223rd Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 223rd Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army in the First and the Second World Wars. It existed under several variations of the 223 Brigade title, and was eventually converted into an airborne formation.

3rd Provisional Brigade
223rd Mixed Brigade
223rd Independent Infantry Brigade
Formation sign used by the 223rd Independent Infantry Brigade from November 1941 to November 1942.
Active1915–1919
1940–1942
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeInfantry
RoleHome Defence
SizeBrigade
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Brigadier Sir Alexander Stanier, Bart 1940 — 1942
Insignia
Insignia worn by the brigade troops while in the Essex County Division.[1]

World War I

On the outbreak of World War I, the Territorial Force (TF) immediately mobilised for home defence, but shortly afterwards (31 August 1914), its units were authorised to raise 2nd line 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.[2] 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.[3] The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions (termed Provisional Battalions from June 1915).[4][5] [6]

3rd Provisional Brigade

3rd Provisional Brigade was formed mainly from details of regiments from Eastern England, with the following composition:[5][7]

Under the command of Brigadier-General H.J. Archdale, the brigade was attached to the 69th (2nd East Anglian) Division in the area around Thetford, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds under the control of First Army of Central Force (18 September – 16 October 1915).[11]

When the 3rd Provisional Brigade left the 69th Division, it also had the following units attached to it:[11]

In March 1916 the Provisional Brigades were concentrated along the South and East Coast of England. 3rd Provisional Brigade came under the orders of Northern Army, with its battalions billeted across Norfolk as follows:[12]

223rd Mixed Brigade

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. The 3rd Provisional Brigade became the 223rd Mixed Brigade in December 1916, with its units re-designated as follows on 1 January 1917:[5][11][14]

The brigade was attached to the 64th (2nd Highland) Division.[5]

In May 1918 each of the Mixed Brigades was called upon to provide a battalion (re-designated a Garrison Guard battalion) to reconstitute the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, which had been virtually destroyed during the German spring offensive. The 223rd Mixed Brigade supplied 25th King's (Liverpool Regiment) to the 176th (2/1st Staffordshire) Brigade and immediately raised a new 27th (Home Service) Battalion, King's to take over its coast defence duties.[16][17][18][26][27] The brigade remained with this composition until the end of the war, after which it was demobilised.

World War II

In World War II, the brigade number was reactivated as the 223rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), formed for service in the United Kingdom in Eastern Command. The brigade was attached to the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division (31 October 1940 – 26 February 1941) and then the Essex County Division (26 February – 22 July 1941) before coming under the command of XI Corps. While in this formation it was re-designated as the 223rd Independent Infantry Brigade.[28]

Order of Battle

For its entire career as the 223rd Brigade it was commanded by Brigadier Sir Alexander Stanier, Bart and was initially composed of newly raised infantry battalions.[28]

  • As part of the 15th Infantry Division and the Essex County Division.
  • As part of the 223rd Independent Infantry Brigade
    • 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment (22 July 1941 — 13 September 1942)
    • 8th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (22 July 1941 — 4 September 1942)
    • 10th Battalion, Essex Regiment (22 July 1941 — 6 November 1942)
    • 10th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (4 September 1942 — 6 November 1942)
    • 13th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment (13 September 1942 — 6 November 1942)
    • 223rd Field Ambulance (from 22 July 1941)

3rd Parachute Brigade
Main article: 3rd Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 223rd Independent Infantry Brigade was converted into the 3rd Parachute Brigade on 7 November 1942, and its battalions were converted as follows:[28][29]

The 223rd Brigade number has never been reactivated.

Notes
  1. Cole p. 58
  2. Becke, p. 6.
  3. Becke, pp. 6, 65.
  4. Army Council Instructions, January 1916, Appendix 18.
  5. "Porter". Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  6. 'Provisional Brigades and Battalions' at Long, Long Trail.
  7. 3rd Provisional Brigade War Diary, The National Archives (TNA), Kew file WO 95/5458.
  8. Northamptons 1914–1918, p. 341.
  9. Murphy, pp. 342–3.
  10. Burrows, p. 357.
  11. Becke, pp. 91–8.
  12. Distribution of Northern and Southern Armies (Home Defence), TNA file WO 33/765.
  13. Becke, pp. 58–9.
  14. 223 Bde at Warpath Archived 2013-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Frederick, pp. 184–5.
  16. Frederick, p. 128.
  17. James, p. 52.
  18. King's (Liverpool) Regiment at Long, Long Trail.
  19. Frederick, p. 223.
  20. James, p. 56.
  21. Suffolk Regiment at Long, Long Trail.
  22. Becke, pp. 102–3.
  23. Frederick, p. 234.
  24. James, p. 86.
  25. Essex Regiment at Long, Long Trail.
  26. Becke, pp. 20–21.
  27. King's Liverpool at Warpath
  28. Joslen, p. 386.
  29. Joslen, p. 411.

References
  • Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-84734-739-8.
  • John Wm. Burrows, Essex Units in the War 1914–1919, Vol 5, Essex Territorial Infantry Brigade (4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Battalions), Also 8th (Cyclist) Battalion The Essex Regiment, Southend: John H. Burrows & Sons, 1932.
  • Cole, Howard (1973). Formation Badges of World War 2 Britain, Commonwealth and Empire. London: Arms and Armour Press.
  • J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
  • Brig E.A. James, British Regiments 1914–18, London: Samson Books, 1978, ISBN 0-906304-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9.
  • Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/London: London Stamp Exchange, 1990, ISBN 0-948130-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6.
  • Lt-Col C.C.R. Murphy, The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914–1927, London: Hutchinson, 1928/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2002, ISBN 978-1-84342-245-7.
  • Regimental History Committee, The Northamptonshire Regiment, 1914–1918, Aldershot: Gale & Polden, 1932/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2005, ISBN 1-84574-270-2.
  • War Office, Army Council Instructions Issued During January 1916, London: HM Stationery Office, 1916.

External sources

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