The two cavalry officers that commanded the British Expeditionary Force , Generals John French and Douglas Haig , flank the French General Joseph Joffre . The British First World War cavalry generals , by the end of the war belonged to one of the smallest arms of the British Army , they did however, including those belonging to the British Indian Army , provided some of its highest ranking commanders.
The cavalry were well represented among the British Army's higher ranks, with five of the ten officers who would command the five armies on the Western Front being cavalrymen.[ 1] Territorial Force reserve, were the yeomanry and special reserve regiments of horse.[ 2]
The two commanders of the British Expeditionary Force during the First World War, Field Marshals John French and Douglas Haig , came from the 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars and 7th (Queen's Own) Hussars respectively.[ 3] [ 4] William Robertson , 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards , who rose in rank from private to field marshal,[ 5] Quartermaster General , then Chief of Staff of the British Expeditionary Force,[ 6] [ 7] Chief of the Imperial General Staff in December 1915.[ 8]
Edmund Allenby , 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons , who started the war as the commander of the Cavalry Division , went on to command the Cavalry Corps , then V Corps , the Third Army , and the Egyptian Expeditionary Force .[ 9] Julian Byng , 10th (Prince of Wales's Own) Royal Hussars who had previously commanded the Canadian Corps .[ 9] Hubert Gough of the 16th (The Queen's) Lancers , known before the war for his involvement in the Curragh incident mutiny ,[ 10] I Corps , then the Fifth Army .[ 9] William Birdwood , 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers , who had previously commanded the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli Campaign .[ 11] Charles Briggs , 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards , commanded the British Salonika Army . William Peyton , 15th (The King's) Hussars , commanded the Western Desert Force during the Senussi Campaign .[ 12] X Corps .[ 13]
Cavalry generals
This indicates a member of the British Indian Army This indicates a member of the Special Reserve or Territorial Force yeomanry
See also
British Army during World War I
References
Footnotes
^ As a rule of thumb only, some junior ranking generals did at times command larger formations, than indicated by their rank.
^ Alphabetical by surname.
^ This is their highest rank during the war, some advanced to higher ranks post war.
^ This is their last command, some generals rose from brigade to army commands during the conflict.
^ Changed name from Edward Louis Spiers by deed poll in 1918.[ 76]
Citations
^ Griffith 1998, p.142
^ Gudmundsson 2005, p.48
^ Pearce and Stewart 2002, pp.289–290
^ Griffiths and Greiss 2003, p.69
^ Holmes 2005, p.121
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British Indian Army Cavalry Regiments 1903–1946
Pre 1922 reforms Post 1922 reforms
