II ANZAC (XXII Corps) Mounted Regiment
| II ANZAC (XXII Corps) Mounted Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1916–18 |
| Country |
Australia New Zealand |
| Branch |
Australian Army New Zealand Army |
| Role | Mounted Infantry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Part of |
II ANZAC Corps (1916–17) XXII Corps (1917–18) |
| Engagements | |
The II ANZAC (XXII Corps) Mounted Regiment was a combined mounted unit made up of Australian and New Zealand troops during the First World War.
History
The regiment was formed in July 1916 when two Australian squadrons from the 4th Light Horse Regiment were joined together with a New Zealand squadron from the Otago Mounted Rifles to form a corps-level mounted regiment for attachment to II ANZAC Corps on the Western Front, known as the II ANZAC Mounted Regiment.[1]
In November 1917 the five Australian infantry divisions were combined to form the Australian Corps and II ANZAC Corps and its remaining New Zealand units were reorganised, becoming part of the British XXII Corps. The regiment was accordingly renamed as the XXII Corps Mounted Regiment at this time. However, unlike the other combined units the Australian personnel serving in the regiment remained with the corps, being the only Australians to do so. Following the armistice the XXII Corps Mounted Regiment was disbanded in early December 1918, and its Australian personnel were transferred to the 13th Light Horse Regiment.[1]
During the war, the regiment lost 45 killed and 126 wounded. Members of the regiment received the following decorations: three Military Crosses; one Distinguished Conduct Medal; 12 Military Medals, six Mentions in Despatches, two Meritorious Service Medals, and five foreign awards.[1]
Battle honours
The II ANZAC (XXII Corps) Mounted Regiment received the following battle honours:[1]
- Messines 1917, Ypres 1917, Broodseinde, Passchendaele, Lys, Kemmel, Marne 1918, Tardenois, France and Flanders 1916–18
Commanding officers
The following officers commanded the II ANZAC (XXII Corps) Mounted Regiment:[1]
- Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Long (1916–17); and
- Lieutenant Colonel Stanley George Hindhaugh (1917–18).
Notes
- 1 2 3 4 5 "II ANZAC (XXII Corps) Mounted Regiment". First World War, 1914–1918 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
Further reading
- Bou, Jean (2010). Light Horse: A History of Australia's Mounted Arm. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521197083.
- Hall, Richard John (1968). The Australian Light Horse. Blackburn, Victoria: W.D. Joynt & Co. OCLC 59504.
- Holloway, David (1990). Hooves, Wheels and Tracks: A History of the 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse Regiment and its Predecessors. Fitzroy, Victoria: Regimental Trustees. ISBN 0-7316-9042-7.
- Smith, Neil (1993). Men of Beersheba: A History of the 4th Light Horse Regiment 1914–1919. Melbourne, Victoria: Mostly Unsung Military History Research and Publications. OCLC 35037932.