215th Brigade was a Home Service formation of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and the

Second World Wars World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

First World War

The 215th Brigade was part of the 72nd Division, a Home Service division raised in late 1916. It had the dual role of training men for overseas drafts and providing forces for home defence. The brigade was previously known as the 8th Provisional Brigade.Becke, pp. 107–10.72 Division at Long Long Trail.
/ref> The brigade was commanded from 1 November 1916 to 17 January 1918 by Brigadier-General P.W.Hendry. On 21 December 1917 orders were issued to break up 72nd Division. Disbandment began in January 1918 and its last elements dispersed on 8 April 1918.

Order of Battle

The following infantry battalions served in brigade: *28th Provisional Battalion, became

13th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment The 5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment (5th Lincolns), was a volunteer unit of Britain's Territorial Army from 1900 until 1967, serving as infantry on the Western Front during the First World War and as an air defence unit during and after the ...

''(left July 1917)'' *70th Provisional Battalion, became

15th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment The 2nd Sussex Rifle Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army first raised from the county of Sussex in 1859. It later became the 4th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. A detachment served in the Second Boer War. During the First World ...

*81st Provisional Battalion, became 18th Battalion,

Royal Warwickshire Regiment The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, previously titled the 6th Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. The regiment saw service in many conflicts and wars, including the Second Boer War ...

''(left 24 December 1917)'' *258th Graduated Battalion, ''(joined 23 July 1917, became 51st (Graduated) Battalion,

Durham Light Infantry The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1968. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and t ...

27 October 1917)'' *259th Graduated Battalion, ''(joined 24 September 1917, became 51st (Graduated) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 27 October 1917)''

Second World War

Formation and Service

A new brigade was formed under the title of 215th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), for service in the United Kingdom, on 10 October 1940 when the No 15 Infantry Training Group was redesignated. It was composed of newly raised infantry battalions.Joslen, p. 378. Home brigades had a purely static defence role. The brigade briefly served under

59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division The 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was formed during the Second World War and fought in the Battle of Normandy. In March 1939, after Germany re-emerged as a significant military power ...

(10 February–16 March 1941) and then became an integral part of the new

Durham and North Riding County Division The Durham and North Riding County Division was a coastal defence formation of the British Army during the Second World War. It existed only from 12 March 1941 until 1 December 1941, when it was redesignated Durham and North Riding Coastal Area a ...

. The county division ceased to function on 1 December 1941, and the brigade headquarters was disbanded on 22 December 1941.

Order of Battle

The composition of 215th Brigade: *

7th Battalion, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) The 92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (92nd LAA Rgt) was a mobile air defence unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II. The regiment had a special role on D-Day, and afterwards served throughout the campaign ...

''formed 4 July 1940 at

Preston, Lancashire Preston () is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston local government district. Preston and its surrounding distri ...

;Frederick, p. 192. left 27 November 1941, converted that month to 92nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery)''Frederick, p. 835. *

8th Battalion, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) The 93rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (93rd LAA Rgt) was an air defence unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II. Elements of the regiment landed with special equipment on D-Day, and served in the Normandy campaign. The ...

''formed 4 July 1940 at

Ashton-under-Lyne Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. The population was 45,198 at the 2011 census. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the north bank of the River Tame, in the foothills of the Pennines, east of Manche ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

; left 27 November 1941, converted that month to

93rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery The 93rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (93rd LAA Rgt) was an air defence unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II. Elements of the regiment landed with special equipment on D-Day, and served in the Normandy campaign. The ...

)'' * 9th Battalion, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) ''formed 4 July 1940 at

Lancaster, Lancashire Lancaster (, ) is a city and the county town of Lancashire, England, standing on the River Lune. Its population of 52,234 compares with one of 138,375 in the wider City of Lancaster local government district. The House of Lancaster was a branch ...

; left 19 November 1941, converted that year to

148th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps The 148th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (148 RAC) was an armoured regiment of the British Army's Royal Armoured Corps during World War II. It fought in the invasion of Normandy in 1944. Origin 148th Regiment RAC was formed in November 1941 by the ...

)'' *

12th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers The 116th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (116th LAA Rgt) was a Welsh mobile air defence unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II. It served with the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division in the campaign in North West Europe. O ...

''formed July 1940 at

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...

;Frederick, p. 305. transferred to 217th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) 8 May 1941, returned 24 October; left 21 December 1941, converted to 116th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery)''116th LAA Rgt at RA 1939–45.
/ref> *

8th Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles The 117th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, (117th LAA Rgt) was an air defence unit of the British Army during World War II. Initially raised as an infantry battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles (RUR) in 1940, it transferred to the Roy ...

''(9 – 31 May 1941)''

Commanders

The following officers commanded 215th Bde during: * Brig E.O. Skaife * Brig C.G.C. Balfour-Davey (from 15 February 1941) * Brig L. Bootle-Wilbraham (from 22 September 1941) * Brig J.H. Jewson (from 6 October 1941)

Notes

References

* 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–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions,'' London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * George Forty, "British Army Handbook 1939-1945", Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 1998, . * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, . * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, . *

External sources

The Long, Long Trail

True Loyals

{{British infantry brigades of the Second World War Military units and formations established in 1916 Infantry brigades of the British Army Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War I Military units and formations disestablished in 1918 Military units and formations established in 1940 Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1941