| 13th Brigade 13th Infantry Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1914−1918 1939−1945 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements | First World War Second World War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Charles Monro Thompson Capper William Hickie Alfred Reade Godwin-Austen Miles Dempsey Douglas Wimberley Lorne MacLaine Campbell |
The 13th Infantry Brigade was a regular infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service during both the First and the Second World Wars.
The 13th Brigade was temporarily under the command of 28th Division between 23 February and 7 April 1915, when it was replaced by 84th Brigade from that Division and moved to the regular 5th Division. It served on the Western Front for most of the war except for a brief period in Italy. [1]
Component units included: [1]
The brigade was sent to France in mid-September 1939, initially as an independent formation, where it became part of the British Expeditionary Force. [2]
After the retreat from France the brigade re-formed in the United Kingdom. In April–May 1942 13th Brigade, after leaving the United Kingdom along with the rest of the division, was involved in the landings on Vichy held French Madagascar in 1942. [3]
The brigade, with the rest of 5th Infantry Division, fought in the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Italian Campaign where Sergeant Maurice Albert Windham Rogers of the 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in 1944, the first and only VC to be awarded to the brigade and division during the Second World War. [2]
In 1945 the 5th Infantry Division was transferred to the British Second Army participate in the final stages of the North West Europe Campaign where they invaded Germany. [4]
The brigade was part of the 5th Division throughout the Second World War. [4] [2]
The 13th Brigade was constituted as follows during the war: [2]
Between 23 April and 19 May 1942 the following units were under command of the brigade for operations in Madagascar: [2]
The following officers commanded the 13th Brigade during its existence:
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