The 12th Indian 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 remained in India throughout the war.

History

The 12th Indian Cavalry Brigade was formed under

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 ...

in June 1918. It took command of three newly formed cavalry

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

s: * 40th Cavalry formed in April 1918 from **a

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...

1st Duke of York's Own Lancers (Skinner's Horse) The 1st Horse (Skinner's Horse) is a regiment of the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. It traces its origins as a cavalry regiment from the times of the East India Company, followed by its service in the British Indian Army and finally, afte ...

**"A" Squadron and two half squadrons of

3rd Skinner's Horse The 3rd Skinner's Horse was a cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was originally raised at Hansi by Lt.-Col. James Skinner as the 2nd Regiment of Skinner's Horse in 1814, the various changes and amalgamations are listed below. *18 ...

**another squadron * 41st Cavalry formed in April 1918 from **"F" Squadron,

26th King George's Own Light Cavalry The 8th Light Cavalry traces its origins from the 8th King George's Own Light Cavalry which was formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 26th King George's Own Light Cavalry and the 30th Lancers following a re-organisation of the Indian Cavalry C ...

**"F" Squadron, 39th King George's Own Central India Horse **a squadron of

15th Lancers (Cureton's Multanis) The 15th Lancers (''Cureton's Multanis'') was a cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army which existed from 1858 to 1921. Raised during the 1857 uprising, the regiment later saw service in the Second Afghan War of 1878–80 and the First Wo ...

**a squadron of

37th Lancers (Baluch Horse) The 15th Lancers (Baloch) is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 17th Cavalry and the 37th Lancers (Baluch Horse).Ahmad, Lt Col RN. (2010). ''Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment''. Abbottaba ...

* 42nd Cavalry formed in April 1918 from **"F" Squadron,

35th Scinde Horse The Scinde Horse is an armoured regiment in the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. The regiment, known before independence as the 14th Prince of Wales's Own Scinde Horse was a regular cavalry regiment of the Bombay Army, and later the British Indi ...

**a squadron from the depot of the

10th Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers (Hodson's Horse) 4th Horse (Hodson's Horse) is a part of the Indian Army Armoured Corps, Armoured Corps of the Indian Army, which had its beginnings as an irregular cavalry regiment during the time of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Formation The regiment was rai ...

**two other squadrons The brigade remained with the division throughout 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 ...

. It was commanded from 27 June 1918 by

Brigadier-General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

H.B. Birdwood. All three constituent regiments were disbanded in 1921.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

*{{cite web, url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/4_ind_div.htm , title=4th (Quetta) Division on ''The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918'' by PB Chappell , accessdate=2015-07-05 , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517085133/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/4_ind_div.htm , archivedate=17 May 2008 , df=dmy C12 Cavalry brigades of the British Indian Army Military units and formations established in 1918

History

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links