2nd Mounted Division  The 2nd Mounted Division was a yeomanry (Territorial Army cavalry) division that served in the First World War. At the outbreak of war it was assigned to defence of the Norfolk coast. In March 1915 it formed a 2nd Line duplicate of itself, the 2/2nd Mounted Division. Leaving the 2/2nd on coastal defence, it then fought at Gallipoli from April to December 1915, under the command of Major General William Peyton, before being disbanded in January 1916. A different 2nd Mounted Division, was formed in Egypt in 1918 from the Indian elements of the 5th Cavalry Division in France, but then renumbered as the 5th Cavalry Division, served in Palestine and was a part of the Palestine Occupation Force. A decision was made to form a new mounted division from the mounted brigades in and around the Churn area of Berkshire. On 2 September 1914, 2nd Mounted Division, with Headquarters at Goring, came into being with three mounted brigades transferred from 1st Mounted Division (1st South Midland Mounted Brigade at Newbury, 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade at Churn and the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Mounted Brigade at South Stoke) and the London Mounted Brigade at Streatley. The brigades were relatively widely dispersed to allow an adequate water supply for the horses and to provide sufficient training areas. In November 1914, the division moved to Norfolk on coastal defence duties. Headquarters was established at Hanworth and the mounted brigades were at King's Lynn (1st South Midland), Fakenham (2nd South Midland), Holt (Notts. and Derby.) and Hanworth (London). In March 1915, the division was put on warning for overseas service. In early April, the division starting leaving Avonmouth and the last elements landed at Alexandria before the end of the month. By the middle of May, the Divisional Headquarters, the 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade and Notts. and Derby. Mounted Brigade were at Cairo, the 1st South Midland Mounted Brigade was at Alexandria, and the London Mounted Brigade and the horse artillery batteries were near Ismaïlia on Suez Canal defences. The mounted brigades were numbered at this time. On 10 August 1915, the division was reorganized as a dismounted formation in preparation for service at Gallipoli. Each Yeomanry Regiment left a squadron headquarters and two troops (about 100 officers and men) in Egypt to look after the horses.