166th (South Lancashire) Brigade

Last updated

South Lancashire Brigade
166th (South Lancashire) Brigade
166th (South Lancashire & Cheshire) Brigade
166th Infantry Brigade
Active1902-1919
1920-1939
1944-1945
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Type Infantry
Size Brigade
Part of 55th (West Lancashire) Division
Engagements First World War

The 166th (South Lancashire) Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in the First World War and remained in the United Kingdom throughout the Second World War.

Contents

Origin

The brigade was first formed in the Volunteer Force in 1902 from elements of the Mersey Brigade and the Cheshire and Lancashire Brigade. Headquartered at Lancaster under the officer commanding 4th Regimental District, it comprised the 1at and 2nd Volunteer Battalions of the South Lancashire Regiment and the 3rd, 6th and 8th (Scottish) Volunteer Battalions of the King's (Liverpool Regiment), together with a transport company of the Army Service Corps and a bearer company of the Medical Staff Corps. [1]

The brigade continued when the Volunteers were subsumed into the Territorial Force in 1908 (when the volunteer battalions were renumbered), with the following composition: [1] [2] [3]

The brigade formed part of the TF's West Lancashire Division. [1] [2] [3]

First World War

These later became 166th (South Lancashire) Brigade and 55th (West Lancashire) Division respectively, in 1915. The brigade served with the division on the Western Front during the Second World War.

Order of battle

The brigade had the following composition during the war: [2] [3]

Commanders

The following officers commanded the brigade during the First World War: [2]

Commanding officers
RankNameDate appointedNotes
Brigadier-General A. L. MacFie 3 October 1911Promoted brigadier-general 5 August 1914
Brigadier-General L. F. Green-Wilkinson 3 January 1916
Brigadier-General F. G. Lewis 25 April 1917Wounded 1 December 1917
Lieutenant-Colonel J. L. A. MacDonald 1 December 1917Acting
Brigadier-General R. J. Kentish 4 December 1917

Interwar

The brigade and division were both demobilised after the Armistice with Germany. When TF was reconstituted on 7 February 1920 the brigade was reformed as 166th (South Lancashire and Cheshire) Infantry Brigade, once again in 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division. The TF became the Territorial Army in 1921. During the interwar years the brigade had the following composition: [4]

By 1939 war with Nazi Germany was becoming increasingly likely and, as a consequence, the Territorial Army was doubled in size with each formation forming a duplicate. The 55th Division was scheduled to raise the duplicate 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division with 166th Brigade to be transferred to help form the new division. By May 1939 the brigade had been redesignated 166th (Staffordshire) Infantry Brigade and its headquarters had been moved to Beacon Place, Lichfield, Staffordshire. [5]

Second World War

The TA was mobilised on 1 September 1939, war was declared on 3 September, and next day the 166th Infantry Brigade was redesignated 176th Infantry Brigade and transferred to 59th (Staffordshire) Division when that formation was activated on 15 September. [6]

A new 166th Infantry Brigade was formed on 15 August 1944 by the redesignation of 199th Infantry Brigade. This brigade had previously served with the 66th Infantry Division until that formation was disbanded in June 1940 and 199th Bde transferred to the 55th Division. It served in Northern Ireland from 24 July 1944 until it returned to the UK and rejoined 55th (West Lancashire) Division in June 1945, after the end of the war in Europe. [6] [7]

Order of battle

From when it was redesignated on 15 August 1944 166th Brigade had the following composition: [6]

Neither 166th Brigade nor 55th (West Lancashire) Division were reformed in the postwar TA. [9]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Army List, various dates.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 133–9.
  3. 1 2 3 55th Division at Long, Long Trail.
  4. War Office, Titles & Designations, 1927.
  5. Monthly Army List, May 1939.
  6. 1 2 3 Joslen, pp. 90–1, 93–4, 354–5.
  7. Joslen, pp. 97, 363.
  8. Joslen, p. 467.
  9. Watson.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancashire Fusiliers</span> Line infantry regiment of the British Army 1688–1968

The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 280 years of existence. In 1968 the regiment was amalgamated with the other regiments of the Fusilier Brigade – the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers and the Royal Fusiliers – to form the current Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division</span> British Army Second World War division

The 55th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army's Territorial Army (TA) that was formed in 1920 and existed through the Second World War, although it did not see combat. The division had originally been raised in 1908 as the West Lancashire Division, part of the British Army's Territorial Force (TF). It fought in the First World War, as the 55th Division, and demobilised following the fighting. In 1920, the 55th Division started to reform. It was stationed in the county of Lancashire throughout the 1920s and 1930s, and was under-funded and under-staffed. In the late 1930s, the division was reduced from three to two infantry brigades and gave up some artillery and other support units to become a motorised formation, the 55th Motor Division. This was part of a British Army doctrine change that was intended to increase battlefield mobility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool Scottish</span> Military unit

The Liverpool Scottish, known as "the Scottish", was a unit of the British Army, part of the Army Reserve, raised in 1900 as an infantry battalion of the King's. The Liverpool Scottish became affiliated to the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders in the 1920s and formally transferred to the regiment in 1937 with its identity preserved. Reflecting the Territorial Army's decline in size since the late 1940s, the battalion was reduced to a company in 1967, then to a platoon of "A" (King's) Company, King's and Cheshire Regiment in 1999. In 2006, the company was incorporated into the 4th Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool Rifles</span> Military unit

The Liverpool Rifles was a unit of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army, formed in Lancashire as a 'Rifle Volunteer Corps' (RVC) in 1859, becoming a battalion of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) in 1881. It saw action on the Western Front in the First World War and later became a searchlight unit of the Royal Artillery in the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)</span> Military unit

The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. It served under various titles and fought in many wars and conflicts, including both the First and the Second World Wars, from 1680 to 1959. In 1959, the regiment was amalgamated with the Border Regiment to form the King's Own Royal Border Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border Regiment</span> Military unit

The Border Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot and the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)</span> Military unit

The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) (until 1921 known as the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Lancashire Regiment to form the Queen's Lancashire Regiment which was, in 2006, amalgamated with the King's Own Royal Border Regiment and the King's Regiment (Liverpool and Manchester) to form the Duke of Lancaster Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Staffordshire Regiment</span> English army regiment 1881- 1959

The North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was in existence between 1881 and 1959. The 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot was created on 21 April 1758 from the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Regiment of Foot. In 1881, under the Childers Reforms, the 64th Regiment of Foot was merged with the 98th (Prince of Wales's) Regiment of Foot (originally raised in 1824) to form the Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment). In 1921 the regimental title was altered to the North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's).

The 164th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in the First World War as part of the 55th Division. As the 164th Infantry Brigade, it remained in the United Kingdom throughout the Second World War, as part of the 55th Infantry Division.

The Liverpool Brigade, later 165th (Liverpool) Brigade was an infantry brigade of Britain's Volunteer Force that served during World War I with the 55th Division of the British Army. During World War II, again as part of the 55th Infantry Division, the brigade remained in the United Kingdom.

The 197th Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army that saw distinguished active service in both the First and Second world wars.

172nd Brigade was a 2nd-Line infantry formation of the British Territorial Force raised during the First World War that served on the Western Front. The brigade's number was also used for deception purposes during the Second World War.

The 134th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army. It was formed in the First World War as a duplicate of the Hampshire Brigade and was originally formed as the 2nd/1st Hampshire Brigade in 1914–1915 before later being renamed as the 134th Brigade. It was sent overseas to India in December 1914 to relieve Regular Army units for service in France. The brigade remained there for the rest of the war, supplying drafts of replacements to the British units fighting in the Middle East and later complete battalions. By September 1917 the last of its battalions had departed.

The 135th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army. It was formed in the First World War as a duplicate of the South Western Brigade and was originally formed as the 2nd/1st South Western Brigade in 1914–1915 before later being renamed as the 135th Brigade. It was sent overseas to India in December 1914 to relieve Regular Army units for service in France. The brigade remained there for the rest of the war, supplying drafts of replacements to the British units fighting in the Middle East and later complete battalions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">223rd Brigade (United Kingdom)</span> Home Defence formation of the British Army

The 223rd Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army in the First and the Second World Wars. It existed under several variations of the 223 Brigade title, and was eventually converted into an airborne formation.

The 224th Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army in World War I and World War II. It existed under several variations of the 224th Brigade title.

The Staffordshire Brigade was a volunteer infantry brigade formation of the British Army from 1888 to 1936. It saw active service on the Western Front in World War I, including the attacks on the Hohenzollern Redoubt and the Gommecourt Salient, and the assault crossing of the St Quentin Canal, 'a most remarkable feat of arms'.

The 176th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in the First World War on the Western Front and disbanded in 1919. The brigade was raised again, now known as 176th Infantry Brigade, shortly prior to the Second World War and fought in the Normandy Campaign before being disbanded in August 1944. In both world wars the brigade was assigned to a 59th Division: the 59th Division during the first, and the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division in the second.

The Bolton Rifles, later the 5th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1859 until 1967. It served on the Western Front during the First World War, and in the Far East during the Second World War, when one battalion was captured at the Fall of Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool)</span> Military unit

The 5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) was a volunteer unit of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) of the British Army. It traced its heritage to the raising in 1859 of a number rifle volunteer corps in Liverpool, which were soon consolidated into the 1st Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVC). It was affiliated to the King's Regiment (Liverpool), and became its 1st Volunteer Battalion of the regiment. In 1908 the battalion was transferred to the new Territorial Force as the 5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool). It saw active service on the Western Front during World War I, as did its second line second-line battalion, and even a garrison battalion. Before World War II it again formed a second line battalion. Both served in home defence, but the 5th King's landed in Normandy on D Day as part of a specialist beach group 1939. When the Territorial Army was reduced in 1967, the 5th King's became a company of the Lancastrian Volunteers.

References

External sources