1st South Western Mounted Brigade


The 1st South Western Mounted Brigade was a formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army, organised in 1908. By 1915 its regiments had been posted away so it was broken up; it never saw active service as a brigade. The Headquarters may have formed the HQ for 2/1st Southern Mounted Brigade.

Formation

Under the terms of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907, the brigade was formed in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force. It consisted of three yeomanry regiments, a horse artillery battery and ammunition column, a transport and supply column and a field ambulance. The Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry was attached for training in peacetime.
As the name suggests, the units were drawn from South West England, predominantly Wiltshire, Somerset, Hampshire and Dorset.

World War I

The brigade was mobilised on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War. Initially assigned to the Portsmouth Defences in August 1914, the brigade moved to the Forest Row area of Sussex in October 1914. Thereafter, the regiments left the brigade for other formations.
By 1915, with its regiments having been posted away, the brigade was dissolved. The headquarters staff may have been used to form the 2/1st Southern Mounted Brigade.