14th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

14th Infantry Brigade
Active	1914–1918 1939–1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry Airlanding
Role	Airborne
Engagements	First World War Second World War

The 14th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation during both the First World War and the Second World War.

History

First World War

In 1914 this brigade was part of the 5th Division and moved over to France.^[1] On 30 December 1915 the brigade was transferred to the 32nd Division.^[2]

Component units during the First World War

Subordinate units included:^[1]

• 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment - left September 1914
• 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment
• 1st Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
• 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment
• 1/5th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment - joined February 1915, left November 1915
• 1/9th (Highlanders) Battalion, Royal Scots - joined November 1915
• 2nd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers - joined November 1915

Second World War

At the start of the war this unit was made up of regular army battalions based in the Middle East garrisons, nominally part of the 8th Infantry Division. It was present at the Battle of Crete, holding Heraklion airfield and causing many casualties among the German Parachute troops. Evacuated to North Africa where it became part of the 70th Infantry Division in the break out from Tobruk. The 70th Infantry Division was transferred to India and then Burma. Here the division, including the 14th Infantry Brigade, was split up and reformed as Chindits, fighting in the Second Chindit Expedition of 1944 (codenamed Operation Thursday). The brigade suffered 489 casualties during the Chindit operation.^[3] On 1 November 1944 the brigade was redesignated as the 14th British Airlanding Brigade.^[4]

Component units during the Second World War

The following infantry battalions were assigned to the 14th Infantry Brigade for various periods in the Second World War.^[5]

• 2nd Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
• 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
• 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
• 1st Battalion, Welch Regiment
• 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
• 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
• 2/4th Australian Infantry Battalion
• 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
• 7th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment

Commanders

Commanders included:^[6]

• Maj.-Gen. J. F. C. Fuller (? – 14 December 1930)^[7]
• Maj.-Gen. H. J. Huddleston (14 December 1930 – 1 July 1933)^[8][9]
• Brig. H. C. Maitland-Makgill-Crichton (11 July 1933 – 29 June 1937)^[10][11]
• Brig. H. C. Harrison (29 June 1937 – 27 January 1939)^[12][13]
• Brig. A. R. Godwin-Austen (31 December 1938 – 23 August 1939)^[14][15]
• Brig. G. Dawes (3 September 1939 – 26 July 1940)
• Brig. O. H. Tidbury (30 October 1940 – 27 April 1941)
• Brig. B. H. Chappel (27 April 1941 – 2 May 1942)
• Brig. A. Gilroy (2 May 1942 – 6 November 1943)
• Brig. Thomas Brodie (6 November 1943 – 31 October 1944)

See also

• British Divisions in World War II
• British Army Order of Battle - September 1939
• 6th Infantry Division
• 70th Infantry Division
• Chindits
• Siege of Tobruk
• Battle of Crete

References

1. "The 5th Division in 1914–1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
2. "The 32nd Division in 1914–1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
3. Young, Frank. "Chindits, Special Force Burma 1942-1944". Retrieved 2009-04-20.
4. "14th Indian Airlanding Brigade". Paradata. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
5. "Subordinates". Orders of Battle. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
6. "Appointments". Orders of Battle. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
7. London Gazette, 16 December 1930 (issue 33670), p. 8078
8. London Gazette, 23 December 1930 (issue 33672), p. 8256
9. London Gazette, 30 June 1933 (issue 33955), p. 4382
10. London Gazette, 11 July 1933 (issue 33959), p. 4653
11. London Gazette, 29 June 1937 (issue 34413), p. 4176
12. London Gazette, 6 July 1937 (issue 34415), p. 434
13. London Gazette, 14 February 1939 (issue 34598), p. 1068
14. London Gazette, 10 January 1939 (issue 34588), p. 215
15. London Gazette, 25 August 1939 (issue 34658), p. 5842

Further reading

• Great Campaigns of World War II. Great Britain: Phoebus Publishing. 1980. ISBN 0-86288-340-7.
• Antony Beevor (1991). Crete, The Battle and the Resistance. Great Britain: John Murray (Publishers). ISBN 0-7195-6831-5.
• 14 Infantry Brigade at Orders of Battle.com