| 16th Brigade 16th Infantry Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1914-1918 1939–1945 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 8th Infantry Division 6th Infantry Division 70th Infantry Division |
| Engagements | First World War Second World War |
The 16th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service during the Second Boer War and the First and Second World Wars.
During the Second Boer War, the 16th brigade was active in South Africa as part of the 8th Division from early 1900 until the war ended in 1902. [1] It was under the command of major-general Barrington Campbell, and included the following battalions:
The brigade was part of the 6th Infantry Division during the First World War. [2] It served on the Western Front throughout the War. [2]
Component units included: [2]
The following commanded the 16th Infantry Brigade during the First World War: [3]
The brigade was based in Palestine before the Second World War during the Arab revolt, and at the beginning of the war as part of the British 8th Infantry Division. It was later part of the British 6th Infantry Division which was redesignated as the British 70th Infantry Division on 10 October 1941. This brigade was involved in the breakout from Tobruk and after being transferred, along with the rest of the 70th Division, to India and Burma, it was transformed into a Chindit formation. It fought in the Second Chindit Campaign of 1944, commanded by Brigadier Gilmour Anderson. [4] Battles which the brigade took part in included, Battle of Sidi Barrani, Battle of Bardia, Battle of Damascus, Battle of Tobruk (both stages). [5]
According to War Office policy, regiments would be assigned to formations/commands for max of 3 years, and be rotated at the end of their tenure. Units which formed under the brigade during the war included: [5]
During the period 26 February 1942 to 7 February 1943, when the brigade went to Ceylon, the following additional units were under its command: [5]
In September 1943 the brigade was re-organised for Long-range penetration role under Special Force. During this period, the brigade controlled (in addition to their regular units): [5]
Commanding officers included: [6]
The 5th Infantry Division was a regular army infantry division of the British Army. It was established by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsular War, as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, and was active for most of the period since, including the First World War and the Second World War and was disbanded soon after. The division was reformed in 1995 as an administrative division covering Wales and the English regions of West Midlands, East Midlands and East. Its headquarters were in Shrewsbury. It was disbanded on 1 April 2012.
The 5th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II that fought in several theatres of war and was nicknamed the "Ball of Fire". It was one of the few Allied divisions to fight against three different armies - the Italian, German and Japanese armies.
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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.
The 158th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that served in both the First and Second World Wars, before being disbanded in 1968. Throughout its existence the brigade was assigned to the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division and was composed almost entirely of Territorial battalions from the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
The 5th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was converted from the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade in September 1939, and assigned to the 4th Indian Infantry Division. The brigade first moved to Egypt and took part in the early battles in North Africa. Then in 1941, it moved to the Sudan with the 5th Indian Infantry Division. Returning to 4th Indian Division command it took part in the Syria-Lebanon Campaign. The brigade then returned to North Africa coming under command of the 5th and 10th Indian Infantry Divisions, and the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division in the Campaign in Tunisia. The brigade once more returned to the 4th Division for the Italian Campaign and the Greek Civil War.
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