6th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

6th Brigade
6th Infantry Brigade

Badge of 6th Infantry Brigade
Active 1908-1918
1923-1926
1939-1945
1947-1977
1981-1992
Country  United Kingdom
Branch  British Army
Type Infantry
Role Infantry Brigade
Size Brigade
Garrison/HQ San Sebastian Barracks, Soest
Engagements Second Boer War
World War I
World War I
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 William Bartholomew

The 6th Infantry Brigade was a regular infantry brigade of the British Army that was in existence during the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War and later formed part of British Army of the Rhine.

History

Second Boer War

The brigade was a part of the Natal Field Force under the command of Major General Sir Geoffrey Barton.[1] It was composed as follows;

World War I

The brigade was part of 2nd Division. The brigade commanded the following units in the First World War:[2]

The following battalions were part of the brigade during 1915.

The 17th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers joined the brigade from the 5th Brigade in February 1918.

World War II

At the outbreak of war in 1939 the 6th Infantry was part of the 2nd Infantry Division. In 1939 the brigade moved with the 2nd Infantry Division to France and was involved in the short Battle of France fighting at the Battles of The Dyle, St Omer-La Bassée and the retreat to and evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940. With the invasion of Burma by the Japanese Army the brigade was shipped out to India with the 2nd Division where it would remain for the rest of the war fighting in the Burma Campaign. It fought in the Arakan and at Kohima and Mandalay. The brigade was composed as follows;[3]

While an Independent Brigade Group fighting in the Arakan between 1 November 1942 and 2 June 1943, the following additional units were attached.

Post World War II

The brigade was reformed from 153rd Infantry Brigade in 1947[4] and then formed part of British Army of the Rhine being based at St Sebastian Barracks in Soest in 1952.[5]

During the 1970s, the brigade was one of two "square" brigades assigned to 3rd Armoured Division.[6] After being briefly converted to "Task Force Foxtrot" in the late 1970s,[7] the brigade was reinstated in 1981, assigned to 3rd Armoured Division[8] and was then was reformed as an airmobile brigade at Salamanca Barracks in Soest from 1986 to 1988 and then reformed again as an armoured brigade from 1988 to 1992.[9]

Notes

  1. ↑ Army of Natal, legionwargames.com
  2. ↑ Baker, Chris. "The 2nd Division in 1914-1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  3. ↑ Joslen p240
  4. ↑ "Shiel Barracks". BAOR locations. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "St Sebastian Barracks". BAOR Locations. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  6. ↑ Watson, Graham (2005). "The British Army in Germany: An Organisational History 1947-2004". Tiger Lily. p. 95.
  7. ↑ Lord, p. 83
  8. ↑ Black, Harvey. "The Cold War Years. A Hot War in reality. Part 6.".
  9. ↑ "Salamanca Barracks". BAOR Locations. Retrieved 31 October 2015.

References

External links

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