British 15th Infantry Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 15th Infantry Brigade is a British Army
brigade. It was part of the regular British 5th Infantry Division
during the Second World War, and is now part of the British 2nd Infantry Division
in the north of the United Kingdom, with specific responsibility for the areas of North East England
and Yorkshire and the Humber
.
, Le Cateau
, at the crossings of the Marne
and Aisne
and in the first battles in Flanders
.
The Brigade has chosen Ypres, November 1914, as the Brigade Battle and there is an annual Brigade Dinner to celebrate it. The Brigade fought in all four battles of Ypres.
The Brigade distinguished itself in various battles. One of the most notable was the attack on Hill 60 near Ypres
in 1915. Hill 60 was the highest point on what was known as the “Caterpillar Ridge” and as such was an excellent post for observation of the ground area around Zillebeke
and Ypres. The 5th Division, composed of 13th, 14th and 15th Brigades, had the task of securing Hill 60 and the ridge line. The Hill was taken between 17 and 19 April 1915, with heavy losses, and the subsequent German counter attack in early May was particularly ferocious. The Germans, unable to obtain victory, eventually resorted to the use of chlorine gas and Brigade casualties during the first week in May 1915 were 33 officers and 1,553 men. However, the line was held until reliefs were brought forward and the Brigade withdrawn.
The last battle of the Great War in November 1918 found 15th Brigade in the forefront of the advance, east of the River Sambre
.
, 1st Bn. Somerset Light Infantry, 1st Bn. Durham Light Infantry
and 1st Bn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps. In 1924 the Brigade moved to Germany and was renamed 1 Rhine Brigade. The Brigade was reformed, as 15th Infantry Brigade in October.
in early 1940, the 15th Brigade was sent instead in May to Norway, as part of Sickleforce to participate in the unsuccessful Norwegian Campaign
, under the command of Lieutenant-General H.R.S.Massey. The brigade was reunited with the 5th Division on 3 August.
The Brigade served with this formation for the rest of the war, seeing action in the Allied invasion of Sicily
in 1943 and Italian Campaign
in 1944. After participating in the later stages of the Battle of Anzio
, the brigade was deployed to garrison duties in the Middle East before being transferred to North West Europe
on 3 March 1945. The brigade was disbanded in Hanover
on 31 March 1948.
. The Brigade's Headquarters were at RAF Topcliffe
and its first commander in this new role was Brigadier Michael Aris. Its organisation and role were tested in Exercise Keystone in 1983, when it consisted of:
In 1999, having been a territorial formation for many years, the brigade was made responsible for both regular and territorial units in the North East, when the Second Division became a "Regenerative Division", responsible for the north of England and Scotland.
and includes the following units:
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...
brigade. It was part of the regular British 5th Infantry Division
British 5th Infantry Division
The 5th Infantry Division is a regular army division of the British Army. It was established by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsula War, as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, and has been active for most of the period since, including the First World War and the...
during the Second World War, and is now part of the British 2nd Infantry Division
British 2nd Infantry Division
The 2nd Division is a regular division of the British army, with a long history. It dates its existence as a permanently embodied formation from 1809, when it was established by Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley , as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, for service in the Peninsular War...
in the north of the United Kingdom, with specific responsibility for the areas of North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
and Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber is one of the nine regions of England and formally one of the government office regions. It covers most of the historic county of Yorkshire, along with the part of northern Lincolnshire that was, from 1974 to 1996, within the former shire county of Humberside. The...
.
Formation in Ireland
The 15th Infantry Brigade was first formed in 1905 at Fermoy and up to the outbreak of the First World War continued to serve in Ireland. The Brigade, which at that time consisted of 1 Norfolks, 1 Dorsets, 1 Cheshires and 2nd Highland Light Infantry, was mobilized on 5 August 1914 and crossed to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force.World War I
During the opening months of the War, the Brigade had its full share of fighting and saw action at MonsBattle of Mons
The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies clashed with Germany on the French borders. At Mons, the British army attempted to hold the line of the...
, Le Cateau
Battle of Le Cateau
The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on 26 August 1914, after the British, French and Belgians retreated from the Battle of Mons and had set up defensive positions in a fighting withdrawal against the German advance at Le Cateau-Cambrésis....
, at the crossings of the Marne
Marne
Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
and Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
and in the first battles in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
.
The Brigade has chosen Ypres, November 1914, as the Brigade Battle and there is an annual Brigade Dinner to celebrate it. The Brigade fought in all four battles of Ypres.
The Brigade distinguished itself in various battles. One of the most notable was the attack on Hill 60 near Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
in 1915. Hill 60 was the highest point on what was known as the “Caterpillar Ridge” and as such was an excellent post for observation of the ground area around Zillebeke
Zillebeke
Zillebeke is a village in the Flemish province of West-Vlaanderen in Belgium. The former municipality is now part of Ypres.-History:On March 3, 1914 the then municipality was granted the arms are those of the last Lords of Zillebeke, the Canton family, Viscounts of Winnezeele, which had in 1740...
and Ypres. The 5th Division, composed of 13th, 14th and 15th Brigades, had the task of securing Hill 60 and the ridge line. The Hill was taken between 17 and 19 April 1915, with heavy losses, and the subsequent German counter attack in early May was particularly ferocious. The Germans, unable to obtain victory, eventually resorted to the use of chlorine gas and Brigade casualties during the first week in May 1915 were 33 officers and 1,553 men. However, the line was held until reliefs were brought forward and the Brigade withdrawn.
The last battle of the Great War in November 1918 found 15th Brigade in the forefront of the advance, east of the River Sambre
Sambre
The Sambre is a river in northern France and Wallonia, southern Belgium, left tributary of the Meuse River. The ancient Romans called the river Sabis.-Course:...
.
The Inter-War Years
Following the war the Brigade returned to Belfast where it commanded 1st Bn. Dorsetshire RegimentDorset Regiment
The Dorset Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1958, the county regiment of Dorset. Until 1951 it was formally called The Dorsetshire Regiment, although usually known as "The Dorsets".-History:...
, 1st Bn. Somerset Light Infantry, 1st Bn. Durham Light Infantry
Durham Light Infantry
The 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...
and 1st Bn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps. In 1924 the Brigade moved to Germany and was renamed 1 Rhine Brigade. The Brigade was reformed, as 15th Infantry Brigade in October.
World War II
The brigade was formed from regular units on the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939. When the 5th Division was sent to FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in early 1940, the 15th Brigade was sent instead in May to Norway, as part of Sickleforce to participate in the unsuccessful Norwegian Campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
, under the command of Lieutenant-General H.R.S.Massey. The brigade was reunited with the 5th Division on 3 August.
The Brigade served with this formation for the rest of the war, seeing action in the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
in 1943 and Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
in 1944. After participating in the later stages of the Battle of Anzio
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
, the brigade was deployed to garrison duties in the Middle East before being transferred to North West Europe
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
on 3 March 1945. The brigade was disbanded in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
on 31 March 1948.
Commanding Officers during World War II
- Brigadier Horatio Pettus Mackintosh Berney-FicklinHoratio Pettus Mackintosh Berney-FicklinMajor-General Horatio Pettus Mackintosh Berney-Ficklin CB MC was a British Army officer who served in World War I and World War II.-Military career:...
(3 September 1939 - 22 April 1940) - Brigadier H.E.F. Smyth (22–25 April 1940)
- Lieutenant-Colonel A.L. Kent-Lemon (25 April - 25 May 1940) (acting)
- Brigadier H.P.M. Berney-Ficklin (25 May - 20 June 1940)
- Lieutenant Colonel A.E. Robinson (20–22 June 1940) (acting)
- Brigadier Sir James GammellJames GammellLieutenant-General Sir James Andrew Harcourt Gammell KCB DSO MC was a British Army General during World War II.-Military career:After studying at Cambridge University, James Gammell was commissioned into the Scottish Horse Yeomanry in 1913...
(22 June - 23 July 1940) - Lieutenant Colonel A.E. Robinson (23–25 July 1940) (acting)
- Brigadier H.R.N. Greenfield (25 July 1940 - 8 March 1943)
- Brigadier G.S. Rawstone (8 March - 19 August 1943)
- Brigadier E.O. Martin (19 August 1943 - 22 January 1944)
- Brigadier J.Y. Whitfield (22 January - 29 April 1944)
- Lieutenant Colonel P St. Clair-Ford (29 April - 6 May 1944)(acting)
- Brigadier J.Y. Whitfield (6 May - 2 July 1944)
- Lieutenant Colonel P St. Clair-Ford (2–13 July 1944) (acting)
- Brigadier C. Huxley (13 July 1944 - 21 June 1945)
- Brigadier D.R. Morgan (21 June - 31 August 1945)
Structure during World War II
- 1st Battalion, Green Howards
- 1st Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light InfantryKing's Own Yorkshire Light InfantryThe King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. The regiment's traditions and history are now maintained by The Rifles.-The 51st Foot:...
- 1st Battalion1st Battalion, York and Lancaster RegimentThe 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment was formed in 1881 from the 65th Regiment of Foot .- Early history :After amalgamation in the army reform of 1881 the new 1st Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment were based in Bengal, India. In 1882 they were shipped to Aden while the 2nd...
, 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...
Reformation
The Brigade was reformed in 1982, as a Territorial Army formation, which in turn was part of the Second Infantry Division which was moving to YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. The Brigade's Headquarters were at RAF Topcliffe
RAF Topcliffe
RAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire. It is a satellite station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.Topcliffe opened in September 1940 as a bomber station in RAF Bomber Command and was home to 77 and 102 Squadrons flying the Whitley heavy bomber. There was a decoy site at Raskelf...
and its first commander in this new role was Brigadier Michael Aris. Its organisation and role were tested in Exercise Keystone in 1983, when it consisted of:
- Queen's Own YeomanryQueen's Own YeomanryThe Queen's Own Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army. The Queen's Own Yeomanry is the only Yeomanry regiment that serves in the formation reconnaissance role, equipped with the CVR family of armoured reconnaissance vehicles, including Scimitar and Spartan.On...
- 6th Battalion, Royal Regiment of FusiliersRoyal Regiment of FusiliersThe Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier...
- 7th Battalion, The Light InfantryThe Light InfantryThe Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. It was formed on 10 July 1968 as a "large regiment" by the amalgamation of the four remaining light infantry regiments of the Light Infantry Brigade:...
- 1st Battalion, Yorkshire VolunteersYorkshire VolunteersThe Yorkshire Volunteers was an infantry regiment of the British Territorial Army. The regiment was raised on 1 April 1967 and disbanded on 25 April 1993....
- 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Volunteers
In 1999, having been a territorial formation for many years, the brigade was made responsible for both regular and territorial units in the North East, when the Second Division became a "Regenerative Division", responsible for the north of England and Scotland.
Current Role and Structure
15th (North East) Brigade is a Regional Brigade responsible for the recruiting of soldiers and Officers for the Regular and Territorial Army. It trains the Territorial Army for operations, provides a command and control focus for all military support to civilian authorities during civil emergencies e.g. flooding and is responsible for providing the "Firm Base" to the Regular Army within its area. The brigade has its Headquarters in YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and includes the following units:
- 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th & 33rd/76th Foot)Yorkshire RegimentThe Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas...
- 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of FusiliersThe Royal Regiment of FusiliersThe Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier...
- 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment
- Queen's Own YeomanryQueen's Own YeomanryThe Queen's Own Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army. The Queen's Own Yeomanry is the only Yeomanry regiment that serves in the formation reconnaissance role, equipped with the CVR family of armoured reconnaissance vehicles, including Scimitar and Spartan.On...
(Formation Reconnaissance) - 101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)101st Regiment Royal Artillery are a M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System and Surveillance and Target Acquisition regiment of the Territorial Army with sub units throughout Northumbria. It is the only unit of the Territorial Army equipped with MLRS.The Regiment's role is to provide...
(MLRS and STA) - 72nd Engineer Regiment, Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- 150th (Northumbrian) Transport Regiment150th (Yorkshire) Transport Regiment150th Transport Regiment, Royal Corps of Transport and Royal Logistics Corps, is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom....
, Royal Logistics Corps - 102nd Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- University of Leeds Officer Training Corps
- Northumbrian Universities Officer Training Corps
- University of Sheffield Officers Training Corps
- The Regional Training Centre
- Yorkshire (North and West) Army Cadet Force
- Humberside and South Yorkshire Army Cadet Force
- Durham Army Cadet Force
- Cleveland Army Cadet Force
- Northumbria Army Cadet Force