British 24th Infantry Brigade (Guards)
Encyclopedia
The 24th Infantry Brigade was a British Army
formation from the First World War
to the late 1990s.
by battalions returning from overseas stations to reinforce British forces on the Western Front in France. The Brigade moved to France with the rest of the 8th Division in November 1914 and fought there for the entire war.
, it was part of Lieutenant General H.R.S. Massey
's unsuccessful British force that was sent to Norway
in April. It arrived in Narvik
on April 15, 1940 and was evacuated on June 8, 1940.
In 1942-1943 the Brigade formed part of the British 1st Infantry Division
and the British 6th Armoured Division
during the fighting in Tunisia and Algeria. From December 7, 1943 to August 31, 1945 it served in the Italian Campaign
mainly with the 6th South African Armoured Division. As 24th Guards Brigade it was part of the force that liberated Trieste
in 1945, but soon afterwards lost its 'Guards' title as the Guards units were withdrawn from the brigade.
, was rushed from Kenya
to Kuwait
to take command of the British land forces assembled to dissuade President Kassem of Iraq
from invading the country. By December 1963 Kenya gained its independence, and the Brigade was reduced to two battalions, 2nd Battalion Scots Guards
and 1st Battalion Staffordshire Regiment, both at Kahawa
., plus 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
and 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders at Gilgil. It was involved in putting down indigenous army mutinies which sprang up in Zanzibar
, Tanzania
, Uganda
, and Kenya itself in January 1964. Brigade Headquarters left Kenya for Aden
at the end of October 1964, and stayed there until the final British evacuation of Aden in November 1967. On its return home it joined 3rd Infantry Division
in 1968 as part of Army Strategic Command and was based at Crownhill Fort in Plymouth, now restored and a museum.
The Brigade arrived in Northern Ireland
at the start of The Troubles
in mid-1969 and was back again in June 1970. The brigade was soon afterward reorganised as 24th Airmobile Brigade at Barnard Castle
, County Durham
. At this time the Brigade headquarters consisted of elements from various units. There was a large contingent of Royal Corps of Signals (210 Signal Squadron), Royal Pioneer Corps, Intelligence Corps and Royal Army Ordnance Corps. After its reformation in 1983, It became part of the 2nd Infantry Division
. It had the war role of putting an airmobile anti-tank barrier in the face of any Soviet breakthrough of I (BR) Corps defences in Germany. Elements served with UNPROFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina
in 1995, as part of the 'Rapid Reaction Force
.' It was finally disbanded in the late 1990s and combined with elements of 5th Airborne Brigade as 16 (Air Assault) 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 from the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
to the late 1990s.
1914 - 1918
The Brigade was first formed as part of the 8th Infantry DivisionBritish 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....
by battalions returning from overseas stations to reinforce British forces on the Western Front in France. The Brigade moved to France with the rest of the 8th Division in November 1914 and fought there for the entire war.
1939 - 1945
In 1940 as 24th Guards Brigade, under the command of Brigadier Colin GubbinsColin Gubbins
Major-General Sir Colin McVean Gubbins KCMG, DSO, MC was the prime mover of the Special Operations Executive in the Second World War....
, it was part of Lieutenant General H.R.S. Massey
Massey (surname)
-A:* Andrew Thomas Massey is a former Irish footballer and schoolboy international, born in England.* Anna Raymond Massey, British actress, daughter of Raymond Massey* Athena Massey, actress-B:...
's unsuccessful British force that was sent to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in April. It arrived in Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
on April 15, 1940 and was evacuated on June 8, 1940.
In 1942-1943 the Brigade formed part of the British 1st Infantry Division
British 1st Infantry Division
The 1st Infantry Division was a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsula War, the Crimean War, the First World War, and during the Second World War.-Napoleonic Wars:...
and the British 6th Armoured Division
British 6th Armoured Division
The 6th Armoured Division was a Second World War, British Army formation, created on 12 September 1940. The unit was initially supplied with Matilda and Valentine Tanks, which were replaced by Crusader tanks and then finally with the M4 Sherman Tank...
during the fighting in Tunisia and Algeria. From December 7, 1943 to August 31, 1945 it served in the 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...
mainly with the 6th South African Armoured Division. As 24th Guards Brigade it was part of the force that liberated Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
in 1945, but soon afterwards lost its 'Guards' title as the Guards units were withdrawn from the brigade.
Post World War II
The Brigade was withdrawn from Trieste by 1954. In 1960 as 24th Infantry Brigade Group the brigade's commander, Brigadier D.G. HorsfordDerek Horsford
Major-General Derek Gordon Thomond Horsford CBE DSO & bar was a British Army officer who commanded the 17th Gurkha Division.-Military career:...
, was rushed from Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
to Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
to take command of the British land forces assembled to dissuade President Kassem of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
from invading the country. By December 1963 Kenya gained its independence, and the Brigade was reduced to two battalions, 2nd Battalion Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The 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...
and 1st Battalion Staffordshire Regiment, both at Kahawa
Kahawa
Kahawa is a suburb and civic ward of Nairobi, Kenya. The ward is part of Kasarani Constituency. Kahawa is located in the northeastern outskirts of Nairobi, along Thika Road ....
., plus 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
and 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders at Gilgil. It was involved in putting down indigenous army mutinies which sprang up in Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, and Kenya itself in January 1964. Brigade Headquarters left Kenya for Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
at the end of October 1964, and stayed there until the final British evacuation of Aden in November 1967. On its return home it joined 3rd Infantry Division
British 3rd Infantry Division
The 3rd Mechanised Division, known at various times as the Iron Division, 3rd Division or as Iron Sides; is a regular army division of the British Army...
in 1968 as part of Army Strategic Command and was based at Crownhill Fort in Plymouth, now restored and a museum.
The Brigade arrived in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
at the start of The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in mid-1969 and was back again in June 1970. The brigade was soon afterward reorganised as 24th Airmobile Brigade at Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. At this time the Brigade headquarters consisted of elements from various units. There was a large contingent of Royal Corps of Signals (210 Signal Squadron), Royal Pioneer Corps, Intelligence Corps and Royal Army Ordnance Corps. After its reformation in 1983, It became part of the 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...
. It had the war role of putting an airmobile anti-tank barrier in the face of any Soviet breakthrough of I (BR) Corps defences in Germany. Elements served with UNPROFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
in 1995, as part of the 'Rapid Reaction Force
Rapid reaction force
A rapid reaction force is a military or police unit designed to respond in very short time frames to emergencies. When used in reference to police forces such as SWAT teams, the time frame is minutes, while in military applications, such as with the use of paratroops or other commandos, the time...
.' It was finally disbanded in the late 1990s and combined with elements of 5th Airborne Brigade as 16 (Air Assault) Brigade.
Commanders
- Brig. W. Fraser
- Brig. Colin McVean Gubbins
- Brig. Sir Frederick Browning
- Brig. W.P.A. Bradshaw
- Brig. A.S.P. Murray
- Brig. M.D. Erskine
- Brig. A.F.L. Clive
Order of battle 1939 - 1945
- 1st 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...
- 1st Battalion, Irish GuardsIrish GuardsThe Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
- 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers
- 5th 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...
- 42nd Field Coy, 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....