British 2nd Infantry Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Infantry Brigade (now the 2nd (South East) Brigade) is a British Army
Regional Brigade, active since the First World War.
fought in, from France
to Tunisia
in North Africa
and finally Italy
. Throughout the war it was part of the 1st Infantry Division
. Today, it is part of the UK's 4th Division
as the 2nd (South East) Brigade.
said that "The Brigade (along with 52 Brigade) was being re-roled from a regional brigade headquarters to provide better command and control arrangements for light infantry role battalions, all of which are currently deployable. The reorganisation of the brigade will not result in an increase in the number of deployable troops. The change will bring greater coherence to the way that light role units prepare for operations, through improved co-ordination of training".
Following broad reorganisation under the Future Army Structures, 2nd Infantry Brigade was renamed 2nd (South East) Brigade in 2007. The name is in line with its revised role as a Regional Brigade, responsible largely for Territorial Army units.
2nd (South East) Brigade comprises:
Note: 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles
(2 RGR) is also based at Shorncliffe, but is assigned to 52nd Infantry 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...
Regional Brigade, active since the First World War.
History
During the Second World War the 2nd Infantry Brigade saw active service in many of the major campaigns that the BritishUnited 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...
fought in, from France
Battle 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...
to Tunisia
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
in 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...
and finally Italy
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...
. Throughout the war it was part of the 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:...
. Today, it is part of the UK's 4th Division
British 4th Infantry Division
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
as the 2nd (South East) Brigade.
Commanders (World War II)
- Brig. C.E.HudsonCharles Edward HudsonMajor General Charles Edward Hudson VC CB DSO & Bar MC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.His was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in the...
- Brig. A.A.B.DowlerArthur DowlerLieutenant General Sir Arthur Dowler KCB KBE was General Officer Commanding the East Africa Command of the British Army.-Military career:...
- Brig.E.E.J.Moore
- Brig.A.C.Gore
- Brig.C.E.A.Firth
- Brig. R.N.AndersonRichard Anderson (British Army officer)Lieutenant General Sir Richard Neville Anderson KCB CBE DSO was a British Army General who achieved high office in the 1960s.-Military career:...
Component units (World War II)
- 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders - (To 7 March 1940 surrendered St-ValerySaint-Valery-en-CauxSaint-Valery-en-Caux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small fishing port and light industrial town situated in the Pays de Caux, some west of Dieppe at the junction of the D53, D20, D79 and the D925 roads...
) - 1st Battalion, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)
- 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire RegimentNorth Staffordshire RegimentThe North Staffordshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, which was in existence between 1881 and 1959. It can date its lineage back to 1756 with the formation of a second battalion by the 11th Regiment of Foot, which shortly after became the 64th Regiment of Foot...
- 6th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
Current component units
In the House of Commons on 25 November 2002 the Secretary of State for DefenceSecretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
said that "The Brigade (along with 52 Brigade) was being re-roled from a regional brigade headquarters to provide better command and control arrangements for light infantry role battalions, all of which are currently deployable. The reorganisation of the brigade will not result in an increase in the number of deployable troops. The change will bring greater coherence to the way that light role units prepare for operations, through improved co-ordination of training".
Following broad reorganisation under the Future Army Structures, 2nd Infantry Brigade was renamed 2nd (South East) Brigade in 2007. The name is in line with its revised role as a Regional Brigade, responsible largely for Territorial Army units.
2nd (South East) Brigade comprises:
- HQ 2nd (South East) Brigade: Sir John Moore Barracks, ShorncliffeShorncliffeShorncliffe can refer to:* Shorncliffe, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane in Australia** Shorncliffe railway line, to the suburb** Shorncliffe railway station, Brisbane, in the suburb...
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. - 3rd Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal RegimentPrincess of Wales's Royal Regiment"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
(Queen's and Royal Hampshires) (3 PWRR): HQ in CanterburyCanterburyCanterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. - 103rd Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersThe Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
(103 Bn REME): HQ in CrawleyCrawleyCrawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
, SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
- British Military Garrison BruneiBritish Military Garrison BruneiThe British Military Garrison Brunei is the name given to the British armed forces presence in Brunei. Since the handover ceremony of Hong Kong in 1997, the garrison in Brunei is the only remaining British military base in the Far East, and along with Diego Garcia one of only two East of Suez...
, SeriaSeriaSeria is a town in the Belait District of Brunei Darussalam. Its full name is Pekan Seria in full . Seria was originally known as Padang Berawa which is Wild Pigeon's Field in Malay. The name "Seria" comes from the river located very near where oil was first discovered in the area in 1929...
, BruneiBruneiBrunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, including 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha RiflesRoyal Gurkha RiflesThe Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas...
(1 RGR): British Resident Infantry Battalion (BRIB).
Note: 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles
Royal Gurkha Rifles
The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas...
(2 RGR) is also based at Shorncliffe, but is assigned to 52nd Infantry Brigade.