The 4th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

of the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

that formed part of the

Indian Army during the First World War The Indian Army during World War I was involved World War I. Over one million Indian troops served overseas, of whom 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war. In World War I the ...

. It was formed as Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade in February 1915 to replace the original brigade that had been mobilized as the

9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade The Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army formed in 1907 as a result of the Kitchener Reforms. It was mobilized as 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade at the outbreak of the First World War and departed fo ...

for service on the Western Front. It remained in India throughout the war. The brigade continued to exist between the wars and by September 1939 it was designated 4th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade. It briefly served as part of the

Indian Army during the Second World War The Indian Army during World War II, a British force also referred to as the British Indian Army, began the war, in 1939, numbering just under 200,000 men.Sumner, p.25 By the end of the war, it had become the largest volunteer army in history, ...

before being broken up in July 1940.

History

First World War

At the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade was part of the

9th (Secunderabad) Division The 9th (Secunderabad) Division was an infantry division formation of the British Indian Army. It was part of the Southern Army and was formed in 1904 after Lord Kitchener was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India between 1902 and 1909. He i ...

. It was mobilized in August 1914 as the

with the first elements of

Indian Expeditionary Force A The British Indian Army, Indian Army during World War I was involved World War I. Over one million Indian troops served overseas, of whom 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war. ...

. It departed for the Western Front, arriving in France on 12 October 1914. It was attached to the newly formed

1st Indian Cavalry Division The 1st Indian Cavalry Division was a division of the British Indian Army which was formed at the outbreak of the First World War. It served on the Western Front, and was renamed the 4th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916. In March 1918, the ...

before joining the

2nd Indian Cavalry Division The 2nd Indian Cavalry Division was a division of the British Indian Army formed at the outbreak of World War I. It served on the Western Front, being renamed as 5th Cavalry Division on 26 November 1916. In March 1918, the 5th Cavalry Divisio ...

on 23 December 1914. On 3 February 1915 a new Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade was formed in 9th (Secunderabed) Division to replace the original brigade and to take over its area responsibilities. The brigade served with the division in India throughout the First World War. The brigade remained unnumbered throughout the First World War, the only unnumbered Indian cavalry brigade.

Between the world wars

The brigade continued to exist between the world wars. In September 1920 it was redesignated as the 5th Indian Cavalry Brigade and in 1923 as 4th Indian Cavalry Brigade. Later in the decade it regained its geographical designation as 4th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade. From 1920 it was under the command of the Poona District and from 1927 under the Deccan District.

Second World War

At the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the brigade was still under the command of Deccan District. It was broken up in July 1940 with some of its units moving to the

3rd Indian Motor Brigade The 3rd Indian Motor Brigade was formed in 1940 by the Indian Army during World War II. In 1941, the brigade was surrounded at Mechili by Axis forces during Operation Sonnenblume and suffered many casualties breaking out of the encirclement. On ...

which was forming at

Sialkot Sialkot ( ur, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of Sialkot District and the 13th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined with Jammu (the winter capital of Indian administered Jammu and Ka ...

at this time.

Orders of battle

First World War units

The Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade commanded the following units in the First World War: *

7th (Queen's Own) Hussars The 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1689. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in ...

''(joined on formation from

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

; left in October 1915 for

4th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade C4, C04, C.IV, C-4, or C-04 may refer to: Places * Caldwell 4 or NGC 7023 or Iris Nebula, a reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus * Circumferential Road 4 or C-4, an arterial road of Manila, Philippines * Ken-Ō Expressway (includes so ...

)'' *

22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) The 12th Cavalry Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army. It was formed in the British Indian army in 1922 by the amalgamation of 22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) and 25th Cavalry (Frontier Force ...

''(arrived at Secunderabad in October 1914 from

Jacobabad Jacobabad ( ur, and sd, جيڪب آباد; formerly Khanger or Khangarh) is a city in Sindh, Pakistan, serving as both the capital city of Jacobabad District and the administrative center of Jacobabad Taluka, an administrative subdivision ...

4th (Quetta) Division The 4th (Quetta) Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army. It was formed by General Kitchener while he was Commander-in-chief of India. During World War I the division remained in India. Its composition was: Formation 191 ...

and joined the brigade on formation; left in October 1916 for

6th Indian Cavalry Brigade The 6th Indian Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the Indian Army during the First World War. It took part in the Mesopotamian campaign and was broken up soon after the end of the war. ...

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

)'' * 27th Light Cavalry ''(arrived at Secunderabad in October 1914 from Nasirabad,

5th (Mhow) Division The 5th (Mhow) Division was a regular division of the British Indian Army and part of the Southern Army which was formed in 1903 after Lord Kitchener was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India between 1902 and 1909. He instituted large-scale re ...

and joined the brigade on formation; left in July 1916 for

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

)'' *

7th Hariana Lancers The 7th Hariana Lancers was a cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1846 and in 1921 was amalgamated with the 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry to form the 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry. The unit was formed in 1846 as a regi ...

''(joined in October 1916 from Mesopotamia)'' * 8th Cavalry ''(joined in October 1916 from

Jhansi Jhansi (; Hindi: झांसी, Urdu: ) is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative hea ...

, 5th (Mhow) Division)''

Second World War units

The 4th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade commanded the following units in the Second World War: *

14th/20th King's Hussars The 14th/20th King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was created by the amalgamation of the 14th King's Hussars and the 20th Hussars in 1922 and, after service in the Second World War, it amalgamated with the Royal Hussa ...

''(left in November 1939 to join 3rd (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade)'' *

7th Light Cavalry The 7th Light Cavalry previously the 28th Light Cavalry, was a regular army cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1784 under the East India Company. The regiment later saw service on the North West Frontier and in World Wa ...

''(remained at

Bolarum Bolaram is a locality in Secunderabad Cantonment in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is in the Hyderabad Metropolitan Region. The distance from Bolaram to Secunderabad is 10 km. Demographics As per the Census 2001, Bolaram had a populati ...

while mechanising)'' *

Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (11th Frontier Force) The 11th Cavalry (Frontier Force), is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. It was previously known as the 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry and was a regular cavalry regiment of the old British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by ...

''(joined

in July 1940)'' * 3rd Field Regiment, RA ''(stationed at

Trimulgherry Tirumalagiri, previously spelt as Trimulgherry, is a locality and a Mandal in the city of Secunderabad also it falls under Secunderabad Revenue Division, Earlier is a major suburb of Secunderabad, India. The name is an anglicization of Tirumalag ...

, Secunderabad; moved to Quetta in February 1941)'' ** 18th, 62nd, 65th, 75th

Batteries Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

* 4th Cavalry Brigade Signals

Troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troop Ro ...

''(to 3rd Indian Motor Brigade in July 1940 as 3rd Indian Motor Brigade Signals Troop)''

Commanders

The Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade / 5th Indian Cavalry Brigade / 4th Indian Cavalry Brigade / 4th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade had the following commanders:

A note on name and number

The brigade carried several designations during its existence. This can be a cause for confusion as other Indian cavalry brigades carried the same or similar designations at different times, and even at the same time. *a particular cause for confusion is that the ''Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade'' was in existence in India at the same time that the original brigade was serving as the 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade on the Western Front. This brigade was referred to by geographical name, rather than by number, so as to avoid confusion with the British 9th Cavalry Brigade also serving on the Western Front at the same time. * the brigade was numbered as 5th from September 1920 to 1923. The

5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade The 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service in the Indian Army during the First World War. Formed in November 1914, it served on the Western Front as part of the 2nd and 1st Indian C ...

had been formed on 11 November 1914 for service on the Western Front until it was broken up in March 1918. * the brigade was numbered as 4th from 1923 onwards when the previous ''4th Indian Cavalry Brigade'' (formerly Lucknow Cavalry Brigade) was broken up. At this time, the

became the 3rd (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * *

External links

* * {{oob unit , id = 10073 , name = 4 (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade

CSS Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in a markup language such as HTML or XML (including XML dialects such as SVG, MathML or XHTML). CSS is a cornerstone techno ...

C04 Cavalry brigades of the British Indian Army Military units and formations established in 1915 Military units and formations disestablished in 1940