British 12th Infantry Brigade

The 12th Mechanised Brigade is a regular British Army brigade which has been in existence since 1899.

[edit] History

The brigade was first formed in December 1899 as 12th Infantry Brigade, part of 6th Division. Three years later it was disbanded, but it was reformed in May 1907 as part of 4th Division and served in the First World War.

[edit] First World War

During the First World War, the 12th Infantry Brigade, a regular army formation, was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. It was one of the first units dispatched to France, as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and saw service on the Western Front.

[edit] Formation

• 1st Battalion, The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
• 2nd Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers
• 2nd Battalion, The Essex Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (from January 1916 to 10th Bde. February 1918)
• 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (from March 1915, to 11th Bde. July 1915)
• 1/5th Battalion, The South Lancashire Regiment (from February 1915 until January 1916)
• 1/2nd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment (until January 1916)

From early November 1915 until February 1916 the 12th Brigade was swapped with the 107th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division.

[edit] Second World War

As part of the 4th Infantry Division, it served in France in 1940, Algeria and Tunisia in 1943, Italy 1944 and ended the war in Greece.

[edit] Formation

• 1st Battalion, Black Watch
• 1st Bn. The South Lancashire Regiment
• 2nd Bn. The Royal Fusiliers
• 6th Bn. Black Watch
• 1st Bn. The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment

[edit] Commanders

• Brig. John George Walters Clark
• Brig. John Hawkesworth
• Brig. Daniel Marcus William Beak
• Brig. R.G.W. Callaghan
• Brig. Richard Amyatt Hull
• Brig. G.H.A. MacMillan
• Brig. T.P.D. Scott
• Brig. F.M. Elliott
• Brig. A.G.W. Heber-Percy

[edit] Post-1945

It was disbanded in March 1947, but reformed from 91 Lorried Infantry Brigade in April 1956 but then disbanded in December 1957.

From June 1960 the brigade was in Germany with the 1st Division but then placed within 2nd Division until it was disbanded on restructuring of the Army in September 1976. As part of the five-battle group division scheme from 1976 to 1983 it was part of 2nd Armoured Division, converted to armour. Moved to 1st Armoured Division it remained, with a spell under HQ 3rd Armoured Division during Operation Granby, until disbandment under Options for Change.

Following the Strategic Defence Review, the Brigade was reformed in mechanized form from the disbanding 5th Airborne Brigade. It is now based at Bulford, Wiltshire (having formerly been in Aldershot) and is part of the 3rd (UK) Division.

[edit] Current formation

(as of 2008)

• 12 Mechanised Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (228)
• The King's Royal Hussars (Armoured)
• The Light Dragoons (Formation Reconnaissance)
• 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment (Mechanised Infantry)
• 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th & 33rd/76th Foot) (Duke of Wellington's) (Armoured Infantry)
• 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (Light Role)
• 19 Regiment, Royal Artillery (Self Propelled Artillery)
• 26 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
• 4th Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
• 174 Provost Company
• CS Medical Squadron, 3rd CS Medical Regiment Royal Army Medical Corps

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

[edit] External links

• "12 Mechanized Brigade". official site. MOD.
• 12 Infantry Brigade at Orders of Battle.com^?
• British Army 1939