236th Brigade (236th Bde) was a short-lived formation organised by 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 ...
at the close of
World War I
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 ...
for service in
North Russia.
Formation
236th Brigade was formed in September 1918 by the redesignation of
75th Brigade, which had been raised in 1914 as part of
25th Division of '
Kitchener's Army'. 75th Brigade originally comprised volunteer battalions from North West England and had fought on the
Western Front for two years until it was virtually destroyed during the
German spring offensive of 1918. In June the headquarters of 25th Division and its three infantry brigades returned to 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 European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
with battalions reduced to training cadres, in order to organise a new fighting force. After 75th Bde was converted into 236th Bde, a new 75th Bde HQ was organised, and 25th Division returned to France to fight in the final battles of the
Hundred Days Offensive.
[Becke, pp. 135–142.]
236th Bde left 25th Division on 9 September 1918 at
Mytchett Camp,
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alder ...
. It embarked at
Dundee and
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
on 15 October for service in North Russia, and Bde HQ and the leading elements disembarked at
Murmansk
Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') ...
on 27 November.
Order of battle
236th Bde was constituted as follows:
King's (Liverpool) Regiment
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 ...
(previously with 30th Division; reduced to training cadre 14 May 1918 and joined 75th Bde at Boulogne on 30 June for return to UK)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 ...
(previously with 11th (Northern) Division
The 11th (Northern) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, raised from men who had volunteered for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and on the Western Fron ...
; reduced to training cadre 14 May 1918 and joined 75th Bde at Boulogne on 30 June for return to UK; absorbed newly formed 19th Battalion Green Howards during August)[
* 11th (Service) Battalion (1st South Down), ]Royal Sussex Regiment
The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot a ...
(previously with 39th Division; reduced to training cadre 23 May 1918 and joined 75th Bde at Boulogne on 30 June for return to UK; absorbed newly formed 13th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment
The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army based in the county of Kent in existence from 1881 to 1961. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, originally as the Quee ...
during July)
* 236th Trench Mortar Battery
* 236th Signal Section
It is reported[ that once in Russia the brigade was joined by 2/7th 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 ...
, a Second-Line Territorial Force battalion which had converted to a Garrison Guard battalion in September and embarked separately for Arkhangelsk on 7 October.Edmund Ironside
Edmund Ironside (30 November 1016; , ; sometimes also known as Edmund II) was King of the English from 23 April to 30 November 1016. He was the son of King Æthelred the Unready and his first wife, Ælfgifu of York. Edmund's reign was marred by ...
in command of the Allied intervention force. The brigade remained in North Russia until 1919 (17th King's returned home in September 1919).[
]
Notes
References
* Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3a: New Army Divisions (9–26)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1938/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, {{ISBN, 1-84734-741-X.
External sources
The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918
The Long, Long Trail
Military units and formations established in 1918
Infantry brigades of the British Army
Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War I
Military units and formations disestablished in 1919