135th (2/1st South Western) Brigade

October 2015 October 2015 2nd/1st South Western Brigade135th (2/1st South Western) Brigade135th Infantry Brigade October 19141919April 1939July 1944September 1944March 1946 United Kingdom 23px Territorial Force23px Territorial Army Infantry Brigade 45th (2nd Wessex) Division45th Infantry Division First World WarSecond World War Service The 135th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army. It was formed in the First World War as a duplicate of the South Western Brigade and was originally formed as the 2nd/1st South Western Brigade in 1914–1915 before later being renamed as the 135th (2/1st South Western) Brigade. It was sent overseas to India in December 1914 to relieve Regular Army units for service in France. The brigade remained there for the rest of the war, supplying drafts of replacements to the British units fighting in the Middle East and later complete battalions. It was reformed as 135th Infantry Brigade in the Territorial Army in 1939, again as a duplicate formation, when another European conflict with Germany seemed inevitable. During the Second World War, the brigade was active in the United Kingdom throughout its service. It was disbanded on 20 July 1944. The brigade was reformed on 1 September 1944 as part of the 45th (Holding) Division. It did not see service outside the United Kingdom during the war. History First World War In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw. 7, c.9) which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service. Therefore, TF units were split into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. 2nd Line units performed the home defence role, although in fact most of these were also posted abroad in due course.http://www.1914-1918.net/tf.htm Was my soldier in the Territorial Force (TF)? The Long, Long Trail Chris Baker 19 February 2015 On 15 August 1915, TF units were instructed to separate home service men from those who had volunteered for overseas service (1st Line), with the home service personnel to be formed into reserve units (2nd Line). On 31 August, 2nd Line units were authorized for each 1st Line unit where more than 60% of men had volunteered for overseas service. After being organized, armed and clothed, the 2nd Line units were gradually grouped into large formations thereby forming the 2nd Line brigades and divisions. These 2nd Line units and formations had the same name and structure as their 1st Line parents. On 24 November, it was decided to replace imperial service (1st Line) formations as they proceeded overseas with their reserve (2nd Line) formations. A second reserve (3rd Line) unit was then formed at the peace headquarters of the 1st Line.Becke 1937 6 The brigade was formed as a 2nd Line duplicate of the South Western Brigade in October 1914, shortly after the outbreak of war. It was assigned to the 2nd Wessex Division, the 2nd Line duplicate of the Wessex Division. The division was selected for service in India thereby releasing British and Indian regular battalions for service in Europe. On 12 December, the brigade embarked at Southampton and landed at Bombay between 4 and 8 January.Becke 1936 59 The brigade was effectively broken up on arrival in India; the units reverted to peacetime conditions and the battalions were dispersed to Bangalore, Meiktila (Burma), Ahmednagar, and Poona. The Territorial Force divisions and brigades were numbered in May 1915 in the order that they departed for overseas service, starting with the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. The 2nd Wessex Division should have been numbered as the 45th (2nd Wessex) Division, but as the division had already been broken up, this was merely a place holder.Rinaldi 2008 35 Likewise, the 2nd/1st South Western Brigade was notionally numbered as 135th (2/1st South Western) Brigade.Becke 1936 58 The units pushed on with training to prepare for active service, handicapped by the need to provide experienced manpower for active service units. By early 1916 it had become obvious that it would not be possible to transfer the division and brigade to the Western Front as originally intended. Nevertheless, individual units proceeded overseas on active service through the rest of the war.Becke 1936 60 The 2/4th Somerset Light Infantry and 2/4th Dorsets served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign from September 1917, so that by the end of the war just the 2/5th Somerset Light Infantry and 2/4th Wilts remained in India.Becke 1936 56 First World War units The brigade commanded the following units: 2/4th Battalion, Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry) was formed at Bath in September 1914 and went to India with the brigade, arriving at Bombay between 4 and 8 January 1915.Becke 1936 57 It was posted to Bangalore in 9th (Secunderabad) Division until September 1915 when it was sent to the Andaman Islands.Perry 1993 109 It returned to India in January 1916 and served successively with the Presidency Brigade, 8th (Lucknow) Division (to May 1917),Perry 1993 103 at Lahore in 3rd Lahore Divisional Area (to August),Perry 1993 57 Poona Brigade, 6th Poona Divisional Area (to September).Perry 1993 81 It landed at Suez on 25 September 1917 and joined the 232nd Brigade, 75th Division at Deir el Balah on 16 October. On 2 May 1918, the battalion embarked at Port Said for service on the Western Front, disembarking at Marseille on 1 June.Becke 1937 127 It joined the 34th Division at Berthen on 19 June and became the division's pioneer battalion on 5 July (reorganized as three companies).Becke 1945 44 At the Armistice with Germany on 11 November it was still the 34th Division pioneers and was at Wevelgham, west of Courtrai, Belgium.James 1978 57 2/5th Battalion, Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry) was formed at Taunton in September 1914. It went to India with the brigade arriving at Bombay between 4 and 8 January 1915 and remained in India and India and Burma throughout the war. It served in the Burma Division at Meiktila (January 1915 to January 1916), Rangoon (January to September 1916) and back to Meiktila.Perry 1993 113 In December it transferred to the Presidency Brigade, 8th (Lucknow) Division where it remained until the end of the war. 2/4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment was formed at Dorchester in September 1914 and went to India with the brigade, arriving at Bombay between 4 and 8 January 1915. Initially, it was assigned to the Poona Brigade but was quickly transferred to Ahmednagar in 6th Poona Divisional Area (from February 1915). From January 1916 to April 1917 it was at Jullundur (later 45th (Jullundur) Brigade) in 3rd Lahore Divisional Area before returning to the 6th Poona Divisional Area and joining the Bombay Brigade. On 15 August 1917, it sailed from Bombay and arrived at Suez on 29 August. It joined the 234th Brigade, 75th Division at Deir el Balah on 19 September. The battalion was transferred to 233rd Brigade on 2 May 1918 and was disbanded on 3 August in Palestine.James 1978 81 2/4th Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment) was formed at Trowbridge in October 1914. It went to India with the brigade arriving at Bombay between 4 and 8 January 1915 and remained in India throughout the war.James 1978 96 It served in the Poona Brigade, 6th Poona Divisional Area (January 1915 to March 1917) before transferring to the 8th (Lucknow) Division where it served in the Allahabad Brigade (March to November) and the Presidency Brigade (November 1917 to March 1918) before returning to the Allahabad Brigade where it ended the war. Second World War By 1939 it became clear that a new European war was likely to break out and, as a direct result of the German invasion of Czechoslovakia on 15 March,Westlake 1986 49 the doubling of the Territorial Army was authorised, with each unit and formation forming a duplicate.http://www.army.mod.uk/reserve/31793.aspx History of the Army Reserve MOD 17 August 2015 Consequently, 135th Infantry Brigade was formed in April 1939 as part of the 45th Infantry Division, duplicate of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division.http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/45-Infantry-Division-1939-.pdf 45th Infantry Division (1939) British Military History Rob Palmer 22 January 2012 23 October 2015 November 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Unusually, it was not a mirror of its parent, the 43rd and 45th Divisions being organized on a geographical basis.http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/43_Division__1930_38_.pdf 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division (1930–38) British Military History Rob Palmer 17 November 2009 23 October 2015 August 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Units from Cornwall, Devon and south Somerset (both the original units and their duplicates) joined the new 45th Infantry Division, whereas those from north Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire remained with the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division. Initially, the brigade was administered by the 43rd Division until the 45th Division began to function from 7 September 1939.Joslen 2003 321 The brigade remained in the United Kingdom with the 45th DivisionJoslen 2003 73 during the Second World War and did not see active service overseas. In July 1944, the brigade started to disperse as its component units were posted away, a process that was completed on 20 July and the brigade disbanded. The brigade was reformed on 1 September 1944 by the redesignation of 209th Infantry Brigade. It served with the 45th (Holding) Division for the rest of the war. Second World War units The brigade commanded the following units in the Second World War: 5th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)until 10 July 1944 6th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)until 13 July 1944 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)until 11 September 1942 135th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Companyformed 19 June 1940, disbanded 21 January 194145RecceBn 45th Reconnaissance Battalion was formed in January 1941 from the 134th, 135th and 136th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Companies. It later formed 45 and 54 Columns of the Chindits.Bellis 1994 33 7th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's)from 12 September 1942 to 13 July 1944 4th Battalion, Devonshire Regimentfrom 3 April until 10 July 1944 After being reformed by the redesignation of 209th Infantry Brigade, the brigade commanded:Joslen 2003 372http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/939BXIE.pdf British Infantry Brigades 1st thru 215th 1939-1945 George Nafziger George Nafziger 28 October 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231709/http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/939BXIE.pdf 3 March 2016 dead dmy-all 11th Battalion, Hampshire Regimentfrom 24 September 1942 14th Battalion, Durham Light Infantryfrom 25 September 1942 until 14 November 1944 18th Battalion, Welch Regimentfrom 20 November 1943 until 19 September 1944 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regimentfrom 19 November 1943 2/5th Battalion, Welch Regimentfrom 19 September 1944 11th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regimentfrom 15 November 1944 Commanders During the First World War The brigade was commanded from formation until embarkation for India by Br.-Gen. G.S.McD. Elliot. He simultaneously commanded 2nd Wessex Division until it embarked.Becke 1936 55 Previously, he had been a Colonel commanding the 1st Line South Western Brigade at the outbreak of the war until it departed for India.Becke 1936 43 During the Second World War The brigade had the following commanders in the Second World War: From Rank Name Notes 3 September 1939 Brig A.L.W. Newth from the outbreak of the war 26 August 1942 Brig G.McI.S. Bruce 2 September 1942 Lt-Col C.L. Firbank acting 14 September 1942 Lt-Col G.B. Russell acting 17 September 1942 Lt-Col C.S. Howard acting 26 September 1942 Lt-Col G.B. Russell acting 1 October 1942 Brig J. Vicary until 20 July 1944 10 August 1944 Brig N.P. Procter as commander of 209th Brigade 14 February 1945 Brig A. Gilroy See also United Kingdom 129th (South Western) Brigade for the 1st Line formation British infantry brigades of the First World War British brigades of the Second World War Notes References 2 Bibliography Bellis Malcolm A. 1994 Regiments of the British Army 1939–1945 (Armour & Infantry) Military Press International London 0-85420-999-9 James E.A. 1978 British Regiments 1914–18 Samson Books Limited London 0-906304-03-2 Perry F.W. 1993 Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions Ray Westlake Military Books Newport 1-871167-23-X Rinaldi Richard A 2008 Order of Battle of the British Army 1914 Ravi Rikhye 978-0-97760728-0 https://books.google.com/books?id=hzUZ-26KYQ4C Westlake Ray 1986 The Territorial Battalions, A Pictorial History, 1859–1985 Spellmount Tunbridge Wells External links http://www.1914-1918.net/45div.htm The 45th (2nd Wessex) Division in 1914-1918 The Long, Long Trail Chris Baker 27 February 2015 http://www.warpath.orbat.com/divs/45_div.htm 45th (2nd Wessex) Division on The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918 by PB Chappell 2015-10-23 bot: unknown https://web.archive.org/web/20140716115255/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/divs/45_div.htm 16 July 2014 dmy http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/45-Infantry-Division-1939-.pdf 45th Infantry Division (1939) British Military History Rob Palmer 22 January 2012 23 October 2015November 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/45_Infantry_Division__1944_45_.pdf 45th Infantry Division (1944) British Military History Rob Palmer 1 February 2010 23 October 2015July 2021 InternetArchiveBot yes Category:Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War I Category:Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II Category:Military units and formations established in 1914 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1919 Category:Military units and formations established in 1939 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944 Category:Military units and formations established in 1944 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1946