136th (2/1st Devon and Cornwall) Brigade

October 2015 October 2015 2nd/1st Devon and Cornwall Brigade136th (2/1st Devon and Cornwall) Brigade136th Infantry Brigade October 19141919April 1939August 1944February 1945March 1946 United Kingdom 23px Territorial Force23px Territorial Army Infantry Brigade 45th (2nd Wessex) Division45th Infantry Division First World WarSecond World War Service The 136th 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 Devon and Cornwall Brigade and was originally formed as the 2nd/1st Devon and Cornwall Brigade in 1914–1915 before later being renamed as the 136th (2/1st Devon and Cornwall) 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 136th 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 31 August 1944. The brigade was reformed on 1 February 1945 for the reception of troops returning from overseas. 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 Devon and Cornwall Brigade in October 1914, shortly after the outbreak of war.The peacetime Devon and Cornwall Brigade commanded the 4th and 5th Devons and 4th and 5th DCLI. https://marksrussianmilitaryhistory.info/BRIT14.html The British Army, 1914 Conrad Mark 1996 31 October 2015 On mobilization, the 5th DCLI posted their foreign service volunteers to the 4th Battalion to bring it up to strength. As the battalion was now understrength, it was replaced in the brigade by the 6th Devons.James 1978 75 The 2nd Line brigade duplicated this altered structure.Becke 1936 56 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 with three battalions; the 2/4th DCLI landed at Karachi on 9 January 1915 and the rest of the brigade 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 Wellington, Bombay, and Karachi. 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 Devon and Cornwall Brigade was notionally numbered as 136th (2/1st Devon and Cornwall) 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 Devons served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign from October 1917 and the 2/6th Devons in the Mesopotamian Campaign from September 1917, so that by the end of the war just the 2/4th DCLI remained in India. First World War units The brigade commanded the following units: 2/4th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, was formed at Exeter on 16 September 1914 and went to India with the brigade, arriving at Bombay between 4 and 8 January 1915. It served with the Southern Brigade, 9th (Secunderabad) Division from January 1915 to October 1917.Perry 1993 109 On 15 October 1917 it sailed from Bombay, arriving at Suez on 25 October. Initially it was on Lines of Communication duties but it joined 234th Brigade, 75th Division near Deir el BalahBecke 1937 127 on 13 December. It left the division in July 1918 and was disbanded on 17 August 1918.James 1978 55Becke 1936 57 2/5th (Prince of Wales's) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, was formed at Plymouth on 16 September 1914. It did not go to India with the brigade. In September 1915 it transferred to Egypt and in June 1916 it was disbanded with personnel to 1/4th, 1/5th, and 1/6th Devons. 2/6th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, was formed at Barnstaple on 16 September 1914. It went to India with the brigade arriving at Bombay between 4 and 8 January. It served with the Bombay Brigade, 6th Poona Divisional Area (to March 1916),Perry 1993 81 was at Muttra in the 7th Meerut Divisional Area (March to August 1916),Perry 1993 95 and 1st (Peshawar) Brigade, 1st (Peshawar) Division (August 1816 to July 1917).Perry 1993 37 On 14 September 1917, it landed at Basra and was employed on Lines of Communication duties in Mesopotamia for the rest of the war. By the Armistice of Mudros on 31 October 1918, it was at Amara. 2/4th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was formed at Truro in September 1914. It went to India with the brigade arriving at Karachi on 9 January 1915 and remained in India throughout the war. It served with the Karachi (January to April 1915) and 1st Quetta Brigades (May to October 1915) of 4th (Quetta) Division,Perry 1993 63 at Multan (October 1915 to March 1916) and with the 44th (Ferozepore) Brigade (March 1916 to February 1917) in the 3rd Lahore Divisional Area,Perry 1993 57 and with the Bareilly (March to October 1917), Dehra Dun (October 1917 to March 1918) and Delhi Brigades of 7th Meerut Divisional Area. 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, 136th 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 322 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 August 1944, the brigade started to disperse as its component units were posted away, a process that was completed on 31 August and the brigade disbanded. A new brigade headquarters was formed on 1 February 1945 for the reception, selection and training of troops from overseas who were temporarily unfit due to wounds and other causes. The units of the brigade were Reception Camps, Selection Battalions and Training Battalions. It served with the 45th (Holding) Division for the rest of the war. Second World War units The brigade commanded the following units:http://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 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regimentuntil 17 November 1940 4th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantryuntil 1 August 1944 5th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantryuntil 6 September 1942 136th 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 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliersfrom 17 November 1940 until 4 December 1941 13th Battalion, Sherwood Forestersfrom 12 December 1941 until 10 February 1942 2nd Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantryfrom 23 May 1942 until 19 August 1942 7th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regimentfrom 21 August 1942 until 4 January 1943 12th Battalion, Hampshire Regimentfrom 6 September 1942 until 1 August 1944 10th Battalion, East Surrey Regimentfrom 5 January 1943 until 1 August 1944 Commanders During the First World War The brigade was commanded from formation until embarkation for India by Br.-Gen. Lord St. Levan.Becke 1936 55 During the Second World War The brigade had the following commanders in the Second World War: From Rank Name Notes 3 September 1939 Brig C.H. Gotto from the outbreak of the war 18 June 1940 Brig R.C. Money 23 August 1940 Lt-Col D.A. Bullock acting 27 August 1940 Brig G.H.P. Whitfield 19 August 1943 Brig C.H.V. Cox 11 December 1943 Brig N. MacLeod 29 July 1944 Lt-Col T.V. Williams acting; until 31 August 1944 14 February 1945 Brig G.E. Younghusband reformed brigade See also United Kingdom 130th (Devon and Cornwall) 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 1945 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1946