The 25th Infantry Brigade was a war-formed

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 ...

that saw active service 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 ...

. The 25th Brigade was formed in October 1914 just after the outbreak of the First World War with battalions withdrawn from overseas garrisons. It formed part of the

8th Division 8th Division, 8th Infantry Division or 8th Armored Division may refer to: Infantry divisions * 8th Division (Australia) * 8th Canadian Infantry Division * 8th Air Division (People's Republic of China) * 8th Division (1st Formation) (People's Repu ...

and served with it on the Western Front until the end of the war, in particular taking part in the

Battle of Neuve Chapelle The Battle of Neuve Chapelle (10–13 March 1915) took place in the First World War in the Artois region of France. The attack was intended to cause a rupture in the German lines, which would then be exploited with a rush to the Aubers Ridge a ...

, the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Passchendaele. It was disbanded in March 1919. The brigade was reformed in November 1939 just after the outbreak of the Second World War. It saw action during the battles of

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

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 ...

in May 1940, predominantly with the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division. After being evacuated at 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 ...

with the 47th (London) Infantry Division until it was disbanded at the end of August 1944.

First World War

The 25th Brigade came into existence on 5 October 1914 (first commanding officer appointed) as part of the

shortly after the outbreak of 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 ...

. It was formed with four regular

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

s brought back to the United Kingdom from various overseas garrisons: 2nd

Lincolnshire Regiment The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army raised on 20 June 1685 as the Earl of Bath's Regiment for its first Colonel, John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath. In 1751, it was numbered like most other Army regiments ...

from

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

, 2nd

Royal Berkshire Regiment The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1959. The regiment was created in 1881, as the Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment), b ...

from

Jhansi Jhansi (; Hindi: झांसी, Urdu: ) is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative head ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, 1st

Royal Irish Rifles The Royal Irish Rifles (became the Royal Ulster Rifles from 1 January 1921) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army, first created in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot and the 86th (Royal County D ...

from Aden, and 2nd Rifle Brigade from Kuldana,

Murree Murree (Punjabi, Urdu: مری) is a mountain resort city, located in the Galyat region of the Pir Panjal Range, within the Muree District of Punjab, Pakistan. It forms the outskirts of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area, and is about ...

, India. The brigade concentrated at

Hursley Park Hursley House is an 18th-century Queen Anne style mansion in Hursley, near Winchester in the English county of Hampshire. The building is Grade II* listed. History The Hursley estate was bought by William Heathcote, MP from the daughters o ...

near Winchester and on 5 and 6 November 1914 it landed at

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...

. It remained on the Western Front with the 8th Division for the rest of the war. The brigade saw action at the battles of

Neuve-Chapelle Neuve-Chapelle ( vls, Nieuwkappel) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It was the site of a First World War battle in 1915. Geography Neuve-Chapelle is situated some northeast of Béthune and ...

(Moated Grange Attack, 18 December 1914),

Neuve Chapelle Neuve-Chapelle ( vls, Nieuwkappel) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It was the site of a First World War battle in 1915. Geography Neuve-Chapelle is situated some northeast of Béthune and ...

again (10–13 March 1915),

Aubers Ridge The Battle of Aubers (Battle of Aubers Ridge) was a British offensive on the Western Front on 9 May 1915 during the First World War. The battle was part of the British contribution to the Second Battle of Artois, a Franco-British offensive int ...

(9 May 1915), when the brigade commander, Brigadier-General

Lowry Cole Hon. Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole, (1 May 1772 – 4 October 1842) was an Anglo-Irish British Army general and politician. Early life Cole was the second son of an Irish peer, William Willoughby Cole, 1st Earl of Enniskillen (1 March 1736&ndas ...

was killed, and

Bois-Grenier Bois-Grenier () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Located south of Armentières and bordering with the department of Pas-de-Calais. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a li ...

(25 September 1915), a diversionary attack for the

Battle of Loos The Battle of Loos took place from 1915 in France on the Western Front, during the First World War. It was the biggest British attack of 1915, the first time that the British used poison gas and the first mass engagement of New Army units. Th ...

Royal Irish Rifles ration party Somme July 1916

In early 1916, the brigade gained a

trench mortar ''Minenwerfer'' ("mine launcher" or "mine thrower") is the German name for a class of short range mine shell launching mortars used extensively during the First World War by the Imperial German Army. The weapons were intended to be used by engin ...

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

and a

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) ar ...

company. It then fought on the Somme, notably the Battle of Albert on the first day and the attack on Le Transloy on 23–30 October 1916. In 1917, the brigade took part in operations to follow the Germans in their retreat to the Hindenburg Line (14 March–5 April). It then took part in the

Third Battle of Ypres The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...

, notable the

Battle of Pilckem Ridge The Battle of Pilckem Ridge (31 July – 2 August 1917) was the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres in the First World War. The British Fifth Army, supported by the Second Army on the southern flank and the French (First Army) on the n ...

(31 July–1 August), the Attack on Westhoek (31 July) where the brigade commander, Brigadier-General Coffin, won 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 ...

, and the Battle of Langemarck (16–18 August). The Battle of the Somme, July-november 1916 Q957

The brigade's machine gun company was moved to the divisional 8th Battalion,

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 ...

on 20 January 1918. In addition, British divisions on the Western Front were reduced from a 12-battalion to a 9-battalion basis in February 1918 and the brigade from four to three battalions. Thereafter, the brigade commanded three infantry battalions and a trench mortar battery. 1918 saw the return of the war of movement. It had to withstand the German spring offensive in the First Battles of the Somme Battle of St Quentin (23 March), Actions at the Somme Crossings (24 and 25 March), Battle of Rosieres (26 and 27 March), and Action of Villers-Bretonneux (24 and 25 April)and the

Third Battle of the Aisne The Third Battle of the Aisne (french: 3e Bataille de l'Aisne) was a battle of the German spring offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Forces arrived completely in ...

(27 May–6 June). It then switched over to counter-attack in the

Second Battle of Arras The Battle of Arras (also known as the Second Battle of Arras) was a British Empire, British offensive on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German Empi ...

( Battle of the Scarpe, 26–30 August) and the Final Advance in Artois in which the 8th Division captured

Douai Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, Dou ...

(17 October). By the time of the

armistice of 11 November 1918 The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

, the brigade was Pommeroeul ( fr), west of Mons. On 16 November it moved back to Tournai and by 18 December had completed a move to the

Ath Ath (; nl, Aat, ; pcd, Ât; wa, Ate) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Arbre, Ath, Bouvignies, Ghislenghien, Gibecq, Houtaing, ...

–

Enghien Enghien (; nl, Edingen ; pcd, Inguî; vls, Enge) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1January 2006, Enghien had a total population of 11,980. The total area is , which gives a population de ...

area. Here the division commenced demobilization, a process that was completed on 20 March 1919.

Order of battle

The brigade commanded the following units during the war: * 2nd Battalion,

''left on 3 February 1918 for 62nd Brigade, 21st Division'' * 2nd Battalion,

Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1959. The regiment was created in 1881, as the Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment), by ...

* 1st Battalion,

''left on 3 February 1918 for 107th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division'' * 2nd Battalion,

Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Ri ...

* 1/13th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Kensington)''joined from England on 13 November 1914; to GHQ Troops on 20 May 1915'' * 1/1st (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment''joined from England on 14 May 1915; left on 8 February 1916 for

167th (1st London) Brigade The 167th (1st London) Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Territorial Army that saw active service in both the First and Second World Wars. It was the first Territorial formation to go overseas in 1914, garrisoned Malta, and then s ...

56th (1st London) 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 War. ...

'' * 1/8th Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment)''joined on 27 August 1915 from 23rd Brigade, 8th Division; left on 23 October 1915 for 70th Brigade, 8th Division'' * 25th Machine Gun Company''formed 19 January 1916; formed part of 8th Battalion,

from 20 January 1918'' * 25th Trench Mortar Battery''formed in February 1916'' * 2nd Battalion,

East Lancashire Regiment The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a line infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59th (2nd Nottingh ...

''joined on 3 February 1918 from 24th Brigade, 8th Division''

Second World War

The 25th Infantry Brigade was formed in the United Kingdom on 1 November 1939, shortly after the outbreak of 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 ...

. It was formed with three Territorial Army (TA) infantry battalions transferred from existing TA formations: the 4th

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 ...

from 133rd Infantry Brigade, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division, the 4th

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 ...

from 126th Infantry Brigade,

42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division The 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division was raised in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force (TF), originally as the East Lancashire Division, and was redesignated as the 42nd (Ea ...

and the 1st/5th

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 ...

from 148th Infantry Brigade,

49th (West Riding) Infantry Division The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division fought in the First World War in the trenches of the Western Front, in the fields of France and Flanders. During the Second World War, the divis ...

. Initially under

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

Control, on 18 November it moved to France where it joined the Lines of Communication Troops of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France 1939-1940 F4529

The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France 1939-1940 F4529

In May 1940, the brigade was variously assigned to a succession of infantry divisions:

5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...

(4–9 May), 50th (Northumbrian) (9–18 May), 3rd (18–19 May), back to the 50th (19–21 May), 46th (21–26 May) and finally to the

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...

(26–31 May). The brigade saw action at the

Battle of St Omer-La Bassée 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 ...

(23–29 May) before it was evacuated at Dunkirk on 31 May 1940. On return to the United Kingdom, the brigade joined the 47th (London) Infantry Division. It remained with the division in the United Kingdom for the rest of its existence, being disbanded on 31 August 1944.

Order of battle

The brigade commanded the following units during the war: * 4th Battalion,

''from 1 November 1939 to 3 May 1940; 2 July to 28 October 1940'' * 4th (Westmorland) Battalion,

''from 1 November 1939 to 3 May 1940; 2 July 1940 to 5 January 1941'' * 1/5th Battalion,

''from 1 November 1939 to 3 May 1940'' * 1/7th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)''from 4 May to 28 June 1940'' * 2nd Battalion,

Essex Regiment The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...

''from 4 May 1940 to 29 February 1944'' * 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers''from 4 May to 26 June 1940'' * 25th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company''formed 8 July 1940, disbanded 28 November 1941'' * 9th Battalion,

King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. It served under various titles and fought in many wars and conflicts, including both the First and the Second World Wars, from 1680 to 1959. In 1959, the r ...

''from 27 November 1940 to 1 December 1942'' * 12th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment''from 11 December 1940 to 14 November 1941'' * 19th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers''from 2 January to 24 September 1942'' * 20th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers''from 2 January to 10 September 1942'' * 30th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry''from 10 to 26 September 1942'' * 11th Battalion,

York and Lancaster Regiment The York and Lancaster Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was created in the Childers Reforms of 1881 by the amalgamation of the 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment ...

''from 24 September to 16 December 1942'' * 6th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry''from 27 September to 13 December 1942'' * 1st Battalion,

Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1959. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, by the merger of the 32nd (Cornwall Light ...

''from 13 December 1942 to 16 July 1944'' * 9th Battalion,

Royal Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

''from 16 December 1942 to 14 August 1944'' * 7th Battalion,

North Staffordshire Regiment The North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was in existence between 1881 and 1959. The 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot was created on 21 April 1758 from the 2nd Battalio ...

''from 5 March to 16 July 1944''

Commanders

The 25th Brigade had the following commanders during the First World War: The 25th Infantry Brigade had the following commanders during the Second World War:

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * *

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:25 Infantry Brigade Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War I Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1919 Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944