The cavalry reserve

Organisation
Seventeen reserve regiments were formed when the army mobilised in August 1914. Most of them had two or more of the active cavalry regiments affiliated to them and the intention was for the reserve to supply drafts to the affiliated regiments. In June 1915 the 3rd Line regiments of the Yeomanry (the training units of the cavalry of the Territorial Force) were also affiliated with these reserve regiments. There was a major reorganisation in early 1917, reducing the number of regiments. Later that year, the 3rd Line units of thise Yeomanry regiments whose 1st Line was now fighting dismounted as infantry in Egypt were withdrawn from the Cavalry Reserve regiments and instead aligned with the home-based infantry training organisation.

Soldiers
Men who enlisted into the cavalry, either as volunteers or conscripts, served with the cavalry reserve to carry out their basic training. Many were not, however, posted to a cavalry regiment overseas but were converted into infantry or other corps before being sent there. It is rare to see a cavalry reserve unit being mentioned in a man's medal records, even if the man had trained with them.

Men who served with the cavalry can be researched in exactly the same way as, for example, infantrymen.
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