204th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was a Home Defence 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 ...

during 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 ...

Origin

The 204th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was formed for service in the United Kingdom on 12 October 1940 by No 4 Infantry Training Group in the West Midland Area of Home Forces.Joslen, p. 367. It was commanded by Brigadier G. McI. Bruce and comprised four newly raised infantry battalions from the North and Midlands of England.

Service

The brigade moved from West Midlands Area to the

Lincolnshire County Division The Lincolnshire County Division was a short-lived formation of the British Army, formed 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 ...

when that was formed on 27 March 1941.Joslen, p. 113. The Lincolnshire County Division ceased to function on 24 November and the brigade, now re-designated the 204th Independent Infantry Brigade was transferred to the Durham and North Riding Coastal Area. On 1 September 1942, the Brigade headquarters was re-designated 185th Infantry Brigade and its units transferred to other formations. 7th South Lancashires, 12th Foresters and 7th Leicesters went to India while 8th South Lancashires was disbanded.

Order of battle

The composition of the 204th Brigade was as follows: * 7th Battalion,

South Lancashire Regiment The South Lancashire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment, which recruited, as its title suggests, primarily from the South Lancashire area, was created as part of the Childers Ref ...

''(from 12 October 1940 – 31 August 1942)'' * 8th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment ''(12 October 1940 – 31 May 1941)'' * 12th Battalion,

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 12 October 1940 – 31 August 1942)'' * 6th Battalion,

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, World War II and Korea ...

''(12 October 1940 – 24 November 1941) – converted in March 1943 to the 181st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery'' * 7th Battalion,

Leicestershire Regiment The Leicestershire Regiment (Royal Leicestershire Regiment after 1946) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, with a history going back to 1688. The regiment saw service for three centuries, in numerous wars and conflicts such as both ...

''(26 November 1941 – 31 August 1942)'' Attached when an Independent Brigade. * 204th Independent Infantry Brigade 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 ...

''(31 March 1942 – 31 August 1942)''

Insignia

The brigade's cloth shoulder badge was a triangle composed of three smaller conjoined triangles in the

Facing colour A facing colour, also known as facings, is a common tailoring technique for European military uniforms where the visible inside lining (sewing), lining of a standard military jacket, coat or tunic is of a different colour to that of the garment i ...

s of its three senior units: buff (S. Lancashires), pearl grey (Leicesters) and

Lincoln green Lincoln Green is a mainly residential area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England around Lincoln Green Road, and is adjacent to and southwest of St James's University Hospital. It falls within the Burmantofts and Richmond Hill ward of the City o ...

(Foresters), the whole being edged in blue (KSLI).Neal, pp. 3 & 30, Plate XLVII.

Notes

References

* * * Don Neal, ''Guns and Bugles: The Story of the 6th Bn KSLI – 181st Field Regiment RA 1940–1946'', Studley: Brewin, 2001, .

Online sources

Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth (Regiments.org)

{{British infantry brigades of the Second World War Military units and formations established in 1940 Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1942