| 204th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) 204th Independent Infantry Brigade | |
|---|---|
 Insignia of the 204th Independent Infantry Brigade [1] | |
| Active | 12 October 1940-1 September 1942 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry Brigade |
| Role | Home Defence |
204th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was a Home Defence formation of the British Army during the Second World War.
The 204th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was formed for service in the United Kingdom on 12 October 1940 by No 4 Infantry Training Group in the West Midland Area of Home Forces. [2] It was commanded by Brigadier G. McI. Bruce and comprised four newly raised infantry battalions from the North and Midlands of England. [2]
The brigade moved from West Midlands Area to the Lincolnshire County Division when that was formed on 27 March 1941. [2] [3] The Lincolnshire County Division ceased to function on 24 November and the brigade, now re-designated the 204th Independent Infantry Brigade was transferred to the Durham and North Riding Coastal Area. [2] [3] On 1 September 1942, the Brigade headquarters was re-designated 185th Infantry Brigade and its units transferred to other formations. [2] [4] 7th South Lancashires, 12th Foresters and 7th Leicesters went to India [5] while 8th South Lancashires was disbanded. [6]
The composition of the 204th Brigade was as follows: [2]
Attached when an Independent Brigade.
The brigade's cloth shoulder badge was a triangle composed of three smaller conjoined triangles in the Facing colours of its three senior units: buff (S. Lancashires), pearl grey (Leicesters) and Lincoln green (Foresters), the whole being edged in blue (KSLI). [9]
The Essex County Division was a short-lived formation of the British Army formed in the Second World War on 18 February 1941 by the redesignation of the West Sussex County Division. It was disbanded on 7 October. It had one commanding officer, Major-General J. H. T. Priestman. It was an infantry only formation consisting of three Independent Infantry Brigades (Home). Combat support, artillery, engineers etc., would be provided by other local formations. It was under the command of XI Corps from formation to 22 July and then under GHQ Home Forces.
The Lincolnshire County Division was a short-lived formation of the British Army, formed in the Second World War. The headquarters were formed on 24 February 1941, becoming operational on 27 March. It ceased to function on 25 November and was disbanded on 3 December. Its commanding officer was Major-General Arthur Kenneth Hay, and it was an infantry only formation consisting of three Independent Infantry Brigades (Home). Combat support, artillery, engineers etc., would be provided by other local formations. It was commanded by I Corps
The Northumberland County Division was a formation of the British Army in the Second World War, its headquarters were formed on 24 February 1941. It ceased to function on 1 December 1941, and the headquarters were disbanded on 21 December 1941. It was commanded by Major-General R. C. Money and was an infantry only formation consisting of three Independent Infantry Brigades (Home). Combat support, artillery, engineers etc., would be provided by other local formations. It was commanded by X Corps until 9 April, IX Corps until 30 November and War Office control from then until disbandment.
The West Sussex County Division was a formation of the British Army, raised in the Second World War and formed by the redesignation of Brocforce on 9 November 1940. On 18 February 1941, the headquarters was redesignated as the Essex County Division. It was commanded by four officers, Major-General Edwin Morris from formation until 16 December, Brigadier A. E. Lawrence until 29 December, Major-General Sir Oliver Leese until 30 January 1941 and then Brigadier H. J. Parham. It was an infantry only formation consisting of two Independent Infantry Brigades. Usually, combat support, artillery, engineers etc., would be provided by other local formations, exceptionally, for a county division, the 29th Brigade Group commanded additional units.
The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in the Childers Reforms of 1881, but with antecedents dating back to 1755. It served in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. In 1968, the four regiments of the Light Infantry Brigade amalgamated to form The Light Infantry, with the 1st KSLI being redesignated as the 3rd Battalion of the new regiment.
The Sherwood Foresters was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to form the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, which in 2007 was amalgamated with the Cheshire Regiment and the Staffordshire Regiment to form the present Mercian Regiment. The lineage of the Sherwood Foresters is now continued by The Mercian Regiment.
The 212th Brigade was a Home Service formation of the British Army during the First and the Second World Wars.
The 213th Brigade was a Home Defence and training formation of the British Army during both the First and Second World Wars.
215th Brigade was a Home Service formation of the British Army during the First and the Second World Wars.
The 218th Brigade was a Home Service formation of the British Army during the First and the Second World Wars.
The 219th Brigade was a Home Service formation of the British Army during the First and the Second World Wars.
The 202nd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was a short-lived Home Defence formation of the British Army during the Second World War.
The 205th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was a short-lived Home Defence infantry brigade formation of the British Army during the Second World War.
206th Independent Infantry Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army during the Second World War.
The 207th Independent Infantry Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army during the Second World War.
The 222nd Infantry Brigade was a Home Service formation of the British Army that existed under various short-lived titles in both the First and Second World Wars
The 181st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery was a unit of the Royal Artillery, raised by the British Army during World War II. First raised as infantry of the 6th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry from the Welsh Borders, it was converted to the field artillery role, serving in a Scottish formation in the North West Europe campaign in which it was the first British field artillery regiment to cross the Rhine and Elbe rivers.
The 148th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army that served in both the First and briefly in the Second World War as part of the 49th Infantry Division and disbanded after the war.
The 4th Anti-Aircraft Division was an air defence formation of Britain's Territorial Army, created in the period of tension before the outbreak of the Second World War. It defended North West England during the Blitz.
The 7th Anti-Aircraft Division was an air defence formation of the British Army during the early years of the Second World War. It defended North East England during the Battle of Britain and The Blitz.