3rd (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade

At the outbreak of the First World War, the Meerut Cavalry Brigade was part of the 7th (Meerut) Division. It was mobilized in August 1914 as the 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade, assigned to the newly formed 2nd Indian Cavalry Division{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=85}} and sailed from Bombay on 19 October for the Western Front.{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=20}} Likewise, the 7th (Meerut) Division was transferred to France in August 1914.{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=89}}

The 7th Meerut Divisional Area was formed in September 1914 to take over the area responsibilities of the 7th (Meerut) Division{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=97}} and on 21 November 1914{{efn|The first commanding officer was appointed on 21 November 1914.{{London Gazette | issue = 29023 | date = 31 December 1914 |page=11207 | supp = y }}}} a new 14th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade was formed in 7th Meerut Divisional Area to replace the original brigade. It was renumbered as the 4th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade in February 1915.{{efn|By February 1915, the Indian Army included the following cavalry brigades:

• 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=35}}
• 2nd (Sialkot) Cavalry Brigade{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=12}}
• 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade
• 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=17}}
• 6th Indian Cavalry Brigade{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=31}}
• 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade
• 8th (Lucknow) Cavalry Brigade
• 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade
• Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=106}}

Therefore, the 4th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade took the vacant number.}} The brigade served with the division in India throughout the First World War.{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=92}}

In May 1919, the brigade was mobilized to take part in the Third Anglo-Afghan War.

The brigade continued to exist between the world wars. In September 1920 it was redesignated as the 3rd Indian Cavalry Brigade and later in the decade it became the 3rd (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade.{{harvnb|Mackie|2015|p=365}}

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the brigade was under the command of Meerut District.{{harvnb|Kempton|2003b|p=5}} The brigade was broken up in February 1940. Its Headquarters and some units formed the nucleus of The Armoured Brigade{{harvnb|Kempton|2003b|p=6}} (later 2nd Indian Armoured Brigade).{{harvnb|Kempton|2003b|p=1}}

The 14th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade / 4th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade / 3rd Indian Cavalry Brigade / 3rd (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade had the following commanders:

The brigade carried several numbers during its existence. This can be a cause for confusion as other, unrelated, Indian cavalry brigades carried the same numbers at different times:

• the brigade was numbered as 14th from November 1914 to February 1915. Another 14th Cavalry Brigade was formed in April 1918 by merging elements of the 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade (withdrawn from the Western Front) with the British yeomanry 7th Mounted Brigade in Egypt. It served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and was broken up in September 1919.{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=24}}
• the brigade was numbered as 4th from February 1915 to September 1920, when it was renumbered as 3rd Indian Cavalry Brigade. At this point, the Lucknow Cavalry Brigade was numbered as the 4th Indian Cavalry Brigade, until it was broken up in 1923.{{harvnb|Mackie|2015|p=368}} As a result, the 5th Indian Cavalry Brigade (former Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade) was renumbered as the 4th Indian Cavalry Brigade and later as the 4th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade.{{harvnb|Mackie|2015|p=373}}
• the brigade was numbered as 3rd from September 1920 to February 1940. The Ambala Cavalry Brigade had mobilized in August 1914 as 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade and served on the Western Front until it was broken up in March 1918. Another 3rd Indian Cavalry Brigade was formed in Mesopotamia after the end of the war for occupation duties. It drew, in part, on units that had earlier served in the Mesopotamian Campaign. It was broken up in late 1920.{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=33}}

• List of Indian Army Brigades in World War II

{{notelist}}

{{reflist|2}}

• {{cite book

| last = Gaylor | first = John

| year = 1996

| edition = 2nd

| title = Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903–1991

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| title = 'Loyalty & Honour', The Indian Army September 1939 – August 1947

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| isbn = 0-85420-238-2

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Kempton | first = Chris

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| title = 'Loyalty & Honour', The Indian Army September 1939 – August 1947

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}}

• {{cite web

|last=Mackie

|first=Colin

|date=June 2015

|title=Army Commands 1900-2011

|publisher=www.gulabin.com

|url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf

|access-date=1 July 2015

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705211343/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf

|archive-date=5 July 2015

|df=dmy

}}

• {{cite web

| last = Nafziger | first = George

| author-link = George Nafziger

| date = n.d.

| title = The Indian Army 3 September 1939

| publisher = Combined Arms Research Library, United States Army Combined Arms Center

| location = Fort Leavenworth

| url = http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/939BIBB.pdf

| access-date = 9 July 2015

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Perry | first = F.W.

| year = 1993

| title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions

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}}

• {{cite web|url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/7_ind_div_area.htm |title=7th Meerut Divisional Area on The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918 by PB Chappell |access-date=2015-07-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517084750/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/7_ind_div_area.htm |archive-date=17 May 2008 |df=dmy }}
• {{oob unit | id = 10074 | name = 3 (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade }}

C03

Category:Cavalry brigades of the British Indian Army

Category:Military units and formations established in 1914

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1940