On 18 August 1914, the 2nd Light Horse Regiment was raised at Enoggera,[1] and comprised twenty-five officers and 497 other ranks serving in three squadrons, each of six troops.

[3] Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Mackay Stodart,[4] its manpower was drawn from the 1st Military District and consisted mainly of residents of Queensland and New South Wales.

[7] After a short period of training at Enoggera, on 25 September 1914, the regiment left Brisbane, sailing upon the transport ship Star of England,[8] arriving at Egypt on 9 December.

[1] Assigned to the New Zealand and Australian Division, the regiment fought around Anzac Cove, and during the Battle of Sari Bair, but spent most of the campaign in a defensive posture except for one attack they made on the Turkish position at "Quinn's Post" in mid-May, where they lost 25 men killed and 21 wounded before the assault was called off.

[11] Back in Egypt the regiment, still with the 1st Light Horse Brigade, became part of the ANZAC Mounted Division, responsible for the defence of the Suez Canal from raiding Senussi Arabs.

[16] In 1927, the regiment received its battle honours for the war, and was redesignated as the "2nd Moreton Light Horse (Queensland Mounted Infantry)".

[18] Economic hardship during the Great Depression made it difficult for part-time soldiers to maintain their livelihoods while continuing their training commitments, and as a result the number of volunteers fell sharply.

[19] Nevertheless, there was little need for cavalry in the jungle battles Australian forces were fighting in the South West Pacific Area and consequently the regiment was disbanded on 29 July 1943.

[20] The following officers commanded the 2nd Light Horse during the First World War:[1] ANZAC · Defence at ANZAC · Suvla · Sari Bair · Gallipoli 1915–1916 · Egypt 1915–1917 · Romani · Magdhaba–Rafah · Gaza–Beersheba · El Mughar · Nebi Samwill · Jerusalem · Jaffa · Jericho · Jordan (Es Salt) · Jordan (Amman) · Megiddo · Nablus · Palestine 1917–1918.