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]
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 the battle. Instead, it was held in reserve in case of a breakthrough, although it did send parties to the trenches on several 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[b] at this time, though this new identity was short lived.[3]
^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.
^Army Brigades,
RHA and
RFA were artillery brigades that were excess to the needs of the divisions, withdrawn to form an artillery reserve.
^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.
^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]
Clarke, W.G. (1993). Horse Gunners: The Royal Horse Artillery, 200 Years of Panache and Professionalism. Woolwich: The Royal Artillery Institution.
ISBN09520762-0-9.
Frederick, J.B.M. (1984). Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660-1978. Wakefield, Yorkshire: Microform Academic Publishers.
ISBN1-85117-009-X.
Perry, F.W. (1993). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions. Newport: Ray Westlake Military Books.
ISBN1-871167-23-X.