| 4th Provisional Brigade 224th Mixed Brigade 224th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1915–1919 10 October 1940 – 22 December 1941 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry Brigade |
| Role | Training and Home Defence |
| Part of | Durham and North Riding County Division (1941) |
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.
On the outbreak of the World War I, the Territorial Force (TF) immediately mobilised for home defence, but shortly afterwards (31 August 1914), its units were authorised to raise 2nd battalions formed from those men who had not volunteered for, or were not fit for, overseas service, together with new volunteers, while the 1st Line went overseas to supplement the Regulars. [1] Early in 1915 the 2nd Line TF battalions were raised to full strength to form new divisions, and began to form Reserve (3rd Line) units to supply drafts. [2] The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions (termed Provisional Battalions from June 1915). [3] [4] [5] The 4th Provisional Brigade was formed mainly from details of regiments from Wales and North-West England, with the following composition: [5] [6]
In March 1916 the Provisional Brigades were concentrated along the South and East Coast of England. The units of the brigade moved from their home depots to Norfolk, where it was attached to 64th (2nd Highland) Division under the control of Northern Army of Central Force, with its battalions billeted across Norfolk as follows: [15]
In September 1916 the brigade was joined by 2/1st Home Counties (Kent) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (4 x 4.7-inch guns) at Mundesley. [16]
The Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The Provisional Brigades thus became anomalous, and at the end of 1916 their units became numbered battalions of their parent units. Part of their role was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas. The 4th Provisional Brigade became the 224th Mixed Brigade in December 1916, with its units re-designated as shown below: [17] [5] [18] In May 1918 each of the Mixed Brigades was called upon to provide a battalion (re-designated a Garrison Guard battalion) to reconstitute the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, which had been virtually destroyed during the German spring offensive. The Brigade supplied the 23rd Cheshire Regiment to the 178th (2/1st Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Brigade and immediately raised a new 24th (Home Service) Battalion, Cheshires to take over its coast defence duties. [8] [19] [20] The brigade remained with this composition until the end of the war, after which it was demobilised.
In 1940, during the Second World War, the brigade number was reactivated for the 224th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), formed for service in the United Kingdom under the South Wales Area headquarters of Home Forces on 10 October 1940. It was commanded by Brigadier P. Gottwaltz, and comprised newly raised infantry battalions [31] After a brief spell attached to 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division, 224th Brigade became part of the Durham and North Riding County Division on 11 March 1941. [32] The brigade was disbanded on 22 December 1941. [31]
The composition of 224th Brigade was as follows: [31]
The 224th Brigade number has never been reactivated.
The London Regiment was an infantry regiment in the British Army, part of the Territorial Force. The regiment saw distinguished service in the First World War and was disbanded in 1938, shortly before the Second World War, when most of its battalions were converted to other roles or transferred elsewhere. The lineage of some of its former battalions is continued by the current regiment of the same name.
The 25th Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised as part of Lord Kitchener's Third New Army (K3) in September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the Great War. It served on the Western Front for most of the war.
The 75th Brigade was a formation of the British Army raised as part of the New Army also known as Kitchener's Army and served on the Western Front during the First World War.
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 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.
170th 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 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 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.
The 226th 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.
221st Mixed Brigade was a Scottish Home Service formation of the British Army that served under various titles throughout World War I.
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 225th 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 225th Brigade title.
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.
72nd Division was a short-lived infantry division of the British Army during World War I. It served in the Home Defence forces and never went overseas.
73rd Division was a short-lived infantry division of the British Army during World War I. It served in Home Forces and never went overseas.
The 195th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army raised during the Great War. The brigade was part of the Territorial Force and created as a 2nd Line of the 156th Brigade and part of the 65th Division, itself formed as a 2nd Line of the 52nd (Lowland) Division. The brigade was initially composed of four battalions of the Cameronians.
The 194th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army, raised during World War I. The brigade was part of the Territorial Force and formed as a 2nd Line duplicate of the 155th Brigade. Assigned to the 65th Division, the brigade remained in the United Kingdom throughout the war.
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.