A Cavalry Machine Gun Squadron was attached to each Cavalry Brigade. It was formed from the Machine Gun Sections of a Cavalry Regiment.
Brigade attached to: | 3rd Cavalry Brigade |
Division attached to: | 2nd Cavalry Division |
Formed from the: | Machine Gun Section of 4th Hussars |
Machine Gun Section of 5th Royal Irish Lancers | |
Machine Gun Section of 16th Lancers |
The 3rd Cavalry MG Sqdn, MGC was formed on 29 February 1916.
As a unit of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.
1917 | |
BATTLES OF ARRAS | |
09 to 12 April | First Battle of the Scarpe [Cav. Corps, Third Army]. |
BATTLES OF CAMBRAI | |
20 and 21 November | The Tank Attack [Cav. Corps, Third Army]. |
24 to 28 November | Capture of Bourlon Wood [Cav. Corps, Third Army] |
30 November to 03 December | The German Counter-Attacks [Cav. Corps, Third Army]. |
1918 | |
21 March to 03 April | FIRST BATTLES OF THE SOMME |
21 to 23 March | Battle of St. Quentin [III. Corps, Fifth Army]. |
BATTLES OF THE LYS | |
14 and 15 April | Battle of Hazebrouck [Cav. Corps, with Second Army]. |
THE ADVANCE TO VICTORY | |
08 to 11 April | Battle of Amiens [Cav. Corps, Fourth Army]. |
SECOND BATTLES OF THE SOMME | |
21 to 23 April | Battle of Albert [Third Army]. |
BATTLES OF THE HINDERBERG LINE | |
27 September to 01 October | Battle of the Canal du Nord (3rd and 4th Cav. Bdes.) [With Third Army]. |
09 to 12 October | Pursuit to the Selle (3rd Cav. Bde.) [With First Army]. |
THE FINAL ADVANCE | |
17 October to 11 November | In Picardy [With First, Third and Fourth Armies]. |
11 November | Capture of Mons (5th Royal Lancers and 1 Sec. “D” R.H.A. (3rd Cav. Bde.)) [With 3rd Cdn. Div., Cdn. Corps, First Army]. |
On the 11th November the brigades of the 2nd Cavalry Division reached the following line:- 5th Bde. (Fourth Army), Clairfayts (eight miles east of Avesnes); 4th Bde. (Third Army), Erquelinnes (eight miles east of Mauberge); and 3rd Bde. (First Army), Havre and St. Denis (four miles east and north-east of Mons).
On the 15th November the 2nd Cavalry Division was re-formed near Mauberge, and on the 16th orders were issued for the 2nd Cavalry Division to cover the front of the Fourth Army during the march into Germany. The advance was begun on the 17th November; Ciney and Rochefort were reached on the 22nd, and on the 1st December the 5th Bde. crossed the German Frontier (south of St. Vith). Between the 17th and 20th December the division moved to the area (south and south-east of Liege) which had been allocated to it for winter quarters. Here it remained until the 30th January, 1919, when orders were received for the exchange of certain regiments with the 1st and 3rd Cavalry Divisions. The reconstituted 2nd Cavalry Division was to be sent back gradually to England, to be available for eventual service overseas. Finally at midnight, 31st March / 1st April, the 2nd Cavalry Division ceased to exist.