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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. In the British Army the term "cavalry" was only used for regular army units. The other mounted regiments in the army, which were part of the Territorial Force reserve, were the yeomanry and special reserve regiments of horse. However the yeomanry formations were commanded by cavalry or ex-cavalry officers.

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. William Robertson, 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards, who rose in rank from private to field marshal, was the Quartermaster General, then Chief of Staff of the British Expeditionary Force, before becoming the Chief of the Imperial General Staff in December 1915.

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. He was replaced as commander of the Third Army by Julian Byng, 10th (Prince of Wales's Own) Royal Hussars who had previously commanded the Canadian Corps. Hubert Gough of the 16th (The Queen's) Lancers, known before the war for his involvement in the Curragh incident mutiny, started the war as a brigade commander, became the commander of the I Corps, then the Fifth Army. He was replaced by William Birdwood, 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers, who had previously commanded the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli Campaign. 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. He later transferred to the Western Front, where he was temporarily commander of the Fifth Army before taking over command of the X Corps.

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

1. As a rule of thumb only, some junior ranking generals did at times command larger formations, than indicated by their rank.
2. Alphabetical by surname.
3. This is their highest rank during the war, some advanced to higher ranks post war.
4. This is their last command, some generals rose from brigade to army commands during the conflict.
5. Changed name from Edward Louis Spiers by deed poll in 1918.

Citations

1. Griffith 1998, p.142
2. Gudmundsson 2005, p.48
3. Pearce and Stewart 2002, pp.289–290
4. Griffiths and Greiss 2003, p.69
5. Holmes 2005, p.121
6. "No. 28879". The London Gazette. 25 August 1914. p. 6688.
7. "No. 29107". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 March 1915. p. 2819.
8. "No. 29426". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1915. p. 120.
9. ^ Chris Baker. "British Armies of 1914–1918". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
10. Mr. Bonar Law, Leader of the Opposition (23 March 1914). "Motion For Adjournment". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Hansard House of Commons. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
11. Hill, A. J. "Birdwood, William Riddell (Baron Birdwood) (1865–1951)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
12. "No. 29632". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 June 1916. pp. 6185–6190.
13. Bourne, John. "William Elliot Peyton". University of Birmingham, Centre for First World War Studies. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
14. ^ "Generals Nicknames A-C". Western Front Association. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
15. "Brigadier General Anthony Ashley-Cooper medals". Spinks and Sons. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
16. "Babington". King;s College London. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
17. "Lord Binning". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
18. "No. 29652". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 1916. p. 6701.
19. "No. 30440". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 December 1917. p. 13349.
20. "No. 28991". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 November 1914. p. 10143.
21. "Robert Broadwood". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
22. "No. 29552". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 April 1916. p. 4024.
23. "No. 28875". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 August 1914. p. 6581.
24. "No. 29438". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 January 1916. p. 568.
25. "No. 30721". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1918. p. 6514.
26. "No. 30538". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 February 1918. p. 2340.
27. "Charles Campbell". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
28. "No. 31097". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1918. p. 82.
29. "No. 30582". The London Gazette. 18 March 1918. p. 3403.
30. "No. 29160". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 May 1915. p. 4625.
31. "No. 29947". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 February 1917. p. 1655.
32. "No. 30696". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 May 1918. p. 6048.
33. ^ "Generals Nicknames D-H". Western Front Association. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
34. "No. 30418". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 December 1917. p. 12862.
35. ^ "No. 30952". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 October 1918. p. 12107.
36. "No. 28911". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 September 1914. p. 7568.
37. "No. 31860". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 April 1920. p. 4332.
38. "No. 13454". The Edinburgh Gazette. 5 June 1919. p. 1956.
39. "No. 30491". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 January 1918. p. 1169.
40. "No. 30100". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 May 1917. p. 5292.
41. "No. 29763". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 September 1916. p. 9339.
42. ^ Becke 1936, p. 2
43. "Major-General Henry Hodgson". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
44. ^ "No. 29945". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 February 1917. p. 1606.
45. "No. 29639". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 June 1916. p. 6316.
46. "Philip Howell". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
47. "No. 30624". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 April 1918. p. 4410.
48. "No. 31451". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 1919. p. 8938.
49. "No. 30451". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1918. p. 80.
50. ^ "Generals Nicknames I-N". Western Front Association. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
51. "Philip Kelly". National Archives. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
52. Davies & Maddocks 1995, p. 80
53. "No. 29987". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 March 1917. p. 2701.
54. "No. 29449". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 January 1916. p. 981.
55. "No. 31498". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 August 1919. p. 10195.
56. "Walter Long". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
57. "No. 29146". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 April 1915. p. 4146.
58. "No. 29146". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 April 1915. p. 4146.
59. "No. 31475". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 July 1919. p. 9522.
60. "No. 31097". The London Gazette. 3 September 1918. p. 83.
61. "George Milner". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
62. "No. 31093". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1919. p. 52.
63. "Colquhoun Morrison". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
64. "Norman Nickalls". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
65. "No. 30865". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 August 1918. p. 9964.
66. "No. 30277". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 September 1917. p. 9353.
67. "No. 29285". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 September 1915. p. 8823.
68. ^ "Generals Nicknames O-S". Western Front Association. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
69. "No. 29607". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1916. p. 5469.
70. "No. 30263". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 August 1917. p. 9103.
71. "No. 30723". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1918. p. 6531.
72. "No. 29023". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1914. p. 11207.
73. "No. 30229". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 August 1917. p. 8216.
74. "No. 30326". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 October 1917. p. 10366.
75. "No. 30837". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 August 1918. p. 9417.
76. "No. 30881". The London Gazette. 3 September 1918. p. 10460.
77. "No. 29468". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 February 1916. p. 1566.
78. ^ "Generals Nicknames T-Z". Western front Association. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
79. "No. 29945". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 February 1917. p. 1603.
80. "No. 29960". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 February 1917. p. 1956.
81. "No. 31054". The London Gazette. 6 December 1918. p. 14487.
82. "No. 30126". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1917. p. 5743.
83. "No. 29577". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 May 1916. p. 4664.
84. "No. 29977". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 March 1917. p. 2450.
85. "No. 30568". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 March 1918. p. 3095.
86. "Wright-Boycott". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
87. "No. 29180". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1915. p. 5326.
88. "No. 31092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1919. p. 52.
89. "No. 29652". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 1916. p. 6696.

• Becke, Major A.F. (1936). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2A. The Territorial Force.
• Davies, Frank; Maddocks, Graham (1995). Bloody Red Tabs. Leo Cooper. ISBN 0-85052-463-6.
• Griffith, Paddy (1998). British Fighting Methods in the Great War. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-7146-3495-1.
• Griffiths, William; Griess, Thomas (2003). The Great War. Square One. ISBN 0-7570-0158-0.
• Gudmundsson, Bruce (2005). The British Expeditionary Force 1914–15. Vol. 16 of Battle Orders. Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84176-902-8.
• Holmes, Richard (2005). Tommy–The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914–1918. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-713752-7.

• British Army cavalry generals of World War I
• British Army lists