129th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

South Western Brigade
129th (South Western) Brigade
129th Infantry Brigade
South Western Brigade; 129th (South Western) Brigade; 129th Infantry Brigade
Active	1908-1919; 1920-1946; 1947-1968
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Territorial Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division
Engagements	Operation Overlord; Operation Market Garden; Battle of the Bulge; Operation Blackcock; Operation Veritable
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Sir Charles Bonham-Carter

The 129th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that served during both the First and Second World Wars. In both wars the brigade was part of 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division.

History

Formation

The brigade was originally formed in 1908 in the Territorial Force (TF) as the South Western Brigade attached to the Wessex Division. It was composed of four TF infantry battalions, the 4th and 5th of the Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry), the 4th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment, and the 4th Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment).

First World War

The division was mobilised in August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. The division was sent overseas to India to free up Regular Army troops for service on the Western Front in France and Belgium. In 1915 the division was numbered as the 43rd (Wessex) Division and the brigade became the 129th (1/1st South Western) Brigade. However, the division, and the brigade, never saw action and were disbanded later in the war but many of the division's units saw service with mainly British Indian Army brigades and divisions.

First World War order of battle

1/4th Battalion, Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry) (until February 1916)
1/5th Battalion, Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry) (until May 1917)
1/4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment (until February 1916)
1/4th Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment) (until September 1917)

Between the wars

The Territorial Force was disbanded shortly after the end of the Great War. It was, however, reformed as the Territorial Army in 1920 and both the 43rd Division and the brigade were also reformed. The brigade was now known as 129th (South Western) Infantry Brigade, composed of the same battalions it had before the Great War and this was the composition of the brigade for most of the inter-war years.

In 1938 all infantry brigades were reduced from four to three battalions and so, as a result, the 4th Battalion, Dorset Regiment was transferred to the 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Brigade. In 1939 the brigade was redesignated as 129th Infantry Brigade and the 4th Dorsets was transferred to the 130th Infantry Brigade. In the same year, the 5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, formed as a 2nd Line duplicate of the 4th Wilts when the Territorials were doubled in size, also joined the brigade and the 5th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry was transferred to 135th Infantry Brigade, part of 45th (Wessex) Infantry Division, which was formed as a 2nd Line duplicate of the 43rd (Wessex).^[1]

Second World War

The brigade served with the division throughout the Second World War and spent from 1939 until June 1944 in intensive training throughout the United Kingdom, particularly in Kent. They were training for the invasion of France and landed in Normandy in late June 1944. They fought in the Normandy Campaign, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge and the Rhine Crossing.

Order of battle

4th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
4th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment
5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment
129th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 14 May 1940, disbanded 20 December 1941)^[2]

Commanders

Brig. G.E.M. Whittuck
Brig. W.K.M. Leader
Brig. G. Brunskill (11 March 1941–11th Aug.1942)
Brig. G.H.L. Mole
Brig. J.O.E. Vandeleur
Brig. W.R. Cox

Postwar

The TA was reconstituted from 1 January 1947 and its units and formations including 43 (Wessex) Infantry Division were reformed. 129 Brigade then had the following organisation:^[3]

4th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry at Bath, Somerset
5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment at Gloucester
4th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment at Trowbridge

References

^ http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/43_Division__1930_38_.pdf^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Watson, TA 1947.

External links

Graham Watson, The Territorial Army 1947

[1] ttp://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/43_Division__1930_38_.pdf^{[permanent dead link]}

[2] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[WatsonTA-3] Watson, TA 1947.

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