303rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

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303rd Infantry Brigade
ActiveFormed 22 January 1945
Country United Kingdom
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg British Army
TypeInfantry Brigade
RoleLines of Communication

The 303rd Infantry Brigade was a formation of the British Army organised from surplus Royal Artillery (RA) personnel retrained as infantry towards the end of the Second World War.

Origin[]

By the end of 1944, 21st Army Group was suffering a severe manpower shortage, particularly among the infantry.[1] In January 1945, the War Office began to reorganise surplus anti-aircraft and coastal artillery regiments in the UK into infantry battalions, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties in North West Europe, thereby releasing trained infantry for frontline service.[2][3] The 303rd brigade was one of seven brigades formed from these new units.[4][5]

Composition[]

The 303rd Infantry Brigade was formed on 22 January 1945 by conversion of the Headquarters of 27th (Home Counties) Anti-Aircraft Brigade within the . It was commanded by Brigadier H.G. Smith[6] and comprised the following Territorial Army RA units:[4][7]

Service[]

After infantry training, including a short period attached to the 61st Infantry Division, the 303rd Brigade was sent to Norway in June 1945 following the liberation of that country (Operation Doomsday).[4]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Ellis, pp. 141–2.
  2. ^ Ellis, pp. 369, 380.
  3. ^ "Inf Rgts Index".
  4. ^ a b c Joslen, p. 399.
  5. ^ "303 Inf Brigade".
  6. ^ Imperial War Museum papers
  7. ^ "303 Inf Brigade".
  8. ^ "632 Inf Rgt".
  9. ^ "33 SL Rgt".
  10. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20051226174950/http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-london/vinf/L19StPan.htm
  11. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ Litchfield.
  13. ^ "634 Inf Rgt".
  14. ^ "36 SL Rgt".
  15. ^ "635 Inf Rgt".
  16. ^ "38 SL Rgt".
  17. ^ "55 (West Lancashire) Division (1930-36)" (PDF). British Military History. 20 March 2016.[permanent dead link]

References[]

  • L.F. Ellis, "History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West", Volume II: "The Defeat of Germany", London: HMSO, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, ISBN 1-84574-059-9.
  • Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1990]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84342-474-1.
  • Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0.

External sources[]

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