15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade

15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade
Memorial to the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade, at Teen Murti Haifa Chowk in New Delhi.
Active	October 1914 – January 1920
Country	British India
Allegiance	British Crown Indian States rulers
Branch	Imperial Service Troops
Type	Cavalry
Size	Brigade (~ 1,700 men)
Part of	Egyptian Expeditionary Force Imperial Mounted Division XXI Corps Australian Mounted Division Desert Mounted Corps 2nd Mounted (later 5th Cavalry Division)
Engagements	World War I Suez Gaza Jordan Valley Abu Tellul Megiddo Haifa Haritan
Commanders
Notable commanders	William A. Watson Cyril R. Harbord
Insignia
Abbreviation	ISCB

The 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade was a brigade-sized formation that served alongside British Empire forces in the Sinai and Palestine campaign, during World War I. Originally called the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade it was formed from Imperial Service Troops provided by the Indian princely states of Jodhpur, Hyderabad, Mysore, and Patiala which each provided a regiment of lancers. A maximum of three regiments served in the brigade at any one time. The states of Kashmir, Idar and Kathiawar provided smaller detachments for the brigade, which was at times reinforced by other British Empire regiments and artillery batteries when on operations.

In October 1914, the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade was moved by sea to Egypt to become part of the Force in Egypt defending the Suez Canal. In the first three years of the war, the soldiers were involved in several small-scale battles connected to the Raid on the Suez Canal, but spent most of their time patrolling in the Sinai Desert and along the west bank of the canal. It was not until November 1917 as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force that the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade was involved in the Third Battle of Gaza. The following year the brigade joined the 5th Cavalry Division when it became the 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade and played an active role in the British victory over Turkish forces in Palestine.

In total, eighty-four men from the brigade were killed in action or died of their wounds and another 123 were wounded. Several memorials were erected to commemorate the brigade in the Middle East and in India. The anniversary of the brigade's most famous victory, the Battle of Haifa, is still celebrated today by its successors in the Indian Army.