33rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

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33rd Brigade
33rd Infantry Brigade
33rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Guards)
33rd guards infantry.svg
Formation badge of the brigade, utilisiing the 'Blue, Red, Blue' of the Guards Division
Active1914–1919
1941–1943
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeInfantry formation
SizeBrigade
Part of11th (Northern) Division
London District
Engagements
  • First World War

The 33rd Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in World War I and home service during World War II.

World War I[]

The 33rd Brigade was formed in the Great War in August 1914 as part of Kitchener's Army, initially made up of volunteer service battalions from a variety of different infantry regiments. For the duration of the war, the brigade was in the 11th (Northern) Division. Between February and September 1917 it was under the command of Brigadier-General Arthur Daly.[1][2][3] From September 1917 to the end of the war it was commanded by Brigadier-General Frederick Spring.[4] The brigade served in the Gallipoli Campaign, in Egypt and on the Western Front, and comprised the following units:[5]

Order of battle[]

The brigade was composed as follows:[1][2]

Actions[]

The brigade took part in the following actions:[1][2]

Gallipoli Campaign
1915

Western Front
1916

1917

1918

World War II[]

The brigade was reformed on 24 October 1941 during World War II as 33rd Infantry Brigade. On 10 November 1942 it was redesignated the 33rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Guards), as an all-arms brigade group under the command of Brigadier J. Jefferson. It was part of London District. The brigade was intended for home defence in the event of a German invasion and never left the United Kingdom. It was disbanded on 6 October 1943.[6][7][8]

Order of battle[]

The following units constituted the brigade:[6]

  • 6th Battalion, Coldstream Guards (from 30 October 1941 to 30 September 1943)
  • 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards (from 30 October to 4 September 1943)
  • 3rd Battalion, Welsh Guards (from 30 October 1941 to 4 February 1942)
  • 11th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment (from 5 to 31 December 1942; redesignated 1st Bn to replace battalion captured at the Fall of Tobruk)[8][9][10]
  • 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment (from 1 January to 4 October 1943)
  • 9th Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (from 1 January to 4 October 1943)[11]
  • 177th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (from 10 November 1942 to 4 October 1943)
  • 220th Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery (from 10 November 1942 to 30 September 1943)
  • 80th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery (from 7 December 1942 to 12 September 1943)
  • 26th Field Company, Royal Engineers (from 10 November 1942 to 27 September 1943)
  • 24th Independent Reconnaissance Squadron, Reconnaissance Corps (from 10 November 1942 to 9 February 1943)
  • 33rd Independent Bde Gp (Gds) Company, Royal Army Service Corps:
    • 339 Company RASC (from 10 November 1942 to 24 April 1943)
    • 538 Company RASC (from 12 June to 4 October 1943)
  • 33rd Independent Bde Gp (Gds) Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (from 25 January to 30 September 1943)
  • 33rd Independent Bde Gp (Gds) Provost Section Corps of Military Police (from 7 December 1942 to 4 October 1943)

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b c Becke, pp. 19–25.
  2. ^ a b c 11th (N) Division at Long, Long Trail.
  3. ^ Turner, p. 34.
  4. ^ Spring, p. 53.
  5. ^ Spring, p. 108.
  6. ^ a b Joslen, p. 281.
  7. ^ IWM.
  8. ^ a b 11th Worcesters at Worcestershire Regiment online.
  9. ^ Frederick, p. 317.
  10. ^ Joslen, p. 546.
  11. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-05-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

References[]

  • Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3a: New Army Divisions (9–26), London: HM Stationery Office, 1938/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-41-X.
  • J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
  • Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6.
  • F. G. Spring, The History of the 6th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, Poacher Books, 2008.
  • A. Turner, Messines 1917: The Zenith of Siege Warfare, Osprey Publishing, 2010.

External sources[]

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