ANZAC Mounted Division

The Anzac Mounted Division (officially known as the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division) was a mounted infantry division formed in March 1916 in Egypt during World War I following the Battle of Gallipoli when the Australian and New Zealand regiments returned from fighting in a dismounted role. For the remainder of the war it served in the Middle East, in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. Commanded by Major General Sir Harry Chauvel from March 1916 to 1917 when Major General Edward Chaytor took command for the remainder of the war.

The title Anzac indicated its composite Australian and New Zealand units and as such was possibly the first official use of this term for this purpose, rather than as a designation for an army corps.

Composition

The division contained three or four mounted brigades. At its core were the following three brigades:

1st Light Horse Brigade

• 1st Light Horse Regiment
• 2nd Light Horse Regiment
• 3rd Light Horse Regiment

2nd Light Horse Brigade

• 5th Light Horse Regiment
• 6th Light Horse Regiment
• 7th Light Horse Regiment

3rd Light Horse Brigade

• 8th Light Horse Regiment
• 9th Light Horse Regiment
• 10th Light Horse Regiment

The 3rd Light Horse Brigade was transferred to the Imperial Mounted Division (which became the Australian Mounted Division). The British 22nd Mounted (Yeomanry) Brigade replaced the 3rd Light Horse Brigade until it left for the Yeomanry Mounted Division in July 1917.

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade

• Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment
• Canterbury Mounted Rifle Regiment
• Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment

22nd Mounted Brigade (1st North Midland)

• 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment)
• 1/1st Lincolnshire Yeomanry
• 1/1st East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry

Light Horse Field Ambulance

• Australian Light Horse Field Ambulance
• 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance
• 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance
• 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance
• New Zealand Mounted Rifles Field Ambulance

Battles

Sinai

• Battle of Romani
• Battle of Magdhaba
• Battle of Rafa.

Palestine

• First Battle of Gaza – 2nd Brigade and NZ Brigade
• Second Battle of Gaza
• Third Battle of Gaza
• Battle of Beersheba
• Battle of Mughar Ridge Action of Ayun Kara
• Battle of Jerusalem First Attack of Nahr el Auja
• Capture of Jericho
• First Transjordan attack on Amman
• Second Transjordan attack on Shunet Nimrin and Es Salt
• Battle of Megiddo

Third Transjordan capture of Es Salt, Amman 10,000 Ottoman prisoners

Commanders

• Major General Henry G. Chauvel (1916–17)
• Major General Edward Chaytor (1917–19)

Order of battle September 1918

Main article: Battle of Megiddo (1918)

1st Light Horse Brigage (Brigadier General C. F. Cox)

1st, 2nd and 3rd Light Horse Regiments

2nd Light Horse Brigade (Brigadier General G. de L. Ryrie)

5th, 6th and 7th Light Horse Regiments

New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade (Brigadier General W. Meldrum)

Auckland, Canterbury and Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiments

18th Brigade RHA (Inverness, Ayrshire and Somerset Batteries) and Divisional Ammunition Column

A/263 Battery RFA

195th Heavy Battery RGA

29th and 32nd Indian Mountain Batteries

No. 6 (Medium) Trench Mortar Battery

3 anti–aircraft sections RA

Detachment No. 35 AT Company RE.

With the following attachments to form Chaytor's Force

20th Imperial Service Infantry Brigade

Four Indian Battalions

1st Battalion British West Indies Regiment

2nd Battalion British West Indies Regiment

38th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (Jewish Battalion)

39th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (Jewish Battalion)

See also

• Military history of Australia during World War I
• Sinai and Palestine Campaign
• Waler horse

External links

• First AIF Order of Battle 1914–1918: Anzac Mounted Division