North Irish Horse - War diaries - A Squadron North Irish Horse

A Squadron North Irish Horse

This diary covers the period from A Squadron's mobilisation on 5 August 1914 to 31 May 1916. During this time it operated as GHQ Mounted Troops (23 August 1914 to 2 January 1916), and as divisional cavalry to the 55th Division (3 January to 9 May 1916). On 10 May 1916 the Squadron joined D and E Squadrons of the North Irish Horse to form the 1st Regiment North Irish Horse, serving as corps cavalry to VII Corps.

The diary is sourced from National Archives documents WO 95/86 and WO 95/2914.

August 1914
5	Enniskillin, Londonderry, Dundalk, Belfast (Troops). Officers, N.C.Os and men of Special Service Troops came up for mobilization.
6	–
7-16	Dublin. Entrained to Dublin to form Special Service Sqdn. Mobilization Equipment drawn & Training carried on.
17	Embarked S.S. Architect at North Wall Docks.
18	At sea.
19	Landed at Havre. Proceeded to No.1 Camp St. Addresse.
20	–
21	Entrained for Busigny.
22	Detrained at Busigny marched to Le Cateau.
23	Detailed as Escort to C-in C.
24	1/2 Squadron detached to 4th Division marched to Solesmes.
25	1/ 1/2 Squardon formed a screen to cover detrainment of 4th Division, retired to Beauvois.
26	1/ 1/2 Squadron joined 3rd Division at Caudry retired to Beaurevoir.
27	Rear Guard for 3rd Division to Vermand.
28	Rear Guard for 3rd Division to Noyon rejoined 4th Division.
29	Marched out to camp at Sempigny.
30	Rear Guard to 4th Division to Brieul.
31	Rear Guard to St Sauveur.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding "A." Sqdn North Irish Horse
September 1914
1	~~Battle of Nery,~~ Rear Guard of 4th Division to Baron.
2	Rear Guard for 4th Division to Dammartin.
3	Marched Dammartin to Lagny.
4	Rear Guard to Jossigny.
5	Rear Guard to Brie-comte-Robert.
6	Advance Guard to 4th Divn to Magny-le-hongres.
7	Advance Guard to 4th Divn to Corbeville.
8	Advance Guard to 4th Division to Signy-Signets.
9	Rejoined ~~C-in Cs Escort~~ G.H.Q. at Coulommiers.
10	Coulommiers.
11	Marched to La Ferme Paris near Marigny.
12	Marched to Fere-en Tardenois.
13-30	Fere-en Tardenois. Guards & Escorts to C-in C.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding A. Squadron North Irish Horse
October 1914
1-7	Fere-en-Tardenois. Guards & Escorts to C-in-C.
8	Entrained for Abbeville.
9	Detrained at Abbeville.
10-12	Abbeville. Guards & Escorts to C-in C.
13	Entrained for and detrained at St. Omer.
14-16	St. Omer. Guards & Escorts to C-in C.
17	Marched to Hazebrouck under orders for A.P.M.
18	Marched to Bailleul detailed for Police duties and Road Control from Messines to Estaires.
19-23	Police duties & road control Messines to Estaires.
24	Reassembled at Bailleul.
25	Marched to St. Omer, & joined G.H.Q. Troops.
26-31	St. Omer. G.H.Q. Troops duties.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding "A." Sqdn North Irish Horse
November 1914
1-30	St. Omer. Guards & Escorts to C-in C. G.H.Q. Troops duties.
[Signed] Cole Lieut Colonel Commanding 1/ North Irish Horse
December 1914
1-31	St. Omer. G.H.Q. Troops duties.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding 1/ North Irish Horse
January 1915
1-31	St. Omer. G.H.Q. Troops duties.
[Signed] Cole Major Comdg A Sqdn North Irish Horse
February 1915
1-28	St. Omer. G.H.Q. Troops duties.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding 1/ North Irish Horse
March 1915
1-31	St. Omer. G.H.Q. Troops duties.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding A Sqdn North Irish Horse
April 1915
1-30	St. Omer. G.H.Q. Troops duties.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
May 1915
1-26	St. Omer. G.H.Q. Troops duties.
27	Marched to Blendecques.
28-31	Blendecques. Guards & Escorts to C-in C.
[Signed] Cole Major Comdg A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
June 1915
1-30	Blendecques. Guards & Escorts to C-in-C.
[Signed] Cole Major Comdg A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
July 1915
1-31	Blendecques. Guards & Escorts to C-in-C.
[Signed] Cole Major Comdg A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
August 1915
1-31	Blendecques. Guards & Escorts to C-in C.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
September 1915
1-30	Blendecques. Guards & Escorts to C-in-C.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
October 1915
1-31	Blendecques. Guards & Escorts to C-in-C.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
November 1915
1-30	Blendecques. Guards & Escorts to C-in-C.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
December 1915
1-31	Blendecques. Guards & Escorts C-in-C.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
January 1916
1-2	Blendecques.
3	Entrained for Limeux to join 55th Division.
4-31	Limeux. Divisional Cavalry duties.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding A Sqdn North Irish Horse
February 1916
1-7	Limeux. Squadron, Brigade & Divisional Training.
8-15	[8 February] Marched to St. Ledger les Domart. [8-15 February] St. Ledger les Domart. Squadron Training & Divl Cavalry duties.
16	Marched to Sarton.
17-24	[17 February] Marched to Humbercourt. [17-24 February] Humbercourt. Squadron Training & Divl Cav duties.
25-29	[25 February] Marched to Couturelle. [25-29 February] Couturelle. Divisional Cav. duties.
[Signed] Cole Major Comdg 'A' Sqdn North Irish Horse
March 1916
1-7	[1-7 March] Couturelle. Divisional cavalry Duties. [7 March] Marched to Humbercourt.
8-31	Humbercourt. Divisional cavalry duties.
[Signed] D. Ker. Major for Comdg A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
April 1916
1-30	Humbercourt. Divisional Cavalry Duties with 55 Division.
[Signed] Cole Major Commanding A. Sqdn North Irish Horse
May 1916
1-4	Humbercourt. Divisional Cavalry duties.
5	Marched to Leseux [Lucheux].
6-9	Divisional Cavalry duties.
10-31	[10 May] Marched to Grouches to form VII Corps Cav Regt. comprised of A, D & E Squadrons. Major Visct Cole to Command 1/ North Irish Horse. O.B. 1517. [10-31 May] Grouches. Corps Cavalry duties.
[Signed] Cole Major Comdg 1/ North Irish Horse

Abbreviations

APM - Assistant Provost Marshall
C-in-C - Commander-in-Chief
GHQ - General Headquarters
NCO - Non-Commissioned Officer
Visct - Viscount