150th Infantry Brigade
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The 150th Infantry Brigade was an
infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
formation of the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
that saw active service in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. A 1st Line Territorial Army brigade, it was part of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division. It served in the
Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
and was evacuated from Dunkirk. Later it served in the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
and was overrun and forced to surrender during the
Battle of Gazala The Battle of Gazala, also the Gazala Offensive (Italian language, Italian: ''Battaglia di Ain el-Gazala'') was fought near the village of Gazala during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, west of the port of Tobruk in Libya, f ...
in the
North African Campaign The North African campaign of World War II took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943, fought between the Allies and the Axis Powers. It included campaigns in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts (Western Desert campaign, Desert Wa ...
. For almost 72 hours (29–31 May 1942) during the battle the 150th Brigade and the
44th Royal Tank Regiment The 44th Royal Tank Regiment (44 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army, which was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps that saw active service in World War II. The 44th RTR was formed before Wor ...
held out against
Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (; 15 November 1891 â€“ 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox (, ), was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) during World War II. He served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of ...
's concentrated attacks, without any support. On 1 June the
German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
finally forced their surrender. The brigade was not reformed.


Order of battle

The following units constituted the 150th Brigade:Joslen, p. 334. * 4th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment * 4th Battalion,
Green Howards The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under variou ...
* 5th Battalion, Green Howards * 150th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company – ''8 December 1939 to 1 January 1941''


Battle of France

50th (Northumbrian) Division was mobilised on the outbreak of war in September 1939. After training it travelled to France in January 1940 to join the new British Expeditionary Force (BEF).Joslen, pp. 81–2.Ellis, ''France & Flanders'', Chapter II.
/ref> The
Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
began on 10 May with the German invasion of the Low Countries. The BEF followed the pre-arranged Plan D and advanced into Belgium to take up defences along the River Dyle. 50th (N) Division was in reserve for the divisions along the Dyle line by 15 May. However, the
German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
had broken through the
Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...
to the east, forcing the BEF to withdraw again across a series of river lines. By the end of 19 May the whole force was back across the Escaut, with 50th (N) Division concentrating on
Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of ...
above
Arras Arras ( , ; ; historical ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a ...
and preparing to make a counter-attack on the German forces sweeping past towards the sea.Ellis, ''France & Flanders'', Chapter IV.
/ref> The attack (the Battle of Arras) was made on 21 May, but 150th Bde was not involved, being sent to strengthen the garrison of Arras and to hold the line of the
River Scarpe The Scarpe () is a river in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It is a is long left-bank tributary of the river Escaut (Scheldt). The source of the river is at Berles-Monchel near Aubigny-en-Artois. It flows through the towns of Arras, Douai ...
. It carried out a raid across the river during the day. As the Germans continued to move west, behind the BEF, Arras was becoming a dangerous salient, and 150th Bde came under attack on 23 May. It fought its way out of Arras via
Douai Douai ( , , ; ; ; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord département in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe (rive ...
that night as the BEF scrambled to form a defensive ring round
Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...
. 50th (N) Division was then thrown into a gap left near Ypres when the Belgian Army surrendered.Ellis, ''France & Flanders'', Chapter XII.
/ref> By now the decision had been made to evacuate the BEF through Dunkirk (
Operation Dynamo Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
), and 50th (N) Division held the line to allow this to proceed. All day on 29 May it was bombarded as it pulled back, still in contact with the enemy. The rest of II Corps was evacuated on the night of 31 May/1 June, while 50th (N) Division continued to hold the line. Finally, 150th Bde's turn came, and it was evacuated to England on 2 June. 50th (N) Division spent almost a year re-equipping and training in the UK, taking its place in the anti-invasion defences, before it was chosen for renewed overseas service.


North Africa

50th (N) Division sailed to reinforce Middle East Forces on 23 April 1941, landing in
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
on 13 June. It was then sent to garrison
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
, but 150th Bde was detached to
Western Desert Force The Western Desert Force (WDF) was a British Army formation active in Egypt during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. On 17 June 1940, the headquarters of the British 6th Infantry Division was designated as the Western Des ...
(WDF). However, the WDF's
Operation Battleaxe Operation Battleaxe (15–17 June 1941) was a British Army offensive during the Second World War to raise the Siege of Tobruk and re-capture eastern Cyrenaica from German and Italian forces. It was the first time during the war that a signific ...
had failed, 150th Bde was not immediately required, and in August it rejoined 50th (N) Division in Cyprus. In November the division moved by sea and road to
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, but once again 150th Bde was detached to Egypt as an independent brigade group, arriving on 29 November and joining Eighth Army on 22 December. While operating as an independent brigade group it included the following additional units: * 72nd (Northumbrian) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery * 232nd (Northumbrian) Field Company, Royal EngineersWatson & Rinaldi, p. 163. * 50th Recce Battalion – ''until 22 December 1941'' * 'B' Company,
Royal Army Service Corps The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and do ...
* Sections,
Royal Army Ordnance Corps The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) was a corps of the British Army. At its renaming as a Royal Corps in 1918 it was both a supply and repair corps. In the supply area it had responsibility for weapons, armoured vehicles and other military equi ...
Operation Crusader Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert campaign during World War II by the British Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) against the Axis forces (German and ...
was just ending as the brigade arrived in the desert, and there was a lull of some months before active operations restarted. The rest of 50th (N) Division arrived in February, and 150th Bde reverted to its command on 22 February, but all of its brigades were to operate as independent groups in the next phase of fighting (the
Battle of Gazala The Battle of Gazala, also the Gazala Offensive (Italian language, Italian: ''Battaglia di Ain el-Gazala'') was fought near the village of Gazala during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, west of the port of Tobruk in Libya, f ...
).


Battle of Gazala

The " Gazala Line" was a series of occupied "boxes" each of brigade strength set out across the desert with minefields and wire watched by regular patrols between the boxes. When General
Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (; 15 November 1891 â€“ 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox (, ), was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) during World War II. He served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of ...
attacked on 26 May, 150th and 69th Bdes of 50th Division occupied two boxes: there was a gap of between 150th Bde at Sidi Muftah and 69th Bde to the north, and another gap of between 150th Bde and 1st Free French Brigade's box at Bir Hakeim to the south. The line was not equally manned, a greater number of troops covering the coast leaving the south less protected. 1st South African Division was nearest the coast, with
1st First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
and 7th Armoured divisions waiting behind the main line as a mobile counter-attacking force. 2nd South African Division formed a garrison at
Tobruk Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclopà ...
and 5th Indian Infantry Division (which had arrived in April to relieve
4th Indian Infantry Division The 4th Infantry Division, also known as the Red Eagle Division, is an infantry division of the Indian Army. This division of the British Indian Army was formed in Egypt in 1939 during the Second World War. During the Second World War, it took ...
) was held in reserve. The German advance was spotted by the 4th South African Armoured Car Regiment at first light on 27 May. At about 08:30 they overran the 7th Armoured Divisional HQ. This scattered the 7th Motor Brigade, which withdrew to the Retma Box, fifteen miles east of Bir Hakeim, while 4th Armoured Brigade, fought all day to stem the attackers. By the afternoon, the German attack had shattered the 7th Armoured Division and they were in position to assault the 201st Guards Motor Brigade, in the Knightsbridge Box. The Germans now attacked the Retma Box, which was garrisoned by the Rangers ( 9th King's Royal Rifle Corps), 2nd Rifle Brigade, C Bty 4th RHA, and a
Rhodesia Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...
n anti-tank unit. Accompanied by heavy artillery fire the
Panzer {{CatAutoTOC, numerals=no Words and phrases Germanic words and phrases Words and phrases by language la:Categoria:Verba Theodisca ...
s swarmed in, swiftly overrunning the 9th KRRC, with the rest of the garrison then moving back to east of Bir El Gubi. The Germans now pushed their Panzers on to the north, moving behind the Gazala Boxes, where British resistance stiffened in what became known as the Battle of the Cauldron. By the evening of 28 May it was clear to Brigadier C.W. Haydon that his 150th Bde was going to be attacked from this direction, and he pulled in his southern battalion and prepared for all-round defence, reinforced by part of 1st Army Tank Bde, including 30 tanks. The garrison of 150th Bde Box now stood at: * 150th Infantry Brigade HQ (Brig C.W. Haydon) ** 4th East Yorkshires ** 4th Green Howards ** 5th Green Howards ** D Company, 2nd
Cheshire Regiment The Cheshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The 22nd Regiment of Foot was raised by the Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk in 1689 and was able to boast an independent existence ...
(machine guns) ** 72nd (Northumbrian) Field Rgt, RA ** 25/26 Battery, 7th Medium Rgt, RA ** 259 Battery, 55th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Rgt, RA ** 81 Battery, 25th Light Anti-Aircraft Rgt, RA ** 232 (Northumbrian Field Company, RE * Tactical HQ, 1st Army Tank Bde (Brig W.O.L. O'Carroll) ** One squadron, 42nd Royal Tank Regiment **
44th Royal Tank Regiment The 44th Royal Tank Regiment (44 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army, which was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps that saw active service in World War II. The 44th RTR was formed before Wor ...
To shorten their supply lines the Axis began clearing two paths through the minefield either side of the 150th Bde Box along the Trigh el Abd and Trigh Capuzzo. The brigade kept the supply lines under artillery fire and, although it was unable to stop the flow of traffic, it made the route so ineffective that the enemy armoured divisions to the east of the minefields were reduced to a parlous state for petrol, ammunition and food. Their water ration was down to half a cup a man. Early on 30 May elements of the ''
Afrika Korps The German Africa Corps (, ; DAK), commonly known as Afrika Korps, was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its Africa ...
'' attempted to break through the brigade's position but drew off after taking losses. Next day the Italian Trieste Division and German 90th Light Division attacked, but made little progress against a defence that they described as 'skilful and stubborn'. On 1 June Rommel reinforced the attackers with the
21st Panzer Division The 21st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in the battles of the North African Campaign from 1941 to 1943 during World War II when it was one of the two armoured divisions making up the Deutsches Afrikakorps ...
and more artillery, and the assault was resumed after heavy
dive-bombing A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...
. Early in the afternoon 150th Bde was overcome by a series of concentric attacks and overrun, Brigadier Haydon was killed, and the survivors (including Brigadier O'Carroll) became
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
. :: said in its daily battle report. "The encircled enemy, supported by numerous infantry tanks, again resisted most stubbornly", "Each separate element within the fortress-like strengthened defences had to be fought for. The enemy suffered extraordinary heavy, bloody losses. Eventually the operation, which also caused considerable losses to our troops, ended in complete success"'


Commanders

The following commanded the brigade: *
Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...
H.S. Kreyer (on outbreak of war) * Lieutenant-Colonel W.E. Bush (acting from 9 April 1940) * Brigadier C.W. Haydon (from 26 April 1940; killed in action 1 June 1942)


Postwar

150th Brigade was not reformed when 50th (Northumbrian) Division was reconstituted in the Territorial Army in 1947. Instead, the reformed 4th East Yorkshires and 4th Green Howards became part of 151 Infantry Brigade, now subtitled 'Yorkshire & Durham'.Watson, ''TA 1947''.
/ref>


Notes


References

*

* * * * * I.S.O. Playfair, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East, Vol III: (September 1941 to September 1942) British Fortunes reach their Lowest Ebb, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960 /Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, * Graham E. Watson & Richard A. Rinaldi, ''The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organization and Units 1889–2018'', Tiger Lily Books, 2018,


External sources



{{DEFAULTSORT:150th Infantry Brigade, British Infantry brigades of the British Army Army Reserve (United Kingdom) Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1942