Background
In consequence of the growth of the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, and the developing role of the Corps (the organisational level junior to Army and senior to Division), it was decided in May 1916 to reorganise the mounted troops that had previously been under divisional command. Three changes took place:
- The squadrons of the cavalry regiment under command of a division would merge to form a Corps Cavalry Regiment. Ideally all of the squadrons forming such a unit would be of the same Cavalry Regiment (but in practice this proved difficult to achieve). The name of teh unit would be, for example, XVII Corps Cavalry Regiment.
- The cyclist companies under command of a division would merge to form a Corps Cyclist Battalion
- A Motor Machine Gun Battery would be attached to each Corps, normally operationally attached to its Cyclist Battalion.
Composition and structure
The Corps Cavalry Regiment would be composed as follows:
- Headquarters (of 5 officers, 2 Warrant Officers, 6 Staff-Sergeants or Sergeants, 2 Artificers, and 21 rank and file. Provided with a total of 28 riding and 7 draught horses and a bicycle).
- The officers would be a Lieutenant-Colonel in command, Major second-in-command, Signal Officer, Adjutant and Quartermaster. The Warrant Officers would be Acting Regimental Sergeant Major and Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant.
- The Artificers would be Acting Farrier Quartermaster Sergeant and Saddler Sergeant.
- The Staff-Sergeants or Sergeants would be Transport, Signal, Trumpeter, Orderly Room, Orderly Room Clerk and Acting Sergeant Cook respectively.
- Of the rank and file, 5 would be signallers, 1 the CO’s orderly, 10 officers’ batmen, 2 orderlies for the Medical Officer, and 3 transport).
- Attached to headquarters (1 officer and 3 rank and file of the Royal Army Medical Corps, and 1 rank and file (a Driver) of the Army Service Corps. Provided with a total of 2 riding horses and 3 bicycles)
- Three Squadrons (with total of 18 officers, 3 Warrant Officers, 27 Staff-Sergeants or Sergeants, 21 Artificers, 6 Trumpeters, and 348 rank and file, and 3 rank and file (Drivers) of the Army Service Corps. Provided with a total of 393 riding, 33 draught and 6 pack horses and 12 bicycles).
- Each Squadron would have a Major in command, Captain second in command, and 4 Lieutanants or Second-Lieutenants in command of Troops.
- The Warrant Officer would be Squadron Sergeant Major.
- The Staff-Sergeants or Sergeants would be 1 Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant and 8 Sergeants, 2 per Troop.
- Of the rank and file, 8 would be Corporals (2 per Troop), 90 Privates, 6 drivers and 12 batmen. 1 NCO and 8 of the men would be trained signallers; 4 men would be trained in first aid and 2 in sanitary duties.
Links
The Cavalry Regiment