1st Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)

1st Cavalry Division
Active	August 1914 – March 1919 31 October 1940 – 1 August 1941
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	British Crown
Branch	British Army
Type	Cavalry
Size	Division World War II 11,097 men 6,081 horses 1,815 vehicles
Part of	Cavalry Corps (World War I)
Engagements	World War I Battle of Mons (1914) Action of Elouges Rearguard Action of Solesmes Battle of Le Cateau Rearguard Affair of Etreux Affair of Nery Rearguard Actions of Villers-Cotterets Battle of the Marne Battle of the Aisne Actions on the Aisne Heights First Battle of Ypres 1914 Second Battle of Ypres 1915 Battle of Flers-Courcelette 1916 Battle of Arras 1917 Battle of Cambrai 1917 First Battle of the Somme 1918 Battle of Amiens 1918 Second Battle of the Somme 1918 Hindenburg Line 1918 Final Advance in Artois Final Advance in Picardy World War II Anglo-Iraqi War Syria-Lebanon Campaign
Commanders
Notable commanders	Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby

Division World War II

World War I

World War II

The 1st Cavalry Division was a regular Division of the British Army during the First World War where it fought on the Western Front. During the Second World War it was a second line formation, formed from Yeomanry Regiments. It fought in the Middle East before being converted to the 10th Armoured Division.

During the Peninsular War, Wellington organized his cavalry into The Cavalry Division from June 1809 under Major General Sir William Payne. This performed a purely administrative, rather than tactical, role; the normal tactical headquarters were provided by brigades commanding two, later usually three, regiments. On 3 June 1810, Payne returned home and his second-in-command, Major General Stapleton Cotton, took command. Cotton was to remain in command thereafter and effectively acted as Wellington's chief of cavalry.

On 19 June 1811, the cavalry was reorganized as two divisions and The Cavalry Division was redesignated as 1st Cavalry Division with the formation of the 2nd Cavalry Division. The divisions were once again amalgamated as The Cavalry Division on 21 April 1813 with Cotton (Lieutenant General from 1 January 1812) still in command.

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