31st Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 31st Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army in both World War I and World War II.

First World War

The 31st Brigade was originally raised in World War I in 1914 by volunteers from Kitchener's Army. During the First World War, it was assigned to the 10th (Irish) Division and served in the Middle Eastern theatre at Gallipoli, Salonika and Palestine.

Order of battle

The brigade had the following composition:[1]

  • 5th (Service) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (August 1914 – May 1918, transferred to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division)
  • 6th (Service) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (August 1914 – May 1918, transferred to 14th (Light) Division)
  • 5th (Service) Battalion, Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) (August 1914 – April 1918, transferred to 14th (Light) Division)
  • 6th (Service) Battalion, Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) (August 1914 – November 1916, absorbed by 5th Battalion)
  • 2nd Battalion, Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) (November 1916 – October 1918)
  • 2nd Battalion, 42nd Deoli Regiment (July – October 1918)
  • 74th Punjabis (April – October 1918)
  • 2nd Battalion, 101st Grenadiers (May – October 1918)
  • 38th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (June – July 1918)

Second World War
Mule teams from the 31st Independent Infantry Brigade training in the Black Mountains in Wales, 26 June 1941.

The 31st Infantry Brigade was reformed in World War II as an independent brigade group in the United Kingdom on 17 July 1940, composed of Regular Army battalions that had previously been stationed in British India. Some of its attached units had served in the Battle of France and had either been evacuated from Dunkirk or had escaped the destruction of 51st (Highland) Division at St Valery-en-Caux with 'Arkforce'.[2][3] On 26–27 September 1940 it was assigned to defend the Royal Military Canal, a few miles from Hythe and Dover on the south coast. There is a detailed description of this defence area in British archaeological survey sources.[4] At this time the brigade group was part of IV Corps, in South East Command.[2]

Order of battle

The brigade group had the following composition:[2][5]

Attached units:

Commanders

The following officers commanded the brigade group:[2]

The brigade was redesignated 1st Airlanding Brigade Group on 10 December 1941[2][3][9] and came under command of the 1st Airborne Division. 'It probably lost its unique badge at about this time although it did not lose its Group status until 10 March 1943.'[3] 223rd Anti-Tank Battery, 9th Field Company and other attached units became airborne units at this time.[6][8]

On 15 April 1946, almost a year after the end of the war in Europe, the 6th Airlanding Brigade was renamed the 31st Independent Brigade. This brigade wore a black desert rat on a red oval.[3]

Bibliography
  • J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X.
  • Joslen, Lt-Col H.F. (2003) [1960]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84342-474-1.
  • Graham E. Watson & Richard A. Rinaldi, The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organization and Units 1889–2018, Tiger Lily Books, 2018, ISBN 978-171790180-4.

External sources

References
  1. 10th (Irish) Division at Long, Long Trail.
  2. Joslen, p. 279.
  3. Imperial War Museum collections, object 30072758
  4. Defence Area 36: Royal Military Canal: Bilsington–Ruckinge at Archaeology Data Site (archived)
  5. "31 Independent Brigade subordinates". Order of Battle. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  6. Frederick, pp. 914, 919.
  7. Watson & Rinaldi, p. 164.
  8. Watson & Rinaldi, p. 151.
  9. Joslen, p. 414.

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