The Green Jackets Brigade (known as O Group until 1948) was an administrative brigade 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 ...

from 1946 to 1968, that administered the English rifle regiments.

History

After 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 ...

the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter. Infantry Depot O at Upper Barracks, Winchester was the headquarters for the two rifle regiments and the

Middlesex Regiment The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers Re ...

. In 1948, the depots adopted names and this depot became the Green Jackets Brigade. At the same time the Middlesex Regiment was transferred to the

Home Counties Brigade The Home Counties Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry regiments of the Home Counties of south east England. After the Second World War the British Army had fou ...

, with the remaining regiments each being reduced to a single battalion. The Brigade combined the depots of: *

The King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

Under the

Defence Review A Defence Review is the process by which government of the United Kingdom decides upon its overall defence policy and upon the means and resources devoted to achieving its defence objectives. Such reviews can happen when political or economic factor ...

announced in July 1957, the infantry of the line was reorganised, and on 1 April 1958, the 1st Battalion

Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was a light infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1958, serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. The regiment was formed as a consequence of th ...

was transferred from the

Light Infantry Brigade The Light Infantry Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular English light infantry regiments. After the Second World War the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, eac ...

to the Green Jackets Brigade. The regiment was subsequently renamed as the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) on 7 November 1958. The remaining two regiments were also renamed as the 2nd and 3rd Green Jackets on 7 November, so that the Brigade contained three battalions: * 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) *2nd Green Jackets, The King's Royal Rifle Corps *3rd Green Jackets, The Rifle Brigade On 1 January 1966, the three regiments were amalgamated into a single three battalion "large regiment" called the

Royal Green Jackets The Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division (the other being The Light Infantry). History The Royal Green Jackets was formed on 1 January 1966 by the amalgama ...

. In 1968, the Green Jackets Brigade was merged with the Light Infantry Brigade to form the

Light Division The Light Division was a light infantry division of the British Army. Its origins lay in "Light Companies" formed during the late 18th century, to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect a main force with skirmishing tactics. These ...

Units

Throughout its existence, the brigade was made up of the following units: , style="text-align:left; width:50%; vertical-align:top;",

Regular battalions

*1st Battalion,

(1946–1948) *2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (1946–1948) *1st Battalion,

King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

(1946–1966) *2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps (1946–1948, 1950–1957) *1st Battalion,

Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

(1946–1966) *2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) (1946–1948) *1st Battalion,

(1958–1966) *1st Battalion,

(1966–1968) *2nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets (1966–1968) *3rd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets (1966–1968) , style="text-align:left; width:50%; vertical-align:top;",

Territorial battalions

*7th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (1947–1948) *8th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (1947) *

Queen Victoria's Rifles The 9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles) was a Territorial Army infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantr ...

, King's Royal Rifle Corps (1947–1961) *

Queen's Westminsters The Queen's Westminsters were an infantry regiment of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army. Originally formed from Rifle Volunteer Corps, which were established after a French invasion scare of 1859. The unit became part of the newly ...

, King's Royal Rifle Corps (1947–1961) *Queen's Royal Rifles, King's Royal Rifle Corps (1961–1967) *

London Rifle Brigade The London Rifle Brigade was a volunteer regiment of the British Army. History The regiment was first raised in the City of London on 14 December 1859 as 1st London (City of London Volunteer Rifle Brigade) Rifle Volunteer Corps, a rifle volunt ...

, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) (1947–1960) * The Rangers, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) (1947–1960) *London Rifle Brigade/Rangers, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) (1960–1967) *

City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) The City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) was a yeomanry regiment of the British Territorial Army, formed in 1901 from veterans of the Second Boer War. In World War I it served dismounted in the Gallipoli Campaign but reverted to the mounted r ...

, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) (1956–1961) *4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (1947–1958) *Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (TA) (1958–1967) *4th (V) Battalion, Royal Green Jackets (1967–1968) *5th (T) Battalion, Royal Green Jackets (1967–1968)

References

External links

''Green Jackets Brigade'' (regiments.org), accessed February 4, 2008
{{British Infantry Infantry administrative brigades of the British Army Military units and formations established in 1948 Military units and formations disestablished in 1968 British light infantry Military units and formations in Hampshire Military units and formations in Winchester Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) King's Royal Rifle Corps