The 3rd Infantry Brigade was a

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, part of the 1st Infantry Division. Originally formed in 1809, during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

, the brigade had a long history, seeing action in the

Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...

, and during both the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and the

Second World Wars World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Formation

The 1st Division was formed during the

in Spain and Portugal, part of the army commanded by General Arthur Wellesley, later 1st

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...

. In 1814, the 3rd brigade took part in the

Battle of New Orleans The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the Frenc ...

, commanded by Lt. Gen. John Keane. It also took part in the

Battle of Ali Masjid The Battle of Ali Masjid, which took place on 21 November 1878, was the opening battle in the Second Anglo-Afghan War between the British forces, under Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel James Browne, and the Afghan forces, under Ghulam Haider Khan. ...

in November 1878 during the

. As the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

ended in 1902 the army was restructured, and a 2nd Infantry division was established permanently as part of the 1st Army Corps, comprising the 3rd and 4th Infantry Brigades.

First World War

The brigade saw service during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as part of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front.

Order of battle

The 3rd Brigade was constituted as follows during the war: * 1st Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) ''(left November 1914)'' * 1st Battalion,

South Wales Borderers The South Wales Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for 280 years. It came into existence in England in 1689, as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot, and afterwards had a variety of names and headquarters. I ...

* 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment * 2nd Battalion,

Welch Regiment The Welch Regiment (or "The Welch", an archaic spelling of "Welsh") was an infantry regiment of the line of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1969. The regiment was created in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of ...

* 2nd Battalion,

Royal Munster Fusiliers The Royal Munster Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1922. It traced its origins to the East India Company's Bengal European Regiment raised in 1652, which later became the 101st Regiment of Foot (Royal Beng ...

(''from November 1914 until February 1918'') * 1/4th (Denbighshire) Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers ''(from November 1914 until September 1915)'' * 1/6th (Glamorgan) Battalion, Welsh Regiment (''from October 1915 until it became the divisional pioneer battalion in May 1916'') * 1/9th Battalion,

King's Regiment (Liverpool) The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British Army infantry regiments, which were ...

(''November 1915 to January 1916'') * 3rd Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 27 November 1915)'' * 3rd Machine Gun Company,

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in the First World War. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks ...

''(formed 26 January 1916, moved to 1st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 28 February 1918)''

Commanders

The following officers commanded 3rd Brigade during the First World War: * Brigadier-General H. J. S. Landon (''At mobilization'') * Colonel A. C. Lovett (''1 November 1914 - acting'') * Brigadier-General R. H. K. Butler (''22 November 1914'') * Brigadier-General H. R. Davies (''21 February 1915'') * Brigadier-General G. S. G. Craufurd (''19 November 1916'') * Brigadier-General R. C. A. McCalmont (''3 March 1917'') * Brigadier-General R. B. Barker (''18 November 1917'') * Brigadier-General H. H. S. Morant (''23 January 1918'') * Brigadier General Sir W. A. I. Kay, Bt. (''23 May 1918'') * Brigadier-General J. V. Campbell (''4 October 1918 - temporary'') * Brigadier-General E. St. G. Aubyn (''6 October 1918'')

Between the wars

Between the wars the brigade, now redesignated 3rd Infantry Brigade, saw numerous changes in its battalions, including 2nd

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the First and Second World W ...

, 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1st

King's Own Scottish Borderers The King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSBs) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. On 28 March 2006 the regiment was amalgamated with the Royal Scots, the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's O ...

and 1st

Border Regiment The Border Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot and the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot. After service i ...

. However, these were all posted away by 1937, either to other divisions stationed in the United Kingdom or to different parts of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

. From 1936 to 1938 the brigade was commanded by

Arthur Floyer-Acland Lieutenant General Arthur Nugent Floyer-Acland, (7 September 1885 – 18 February 1980) was a senior officer of the British Army who served in both the First and Second World Wars. He was Military Secretary from 1940 to 1942. In later life, h ...

In 1938 they were replaced by 2nd

Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...

, 2nd Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers. There was no fourth battalion as it was in this year that British infantry divisions were reduced from twelve to nine battalions, infantry brigades reducing from four to three. These battalions, too, were replaced in early 1939, by 2nd

Sherwood Foresters The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to ...

, recently returned from many years spent in

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

and Guernsey, 1st

Duke of Wellington's Regiment The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division. In 1702, Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he di ...

, returned to England from three years spent

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, and 1st

King's Shropshire Light Infantry The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in the Childers Reforms of 1881, but with antecedents dating back to 1755. It served in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. In 19 ...

, which had returned to England in 1938 for the first time after having served in British India in 16 years.

Second World War

The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H18927

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

the brigade continued to be part of the 1st Infantry Division, and would remain with it throughout the war, and was sent to France on 25 September 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the war, and served as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. The brigade was to remain in France, serving alongside the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

on the Maginot Line on the Franco-Belgian border until May 1940 when the German Army invaded Holland,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and, during the fighting, forced the BEF to

retreat to Dunkirk The Battle of Dunkirk (french: Bataille de Dunkerque, link=no) was fought around the French port of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on the ...

where the 3rd Brigade was evacuated to England, arriving on 1 June 1940.Joslen, p. 232. After the retreat from Dunkirk it remained in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

on home defence against a

German invasion German invasion may refer to: Pre-1900s * German invasion of Hungary (1063) World War I * German invasion of Belgium (1914) * German invasion of Luxembourg (1914) World War II * Invasion of Poland * German invasion of Belgium (1940) * G ...

until early 1943 when it was sent to North Africa to take part in the Campaign in Tunisia. On 11 June 1943 the 1st Infantry Division was sent to the Italian island of

Pantelleria Pantelleria (; Sicilian: ''Pantiddirìa'', Maltese: ''Pantellerija'' or ''Qawsra''), the ancient Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and east of the Tunisi ...

(

Operation Corkscrew Operation Corkscrew was the codename for the Allied invasion of the Italian island of Pantelleria (between Sicily and Tunisia) on 11 June 1943, prior to the Allied invasion of Sicily, during the Second World War. There had been an early plan to ...

) which they captured and occupied without casualties. The British Army in Italy 1944 NA11626

In late 1943 the brigade, with the rest of the division, was sent to Italy to join the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces ...

fighting in Italy. However, they were soon transferred to command of the U.S. Fifth Army for the Anzio landings (Operation Shingle), where they landed at

Anzio Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands ...

on 22 January 1944 and were destined to fight in some of the worst and most violent battles of the Italian campaign where, during a German counterattack on 3 February, the brigade was almost completely surrounded and was only saved from annihilation by a counterattack from the 1st Battalion, London Scottish of 168th (London) Brigade (temporarily detached from its parent unit, the

56th (London) Infantry Division The 56th (London) Infantry Division was a Territorial Army infantry division of the British Army, which served under several different titles and designations. The division served in the trenches of the Western Front during the First World Wa ...

, to come under 1st Division command). The brigade continued to fight in numerous battles around Anzio and even when not, were still subjected to almost constant artillery, mortar or small arms fire. The brigade fought in the breakout from the Anzio beachhead and

Operation Diadem Operation Diadem, also referred to as the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino or, in Canada, the Battle of the Liri Valley, was an offensive operation undertaken by the Allies of World War II (U.S. Fifth Army and British Eighth Army) in May 1944, as p ...

. In October 1944, while the 3rd Brigade was fighting on the Gothic Line with the Eighth Army,

Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Richard Henry Burton of the 1st Battalion,

was awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

. In the same battle, Captain

Arthur Burns Arthur Frank Burns (April 27, 1904 – June 26, 1987) was an American economist and diplomat who served as the 10th chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1970 to 1978. He previously chaired the Council of Economic Advisers under President Dwight ...

was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...

. The brigade fought in Italy until 28 January 1945 when they were sent to Palestine as a garrison where they remained to the end of the war.

Order of battle

The 3rd Infantry Brigade was constituted as follows during the war: * 1st Battalion,

* 1st Battalion,

* 2nd Battalion,

* 3rd Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company ''(formed 3 September 1939, disbanded 31 December 1940)''

Commanders

The following officers commanded 3rd Infantry Brigade during the war: *

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, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. I ...

H.O. Curtis ''(until 18 December 1939)'' * Lieutenant Colonel J.M.L. Grover ''( Acting, from 18 to 28 December 1939)'' * Brigadier T.N.F. Wilson (''from 28 December 1939 until 19 December 1940'') * Brigadier W.R.C. Penney (''from 19 December 1940 until 26 September 1941'') * Lieutenant Colonel R. Bryans (''Acting, from 26 September until 20 October 1941'') * Brigadier H.A.E. Matthews (''from 20 October 1941 until 24 April 1943'') * Brigadier R.H. Maxwell (''temporary, from 24 to 30 April 1943'') * Brigadier J.G. James (''from 30 April 1943 until 27 April 1944'') * Brigadier E.E. Dorman-Smith (''from 27 April until 14 August 1944'') * Lieutenant Colonel B.W. Webb-Carter (''Acting, from 14 to 26 August 1944'') * Brigadier P. St Clair-Ford (''from 26 August 1944 until 26 April 1945, again from 16 May 1945'') * Lieutenant Colonel W.H. Hulton-Harrop (''Acting, from 26 April to 16 May 1945'')

Post-war

As part of 1st Division, the 3rd Brigade was in Egypt after the war until returning to

Chiseldon Chiseldon is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It takes its name from the Old English cisel dene, or gravel valley, being noted in the Domesday Book as ''Chiseldene''. The village lies on the edge of ...

, Wiltshire. During the Suez Crisis the brigade was moved to

, in August 1956, from where they went to Egypt on the aircraft carrier HMS Theseus, reaching Port Said just as the ceasefire was declared. It then went on to Cyprus in 1956. Following operations against EOKA, the brigade was disbanded there in 1963. From 1972, the 3rd Infantry Brigade was headquartered in the Kitchen Hill Factory in Lurgan until moving to the

Mahon Road Barracks The Mahon Road Barracks was a military installation in Portadown, Northern Ireland. History The barracks were built on the Mahon Road in Portadown in 1972 to accommodate the 11th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment and were originally dubbed "Fo ...

Portadown Portadown () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population of a ...

in late 1976, under

HQ Northern Ireland HQ Northern Ireland was the formation responsible for the British Army in and around Northern Ireland. It was established in 1922 and disbanded, replaced by a brigade-level Army Reserve formation, 38 (Irish) Brigade, in 2009. History Ireland was ...

and was the HQ element for the security forces which controlled the South Armagh region of

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

, including several battalions of the

Ulster Defence Regiment The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army established in 1970, with a comparatively short existence ending in 1992. Raised through public appeal, newspaper and television advertisements,Potter p25 their offi ...

. In September 1981 the brigade was disbanded and its units divided between 8 Brigade and 39 Brigade. The brigade reformed on 1 July 1988 in the

Drumadd Barracks Drumadd Barracks is a former military installation in Armagh, Northern Ireland. History The barracks were established on Hamiltonsbawn Road in Armagh in 1975. They became a base for 2nd Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment in 1976, during the T ...

in Armagh. The brigade was disbanded once more on 1 September 2004 and its former units again divided between 8 Brigade and 39 Brigade. In 1989, the 3rd Infantry Brigade had the following structure: *HQ

3rd Infantry Brigade The 3rd Infantry Brigade was a Regular Army infantry brigade of the British Army, part of the 1st Infantry Division. Originally formed in 1809, during the Peninsular War, the brigade had a long history, seeing action in the Second Anglo-Afg ...

& 203rd Signal Squadron,

Royal Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

, Armagh *1st Bn,

Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot) (abbreviated as ''WFR'') was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The regiment served as the county regiment for Derbyshire, Nottingha ...

, Omagh *2nd Bn,

(V) *11th Bn,

(V)

References

Sources

* * * Joslen, Lt-Col H.F. (2003) st pub. HMSO:1960 Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield: Naval and Military Press. . * Blaxland, Gregory (1979). Alexander's Generals (the Italian Campaign 1944–1945). London: William Kimber. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:3 Infantry Brigade British Army in Operation Banner

003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to: *003, fictional British 00 Agent *003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986) *1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen * OO3 gauge model railway *''O03 (O2)'' and other related ...

Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War I Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II 1809 establishments in the United Kingdom