The West Riding Territorials in the Great WarMagnus, Laurie
History
The West Riding Territorials in the Great War
Magnus, Laurie
Great Britain. Army. Division, 49th; Great Britain. Army. Division, 62nd; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
Their time as Divisional Cavalry lasted till May, 1916, but was not
as full as they had hoped. ‘Our work,’ writes an Hussar Officer in a
personal letter, ‘was very miscellaneous. We fetched up remounts, dug
trenches, buried wires, supplied M.M.P. and orderlies to the Divisional
Staff, and observation posts to the Infantry in the front line;’ and
Col. Smith, of the Dragoons, writes in much the same vein: ‘They did
many dull, but arduous and necessary fatigues. But they took an especial
interest in the Divisional observation posts, the management of which
was entrusted to them by the Division,’ and which proved, as he says in
another place, ‘a definite speciality of the Regiment, and earned them
considerable credit.’
The first organic change is explained in a letter from G.H.Q., dated May
2nd, 1916, and addressed to the Third Army Commander. We cite here the
salient extracts:
‘In consequence of the growth of the Army and the development
of the Corps Organisation, much of the independence of action
and movement formerly belonging to the Division has passed
to the Corps. It has been found necessary, therefore, to
reconsider the organization and distribution of the Mounted
Troops hitherto allotted to Divisions.
‘The allotment of these troops was originally made with a view
to providing the Divisional Commander with a small mobile force
under his immediate control for reconnaissance, protective and
escort duties; and on the assumption (originally correct) that
the Division would be moving either independently, or with one
or more roads allotted to its exclusive use.
‘These conditions are unlikely to recur; any future movement
will be by Corps, marching and fighting in depth on a
comparatively narrow front. The mounted troops belonging to the
Corps must, therefore, be assembled under the direct control of
the Corps Commander, and organized as Corps units.
‘The Commander-in-Chief has accordingly decided—
‘(_a_) to convert the Squadrons of Divisional Cavalry into
Corps Cavalry Regiments, composed of a Headquarters and Three
Squadrons each; one Regiment being allotted to each Corps.
‘(_b_) to withdraw the Cyclist Companies from Divisions, to
reconstitute them into Battalions of Three Companies each, and
to allot one Battalion to each Corps.
‘(_c_) to allot one Motor Machine-Gun Battery to each Corps.
This battery will normally be attached to the Cyclist
Battalion.’
The following Table shows how the foregoing provisions were applied to
the Squadrons of Yorkshire Dragoons and Yorkshire Hussars:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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