Brief history as 2/2nd Mounted Division
This division was formed on 6 March 1915 as the “second line” to the 2nd Mounted Division, both being of the Territorial Force. The second line units that were brought under its command structure were geographically scattered and greatly under-equipped, fulfilling the dual role of training men for posting to the “first line” and of home defence. All of the units were frequently called upon to send drafts to their “first line”. On formation, the division was ordered to East Anglia: divisional HQ was set up at King’s Lynn.
In March 1916, the division was renamed as 3rd Mounted Division.
Order of Battle
Divisional headquarters
Mounted Brigades
- 2/1st Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Mounted Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Sherwood Rangers
- 2/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars
- 2/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry
- 2/1st Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery
- 2/1st Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Signal Troop
- 2/1st Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Field Ambulance
- 2/1st Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Army Service Corps
- 2/1st South Midland Mounted Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry
- 2/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
- 2/1st Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars
2/1st Warwickshire Royal Horse Artillery - 2/1st South Midland Signal Troop
- 2/1st South Midland Field Ambulance
- 2/1st South Midland Army Service Corps
- 2/2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars
- 2/1st Berkshire Yeomanry
- 2/1st Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars
2/1st Berkshire Royal Horse Artillery - 2/2nd South Midland Signal Troop
- 2/2nd South Midland Field Ambulance
- 2/2nd South Midland Army Service Corps
- 2/1st London Mounted Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st County of London Yeomanry
- 2/1st City of London Yeomanry
- 2/3rd County of London Yeomanry
- 2/A Battery Honourable Artillery Company
- 2/1st London Signal Troop
- 2/1st London Field Ambulance
- 2/1st London Army Service Corps
Brief history as 3rd Mounted Division
In addition to the change of name in March 1916, the names of the brigades were also changed to those shown below.
In July 1916, with the original 1st Mounted Division having been renamed 1st Cyclist Division, the 3rd Mounted Division was renamed as 1st Mounted Division.
Order of Battle
Divisional headquarters
Mounted Brigades
- 9th (2/1st Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire) Mounted Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Sherwood Rangers
- 2/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars
- 2/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry
- 2/1st Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery [overseas June 1917]
- 2/1st Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Signal Troop
- 2/1st Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Field Ambulance
- 2/1st Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Army Service Corps
- 10th (2/1st South Midland) Mounted Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry
- 2/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
- 2/1st Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars
2/1st Warwickshire Royal Horse Artillery - 1/1st Inverness-shire Royal Horse Artillery [attached; left February 1916]
- 2/1st Inverness-shire Royal Horse Artillery [attached; left December 1915]
- 2/1st South Midland Signal Troop
- 2/1st South Midland Field Ambulance
- 2/1st South Midland Army Service Corps
- 11th (2/2nd South Midland) Mounted Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars
- 2/1st Berkshire Yeomanry
- 2/1st Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars
2/1st Berkshire Royal Horse Artillery [left for CLXVIII Brigade RHA April 1917] - 2/2nd South Midland Signal Troop
- 2/2nd South Midland Field Ambulance
- 2/2nd South Midland Army Service Corps
- 12th (2/1st London) Mounted Brigade [left in July 1916 for 1st Cyclist Division]
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st County of London Yeomanry
- 2/1st City of London Yeomanry [left for 2nd Cyclist Brigade November 1916]
- 2/3rd County of London Yeomanry
- 2/A Battery Honourable Artillery Company
- 2/1st London Signal Troop
- 2/1st London Field Ambulance
- 2/1st London Army Service Corps
Brief history as 1st Mounted Division
In addition to the change of name in July 1916, the names of the brigades were also changed to those shown below and there was a significant reorganisation. Divisional headquarters had moved to Brentwood in Essex.
On 4 September 1917, the division was renamed as The Cyclist Division.
Order of Battle
Divisional headquarters
Mounted Brigades
- 1st Mounted Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry [left September 1917]
- 2/1st Sherwood Rangers
- 2/1st Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars
- 1st Mounted Brigade Signal Troop
- 1st Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance
- 1st Mounted Brigade Army Service Corps
- 2nd Mounted Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Royal Devon Yeomanry [joined from former 1st Mounted Division; left November 1916]
- 2/1st Montgomeryshire Yeomanry [joined from former 1st Mounted Division; left November 1916]
- 2/1st Fife & Forfar Yeomanry [joined from former 1st Mounted Division; left November 1916]
2/1st Warwickshire Royal Horse Artillery [left June 1917] - 2nd Mounted Brigade Signal Troop
- 2nd Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance
- 2nd Mounted Brigade Army Service Corps
- 2/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry [joined from 1st Cyclist Division November 1916]
- 2/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry [joined from 1st Cyclist Division November 1916]
- 2/1st Lincolnshire Yeomanry [joined from 1st Cyclist Division November 1916]
- 3rd Mounted Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry [joined from 4th Mounted Division]
- 2/1st Queen’s Own West Kent Yeomanry [joined from 4th Mounted Division]
- 2/1st Essex Yeomanry [joined from 4th Mounted Division]
- 3rd Mounted Brigade Signal Troop
- 3rd Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance
- 3rd Mounted Brigade Army Service Corps
- 2/1st Dorsetshire Yeomanry [joined from 2nd Cyclist Division November 1916]
- 9th Cyclist Brigade [later renamed 5th Cyclist Brigade in November 1917; names of units under command also changed accordingly]
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars [joined from 2/1st Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire) Mounted Brigade]
- 2/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry [joined from 2/1st Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire) Mounted Brigade]
- 2/1st Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars [joined from 11th (2/2nd South Midland) Mounted Brigade; left for 4th Cyclist Brigade May 1917]
- 2/A Battery Honourable Artillery Company [left May 1917]
- 9th Cyclist Brigade Signal Troop
- 9th Cyclist Brigade Field Ambulance
- 9th Cyclist Brigade Service Corps
- 5th Cyclist Battalion [joined from 2nd Cyclist Brigade May 1917]
- 2/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion [joined from 2nd Cyclist Division November 1916; attached to 67th Division by May 1917]
- 2/8th (Cyclist) Battalion, Essex Regiment [joined from 2nd Cyclist Division November 1916; attached to 226th Infantry Brigade by May 1917]
- 3/2nd Mounted Divisional Signal Squadron
Brief history as The Cyclist Division
In addition to the change of name in September 1917, the names of the brigades were also changed to those shown below and there was further reorganisation.
Order of Battle
Divisional headquarters
Mounted Brigades
- 11th Cyclist Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Sherwood Rangers
- 2/1st Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars
- 7th (Cyclist) Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment [joined September 1917]
- 11th Cyclist Brigade Signal Section
- 11th Cyclist Brigade Field Ambulance
- 11th Cyclist Brigade Army Service Corps
- 12th Cyclist Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry
- 2/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry
- 2/1st Lincolnshire Yeomanry
- 12th Cyclist Brigade Signal Section
- 12th Cyclist Brigade Field Ambulance
- 12th Cyclist Brigade Army Service Corps
- 13th Cyclist Brigade [broken up in December 1917]
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st Queen’s Own Dorsetshire Yeomanry [went to 6th Cyclist Brigade in Ireland]
- 2/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry
- 2/1st Essex Yeomanry [went to 6th Cyclist Brigade in Ireland]
- 13th Cyclist Brigade Signal Section
- 13th Cyclist Brigade Field Ambulance
- 13th Cyclist Brigade Army Service Corps
- Attached Troops
- 393 Battery
- 396 Battery
- 2/2nd Lancashire Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery [joined March 1918]
- 2/1st Warwickshire Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery [joined March 1918]
- 2/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion [joined March 1918]
- 563 Huntingdonshire (Works) Company, Royal Engineers [joined March 1918]
- 126 Sanitary Section, Royal Army Medical Corps [joined March 1918]
- 5th Cyclist Brigade [replaced 13th Cyclist Brigade when it was broken up]
- Brigade headquarters
- 2/1st South Nottinghamshire Hussars
- 2/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry
- 2/1st City of London Yeomanry
- 5th Cyclist Brigade Signal Section
- 339th (Lowland) Field Ambulance
- 5th Cyclist Brigade Army Service Corps
- 1st Cyclist Divisional Signal Company
- 1st Cyclist Divisional Army Service Corps
- 69th Railhead Supply Detachment [joined March 1918]