11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East
| 11th Brigade 11th Infantry Brigade 11 Light Brigade 11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East | |
|---|---|
 Insignia of the 11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East | |
| Active |
1914–1915 1938–1958 2008–2010 2014– |
| Country |
 |
| Branch |
 |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 1st (United Kingdom) Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Aldershot Garrison |
| Engagements |
World War I World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Kenneth Anderson Brian Horrocks |
The 11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East is a regular British Army brigade formation that is part of the Army’s 'Adaptable Force' meaning it has operational units under command, as well as regional responsibilities across the South East of England. The Brigade was re-established on 1 August 2014 when 145 (South) Brigade was re-designated as Headquarters 11th Infantry Brigade. In December 2014 the brigade merged with 2 (South East) Brigade to form Headquarters 11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East.[1]
The brigade served in both World War I and World War II. Deactivated in 1958, it was reactivated in 2008 to assume command of the planned Operation Herrick deployment to Afghanistan in late 2009.
History
First World War
The 11th Infantry Brigade was part of the 4th Division.[2] It was one of the British units sent overseas to France on the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914. It was part of the British Expeditionary Force and fought on the Western Front for the next four years.[2]
Order of Battle
- 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment (left February 1918)
- 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
- 1/5th Battalion, London Regiment (from November 1914 to May 1915)
- 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment (from July 1915 to May 1916)
- 11th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (formed 23 December 1915, moved to 4th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 26 February 1918)
- 11th Trench Mortar Battery (formed June 1916)[3]
Second World War
The 11th Infantry Brigade was originally part of the 4th Infantry Division as it was during the First World War, serving with it during the Battle of France and was evacuated at Dunkirk in late May 1940 and then in the United Kingdom up until 6 June 1942 when it was reassigned to join 78th Infantry Division (commanded by Vivyan Evelegh, a previous commander of the brigade) which was being newly formed to take part in Operation Torch as part of the British First Army (commanded by Kenneth Anderson, also a previous commander of the brigade).[4] The brigade landed in North Africa at Algiers in November 1942 and fought with 78th Division throughout the Tunisian Campaign which ended with the Axis surrender in May 1943.[5] It then served with 78th Division throughout the campaigns in Sicily and Italy.[6]
Order of Battle
Units included:[7]
- 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
- 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (to 29 January 1940)
- 11th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 3 September 1939, disbanded 31 December 1940)
- 5th (Huntingdonshire) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment (from 29 January 1940)
Commanders
Commanders included:[8]
- Brigadier-General Aylmer Hunter-Weston: 1914–1915
- Brigadier-General Julian Hasler: 1915
- Brigadier-General Charles Bertie Prowse: 1915–1916
- Brigadier Kenneth Arthur Noel Anderson: 1938–1940
- Brigadier Brian Horrocks: 1940
- Brigadier John Malcolm Lawrence Grover: 1940–1941
- Brigadier Vyvyan Evelegh: 1941
- Brigadier Guy Francis Gough: 1941–1942
- Brigadier Edward Earnshaw Eden Cass: 1942–1943
- Brigadier Keith Arbuthnott: 1943–1944
- Brigadier John Alexander Mackenzie: 1944
- Brigadier Gerald Ernest Thubron: 1944–1945
21st century
In 2008, it was announced that 11 Light Brigade would be reformed to assume command of the planned Operation Herrick deployment to Afghanistan in late 2009. The Brigade was headquartered in Aldershot and was formed using units from existing formations. It was disbanded in 2010 on its return from Afghanistan, with its component units returning to their previous formations.[9]
- 11 Light Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (261)
- Household Cavalry Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
- 3rd Battalion, The Rifles
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Welch Fusiliers)
- A Company, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Regiment Of Wales)
- 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment
- 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
- 28 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
- 10 Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment RLC
During the Brigades deployment in Helmand, Afghanistan, it also commanded a Danish Battalion from the Royal Danish Guard Hussar Regiment with its own logistical detachment.[9]
Current formation
The 11th Infantry Brigade is the 'South East' Infantry Brigade for the 1st Division headquartered in Aldershot. The brigade commands the brigade units and British Forces Brunei also. It comprises the following units:
- 11th Infantry Brigade and HQ South East
- 1st Battalion,[10] Royal Gurkha Rifles[11] - A Light Infantry unit based in Shorncliffe Army Camp, It switches every three years with the 2nd Battalion to be stationed in Brunei.
- Grenadier Guards - Guards infantry regiment, uses Foxhound vehicle. It is based in Aldershot.
- Welsh Guards[12] - Guards infantry regiment, uses Foxhound vehicle. It is based in Pribright.
- 3rd Battalion,[13] Royal Welsh[14] - Army reserve infantry regiment. It is paired with Welsh Guards. It is based in Cardiff.
- London Regiment[15] - Army Reserve infantry regiment. It is paired with Grenadier Guards. It is based in Westminster.
- British Forces Brunei
11th Infantry Brigade and British Forces Brunei- 2nd Battalion,[16] Royal Gurkha Rifles[17] - Under Army 2020 this battalion converts to an Air-Mobile Infantry Regiment part of the 16 Air Assault Brigade.
- 7 Flight, Army Air Corps[18] - AAC Flight sized unit that provides transportation in Seria.
- Brunei Police Unit - Royal Military Police company sized unit based in Seria provides defense and MP protection for the barracks.
- Jungle Warfare Training School - British Army training unit based in Seria provides Jungle Training.
- Brunei Signal Troop - Royal Corps of Signals troop sized unit based in Seria.
References
- ↑ "Headquarters 11th Infantry Brigade". British Army Website. 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- 1 2 Official War Diary of the 11th Infantry Brigade in the 4th Division. Vol. I. France and Flanders. 18 Aug. 1914-14 Feb. 1915. (BL Add. MS. 48355). 1915.
- ↑ Chris Baker. "The 4th Division in 1914-1918". 1914-1918.net. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ↑ "Campaign for North Africa". Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- ↑ "The Tunisia Campaign Replay By ER Bickford" (PDF). Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- ↑ "The Italian Campaign". Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- ↑ "11th Infantry Brigade". Orders of Battle. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ↑ "11th Infantry Brigade". Orders of Battle. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
- 1 2 "11 Light Brigade". British Army Website. 2014. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- ↑ "1st Bn, The Royal Gurkha Rifles: Service". 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
- ↑ "The Royal Gurkha Rifles [UK]". 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
- ↑ "Welsh Guards [UK]". 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
- ↑ "Welsh Volunteers [UK]". 2007-11-27. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
- ↑ "The Royal Welsh [UK]". 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
- ↑ "The London Regiment [UK]". 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
- ↑ "1st Bn, 7th Gurkha Rifles: Service". 2007-12-02. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
- ↑ "The Royal Gurkha Rifles [UK]". 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
- ↑ "Army Air Corps (UK)". 2007-11-30. Retrieved 2018-08-19.