VII Brigade , Royal Horse Artillery VII Brigade , Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th Century . It served with 1st Cavalry Division throughout World War I and was reorganized post - war before being dissolved . A related unit 7th Regiment , RHA had a brief existence post - World War II , before 7th Parachute Regiment , RHA was formed in 1961 . Formation . Royal Horse Artillery brigades did not exist as an organizational or operational grouping of batteries until 1 July 1859 when the Horse Brigade , Royal Artillery was formed . The brigade system was extend to five ( later six ) brigades when the horse artillery of the Honourable East India Company had been transferred to the British Army in 1861 . These brigades were reduced to five in 1871 , then to three ( of 10 batteries each ) in 1877 and to two ( of 13 batteries each ) in 1882 . The brigade system was finally abolished in 1889 . As battery designations were tied to the brigade that the battery was assigned to , batteries were redesignated in a bewildering sequence as they were transferred between brigades . For example , E Battery of C Brigade ( E / C Bty ) might become N Battery of A Brigade ( N / A Bty ) upon transfer . Henceforth , batteries were designated in a single alphabetical sequence in order of seniority from date of formation . The brigade system was revived in 1901 . Each brigade now commanded just two batteries and a small staff ( a Lieutenant - Colonel in command , an adjutant and a brigade sergeant major ) . Initially , batteries were not assigned to brigades in any particular order , but in 1906 , at the insistence of Edward VII , brigades were redesignated so that batteries were roughly in order of seniority ( hence I Brigade commanded A Battery and B Battery ) . VII Brigade , RHA was formed on 1 March 1901 as the VIII Brigade - Division , RHA with I Battery and L Battery . In 1903 it was redesignated as VIII Brigade , RHA and was stationed at Secunderabad . On 1 October 1906 , it was redesignated as VII Brigade , RHA . World War I . At the outbreak of World War I , the brigade was at Aldershot attached to 1st Cavalry Brigade , still commanding I and L Batteries . On mobilization , it joined 1st Cavalry Division ( along with III Brigade , RHA ) . The brigade served with the 1st Cavalry Division on the Western Front for the rest of the war and the brigade commander acted as Commander Royal Horse Artillery ( CRHA ) for the division . In practice , the batteries were permanently assigned to the cavalry brigades from September 1914 onwards . The division crossed to France between 15 and 18 August 1914 , concentrated around Maubeuge between 18 and 20 August , and moved forward towards Mons on 21 August . Its first action was the Battle of Mons on 23 and 24 August where the division formed the left flank . It took part in the subsequent retreat , notably the Actions of Elouges and Solesmes , the Battle of Le Cateau , the Action at Néry and the First Battle of the Marne , before advancing again to the First Battle of the Aisne and the Race to the Sea ( Battle of Messines ) . At Néry on 1 September , L Battery was almost destroyed as an operational unit : of five Officers , three were killed and two wounded ; of 200 Other Ranks , 20 were killed and 29 wounded ; and five of six 13 pounder s were lost . It had to be withdrawn to England to reform . ( Tempy ) Z Battery , RHA was formed from various sections of I , D and J Batteries , RHA to replace it . On 27 September , the sections returned to their batteries and ( Tempy ) Z Battery ceased to exist . The next day , H Battery , RHA joined from VI Brigade , RHA at Trowbridge and was attached to 2nd Cavalry Brigade . I Battery , RHA had been attached to 1st Cavalry Brigade on 17 September . On 14 April 1915 , the 9th Cavalry Brigade was formed and joined 1st Cavalry Division to bring it up to a three - brigade strength . 1 / 1st Warwickshire Battery , RHA ( TF ) joined from 2nd Cavalry Division on the same day and was attached to 9th Cavalry Brigade . The division took part in the Second Battle of Ypres ( Battle of Frezenberg , 9 – 13 May , and Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge , 24 May ) . The only action in 1916 was at the Battle of Flers - Courcelette ( 15 September ) when the division was in reserve to XIV Corps of Fourth Army . On 21 November , 1 / 1st Warwickshire Battery , RHA ( TF ) was transferred to XV Brigade , RHA , 29th Division replacing Y Battery , RHA which joined VII Brigade , RHA ( 9th Cavalry Brigade ) on 1 December . In 1917 , the brigade supported the division in a number of major actions including the Battle of Arras ( April , First Battle of the Scarpe ) and the Battle of Cambrai ( November and December , including the Tank Attack , the Capture of Bourlon Wood and the German Counter - attacks ) . 1918 saw greater action as the war of movement resumed , including the German Operation Michael ( March , the Battle of St . Quentin , the First Battle of Bapaume and the Battle of Rosières ) , the Advance to Victory ( August , Battle of Amiens ) , the Second Battle of the Somme ( August , Battle of Albert ) and the battles of the Hindenburg Line ( October , Battle of Cambrai and the Pursuit to the Selle ) . At the Armistice , it was still serving with 1st Cavalry Division with H , I and Y Batteries RHA ( eighteen 13 pounders ) . 1st Cavalry Division led the advance of the Second Army into Germany , crossing the border on 1 December and the Rhine by 13 December . The brigade was broken up in Germany in early 1919 . H Battery transferred to II Brigade , RHA at Bordon in early 1919 , I Battery transferred to IV Brigade , RHA at Newbridge and Kilkenny in May 1919 , and Y Battery transferred to VIII Brigade , RHA also at Bordon . Post - war reorganisation . By October 1919 , VII Brigade , RHA was reformed in the United Kingdom with This new incarnation was short - lived , however . On 1 March 1920 , the brigade was dissolved and the batteries were redesignated as batteries of the Royal Field Artillery . 7th Regiment , RHA . Post - World War II plans for the Royal Horse Artillery envisioned a 7th Regiment , RHA . The was to be an Anti - Tank Regiment with R , S , T and U Batteries . Initially formed in the British Army of the Rhine in October 1946 , the decision was rescinded in March 1947 before the regiment was fully constituted . On 1 May 1947 , the regiment became 12th Anti - Tank Regiment , Royal Artillery . Another unit , 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery , was formed in 1961 .