of the 6th Light Horse Regiment played So Long, written by patriotic Australian composer May Summerbelle, as they set sail.
Arriving in Egypt, in February 1915, training was undertaken at Maadi Camp, during which further drafts of reinforcements were received from Australia. Training focused initially on individual skills, before progressing to collective training at squadron, regimental and eventually brigade level. The brigade's commander was Colonel (later Major General) Granville De Laure Ryrie; he commanded the brigade throughout the war except for a temporary detachment during 1916.
During the early part of the war, the brigade was attached to the New Zealand and Australian Division. In mid-May 1915, the brigade was deployed to Gallipoli as reinforcements for the infantry that had landed in April, who had become pinned around a small perimeter around a beachhead at Anzac Cove; deployed in a dismounted role, the brigade was assigned as corps troops directly under the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. About a quarter of the strength of each light horse regiment remained in Egypt with their horses; however, additional reinforcements were provided prior to their arrival at Gallipoli, to bring them up to strength.
Upon arrival, the brigade was broken up due to concerns about the capacity of its staff, including its commander, Ryrie, and his brigade major; however, it was reformed in June after a new brigade major was appointed. The regiments were pushed into the line, largely on the far right of the position and undertook mainly defensive roles throughout the remainder of the campaign. During this time, the light horsemen undertook patrolling operations, manned outposts, carried out sniping and worked to dig trenches and lay down wire. The 5th Light Horse Regiment in particular saw hard service around a position called Wilson's Lookout during October and November, during which time it was severely depleted by illness. The brigade was relieved from its forward positions by infantry from John Monash's 4th Brigade in November, by which time winter had set in and it had begun snowing. By 20 December, all three regiments were withdrawn from the peninsula, as part of the general withdrawal that followed the decision to abandon the position. They were subsequently returned to Egypt, sailing via Mudros.
After the evacuation from Gallipoli, the Australian and New Zealand forces in the Middle East were reorganised. There were a large number of reinforcements that had arrived in Egypt at this time, and while the infantry was to be deployed to the Western Front, the mounted units were to remain in the Middle East. This resulted in the establishment of the Anzac Mounted Division, which consisted of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Light Horse Brigades, and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade. At this time, the brigade provided a British Territorial horsed artillery battery, the Somerset Battery, which was detached from III Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (T.F.). Until July 1916, the brigade was supported by a machine gun section, but this was expanded to a full squadron, equipped with 12 machine guns. A light horse training regiment was also established for each brigade, to provide trained reinforcements, while other supporting elements including signals, logistic, engineer, medical and veterinary support units were also assigned.