22nd Guards Brigade
Encyclopedia
The British 22nd Guards Brigade was a British Army
unit during the Second World War .
This Guards Brigade saw extensive service in the North African Campaign. It was forced to surrender on 20 June 1942 when Tobruk
was captured by German
and Italian
forces. It was reformed as the 201st Guards Motor Brigade in Egypt
on 14 August 1942. It was eventually sent back to the United Kingdom
where it became a training unit for all Guards Regiments.
1941
Battle of Gazala
1942
Medenine
1943
Mareth 1943
Akarit 1943
Enfidaville 1943
Tunis
1943
Salerno
1943
Capture of Naples 1943
Volturno Crossing 1943
Monte Camino 1943
Garigliano Crossing 1944
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
unit during the Second World War .
History
The 22nd Infantry Brigade was formed by the conversion of the 29th Infantry Brigade on 3 September 1939 and in March 1940 became responsible for all the troops in the Mersa Matruh Garrison area. In February 1941 the unit was reformed and renamed the 22nd Guards Brigade on 20 March 1941. It was converted to the 200th Guards Brigade (14 January 1942) and then finally the 201st Guards Motor Brigade (25 May 1942).This Guards Brigade saw extensive service in the North African Campaign. It was forced to surrender on 20 June 1942 when Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
was captured by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
forces. It was reformed as the 201st Guards Motor Brigade in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on 14 August 1942. It was eventually sent back to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where it became a training unit for all Guards Regiments.
Battles and Honours
TobrukTobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
1941
Battle of Gazala
Battle of Gazala
The Battle of Gazala was an important battle of the Second World War Western Desert Campaign, fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya from 26 May-21 June 1942...
1942
Medenine
Medenine
Medenine is the major town in southeastern Tunisia, south of the port of Gabès and the Island of Djerba, on the main route to Libya. It is the capital of Medenine Governorate.- Overview :...
1943
Mareth 1943
Akarit 1943
Enfidaville 1943
Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
1943
Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
1943
Capture of Naples 1943
Volturno Crossing 1943
Monte Camino 1943
Garigliano Crossing 1944
Structure
- 3rd Battalion, Coldstream GuardsColdstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
- 2nd Battalion, Scots GuardsScots GuardsThe Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
(25 May 1942 - 27 June 1943) - 6th Battalion, Grenadier GuardsGrenadier GuardsThe Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
(7 Oct. 1942 - 17 Nov. 1944) - 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment (14 June 1942 - 22 June 1942)
- 9th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (14 Jan. 1942 - 4 June 1942)
- 1st Battalion, Durham Light InfantryDurham Light InfantryThe Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
Commanding officers
- Lieut.- Colonel E.G. Earle (3 October 1939-21 October 1939)
- Brig. J.T. Leslie (21 October 1939-26 July 1940
- Brig. G. Dawes (26 July 1940-26 August 1940)
- Brig. A.R. Selby (26 August 1940–1 September 1940)
- Brig. I.D. Erskine (11 February 1941–5 October 1941)
- Brig. J.C.O. MarriottJohn Charles Oakes MarriottMajor-General Sir John Charles Oakes Marriott, KCVO, CB, DSO and Bar, MC was a British Army officer during World War I and World War II.-Military career:Marriott was commissioned into the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1914....
(20 October 1941–17 June 1942) - Brig. G.F. JohnsonGeorge Johnson (British Army officer)Major-General Sir George Frederick Johnson KCVO CB CBE DSO was Major-General commanding the Household Brigade and General Officer Commanding London District.-Military career:Johnson was commissioned into the Scots Guards in 1925...
(17 June 1942–20 June 1942) - Brig. J.A. GascoigneJulian GascoigneMajor-General Sir Julian Gascoigne KCMG KCVO CB DSO was Major-General commanding the Household Brigade and General Officer Commanding London District.-Military career:Gascoigne was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards in 1923...
(14 August 1942–13 November 1943) - Brig. R.B.R. Colvin (27 November 1942–5 January 1945)
- Brig. H.R. Norman (5 January 1945–31 August 1945)