The 22nd Brigade was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

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 ...

First World War

2nd Battalion Warwickshire Regiment Receiving Rations While on the March, Ypres Salient Q56926

The brigade was a unit of the

British Army during the First World War The British Army during the First World War fought the largest and most costly war in its long history. Unlike the French and German Armies, the British Army was made up exclusively of volunteers—as opposed to conscripts—at the beginning ...

formed in September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the

Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, from units of the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

that had been serving overseas in the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

. The brigade was assigned to the 7th Division (nicknamed ''"The Immortal Seventh"'') and served on the Western Front and, later, on the Italian Front. After arrival in France in October 1914 the brigade fought in the

First Battle of Ypres The First Battle of Ypres (french: Première Bataille des Flandres; german: Erste Flandernschlacht – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. Th ...

where, as most units involved in the battle, both British and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, sustained very heavy losses. As the war progressed and the more battles the brigade was involved in the composition of the brigade changed numerous times and the battalions were reinforced largely by volunteers for Lord Kitchener

New Armies The New Armies (Traditional Chinese: 新軍, Simplified Chinese: 新军; Pinyin: Xīnjūn, Manchu: ''Ice cooha''), more fully called the Newly Created Army ( ''Xinjian Lujun''Also translated as "Newly Established Army" ()), was the modernised a ...

Order of battle

The infantry battalions assigned to the brigade, during the First World War, included: * 2nd Battalion,

Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) was a line infantry regiment of the English and later the British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Arm ...

''(left December 1915)'' * 2nd 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 ...

* 1st Battalion,

Royal Welch Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated ...

* 1st Battalion,

South Staffordshire Regiment The South Staffordshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for only 68 years. The regiment was created in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot an ...

''(left December 1915)'' * 1/8th Battalion,

Royal Scots The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regimen ...

''(from November 1914, left August 1915)'' * 1/7th Battalion,

King's Regiment (Liverpool) The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British Army infantry regiments, which were ...

''(from 15 November 1915, left 7 January 1916)'' * 20th (Service) Battalion,

Manchester Regiment The Manchester Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1958. The regiment was created during the 1881 Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot and the 96th ...

* 24th (Service) Battalion, Manchester Regiment * 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment ''(from May 1916, left October 1916)'' * 2/1st Battalion,

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

''(from October 1916)'' * 22nd Machine Gun Company,

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in the First World War. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks ...

''(formed 24 February 1916, moved to 7th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 1 April 1918)'' * 22nd Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 14 April 1916)''

Commanders

The following commanded the 22nd Brigade during the First World War: *Brigadier-General S. T. B. Lawford (''7 September 1914'') *Brigadier-General J. McC. Steele (''27 August 1915'') *Lieutenant-Colonel B. Beauman (''9 February 1918 - acting'') *Lieutenant-Colonel C. S. Burt (''16 February 1918 - acting'') *Lieutenant-Colonel R. N. O'Connor (''18 February 1918 - acting'') *Brigadier-General J. McC. Steele (''16 March 1918'')

Second World War

The brigade was reformed, now designated the 22nd Infantry Brigade, 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 ...

, exactly a month after the opening of hostilities, by the redesignation of the 29th Infantry Brigade. As it was in the Great War, the brigade was composed entirely of troops of the

who had been serving in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

on the outbreak of war and was again assigned to the 7th Infantry Division until 3 November 1939 when it was redesignated as the

6th Infantry Division 6th Division may refer to: Infantry divisions * 6th Division (Australia) * 6th Division (Austria) *6th (United Kingdom) Division * Finnish 6th Division (Winter War) *Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War) * 6th Division (Reichswehr) * 6th Divisi ...

. The brigade left the 6th Division on 17 June 1940, coming under command of HQ Western Desert Force. On 2 September 1940 the 22nd Brigade was redesignated Headquarters Matruh Fortress and ceased to be an infantry brigade. The number was subsequently reused to designate the

22nd Guards Brigade The 22nd Guards Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw distinguished active service during the Second World War. History The 22nd Infantry Brigade was formed by the redesignation of the 29th Infantry Brigade on 3 Septemb ...

Order of battle in the Second World War

22nd Infantry Brigade * 2nd Battalion,

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the ...

''(left 18 March 1940)'' * 1st Battalion,

Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...

''(left 25 November 1939)'' * 1st Battalion,

Welch Regiment The Welch Regiment (or "The Welch", an archaic spelling of "Welsh") was an infantry regiment of the line of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1969. The regiment was created in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of ...

''(from 28 November 1939, left 23 July 1940)'' * 2nd Battalion,

Highland Light Infantry The Highland Light Infantry (HLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881. It took part in the First and Second World Wars, until it was amalgamated with the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1959 to form the Royal Highland Fusi ...

''(from 18 March, left 21 July 1940)'' * 1st Battalion,

''(from 21 July, left 1 September 1940)'' * 1st 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 ...

''(from 23 July, left 1 September 1940)'' * 3rd Battalion,

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

''(from 25 July, left 1 September 1940)''

Commanders

* Lieutenant-Colonel E.G. Earle ''(Acting, until 21 October 1939)'' * Brigadier J.T. Leslie ''(from 21 October 1939 until 26 July 1940)'' * Brigadier G. Dawes ''(from 26 July until 26 August 1940)'' * Brigadier A.R. Selby ''(from 26 August 1940)''

References

{{reflist Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War I Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II