The 13th had depots in Brisbane and its surrounds, spread out to Laidley and Gatton, while the 14th was based around Toowoomba, Warwick, Stanthorpe, Dalby, Roma and other smaller centres.

Initial enlistments outstripped expectations and, as a result, a total of three light horse brigades as well as two divisional cavalry regiments were formed in the early part of the war.

[3] Later, this was expanded to include a fourth light horse brigade, although this was broken up in mid-1915 to provide reinforcements to the troops deployed to Gallipoli and was not re-raised until early 1917.

After Gallipoli, the Australian light horse formations were used in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign.

[4] The 5th Light Horse Brigade was raised as an AIF formation late in the war, coming into being in Palestine in mid-1918 as part of the expansion and reorganisation of the Desert Mounted Corps.

[13] During operations to secure Damascus, the brigade took up positions overlooking the Barada Gorge, helping to cut off withdrawing Ottoman and German troops, and inflicting heavy casualties on them during an ambush on 30 September.

[15][16] For the remainder of the month, it was engaged in minor mopping up and patrol operations before joining the final stage of the campaign, which saw the brigade begin the advance towards Aleppo.

[25] In the first couple of years after the war, plans were made to reorganise the home forces to meet the needs of peacetime while providing a strong base upon which to mobilise if necessary.

By 1921, when the AIF was officially disbanded, plans were approved to raise two cavalry divisions, each of three brigades, utilising a mix of voluntary enlistment and compulsory service.