The Lancastrian Brigade was an administrative 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 ...

from 1948 to 1968. The

Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, 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 ...

administered the regular

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 ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

s of northwest

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. After 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 ...

the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter. The depots were territorially organised, and Infantry Depot D at

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

was the headquarters for the county regiments of

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

and

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...

. In 1948, the depots adopted names and this depot became the Lancastrian Brigade, with all regiments being reduced to a single battalion at the same time. The Lancastrian Brigade was formed on 14 July 1948, combining the depots of eight regiments: *

The 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 World War I, First and the World War II, Second World Wars, from ...

* The King's Regiment (Liverpool) * The Lancashire Fusiliers * The East Lancashire Regiment * The Border Regiment *

The South Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) 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 ...

* The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) * The Manchester Regiment Under the

Defence Review A Defence Review is the process by which government of the United Kingdom decides upon its overall defence policy and upon the means and resources devoted to achieving its defence objectives. Such reviews can happen when political or economic facto ...

announced in July, 1957, the infantry of the line was reorganised, and by 1959 the Brigade was reduced to four battalions: * On 1 April 1958 the Lancashire Fusiliers were transferred to the newly formed Fusilier Brigade therefore not now part of the Lancastrian Brigade. * On 1 July 1958 the East Lancashire Regiment and South Lancashire Regiment were amalgamated as the Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) * On 1 September 1958 the King's Regiment (Liverpool) and the Manchester Regiment were merged as the King's Regiment (Manchester and Liverpool) * On 1 October 1959 the King's Own Royal Regiment and the Border Regiment were merged to form the

King's Own Royal Border Regiment The King's Own Royal Border Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1959 until 2006, and was part of the King's Division. It was formed at Barnard Castle on 1 October 1959 through the amalgamation of the King's ...

. * The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) was the fourth battalion. From 1958 all regiments in the Brigade adopted a common cap badge: the

red rose of Lancaster The Red Rose of Lancaster (blazoned: ''a rose (heraldry), rose gules'') was the heraldic badge adopted by the royal House of Lancaster in the 14th century. In the modern era, it symbolises the county of Lancashire. The exact species or cultivar ...

within a laurel wreath and ensigned by the royal crest, with a scroll inscribed ''Lancastrian''. From 1960 the Lancastrian Brigade was based at Fulwood Barracks in

. On 1 July 1968 the Lancastrian Brigade was united with the

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

and North Irish Brigades, to form the

King's Division The King's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for infantry regiments in the North of England. History The King's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Lancastrian Brigade, Yorks ...

.Whitaker's Almanack 1969, p. 473

References

{{British Infantry Infantry administrative brigades of the British Army Military units and formations established in 1948 Military units and formations disestablished in 1968