The
Kitchener Reforms, carried out during
Lord Kitchener's tenure as
Commander-in-Chief, India (1902–09), completed the unification of the three former
Presidency armies, the
Punjab Frontier Force, the
Hyderabad Contingent and other local forces into one
Indian Army. Kitchener identified the Indian Army's main task as the defence of the
North-West Frontier against foreign aggression (particularly Russian expansion into Afghanistan) with
internal security relegated to a secondary role. The Army was organized into
divisions and
brigades that would act as field formations but also included internal security troops. The
Meerut Brigade was formed in November 1904 as a result of the Kitchener Reforms. The brigade formed part of the
7th (Meerut) Division.
7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade horselines and bivouacs Aire, France, 25 July 1915 In August 1914, the brigade was mobilized as the
7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade. In company with the newly formed
5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade, it departed
Bombay on 19 November 1914 and landed at
Marseille on 14–16 December. It joined the
2nd Indian Cavalry Division which was formally constituted on 14 December. The division concentrated around
Orléans on 20–24 December and moved up to the
Front on 1–4 January 1915. While in France, the brigade was known by its geographical rather than numerical designation so as to avoid confusion with the British
7th Cavalry Brigade also serving on the Western Front at the same time. The brigade did not take part in any significant actions while on the Western Front. Instead, it was held in reserve in case of a breakthrough, although it did send parties to the trenches on a number of occasions. They would hold the line, or act as
Pioneers; such parties were designated as the
Meerut Battalion. •
3rd Skinner's Horse went to
2nd (Rawalpindi) Division •
18th King George's Own Tiwana Lancers transferred to
3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade and was replaced by
30th Lancers (Gordon's Horse) which in turn joined the
1st (Peshawar) Division in August 1916. •
13th Duke of Connaught's Lancers (Watson's Horse) joined from the 1st (Peshawar) Division •
14th Murray's Jat Lancers joined from the 1st (Peshawar) Division
7th Indian Cavalry Brigade The brigade arrived in
Mesopotamia in August 1916 where it served as an independent brigade, as part of the
Cavalry Division from 8 December 1916 to 8 April 1918, and as an independent brigade to the end of the war. With the division, it took part in the
Second Battle of Kut including the
Advance to the Hai and Capture of the Khudaira Bend (14 December 1916 – 19 January 1917), the
Capture of the Hai Salient (25 January–5 February 1917), and the
Capture of the Dahra Bend (9–16 February). It then took part in the
Pursuit to Baghdad and a number of actions later in 1917. In 1918 it took part in the Affair of
Kulawand (27 April), the action of
Tuz Khurmatli (29 April), the action at
Fat-ha Gorge on the
Little Zab (23–26 October 1918), and the
Battle of Sharqat (28–30 October 1918) under the command of
I Corps. After the
Armistice of Mudros, the brigade was selected to form part of the occupation forces for Mesopotamia. The brigade was finally broken up in late 1920. ==Orders of battle==