91st Brigade (United Kingdom)

Last updated

91st Brigade
Active19 November 1914–10 April 1915
27 April 1915–1919
1950–1956
AllegianceFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Branch Flag of the British Army.svg New Army
Type Infantry
Size Brigade
Part of 30th Division
7th Division
Engagements Battle of the Somme
Second Battle of Bullecourt
Third Battle of Ypres
Battle of Vittorio Veneto

The 91st Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during World War I. It was raised as part of 'Kitchener's Army' and was assigned to the 30th Division. After the original formation was converted into a reserve brigade, the number was transferred to a brigade of 'Manchester Pals'. The brigade landed in France at the end of 1915 and was transferred to the Regular 7th Division. It saw action at the Somme, Arras, and Ypres before being sent to the Italian Front, where it took part in the final Battle of Vittorio Veneto. The brigade's number was briefly revived during the 1950s.

Contents

Original 91st Brigade

Alfred Leete's recruitment poster for Kitchener's Army. 30a Sammlung Eybl Grossbritannien. Alfred Leete (1882-1933) Britons (Kitchener) wants you (Briten Kitchener braucht Euch). 1914 (Nachdruck), 74 x 50 cm. (Slg.Nr. 552).jpg
Alfred Leete's recruitment poster for Kitchener's Army.

On 6 August 1914, less than 48 hours after Britain's declaration of war, Parliament sanctioned an increase of 500,000 men for the Regular British Army. The newly-appointed Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging the first 100,000 volunteers to come forward. This group of six divisions with supporting arms became known as Kitchener's First New Army, or 'K1'. [1] [2] The K2 and K3 battalions, brigades and divisions followed soon afterwards. So far, the battalions had all been formed at the depots of their parent regiments, but recruits had also been flooding in to the Special Reserve (SR) battalions (the former Militia). These were deployed at their war stations in coastal defence where they were training and equipping reservists to provide reinforcement drafts to the Regular Army fighting overseas. The SR battalions were soon well above their establishment strength and on 8 October 1914 the War Office (WO) ordered each SR battalion to use the surplus to form a service battalion of the 4th New Army ('K4'). In November K4 battalions were organised into 18 brigades numbered from 89 to 106 and formed into the 30th–35th Divisions. [3] [4]

Initially, the K4 units remained in the coast defences alongside their parent SR battalions. On 19 November 1914 the composition of 91st Brigade in 30th Division was finalised as: [3] [5] [6]

On 7 December Brigadier-General F.C. Godley was appointed to command the brigade. The units began training for active service, but the lack of uniforms, weapons, equipment and instructors that had been experienced by the K1–K3 units was even greater for those of K4, and by April 1915 their training was still at an elementary stage. On 10 April 1915 the War Office decided to convert the K4 battalions into reserve units, to provide drafts for the K1–K3 battalions in the same way that the SR was doing for the Regular battalions. The K4 divisions were broken up and the brigades were renumbered: 91st Brigade became 3rd Reserve Brigade. [3] [4] [7]

New 91st Brigade

Formation sign of the 30th Division, based on the Earl of Derby's family crest 30 div WW1.jpg
Formation sign of the 30th Division, based on the Earl of Derby's family crest

Meanwhile, the K5 units had been forming since late 1914. These were largely raised by local initiative rather than at regimental depots, and were known as 'Pals battalions'. The first six K5 divisions (37–42) and their constituent brigades were given the numbers of the disbanded K4 formations on 27 April 1915. The new 91st Brigade had been raised on 10 December 1914 as 126th Bde of 42nd Division but was now transferred to the new 30th Division (former 37th Division), bringing together the Pals battalions raised from the cities of Liverpool and Manchester The brigade's original infantry units were 'Manchester Pals' battalions, which had been recruited by the Lord Mayor and City of Manchester in November 1914: [6] [9] [8] [10] [11] [12]

However the 23rd (8th City) Battalion was a 'Bantam battalion', composed of men between the heights of 5 foot (152 cm) and 5 foot 3 inches (160 cm), and in May 1915 it was transferred to the 35th Division composed of Bantams and replaced in 91st Bde by 24th (Service) Battalion, Manchester Regiment (Oldham), raised by the Mayor and Town of Oldham on 24 October 1914. [6] [8] [10] [12] [13]

The Manchester and Liverpool Pals had largely been raised by the initiative of Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby and the 30th Division was sometimes known as 'Lord Derby's Own', or more disparagingly as the 'Derby Family Retainers'. The divisional sign was based on the Stanley family crest. [8] [10] [14] [15] [16]

After initial training at Morecambe [17] the brigade joined the rest of 30th Division at Belton Park outside Grantham soon after it was renumbered. Training was hampered by the same lack of equipment as the other Kitchener units, but on 14 September 1915 30th Division moved to Larkhill on Salisbury Plain for final battle training. On 31 October it was ordered to France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) fighting on the Western Front. Before leaving it was inspected by the Earl of Derby. It began entraining for the embarkation ports on 6 November (91st Bde sailing from Folkestone to Boulogne) and on 12 November it completed its concentration at Ailly-le-Haut-Clocher in the Somme sector. [8] [10] [6]

BEF policy was to even up the experience between its New Army and Regular Army formations by exchanging brigades and then distributing the experienced Regular battalions through the New Army divisions. In this way 21st Brigade from 7th Division replaced 91st Brigade in 30th Division on its arrival in France. On moving to 7th Division on 20 December, 91st Brigade exchanged 23rd and 24th Manchesters for two battalions of 22nd Bde, giving it the following organisation for the remainder of the war: [6] [8] [10] [12] [18] [19] [20]

Order of Battle

Service

91st Brigade spent the remainder of the war as part of 7th Division, seeing action at the following battles and engagements: [18] [20]

1916

A ruined garden at Mametz, depicted by Edward Handley-Read. A Garden at Mametz Art.IWMART183.jpg
A ruined garden at Mametz, depicted by Edward Handley-Read.
    • 7th Division's task for the First day on the Somme (1 July) was the Capture of Mametz. 91st Brigade, in its first offensive action, was given two successive objectives, which involved capturing a number of trenches up the east side of the village. Attacking on the division's right, 91st Bde led off with 22nd Manchesters (right) and 2nd South Staffs (left), with a company of 21st Manchesters 'mopping up' behind them. Leaving their assembly trenches at 07.27, three minutes ahead of 'zero', they crossed the British front line at 07.31 and then set off across the 100–200 yards (91–183 m) of No man's land. Within 15 minutes 22nd Manchesters had crossed Bulgar Trench, Bulgar Support Trench and Black Trench, which the company of 21st Manchesters cleared behind them; the South Staffs were close to the south-east corner of Mametz village. However, enemy opposition began to increase: the South Staffs were checked by machine gun fire, and although 22nd Manchesters reached Bucket Trench they had suffered appreciable casualties, and resistance stiffened as they approached their first objective, Dantzig Alley. By 09.00, the Manchesters had been pushed back from Dantzig Alley and were consolidating in Bucket Trench, while the South Staffs were holding out along the hedges outside the village, where they were reinforced by two more companies of 21st Manchesters. After a renewed bombardment by the divisional artillery, the reinforced South Staffs attacked again and soon after midday had reached the north-east corner of the village. A further advance left their flanks exposed, so about 15.00 they fell back to hold Mametz and Dantzig Alley. Meanwhile the 22nd Manchesters had made some progress against Dantzig Alley, but the decisive moment was when 2nd Queen's came up from reserve. First, A and C Companies thickened up the firing line, then B and D Companies advanced and took the rest of Dantzig Alley and Fritz Trench, with numerous prisoners. 22nd Manchesters was then able to push on to take Bright Alley. With Fritz Trench cleared, the South Staffs and 21st Manchesters could attack out of Mametz and take Bunny Trench and Bunny Alley. By 20.00, 91st Bde had consolidated all of its second objectives and taken hundreds of prisoners, despite serious casualties. Although 7th Division had not secured all its objectives, its attack had been one of the few successes on a very bad day for the BEF. 91st Brigade captured and consolidated some additional trenches next day. [21] [22] [23] [24]
    • Battle of Bazentin Ridge (14–17 July): Coming up from reserve, 91st Bde advanced into High Wood, but the gains could not be held. [25] [26]
    • 91st Brigade fought off a German counter-attack in front of Delville Wood on 31 August. [27] [28]
    • Battle of Guillemont (3–7 September): 91st Brigade was in reserve, but elements supported the attack on Ginchy. [29] [30]

1917

Battlefield conditions during the Second Battle of Passchendaele. Second Battle of Passchendaele - Field of Mud.jpg
Battlefield conditions during the Second Battle of Passchendaele.

On 10 November the division was warned that it was to move to the Italian Front. Entrainment began on 17 November and by 28 November the divisional concentration at Legnano was almost complete The division then advanced to the Piave Sector. It moved to the Asiago Sector in March 1918. [18] [41] [42]

1918

  • Raids on the Asiago Plateau: 91st Brigade was engaged in raids on the Austrian lines, particularly on 17/18 April and 8/9 August. [43] [44]
  • Battle of Vittorio Veneto:
    • Passage of the Piave: 91st Brigade crossed by pontoon bridges on the night of 26/27 October and attacked across the island of Grave di Papadopoli the following morning, crossing the defended bund and pushing forward through ruined villages and fortified farms despite the lack of success of flanking formations, taking hundreds of prisoners until it reached the extreme range of its covering artillery. Next day, organised as a brigade group with mounted Yeomanry, cyclists, field artillery and an Italian mountain artillery battery, it advanced rapidly. On forced a passage across the River Monticano and advanced rapidly to capture Cimetta. [45] [46]
    • Crossing of the Tagliamento: 7th Division waded across the river unopposed on 4 November before the Armistice of Villa Giusti came into effect later that day, [47] [48]

The day after the Armistice, 7th Division was withdrawn to the Trissino area, where demobilisation got under way. 22nd Manchesters were chosen as one of four British battalions to remain in Italy, and it was kept up to strength with men enlisted after 1916, volunteers, and recruits from the UK. The battalion was later stationed at Innsbruck in Austria. [18] [49] [50]

Commanders

The following commanded the brigade during the war: [18] [51]

1950s

The brigade's number was reactivated in 1950 as the 91st Lorried Infantry Brigade, until 1956 when it was redesignated the 12th Infantry Brigade . [ citation needed ]

Commanders

The following officers commanded the brigade during its relatively brief existence: [ citation needed ]

Notes

  1. ↑ War Office Instructions No 32 (6 August) and No 37 (7 August).
  2. ↑ Becke, Pt 3a, pp. 2 & 8.
  3. 1 2 3 Becke, Pt 3b, Appendix I.
  4. 1 2 James, Appendixes II & III.
  5. ↑ James, pp. 54, 76, 87.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 James, pp. 97–8.
  7. ↑ War Office Instruction No 96 of 10 April 1915.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 1–9.
  9. ↑ Becke, Pt 3b, Appendix 2.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 30th Division at Long, Long Trail.
  11. ↑ War Office Instruction No 56 of September 1915, Appendix IX.
  12. 1 2 3 Manchester Regiment at Long, Long Trail.
  13. ↑ Scott, pp. 39–47.
  14. ↑ Edmonds, 1916, Vol I, pp. 326–8.
  15. ↑ Liddle, p. 111.
  16. ↑ Middlebrook, Somme, p. 20.
  17. ↑ Scott, pp. 48–71.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Becke, Pt 1, pp. 81–7.
  19. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 20–1; Appendix II.
  20. 1 2 7th Division at Long, Long Trail.
  21. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 257–61, 264–5.
  22. ↑ Edmonds, 1916, Vol I, pp. 351–3, 365.
  23. ↑ Middlebrook, pp. 210–12.
  24. ↑ Miles, 1916, Vol II, p. 6.
  25. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 279–93.
  26. ↑ Miles, 1916, pp. 73, 83, 86, 95.
  27. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 305–7.
  28. ↑ Miles, 1916, Vol II, pp. 205–6.
  29. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 310–12.
  30. ↑ Miles, 1916, Vol II, p. 266.
  31. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 334–6.
  32. ↑ Falls, 1917, Vol I, pp. 68–9.
  33. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 344–69.
  34. ↑ Falls, 1917, Vol I, pp. 96–9, 108–9, 165.
  35. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 386–91.
  36. ↑ Falls, 1917, Vol I, pp. 474–7.
  37. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 413–7.
  38. ↑ Edmonds, 1917, Vol II, p. 312.
  39. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 424–33.
  40. ↑ Liddle, pp. 38, 222.
  41. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 436–9, 444.
  42. ↑ Edmonds & Daies, Italy, pp. 165.
  43. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 445–6, 450–4.
  44. ↑ Edmonds & Davies, pp. 256–7, Sketch 9.
  45. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 468–82.
  46. ↑ Edmonds & Davies, pp. 282, 289–94, 301–2, 305–10.
  47. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 485–6.
  48. ↑ Edmonds & Davies, pp. 353–4.
  49. ↑ Atkinson, pp. 489–90.
  50. ↑ Edmonds & Davies, pp. 382, 384–6.
  51. ↑ Atkinson, Appendix III.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">30th Division (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

The British 30th Division was a New Army division that was originally made up of battalions raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the British War Office in August 1915 and moved to France in December. It served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">32nd Division (United Kingdom)</span> Infantry division of the British Army during the First World War

The 32nd Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was raised in 1914, during the First World War. The division was raised from volunteers for Lord Kitchener's New Armies, made up of infantry 'Pals battalions' and artillery brigades raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the War Office in September 1915. It served in France and Belgium in the trenches of the Western Front for the duration of the war. It saw action at the Battle of the Somme, the Pursuit to the Hindenburg Line, the Defence of Nieuport, the German spring offensive, and the Allied Hundred Days Offensive beginning at the Battle of Amiens. After the Armistice it marched into Germany as part of the Army of Occupation.

The Public Schools Battalions were a group of Pals battalions of the British Army during World War I. They were raised in 1914 as part of Kitchener's Army and were originally recruited exclusively from former public schoolboys. When the battalions were taken over by the British Army they became variously the 16th (Service) Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment and the 18th–21st (Service) Battalions of the Royal Fusiliers. However, Kitchener's Army was faced with a dire shortage of officers and so 'young gentlemen'— public schoolboys and university graduates, including many of those who had enlisted in the Public Schools Battalions — were encouraged to apply for commissions. The battalions' depleted ranks were made up with ordinary volunteers and although they retained the Public Schools titles, their exclusive nature was doomed. Two battalions remained to serve on the Western Front: the original battalion was all but destroyed on the first day of the Somme. After hard service both battalions were disbanded in February 1918 before the end of the war.

The 19th Brigade is an Army Reserve formation of the British Army. As the 19th Infantry Brigade, it fought in the First and Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnsley Pals</span> Military unit

The Barnsley Pals were two 'Pals battalions' formed as part of 'Kitchener's Army' during World War I. Raised by local initiative in the town of Barnsley in the West Riding of Yorkshire and recruited largely from coalminers, they became the 13th and 14th (Service) Battalions of the local York and Lancaster Regiment. After almost two years of training, the battalions suffered heavy casualties in a disastrous attack on the village of Serre on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. They continued to serve on the Western Front, including the Battle of Arras (1917). Combined into a single battalion in early in 1918, the Barnsley Pals were reduced to a remnant during the German spring offensive, but the battalion was rebuilt to participate in the final victorious Hundred Days Offensive.

The 94th Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during World War I. It was raised as part of 'Kitchener's Army' and was assigned to the 31st Division. After the original formation was converted into a reserve brigade, the number was transferred to a brigade of 'Pals battalions' from Northern England. It was sent to Egypt at the end of 1915 but was recalled to France shortly afterwards and then served on the Western Front for the rest of the war. The brigade was shattered on the First day on the Somme, but later saw action at Arras and distinguished itself at the Capture of Oppy Wood. It was temporarily disbanded in early 1918 but was reconstituted from dismounted Yeomanry regiments in time to take part in the final battles of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Pals</span>

The Manchester Pals were pals battalions of the British Army raised in 1914 during the Great War, formed as part of Lord Kitchener's New Armies. They were formed into eight battalions of the Manchester Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Irish Horse</span> Military unit

The South Irish Horse was a Special Reserve cavalry regiment of the British Army. Formed as an Imperial Yeomanry regiment in 1902 as the South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry, it perpetuated a unit formed during the Second Boer War. It transferred to the Special Reserve (Cavalry) in 1908 and was renamed as the South Irish Horse. Having taken part in the fighting of World War I, it was disbanded after Irish Independence in 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Army First World War reserve brigades</span>

The article lists British Army reserve brigades in World War I. At the start of the war volunteers in the vast majority of cases joined their local infantry regiment's reserve battalion. As the army expanded rapidly, further reserve battalions and brigades were formed. After conscription was introduced in 1916 the existing regimental system could not cope with the large influx of recruits and the existing reserve brigades were incorporated into the Training Reserve, with an official complement of over 209,000 soldiers, in addition to the regimental training units.

20th Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army first organised in the Second Boer War. In the First World War, the brigade fought on the Western Front and on the Italian Front as part of 7th Division. The brigade was re-raised under during the Second World War and briefly served in France until being converted to an armoured formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">141st (5th London) Brigade</span> Military unit

The 141st Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army, that served in the First World War and remained in the United Kingdom throughout the Second World War.

The 142nd Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army, that served in the First and the Second World Wars, and remained in the United Kingdom throughout the latter.

The 89th Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during World War I. It was raised as part of 'Kitchener's Army' and was assigned to the 30th Division. After the original formation was converted into a reserve brigade, the number was transferred to the Earl of Derby's brigade of 'Liverpool Pals'. The brigade landed in France at the end of 1915 and then served on the Western Front for the rest of the war, seeing action at the Somme, Arras, and Ypres. Virtually destroyed during the German spring offensive of 1918, it was reconstituted in time to take part in the final battles of the war.

The 90th Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during World War I. It was raised as part of 'Kitchener's Army' and was assigned to the 30th Division. After the original formation was converted into a reserve brigade, the number was transferred to a brigade of 'Manchester Pals'. The brigade landed in France at the end of 1915 and then served on the Western Front for the rest of the war, seeing action at the Somme, Arras, and Ypres. Virtually destroyed during the German spring offensive of 1918, it was reconstituted in time to take part in the final battles of the war.

The 92nd Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during World War I. It was raised as part of 'Kitchener's Army' and was assigned to the 31st Division. After the original formation was converted into a reserve brigade, the number was transferred to a brigade composed volunteer battalions raised in the city of Kingston upon Hull for 'Kitchener's Army'. It first served in Egypt defending the Suez Canal between January and March 1916. It then left for the Western Front where it was at Serre on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, though its battalions escaped the worst of the disaster. It continued to serve on the Western Front for the rest of the war, including hard fighting at Oppy Wood, against the German spring offensive and in the final Hundred Days Offensive.

The 93rd Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during World War I. It was raised as part of 'Kitchener's Army' and was assigned to the 31st Division. After the original formation was converted into a reserve brigade, the number was transferred to a brigade of 'Pals battalions' from Northern England. The brigade was sent to Egypt at the end of 1915 but was recalled to France shortly afterwards and then served on the Western Front for the rest of the war. The brigade was shattered on the First day on the Somme, but later saw action at Arras, in the German spring offensive of 1918, and the final Hundred Days Offensive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">98th Brigade (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

98th Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army created to command 'Kitchener's Army' units during World War I. It served on the Western Front from 1916, seeing action on the Somme, at Arras and Ypres, during the German spring offensive and the final Allied Hundred Days Offensive.

The 121st Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army during World War I. Part of Lord Kitchener's 'New Armies', it served in the 40th Division on the Western Front. The brigade number was reactivated for deception purposes during World War II.

The 6th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment was a Territorial Force (TF) unit of the British Army. Formed in 1908 from Volunteer units recruited in Cheshire since 1859, it was one of the first TF units to go to the Western Front in World War I. It had a wandering existence, moving frequently from one command to another, seeing a considerable amount of combat at the Somme, Ypres, during the German spring offensive and in the final Allied Hundred Days Offensive. After the war it was amalgamated into a local artillery regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8th (Service) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment</span> Military unit

The 8th (Service) Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment, was a unit of 'Kitchener's Army' raised shortly after the outbreak of World War I. Following a short period of training it went to the Western Front with other Kitchener battalions and endured a disastrous initiation at the Battle of Loos. It was then transferred to the experienced 3rd Division and fought with it on the Somme, at Arras and Ypres. After heavy casualties the battalion was disbanded early in 1918.

References

External sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.