British 70th Infantry Brigade
Encyclopedia
.The 70th Infantry Brigade was a British Territorial Army unit during the First and Second World Wars.
) during World War I, the Brigade was reformed in the interwar period as part of the British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
. It was transferred to the British 23rd (Northumbrian) Division
under which it was involved in the Battle of France
in 1940 and the retreat from Dunkirk.
After escaping France, the brigade became part of the British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division
. It went with the division to Iceland in 1941 for a chilly garrison stay, before returning to England in November of that year. It spent the remaining two and a half years training before landing in Normandy on 12 June 1944.
During Operation Martlet
, the preparatory attack for Operation Epsom
that took place on 25 June 1944, the brigade was heavily engaged around the village of Rauray with elements from the 12th SS Panzer and 26th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiments of 12th SS Panzer Division
. The Brigade then fought a bloody battle around Rauray as Kampfgruppe Weidinger
of 2nd SS Panzer Division
counter-attacked between 29 June and 1 July. For this it was given the battle honour of 'The Odon'
Thereafter it fought south of Tilly-sur-Seulles, before following the 49th Division's initial drive during I Corps' drive to the Seine in late August. On 19 August, the brigade was withdrawn from the frontline and began to disband to fill the increasing gap in available infantry reinforcements.. By 19 October 1944, it ceased to exist. Its place in the 49th Division was taken by the 56th Independent Infantry Brigade.
History
Originally part of the British 23rd Division (and briefly British 8th 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....
) during World War I, the Brigade was reformed in the interwar period as part of the British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
The 50th Infantry Division was a 1st Line Territorial Army division during the Second World War. The two Ts in its insignia represent the two boundaries to its recruitment area, the rivers Tyne and Tees...
. It was transferred to the British 23rd (Northumbrian) Division
British 23rd (Northumbrian) Division
The 23rd Infantry Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Army duplicate of the 50th Infantry Division during the Second World War.- History :...
under which it was involved in the Battle of 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...
in 1940 and the retreat from Dunkirk.
After escaping France, the brigade became part of the British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division
British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division
This military division was formed on 1 April 1908 as the West Riding Division in the Territorial Force of the British Army.- First World War :...
. It went with the division to Iceland in 1941 for a chilly garrison stay, before returning to England in November of that year. It spent the remaining two and a half years training before landing in Normandy on 12 June 1944.
During Operation Martlet
Operation Martlet
Operation Martlet was the name given to the diversionary operation undertaken on 25 June 1944 by the 49th Infantry Division, of XXX Corps, to support Operation Epsom; the assault by the VIII Corps into the Odon Valley...
, the preparatory attack for Operation Epsom
Operation Epsom
Operation Epsom, also known as the First Battle of the Odon, was a Second World War British offensive that took place between 26 and 30 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy...
that took place on 25 June 1944, the brigade was heavily engaged around the village of Rauray with elements from the 12th SS Panzer and 26th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiments of 12th SS Panzer Division
12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend was a German Waffen SS armoured division during World War II. The Hitlerjugend was unique because the majority of its junior enlisted men were drawn from members of the Hitler Youth, while the senior NCOs and officers were generally veterans of the Eastern...
. The Brigade then fought a bloody battle around Rauray as Kampfgruppe Weidinger
Kampfgruppe Weidinger
Kampfgruppe Weidinger was a formation from the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" that was formed to support the attack of II SS Panzer Corps at the tail end of Operation Epsom in the Normandy Campaign...
of 2nd SS Panzer Division
2nd SS Division Das Reich
The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich was a Waffen-SS division during World War II. It is considered to be an elite formation amongst the thirty-eight divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS....
counter-attacked between 29 June and 1 July. For this it was given the battle honour of 'The Odon'
Thereafter it fought south of Tilly-sur-Seulles, before following the 49th Division's initial drive during I Corps' drive to the Seine in late August. On 19 August, the brigade was withdrawn from the frontline and began to disband to fill the increasing gap in available infantry reinforcements.. By 19 October 1944, it ceased to exist. Its place in the 49th Division was taken by the 56th Independent Infantry Brigade.
Component Units (WW1)
- 11th (Service) Bn Sherwood ForestersSherwood ForestersThe Sherwood Foresters was formed during the Childers Reforms in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 45th Regiment of Foot and the 95th Regiment of Foot...
(until September 1918) - 8th (Service) Bn., 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:...
- 8th (Service) Bn., The York and Lancaster Regiment
- 9th (Service) Bn., The York and Lancaster Regiment
- 1/8th Bn, The Middlesex Regiment (from October 1915 until February 1916)
Component Units (WW2)
- 10th Bn. The 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...
- 11th Bn. The Durham Light Infantry
- 12th (Tyneside Scottish) Bn., The Durham Light Infantry (later 1st Bn. The Tyneside ScottishTyneside ScottishTyneside Scottish is an honour title which has been held by a variety of British Army units since 1914. The Regiments which have held the title are the Northumberland Fusiliers, Durham Light Infantry, Black Watch and Royal Artillery....
, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment))