226th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom): Difference between revisions

|unit_name=226th Infantry Brigade<br />226th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home)

| image_size = 150

|caption=Dorset County Division insignia

|dates=May 1915–1919<br />11 January&nbsp;– 1 December 1941

|command_structure=''First World War I'':<br />[[British Southern Army (Home Forces)|Southern Army]]<br />[[71st Division (United Kingdom)|71st Division]] (attached)<br />[[67th (2nd Home Counties) Division]] (attached)<br />''Second World War II'':<br />[[Dorset County Division]]

The '''226th Infantry Brigade''' was a Home Service formation of the [[British Army]] that existed under various short-lived titles in both the [[World War I|First]] and [[World War II|Second World Wars]].

==First World War I==

On the outbreak of the [[World War I|First World War]], 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.<ref>Becke, p. 6.</ref> 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.<ref>Becke, pp. 6, 65.</ref> The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions (termed Provisional Battalions from June 1915). <ref name = ACI>Army Council Instructions, January 1916, Appendix 18.</ref><ref name = TrailProv>[https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/the-territorial-force/provisional-brigades-and-battalions/ 'Provisional Brigades and Battalions' at Long, Long Trail.]</ref><ref name=Porter>{{Cite web |url=http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=175475 |title=Porter |access-date=20 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216152033/http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=175475 |archive-date=16 February 2016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

7th Provisional Brigade was one of these formations, with the following composition:<ref name = Porter/><ref name = Diary>7th Provisional Brigade War Diary, [[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives (TNA), Kew]] file WO 95/5458.</ref><ref name=Warpath>{{cite web |url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/misc_units/misc_unallot_uk.htm#226_bde {{webarchive|title= 'Miscellaneous Units and Unalloted Troops in Great Britain' at Warpath|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205004228/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/misc_units/misc_unallot_uk.htm |archive-date=5 December 2013 }}</ref>

* 7th Provisional BrigadeBattery [[Royal Field Artillery]]

* [[29th Provisional Battalion (Territorial Force)|29th Provisional Battalion]] from home service details of the [[139th (Sherwood Foresters) Brigade|Sherwood Foresters Brigade]] (5th, [[High Peak Rifles|6th]], [[Robin Hood Battalion|7th (Robin Hood)]] and 8th Bns), [[Sherwood Foresters]]), and the [[Staffordshire Rangers|5th]] and 6th Bns, [[North Staffordshire Regiment]]<ref name = ACI/><ref name = Porter/>

* [[18th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment|81st Provisional Battalion]] from home service details of the [[Warwickshire Brigade]] ([[Birmingham Rifles|5th]], 6th, 7th and 8th Bns, [[Royal Warwickshire Regiment]]) (left November 1915)<ref name = ACI/><ref name = Diary/>

* [[82nd Provisional Battalion (Territorial Force)|82nd Provisional Battalion]] from home service details of the [[Gloucester and Worcester Brigade]] ([[City of Bristol Rifles#17th Battalion|4th]] and [[6th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment|6th]] Bns [[Gloucestershire Regiment]] and [[Worcestershire Rifles|7th]] and 8th Bns [[Worcestershire Regiment]])<ref name = ACI/><ref name = Diary/>

* [[107th Provisional Battalion (probablyTerritorial Force)|107th Provisional Battalion]] from home service details of the [[Poplar and Stepney Rifles|17th]], [[London RegimentIrish Rifles|18th]] and [[1st Surrey Rifles|21st]] Bns,[[London Regiment (1908–1938)|London Regiment]]<ref name = ACI/>

* [[108th Provisional Battalion (probablyTerritorial Force)|108th Provisional Battalion]] from home service details of the [[23rd (County of London) RegimentBattalion|23rd]] and [[24th (County of London) Battalion (The Queen's)|24th]] Bns, London Regiment<ref name = ACI/>

* 7th Provisional Brigade Train [[Royal Army Service Corps|Army Service Corps]]

These units had fluctuating strengths. For example, in November 1915 the 82nd Provisional Bn consisted of 1550 men, but drafts to the 2nd and 3rd Line TF units and 63rd Provisional Battalion (in [[5th Provisional Brigade (United Kingdom)|5th Provisional Brigade]]) reduced this to 1100, including just under 200 men of the National Guard. The Battalion War Diary complains that many of the TF men being received from the Gloucesters and Worcesters 'especially those sent from Bristol have ailments which will prevent them ever becoming efficient soldiers'.<ref name = Diary/> The National Guard (or [[National Reserve (United Kingdom)|National Reserve]]) men would have been in Medical Category C.<ref>http: name = Diary//www.1914-1918.net/reserve.htm</ref>

The Provisional Brigades were dispersed in defence positions along the [[East Anglia]]n coast.<ref name = Diary/> In July 1916, 7th Provisional Bde was at [[Frinton-on-Sea]] and [[Walton-on-the-Naze]], forming part of [[British Southern Army (Home Forces)|Southern Army]] of Home Forces.<ref>Distribution of Northern and Southern Armies (Home Defence), The National ArchivesTNA file WO 33/765.</ref>

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. 7th Provisional Brigade became '''226th Mixed Brigade''' in December 1916, with its units redesignated as follows from 1 January 1917:<ref name = Porter/><ref>http://www.warpath.orbat.com/misc_units/misc_unallot_uk.htm#225_bde {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205004228/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/misc_units/misc_unallot_uk.htmname |date=5 DecemberFrederickProv>Frederick, 2013pp. }}184–5.</ref><ref name = Trail71>http:Warpath//www.1914-1918.net/71div.html</ref>

* General Officer Commanding:<ref name = Becke71/><ref name = Becke67>Becke, pp. 75–82.</ref> Brigadier-General J.F. Erskine (until 24 October 1917)<br />Brigadier-General [[Charles Granville Fortescue|Hon. C.G. Fortescue]] (21 November 1917&nbsp;– 11 March 1918)<br />Brigadier-General B.C.M. Carter (from 25 March 1918)

* 2/6th[[City of Bristol Rifles#17th Battalion|17th Battalion]], [[DurhamGloucestershire Light InfantryRegiment]] (joinedfrom 182nd SeptemberProvisional 1917Battalion) from<ref [[71stname Division= (UnitedFrederickProv/><ref Kingdom)|71stname Division]]= FrederickGlos>Frederick, becamep. Garrison101.</ref><ref Guardname battalion= andJamesGlos>James, joinedp. [[59th72.</ref><ref (2ndname North= Midland)TrailGlos>[http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/gloucestershire-regiment/ Division]]Gloucestershire 1Regiment Mayat 1918)Long, Long Trail.]</ref><ref name=dli>{{Cite web |url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/regts/dligloucesters.htm |title=ArchivedGloucestershire copyRegiment at Warpath |access-date=24 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2010020123351920160305031032/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/regts/dligloucesters.htm |archive-date=15 FebruaryMarch 20102016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name = dli2>http://www.1914-1918.net/dli.htm</ref>

* 29th2/6th Battalion, [[LondonDurham RegimentLight Infantry]] (joined 1 September 1917 from [[71st Division (United Kingdom)|71st Division]], became Garrison Guard battalion and joined [[59th (2nd North Midland) Division]] 1 May 1918) <ref name =Londons FrederickDLI>Frederick, p. 146.</ref><ref name = JamesDLI>James, p. 101.</ref><ref name = TrailDLI>[http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/durham-light-infantry/ Durham Light Infantry at Long, Long Trail.]</ref><ref name=WarpathDLI>{{citeCite web |url=http://www.warpath.orbat.com/regts/londondli.htm |title=ArchivedDurham copyLight Infantry at Warpath|accessdateaccess-date=24 March 2013-11-25 |urlarchive-status=dead |archiveurlurl=https://web.archive.org/web/2010020123170620100201233519/http://www.warpath.orbat.com/regts/londondli.htm |archivedatearchive-date=1 February 2010 }}</ref><ref name|url-status=dead |df=dmy-all Londons2>http://www.1914-1918.net/london.htm}}</ref>

* 30th28th (Home Service) Battalion, LondonDurham RegimentLight Infantry (joinedraised 527 FebruaryApril 1918)<ref fromname 71st= Division)FrederickDLI/><ref name = JamesDLI/><ref name = LondonsTrailDLI/><ref name = Londons2WarpathDLI/>

* 32nd[[30th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment]] (fromformer 108th101st Provisional BattalionBn, disbandedjoined 135 AprilFebruary 1918 from 71st Division)<ref name = LondonsFrederickProv/><ref name = FrederickLond/><ref name = JamesLond/><ref name = TrailLond/><ref name = Londons2WarpathLondons/>

* [[London31st Heavy(County Brigade,of RoyalLondon) Garrison Artillery|2/1stBattalion, London HeavyRegiment|31st BatteryBattalion, Royal GarrisonLondon ArtilleryRegiment]] (joinedfrom 71st107th DivisionProvisional 9Battalion, Marchdisbanded 19177 whenSeptember [[58th (2/1st London1918)<ref Division]]name went= overseas)FrederickProv/><ref name = Trail71FrederickLond/><ref name = Becke71JamesLond/>Becke,<ref pp.name 101–5.<= TrailLond/ref><ref>Becke, p.name 11<= WarpathLondons/ref>

* 2/2nd[[32nd (County of London) Battalion, London HeavyRegiment|32nd BatteryBattalion, RGALondon Regiment]] (joinedfrom 71st108th DivisionProvisional 9Battalion, disbanded 13 MarchApril 19171918)<ref name = Trail71FrederickProv/><ref name = Becke71FrederickLond/><ref>Becke, p.name 27= JamesLond/><ref name = TrailLond/><ref name = WarpathLondons/>

At first, 226th Brigade had no divisional allocation. Then from 13 April 1917 it was attached to [[71st Division (United Kingdom)|71st Division]], a Home Service formation also composed of former Provisional Battalions.<ref name = Becke71/<ref name = Trail71/>

In May 1918 each of the non-divisional home service brigades provided one Garrison Guard battalion to reconstitute the [[59th (2nd North Midland) Division]] in France. 226th Brigade supplied the 2/6th Durham LI to the [[177th (2/1st Lincoln and Leicester) Brigade]], which was replaced in the brigade by a newly raised Home Service battalion of the regiment.<ref name = dliFrederickDLI/><ref name = dli2JamesDLI/><ref name = TrailDLI/><ref name = WarpathDLI/>

==Second World War II==

* 8th Battalion, [[Essex Regiment]] (''28 February 1941 - 1 December 1941, converted to the [[153rd Regiment Royal Armoured Corps]]'')<ref name =F50/>

* [[9th Battalion, Essex Regiment (1940–42)|9th Battalion, Essex Regiment]] (''28 February&nbsp;– 23 November 1941, Convertedconverted to the [[11th Medium Regiment, [[Royal Artillery]] (December 1942)'')<ref>{{cite web|last1=Evans|first1=Nigel F|title=Medium Regiments RA|url=http://nigelef.tripod.com/regtsumm.htm#medregt|website=British Artillery Regiments|accessdate=2 January 2017}}</ref>

* [[8th Battalion, [[East Lancashire Regiment]] (''26 July&nbsp;– 19 November 1941, converted to the [[144th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps]]'')<ref name =F50/>

{{Reflist|23}}

===External sources===

* [http://www.1914-1918longlongtrail.netco.uk Chris Baker, ''The Long, Long Trail'']