206th Independent Infantry Brigade was a 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

The brigade was formed under the title of 206th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) 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 ...

on 12 October 1940 by amalgamation of Headquarters Lothian Sub-Area and No 6 Infantry Training Group in

Scottish Command Scottish Command or Army Headquarters Scotland (from 1972) is a command of the British Army. History Early history Great Britain was divided into military districts on the outbreak of war with France in 1793. The Scottish District was comman ...

. It originally comprised three newly raised infantry battalions and one Territorial Army machine gun battalion that had seen service in the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

.Joslen, p. 462. It had no connection with 206th (2nd Essex) Brigade, a 2nd-Line

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...

formation raised during the

First World 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 ...

Service

During its service the brigade came under the administrative control of several higher formations: Scottish Command (until 16 December 1940),

44th (Home Counties) Division The Home Counties Division was an infantry division of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army, that was raised in 1908. As the name suggests, the division recruited in the Home Counties, particularly Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex. ...

(17 December 1940 – 23 February 1941),

56th (London) Division The 56th (London) Infantry Division was a Territorial Army infantry division of the British Army, which served under several different titles and designations. The division served in the trenches of the Western Front during the First World War. ...

(23 February–14 November 1941), 46th Division (14 November 1941 – 2 July 1942, 20 August–30 November 1942), North Kent and Surrey Area (3 July–19 August 1942),

43rd (Wessex) Division The 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was an infantry division of Britain's Territorial Army (TA). The division was first formed in 1908, as the Wessex Division. During the First World War, it was broken-up and never served as a complete formatio ...

(1 December 1942 – 19 May 1943), Hampshire and Dorset District (20 May–5 October 1943). The brigade remained in the UK throughout its service. The brigade was re-designated the 206th Independent Infantry Brigade in December 1941. Brigade headquarters was disbanded on 6 October 1943.

Order of battle

The composition of the 206th Brigade was as follows: * 14th 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 ...

''(12 October 1940 — 19 September 1942)'' * 16th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry ''(12 October 1940 — 17 December 1940)'' * 17th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry ''(12 October 1940 — 10 September 1942)'' * 7th Battalion,

Royal Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution an ...

(MG battalion) ''(12 October 1940 — 17 December 1940)'' * 10th 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 ...

''(4 December 1940 – 28 February 1942)'' * 10th Battalion,

Green Howards The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under vario ...

''(1 February 1941 – 19 September 1942)'' * 2/4th Battalion,

South Lancashire Regiment The South Lancashire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment, which recruited, as its title suggests, primarily from the South Lancashire area, was created as part of the Childers Ref ...

''(10 September 1942 – 25 May 1943)'' * 9th 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 we ...

''(19 September 1942 – 12 April 1943)'' * 9th 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 ...

''(26 September 1942 – 1 October 1943)'' * 2/4th Battalion,

Essex Regiment The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...

''(12 April – 1 October 1943)'' * 11th Battalion,

Devonshire Regiment The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 ...

''(29 May – 8 September 1943)'' * 12th Battalion,

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 26th Cameronian Reg ...

''(20 August – 23 September 1943)''

Commanders

The commanders of 206th Bde were: * Brigadier F.G. Drew (until 24 May 1941) * Brigadier R.A. Boxshall (24 May 1941 – 20 July 1942) * Brigadier L. Tremellen (20 July 1942 – 10 May 1943) * Brigadier G.F. Ellenberger (from 10 May 1943)

References

;Sources * Cole, Howard, ''Formation Badges of World War 2, Britain, Commonwealth and Empire.'', London, Arms and Armour Press, SBN 853680787 *
Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth
{{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 1943