31st Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 31st Brigade was a formation of the British Army. During the First World War, it was assigned to the 10th (Irish) Division and served at Gallipoli in the Middle East and Salonika.
Units in the First World War
- 5th Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (August 1914 – May 1918, transferred to 66th Division)
- 6th Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (August 1914 – May 1918, transferred to 14th Division
- 5th Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) (August 1914 – April 1918, transferred to 14th Division)
- 6th Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusiliers (August 1914 – November 1916, absorbed by 5th Battalion)
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusiliers (November 1916 – October 1918)
- 2nd Battalion, 42nd Deoli Regiment (July – October 1918)
- 74th Punjabis (April – October 1918)
- 2nd Battalion, 101st Grenadiers (May – October 1918)
- 38th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (June – July 1918)
Second World War
The 31st Infantry Brigade was formed as a Brigade Group in the UK on 17 July 1940.[2] On 26-27 September 1940 it was assigned to defend the Royal Military Canal, a few miles from Hythe and Dover on the south coast. There is a detailed description of this defence area in British archival survey sources.[3] At this time it appears to have been part of IV Corps, in South East Command.[4]
The brigade consisted of the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment, the 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 75 Field Regiment RA, 223 Anti-Tank Battery RA, 237 Field Company RE, and supporting units.[5] In late 1941, it had just returned to the United Kingdom after training for mountain warfare in India.[6]
Under the command of Brigadier George F. Hopkinson, the brigade was redesignated the 1st Airlanding Brigade Group on 10 October 1941 (on 10 December 1941- IWM) and came under command of the 1st Airborne Division. 'It probably lost its unique badge at about this time although it did not lose its Group status until 10 March 1943.'[2]
On 15 April 1946 the 6th Airlanding Brigade was renamed the 31st Independent Brigade.[7] This brigade wore a black desert rat on a red oval.[2]
References
- ^ "42nd (East Lancashire) Division". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ^ a b c Imperial War Museum,[1]
- ^ http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue//adsdata/arch-455-1/dissemination/pdf/Text_Reports/DA36_TEXT_-_ROYAL_MILITARY_CANAL.pdf
- ^ http://www.ordersofbattle.com
- ^ "31 Independent Brigade subordinates". Order of Battle. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ Ferguson, p.6
- ^ "31st Independent Brigade". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
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