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223rd Brigade (United Kingdom)

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223rd Brigade
223rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home)
Essex County Division insignia
Active1915–1919
1940–1942
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeInfantry
RoleHome Defence
SizeBrigade
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Brigadier Sir Alexander Stanier, Bart

The 223rd Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army in World War I and World War II. It existed under several variations of the 223 Brigade title, and was eventually converted into an airborne formation.

World War I

On the outbreak of World War I the Territorial Force (TF) immediately mobilised for home defence, but shortly afterwards (31 August 1914), its units were authorised to raise 2nd battalions formed from those men who had not volunteered for, or were not fit for, overseas service, together with new volunteers, while the 1st Line went overseas to supplement the Regulars.[1] Early in 1915 the 2nd Line TF battalions were raised to full strength to form new divisions, and began to form Reserve (3rd Line) units to supply drafts.[2] The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions (termed Provisional Battalions from June 1915).[3]

3rd Provisional Brigade

3rd Provisional Brigade was formed mainly from details of regiments from Eastern England, with the following composition:[3][4]

Under the command of Brigadier-General H.J. Archdale, the brigade was attached to 69th (2nd East Anglian) Division in the area around Thetford, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds under the control of First Army of Central Force (18 September – 16 October 1915).[8]

When 3rd Provisional Brigade left 69th Division, it also had the following units attached to it:[8]

In March 1916 the Provisional Brigades were concentrated along the South and East Coast of England. 3rd Provisional Brigade came under the orders of Northern Army, with its battalions billeted across Norfolk as follows:[9]

223rd Mixed Brigade

The Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The Provisional Brigades thus became anomalous, and at the end of 1916 their units became numbered battalions of their parent units. Part of their role was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas. 3rd Provisional Brigade became 223rd Mixed Brigade in December 1916, with its units redesignated as follows:[3][8][11]

  • 43rd Provisional Battalion became 25th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)[5]
  • 62nd Provisional Battalion became 9th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment[6][12]
  • 64th Provisional Battalion became 14th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment[13]
  • 66th Provisional Battalion became 16th Battalion, Essex Regiment and transferred to 71st Division[14][15]
  • 67th Provisional Battalion became 17th Battalion, Essex Regiment[15]
  • 2/1st Highland (Fifeshire) Heavy Battery, RGA (unchanged)
  • 3rd Provisional Field Company became 642nd (London) Field Company Royal Engineers
  • 3rd Provisional Battery and Ammunition Column became 1205th (West Lancashire) Battery RFA
  • 3rd Provisional Brigade Train became 835th Company ASC
  • 3rd Provisional Field Ambulance became 331st Field Ambulance RAMC

The brigade was attached to 64th (2nd Highland) Division.[3]

In May 1918 each of the Mixed Brigades was called upon to provide a battalion (redesignated a Garrison Guard battalion) to reconstitute the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, which had been virtually destroyed during the German Spring Offensive. 223rd Mixed Brigade supplied 25th King's (Liverpool Regiment) to 176th (2/1st Staffordshire) Brigade and immediately raised a new 27th (Home Service) Battalion, King's to take over its coast defence duties.[5][16][17] The brigade remained with this composition until the end of the war, after which it was demobilised.

World War II

In World War II the brigade number was reactivated for 223rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home). formed for service in the United Kingdom in Eastern Command.[18]

223rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home)

For its entire career the brigade was commanded by Brigadier Sir Alexander Stanier, Bart and once again it initially comprised newly raised infantry battalions of the same regiments from Eastern England:[18]

The brigade was attached to 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division (31 October 1940 – 26 February 1941) and then Essex County Division (26 February – 22 July 1941) before coming under the command of XI Corps.

3rd Parachute Brigade

The 223rd Independent Infantry Brigade was converted into 3rd Parachute Brigade on 7 November 1942, and its battalions were converted as follows:[23]

The 3rd Parachute Brigade was initially assigned to the 1st Airborne Division but was later transferred to the 6th Airborne Division. 3rd Parachute Brigade took part in the airborne landings in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, (Operation Tonga) and the crossing of the Rhine (Operation Varsity). The 223rd Brigade number has never been reactivated.

Notes

  1. ^ Becke, p. 6.
  2. ^ Becke, pp. 6, 65.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Porter
  4. ^ 3rd Provisional Brigade War Diary, The National Archives, Kew file WO 95/5458.
  5. ^ a b c King's Liverpool at Long, Long Trail
  6. ^ a b Northamptons 1914–1918, p. 341.
  7. ^ a b Burrows, p. 357.
  8. ^ a b c Becke, pp. 91–8.
  9. ^ Distribution of Northern and Southern Armies (Home Defence), The National Archives file WO 33/765.
  10. ^ Becke, pp. 58–9.
  11. ^ 223 Bde at Warpath
  12. ^ Northamptons at Long, Long Trail
  13. ^ Suffolks at Long, Long Trail
  14. ^ Becke, pp. 102–3.
  15. ^ a b Essex at Long, Long Trail
  16. ^ Becke, pp. 20–21.
  17. ^ King's Liverpool at Warpath[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ a b Joslen, p. 386.
  19. ^ Joslen, p. 367.
  20. ^ a b Joslen, p. 328.
  21. ^ Joslen, p. 370.
  22. ^ Joslen, p. 376.
  23. ^ Joslen, pp. 386, 411.

References

  • Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-84734-739-8.
  • John Wm. Burrows, Essex Units in the War 1914–1919, Vol 5, Essex Territorial Infantry Brigade (4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Battalions), Also 8th (Cyclist) Battalion The Essex Regiment, Southend: John H. Burrows & Sons, 1932.
  • Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2003, ISBN 1-84342-474-6.
  • Regimental History Committee, The Northamptonshire Regiment, 1914–1918, Aldershot: Gale & Polden, 1932/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2005, ISBN 1-84574-270-2.

External sources

  • The Long, Long Trail
  • The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918
  • David Porter's work on Provisional Brigades at Great War Forum
  • "223 Independent Infantry Brigade (Home)". Orders of Battle.com.
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