153rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

153rd Infantry Brigade
Active	1939–1940 1940–1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	51st (Highland) Infantry Division
Battle honours	Battle of France North Africa Sicily Normandy Holland Belgium Germany
Commanders
Notable commanders	Douglas Graham Horatius Murray
Insignia
Identification symbol	As part of 51st Division

The 153rd Infantry Brigade, part of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, was an infantry brigade of the British Army that fought during both the First and Second world wars. It was raised in 1908, as the 2nd Highland Brigade, upon the creation of the Territorial Force and was later redesignated the 153rd (2nd Highland) Brigade. The division was referred to as the "Highway Decorators" by other divisions who became used to discovering the 'HD' insignia painted wherever the Highlanders had passed through.

Men of the Gordon Highlanders of the Eighth Army cross the border into Tunisia, 1943.

Along with its sister brigade, the 152nd Brigade, the 153rd was effectively destroyed when it surrendered at St Valery-en-Caux on 12 June 1940. It was reconstituted from the 27th Infantry Brigade of the 9th (Highland) Infantry Division, which was reorganised in August 1940 as the new 51st Division. It went on to serve in almost all of the major battles in North Africa, Sicily and North-west Europe.

Campaign Honours

• Battle of France - 1939-1940 (destroyed)
• Battle of El Alamein - 1942
• Operation Supercharge - 1942
• Operation Pugilist - 1943
• Operation Husky - 1943
• Operation Overlord - 1944
• Operation Astonia - 1944
• Battle of the Scheldt - 1944
• Battle of the Bulge - 1944/45
• Operation Plunder - 1945

Order of battle

References