18th Mounted Brigade

December 2013 January 2024 2/1st Yorkshire Mounted Brigade18th Mounted Brigade11th Cyclist Brigade7th Cyclist Brigade 1915–1918 UKGBI United Kingdom 23px YeomanryBicycle infantry Brigade World War I Service The 18th Mounted Brigade, previously known as the 2/1st Yorkshire Mounted Brigade, was a 2nd Line yeomanry brigade of the British Army during the First World War. In July 1916 it was converted to a cyclist formation as 11th Cyclist Brigade and in November 1916 was redesignated as 7th Cyclist Brigade. It was still in existence, in Ireland, at the end of the war. Mounted Brigade In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw.7, c.9) which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service. Therefore, TF units were split in August and September 1914 into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. Later, a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments.Rinaldi 2008 35 Similarly, by 1915 most 2nd Line yeomanry regiments were formed into 2nd Line mounted brigades with the same title and composition as the pre-war 1st Line formations. Two other 2nd Line brigades (2/1st Southern Mounted Brigade and 2/1st Western Mounted Brigade) without 1st Line antecedents were also formed.James 1978 36 2/1st Yorkshire Mounted Brigade was a mirror formation of the 1st Line Yorkshire Mounted Brigade. It was raised in YorkshireJames 1978 31,32 and had under command the 2/1st Yorkshire Hussars,The Long, Long Trail 14 February 2014 Baker Chris The Yorkshire Hussars http://www.1914-1918.net/yorkshussars.htm the 2/1st Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons,The Long, Long Trail 14 February 2014 Baker Chris The Yorkshire Dragoons http://www.1914-1918.net/yorksdragoons.htm and the 2/1st East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry.The Long, Long Trail 14 February 2014 Baker Chris The East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry http://www.1914-1918.net/eastriding.htm By March 1916, the brigade was in the Beverley area. On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were ordered to be numbered in a single sequence and the brigade became 18th Mounted Brigade, still in Yorkshire under Northern Command. Cyclist Brigade In July 1916 there was a major reorganization of 2nd Line yeomanry units in the United Kingdom. All but 12 regiments were converted to cyclists and as a consequence the brigade was converted to 11th Cyclist Brigade. Further reorganization in October and November 1916 saw the brigade redesignated as 7th Cyclist Brigade in November, now in the Bridlington area. In March 1917, the Yorkshire Hussars moved to Driffield and the Yorkshire Dragoons to Barmston; in July, the Yorkshire Dragoons moved to Burton Agnes and were replaced at Barmston by the Yorkshire Hussars; both regiments returned to Bridlington in January 1918.James 1978 31 About May 1918 the Brigade moved to Ireland. 2/1st Yorkshire Hussars was stationed at Fermoy, County Cork and Fethard, County Tipperary the 2/1st Yorkshire Dragoons at Fermoy, and the 2/1st East Riding at Bandon, County Cork and Fermoy.James 1978 32 There were no further changes before the end of the war. See also United Kingdom Yorkshire Mounted Brigade for the 1st Line formation British yeomanry during the First World War Second line yeomanry regiments of the British Army References 2 Bibliography James Brigadier E.A. 1978 British Regiments 1914–18 Samson Books Limited London 0-906304-03-2 Rinaldi Richard A 2008 Order of Battle of the British Army 1914 Ravi Rikhye 978-0-97760728-0 Category:Mounted Brigades of the British Army Category:Military units and formations established in 1915 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1918