British 14th Infantry Brigade
Encyclopedia
The British 14th Infantry Brigade was a British Army
formation during both the First World War and the Second World War
.
. In 1915 the brigade was transferred to the British 32nd Division
.
based in the Middle East
garrisons, nominally part of the 8th Infantry Division
. It was present at the Battle of Crete
, holding Heraklion
airfield and causing many casualties among the German
Parachute
troops. Evacuated
to North Africa
where it became part of the British 70th Infantry Division
in the break out from Tobruk
.
The British 70th Infantry Division
was transferred to India
and then Burma. Here the division, including the 14th Infantry Brigade, was split up and reformed as Chindits
, fighting in the Second Chindit Expedition of 1944 (codenamed Operation Thursday). The Brigade suffered 489 casualties during the Chindit operation. On 1 November 1944 the brigade was redesignated as the British 14th Airlanding Brigade
.
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...
formation during both the First World War and the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
World War I
In 1914 this brigade was part of the 5th Division and moved over to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In 1915 the brigade was transferred to the British 32nd Division
British 32nd Division
The British 32nd Division was a New Army division that was originally made up of battalions raised by public subscription or private patronage.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 September 1915...
.
Component units World War I
- 1st Bn, The Devonshire RegimentThe Devonshire RegimentThe Devonshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which served under various titles from 1685 to 1958. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles.-Origin and titles:...
- 2nd Bn, The Suffolk Regiment - left September 1914
- 1st Bn, The East Surrey Regiment
- 1st Bn, The DCLI
- 2nd Bn, The ManchestersThe Manchester RegimentThe Manchester Regiment was a regiment of the British army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 63rd Regiment of Foot and the 96th Regiment of Foot...
- 1/5th Bn, The Cheshires - joined February 1915, left November 1915
- 1/9th (Highlanders) Bn, The Royal ScotsThe Royal ScotsThe Royal Scots , once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest, and therefore most senior, infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland...
- joined November 1915 - 2nd Bn, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers - joined November 1915
World War II
At the start of the war this unit was made up of regular army battalionsbased in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
garrisons, nominally part of the 8th Infantry Division
British 8th Infantry Division
The British Army's 8th Infantry Division was active in both the First World War and the Second World War.-History:The British 8th Division was a Regular Army division that was formed by combining battalions returning from outposts in the British Empire at the outbreak of the First World War....
. It was present at the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
, holding Heraklion
Heraklion
Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
airfield and causing many casualties among the 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...
Parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
troops. Evacuated
to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
where it became part of the British 70th Infantry Division
British 70th Infantry Division
- History :This formation had a brief history during the Second World War. It was formed originally in the Middle East from units stationed in Egypt, Palestine, Cyprus and in Crete, as the regular British 6th Infantry Division. It was then redesignated as the 70th Division on 10 October 1941. -...
in the break out from 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 ....
.
The British 70th Infantry Division
British 70th Infantry Division
- History :This formation had a brief history during the Second World War. It was formed originally in the Middle East from units stationed in Egypt, Palestine, Cyprus and in Crete, as the regular British 6th Infantry Division. It was then redesignated as the 70th Division on 10 October 1941. -...
was transferred to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and then Burma. Here the division, including the 14th Infantry Brigade, was split up and reformed as Chindits
Chindits
The Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
, fighting in the Second Chindit Expedition of 1944 (codenamed Operation Thursday). The Brigade suffered 489 casualties during the Chindit operation. On 1 November 1944 the brigade was redesignated as the British 14th Airlanding Brigade
British 14th Airlanding Brigade
The 14th Airlanding Brigade was a formation of the British Indian Army and then the Pakistan Army. It was formed from the British 14th Infantry Brigade on 1 November 1944, and was initially part of the 44th Airborne Division. Initially the brigade included 4/6th Rajputana Rifles, 2nd Black Watch,...
.
Component units World War II
- 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own RegimentThe Queen's Own Royal West Kent RegimentThe Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1961. It was formed as The Queen's Own as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 50th Regiment of Foot and the 97th Regiment of Foot...
- 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland HighlandersArgyll and Sutherland HighlandersThe Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland....
- 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire RegimentBedfordshire and Hertfordshire RegimentThe Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army originally formed in 1688...
- 2nd Battalion2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster RegimentThe 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment was formed by the redesignation of the 84th Regiment of Foot in 1881.-History:...
, York and Lancaster RegimentYork and Lancaster Regiment-History:It was formed in 1881 through the amalgamation of two other regiments:*65th Regiment*84th RegimentThe title of the regiment was derived not from the cities of York and Lancaster, or from the counties... - 2nd Battalion2nd Battalion, Black WatchThe 2nd Battalion, Black Watch was formed in 1881 when the 42nd Regiment of Foot and the 73rd Regiment of Foot were amalgamated to form the Black Watch ....
, Black WatchBlack WatchThe Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II.... - 7th Battalion, The Royal Leicestershire RegimentRoyal Anglian RegimentThe Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the...
Commanders
- Brig. G. Dawes (3 September 1939–26 July 1940)
- Brig. O.H. Tidbury (30 October 1940–27 April 1941)
- Brig. B.H. Chappel (27 April 1941–2 May 1942)
- Brig. A. Gilroy (2 May 1942–6 November 1943)
- Brig. Thomas BrodieThomas Brodie-External links:*...
(6 November 1943–31 October 1944)
See also
- British Divisions in WWII
- British Army Order of Battle - September 1939
- British 6th Infantry DivisionBritish 6th Infantry DivisionThe 6th Infantry Division was first established by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsula 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...
- British 70th Infantry DivisionBritish 70th Infantry Division- History :This formation had a brief history during the Second World War. It was formed originally in the Middle East from units stationed in Egypt, Palestine, Cyprus and in Crete, as the regular British 6th Infantry Division. It was then redesignated as the 70th Division on 10 October 1941. -...
- ChinditsChinditsThe Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
- Battle of Tobruk
- Battle of CreteBattle of CreteThe Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...