120th Brigade 120th (Highland) Brigade | |
---|---|
Active | 7 September 1915 – 2 May 1918 14 June 1918–May 1919 9 November 1943 – 16 June 1944 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Infantry and deception |
Size | Brigade |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | C.S. Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby Hon. W.P. Hore-Ruthven (Master of Ruthven) |
The 120th Brigade (120 Bde) was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army during World War I. Part of Lord Kitchener's 'New Armies', it served in the 40th Division on the Western Front. In 1918 it was reorganised as the 120th (Highland) Brigade. The brigade number was reactivated for deception purposes during World War II.
120 Brigade was a New Army or 'Kitchener's Army' formation raised in September 1915, in 40th Division at Aldershot. An earlier 120 Brigade had been raised in late 1914 as part of the 'Fifth New Army', but when the Fourth New Army was broken up in April 1915 to provide reserve units for the First to Third New Armies, the formations of the Fifth took their place, and the original 120 Bde was renumbered 99th Brigade. [1] By the time the new 120 Bde was organised the flow of volunteers had dwindled, and the standard of height for infantry soldiers had been lowered in order to encourage recruitment. Some of these so-called 'bantams' were well-knit, hardy men, but many others, especially in 120th Bde, were under-developed and unfit. It was estimated that the four battalions in the brigade would provide enough fit men for only two serviceable battalions. To prevent the departure of the division to the Front being indefinitely postponed, the divisional commander asked for fresh units to be drafted in. 120th Brigade was completely reorganised in February 1916. Divisional training was then intensified and the division was warned for overseas service in May 1916. [2]
The original units forming 120 Bde were as follows: [2]
Disembarkation was carried out at Le Havre between 2 and 6 June, and the division concentrated in the Lillers area by 9 June ready to take its place in the line. 120 Brigade's active service was entirely spent on the Western Front. It was the first part of the division to see serious action, being engaged in the Battle of the Ancre (the last phase of the Battle of the Somme, 14–18 November 1916), detached under the command of 31st Division. [2] [9]
Early in 1917 the division followed up the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, with offensive action on 24 April, when 13th East Surreys captured Villers-Plouich and over 100 prisoners, while Beaucamp was entered by 14th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. [10] [11] [12]
In November 1917, during the Battle of Cambrai, the division relieved 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division to continue the breakthrough. The attack on the morning of 23 November, with the objective of capturing Bourlon Wood, was begun by 119 and 121 Bdes with tank support, while 120 Bde was in reserve. Confused fighting went on for two days and nights, with troops from 120 Bde being gradually fed into the line. On the afternoon of 24 November 14th Bn Highland Light Infantry of 120 Bde together with some tanks attacked Bourlon village; although the HLI fought their way through the village, they became cut off on the other side. 40th Division ordered a renewed attack the following morning to break through and relieve them. The only troops available to 121 Bde for this task were the uncommitted 13th East Surreys from 120 Bde. The East Surreys attacked around dawn, made contact with the HLI battalion HQ, but were unable to get through to the HLI companies furthest forward, who were forced to surrender. In the two days the division suffered over 4000 casualties, and Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby's battalions had been badly damaged while under the command of others. [13] [14]
In February 1918, British brigades were reduced to a three-battalion basis and brigade machine gun companies were combined into divisional battalions. 40th Division had lost so heavily in late 1917 that a more extensive reorganisation was required, leading to the following order of battle for 120 Bde, which was henceforth sometimes referred to as 120th (Highland) Brigade: [2] [15]
120 Bde saw heavy action during the German spring offensive of 1918: [2]
Following heavy casualties during these battles, 40th Division was reduced to two composite brigades. 10/11th and 14th Highland Light Infantry from 120 Bde combined to form C Bn of 2nd Composite Bde. (14th Argylls had already been reduced to a cadre and transferred to 30th Division on 7 April.) [2]
2nd Composite Bde was employed on digging the Poperinghe Line behind the threatened Ypres Salient. In early May 1918, all of 40th Division's remaining infantry battalions were reduced to training cadres and were posted to other formations while the trench mortar batteries disbanded. [2]
On 10 June 1918, 120 Bde was reconstituted with six Garrison Guard Battalions. Three of these were immediately transferred to 119 Bde and the remainder formed 120 Bde and were redesignated as Garrison Battalions of their parent regiments: [2]
On 13 July the term 'Garrison' was dropped from the battalion titles, and the brigade light trench mortar battery had been reformed. By 18 July the brigade resumed its place in the Front Line. It then took part in the following operations of the Hundred Days Offensive in 1918: [2]
After the Armistice with Germany, the division was engaged in road repair and refresher courses for men returning to civilian trades. Demobilisation proceeded rapidly during January and February 1919, and its units were reduced to cadre strength by March. The final cadres disappeared during May. [19]
The following officers commanded 120 Brigade during the war: [2]
120 Brigade was never reformed, but the number was used for deception purposes during the Second World War. 30th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment, a line of communication unit serving in 43rd Brigade in Sicily and composed mainly of men below Medical Category 'A', was redesignated '120th Infantry Brigade' and acted as if it were a full brigade in an equally fictitious '40th Infantry Division' from November 1943 until June 1944. [20]
The 32nd Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was raised in 1914, during the First World War. The division was raised from volunteers for Lord Kitchener's New Armies, made up of infantry 'Pals battalions' and artillery brigades raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the War Office in September 1915. It served in France and Belgium in the trenches of the Western Front for the duration of the war. It saw action at the Battle of the Somme, the Pursuit to the Hindenburg Line, the Defence of Nieuport, the German spring offensive, and the Allied Hundred Days Offensive beginning at the Battle of Amiens. After the Armistice it marched into Germany as part of the Army of Occupation.
The 14th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation during the Second Boer War, World War I, when it served on the Western Front, and World War II, when it fought in Crete and Tobruk, and then as Chindits in Burma.
The 19th Brigade is an Army Reserve formation of the British Army. As the 19th Infantry Brigade, it fought in the First and Second World War.
The 40th Division was an infantry division of the British Army active during the First World War, where it served on the Western Front. It was a division of Lord Kitchener's New Army volunteers, mostly "bantam" recruits of below regulation height. It was later briefly reformed as a deception formation in the Second World War, and during the early years of the Cold War was recreated a third time to garrison Hong Kong.
42nd Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during both World Wars. It was formed in August 1914 as part of Kitchener's Army, and was assigned to the 14th (Light) Division, serving on the Western Front. It was reformed in World War II for line of communication and deception purposes. As 42 Brigade it became a regional headquarters from 1982 to 2017.
152nd Infantry Brigade was a formation of Britain's Territorial Force/Territorial Army that was part of 51st (Highland) Division in both World Wars. From its origins in the 19th Century Volunteer Force it was based in Inverness and was composed of Highland battalions. It served on the Western Front in World War I, and after it was captured at Saint-Valery-en-Caux early in World War II it was reformed from its 2nd Line and saw action in North Africa, Sicily and North West Europe.
153rd Infantry Brigade was a formation of Britain's Territorial Force/Territorial Army that was part of 51st (Highland) Division in both World Wars. From its origins in the 19th Century Volunteer Force it was based in Aberdeen and was composed of Highland battalions. It served on the Western Front in World War I, and after it was captured at Saint-Valery-en-Caux early in World War II it was reformed from its 2nd Line and saw action in North Africa, Sicily and North West Europe. It continued serving postwar until the reduction of the Territorial Army in the 1960s.
154th Infantry Brigade was a formation of Britain's Territorial Force/Territorial Army that was part of 51st (Highland) Division in both World Wars. From its origins in the 19th Century Volunteer Force it was based in Stirling and was composed of Highland battalions. It served on the Western Front in World War I, and after it escaped from France early in World War II it was reformed from its 2nd Line and saw action in North Africa, Sicily and North West Europe. It continued serving postwar until the reduction of the Territorial Army in the 1960s.
227th Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army formed for Home Service under various short-lived titles in the First and the Second World Wars. Later it was upgraded to a field formation composed of Scottish troops, and saw heavy fighting in the Normandy and North West Europe Campaign.
The 157th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army. The brigade fought in both the First and the Second World Wars, assigned to 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division.
The 214th Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during World War I. It was raised as a second line brigade of the Territorial Force and initially assigned to the 71st Division for coast defence. Later it was reorganised as an all-arms brigade group for service in North Russia, but this was cancelled and it was reassigned to the 67th Division, a training and home defence formation, until the end of the war.
The 216th Brigade was a Home Service formation of the British Army during the First and the Second World Wars.
The 119th Brigade, originally the Welsh Bantam Brigade, was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army during World War I. Part of Lord Kitchener's 'New Armies', it was formed of men under the normal regulation height, known as bantams. It served in the 40th Division on the Western Front, distinguishing itself in actions against the Hindenburg Line and the capture of Bourlon Wood. It was reorganised as a conventional brigade in early 1918 and served until the end of the war. The brigade number was reactivated for deception purposes during World War II.
The 121st Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army during World War I. Part of Lord Kitchener's 'New Armies', it served in the 40th Division on the Western Front. The brigade number was reactivated for deception purposes during World War II.
The 196th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army raised during the Great War in 1914. The brigade was formed as a 2nd Line of the 157th Brigade and assigned to the 65th Division, itself formed as a 2nd Line of the 52nd (Lowland) Division. The brigade was composed of four 2nd Line battalions of the Highland Light Infantry and remained in the United Kingdom throughout the war.
221st Mixed Brigade was a Scottish Home Service formation of the British Army that served under various titles throughout World War I.
71st Division was a short-lived infantry division of the British Army during the First World War. It served in the Home Defence forces and never went overseas.
Brigadier-General Charles Strathavon Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, was a British Army officer in the Second Boer War and World War I.
The 13th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (Wandsworth) was an infantry unit recruited as part of 'Kitchener's Army' in World War I. It was raised in the summer of 1915 by the Mayor and Borough of Wandsworth in the suburbs of South London. It served on the Western Front from June 1916, and distinguished itself at the capture of Villers-Plouich and at Bourlon Wood. It then fought through the German spring offensive and the Battle of the Lys, when most of the battalion was surrounded and captured. Reduced to a training cadre the battalion was sent back to England to be reconstituted, but was eventually disbanded just before the end of the war
The 12th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers was a Welsh Bantam battalion recruited in World War I as part of 'Kitchener's Army' from men who were below the normal minimum height required by the British Army. It formed part of the Welsh Bantam Brigade, later 119th Brigade, and served on the Western Front. It saw a good deal of action along the Hindenburg Line and at Cambrai before being broken up early in 1918 to provide reinforcements to other units.