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225th Brigade (United Kingdom)

(Redirected from 5th Provisional Field Company, Royal Engineers)
This article is about the British military unit. For the Spanish formation, see 225th Mixed Brigade (Spain).

The 225th Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army in the First and the Second World Wars. It existed under several variations of the 225th Brigade title.

225th Brigade
225th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home)
ActiveMay 1915–1919
14 November 1940 – 30 November 1941
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeInfantry
RoleTraining and Home Defence
SizeBrigade
EngagementsFirst World War
Second World War

World War I

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On the outbreak of World War I, the Territorial Force (TF) immediately mobilised for home defence, but shortly afterwards (31 August 1914), its units were authorised to raise 2nd battalions formed from those men who had not volunteered for, or were not fit for, overseas service, together with new volunteers, while the 1st Line went overseas to supplement the Regulars.[1] Early in 1915 the 2nd Line TF battalions were raised to full strength to form new divisions, and began to form Reserve (3rd Line) units to supply drafts.[2] The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions (termed Provisional Battalions from June 1915).[3][4][5]

5th Provisional Brigade

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5th Provisional Brigade was formed mainly from details of regiments from East and South-East England, with the following composition:[5][6]

68th Provisional Battalion from Home Service details of 5th Bn, Bedfordshire Regiment and 1st Bn, Hertfordshire Regiment[3][13]

During the autumn of 1915, 5th Provisional Brigade was stationed in Suffolk, attached to 58th (2/1st London) Division for administration, and to 1st Mounted Division for operations.[16] In April 1916 2/1st East Anglian (Essex) Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery joined the brigade and remained with it until the end of the war.[17] By July 1916 the brigade was under the control of Northern Army of Central Force, with its battalions billeted as follows:[18]

  • Brigade Headquarters: St Olaves
  • 63rd Provisional Bn: Gorleston
  • 65th Provisional Bn: Great Yarmouth
  • 68th Provisional Bn: Lowestoft
  • 69th Provisional Bn: Lowestoft

225th Mixed Brigade

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The Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The Provisional Brigades thus became anomalous, and at the end of 1916 their units became numbered battalions of their parent units. Part of their role was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas. 5th Provisional Brigade became 225th Mixed Brigade in December 1916, with its units redesignated as follows from 1 January 1917:[5][19]

On 26 November 1917, 1207th (Home Counties) Battery transferred to 12th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, which was reforming in 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division.[30][31]

In May 1918 each of the Mixed Brigades was called upon to provide a battalion (redesignated a Garrison Guard battalion) to reconstitute the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, which had been virtually destroyed during the German Army's Spring Offensive. 225th Mixed Brigade supplied 15th Essex to 177th (2/1st Lincoln and Leicester) Brigade and immediately raised a new 18th (Home Service) Battalion Essex Regiment to take over its coast defence duties.[12][24][25][26][32] The brigade remained with this composition until the end of the war, after which it was demobilised.[19]

World War II

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Formation and Service

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The 225th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was formed for service in the United Kingdom on 14 November 1940, during the Second World War. It was commanded by Brigadier J.W. Pendlebury and initially consisted of newly raised infantry battalions from North-West England.[33] Upon formation the 225th Brigade came under Western Command until 10 February 1941 when it briefly came under command of 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division.[33] On 12 March 1941, the Brigade became part of the newly created Northumberland County Division.[34] The Northumberland County Division was broken up on 30 November 1941, when the headquarters of 225th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was re-designated HQ 35th Army Tank Brigade.[35] Its infantry battalions were converted to the armoured role as shown:

Order of Battle

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The composition of 225th Brigade was as follows:[33]

The 225th Brigade number has never been reactivated.

Notes

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  1. ^ Becke, p. 6.
  2. ^ Becke, pp. 6, 65.
  3. ^ a b c d e Army Council Instructions, January 1916, Appendix 18.
  4. ^ 'Provisional Brigades and Battalions' at Long, Long Trail.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Porter". Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  6. ^ 5th Provisional Brigade War Diary, The National Archives (TNA), Kew file WO 95/5458.
  7. ^ Frederick, p. 221.
  8. ^ James, p. 53.
  9. ^ Norfolk Regiment at Long, Long Trail.
  10. ^ "Norfolk Regiment at Warpath". Archived from the original on 17 July 2003. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  11. ^ a b James, pp. 93–4.
  12. ^ a b c James, pp. 85–6.
  13. ^ a b James, p. 60.
  14. ^ a b Frederick, p. 198.
  15. ^ a b James, p. 44.
  16. ^ a b 69th Provisional Battalion (The Queen's) War Diary, TNA file WO 95/5458.
  17. ^ Becke, p. 93.
  18. ^ Distribution of Northern and Southern Armies (Home Defence), The National Archives file WO 33/765.
  19. ^ a b "'Miscellaneous Units and Unalloted Troops in Great Britain' at Warpath". Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  20. ^ a b c d Frederick, pp. 184–5.
  21. ^ Frederick, p. 214.
  22. ^ Middlesex Regiment at Long, Long Trail.
  23. ^ "Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) at Warpath". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  24. ^ a b Frederick, p. 234.
  25. ^ a b Essex Regiment at Long, Long Trail.
  26. ^ a b "Essex Regiment at Warpath". Archived from the original on 6 May 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  27. ^ Frederick, p. 230.
  28. ^ Bedfordshire Regiment at Long, Long Trail.
  29. ^ Regiment at Long, Long Trail.
  30. ^ Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 79–80.
  31. ^ Frederick, p. 501.
  32. ^ Becke, pp. 20–21.
  33. ^ a b c Joslen, p. 388.
  34. ^ Joslen, pp. 115, 388.
  35. ^ Joslen, pp. 208, 388.
  36. ^ a b c Forty, pp. 50–1.

References

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  • Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–74th) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-84734-739-8.
  • George Forty, British Army Handbook 1939–1945, Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1403-3.
  • J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
  • J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X.
  • Brig E.A. James, British Regiments 1914–18, London: Samson Books, 1978, ISBN 0-906304-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9.
  • 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/London: London Stamp Exchange, 1990, ISBN 0-948130-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6.
  • War Office, Army Council Instructions Issued During January 1916, London: HM Stationery Office, 1916.

External sources

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