The 221st Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was a short-lived Home Defence 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

Second World War 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 opposin ...

Origin and Service

The 221st Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was formed for service in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

under the

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

Area headquarters of Home Forces on 8 November 1940. It was commanded by Brigadier C.H. Gotto, and comprised three newly raised infantry battalions Joslen, p. 384. After a brief spell attached to the 2nd Infantry Division, the Brigade became part of the

Yorkshire County Division The Yorkshire County Division was a formation of the British Army in the Second World War, its headquarters were formed on 24 February 1941, and became operation on 19 March. It was commanded by three officers, Major-General the Hon E. F. Lawso ...

(later East Riding Coastal Area) on 19 March 1941. The brigade was disbanded on 22 December 1941.

Order of battle

The composition of 221 Brigade was as follows: * 11th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment ''(8 November — 11 December 1941, converted early 1942 into the 118th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery)'' * 10th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment ''(8 November — 11 December 1941, converted early 1942 into the

119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery The 119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, (119th LAA Rgt) was an air defence unit of the British Army during World War II. Initially raised as an infantry battalion of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment (QORWK) in 1940, it tran ...

)'' * 7th Battalion,

King's Shropshire Light Infantry The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in the Childers Reforms of 1881, but with antecedents dating back to 1755. It served in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. In 196 ...

''(8 November 1940 — 29 November 1941, converted that year into the 99th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery)''

Notes

References

* {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Military units and formations established in 1940 Infantry brigades of the British Army Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1941