42nd Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North West
| 42nd Brigade 42 Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North West | |
|---|---|
|
Insignia of 42 (North West) Brigade. | |
| Active |
1899-1902 1907-1918 1939-1944 1991- |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 British Army |
| Type | Regular and Territorial Army |
| Part of | 1st (United Kingdom) Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Fulwood Barracks, Preston |
| Engagements |
Second Boer War First World War Second World War |
The 42nd Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North West, also known as 42 (North West) Brigade, is a brigade of the British Army.
History
The brigade first saw action during the Second Boer War.[1]
The brigade was reformed in August 1914 during World War I as the 42nd Brigade, raised from the first wave of men volunteering for Kitchener's Army. The 42nd Brigade was a component formation of the 14th (Light) Division and originally consisted of light infantry regiments but, as the war progressed and casualties mounted, the brigades' original battalions were replaced by non-light infantry regiments.[2]
Order of battle World War I
- 5th (Service) Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- 5th (Service) Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry
- 9th (Service) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps
- 9th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
- 42nd Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps
- 42nd Trench Mortar Battery
- 6th (Service) Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment
- 16th (Service) Battalion, Manchester Regiment
- 14th (Service) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
The brigade was re-formed during World War II as a security force to protect lines of communication in North Africa. In November 1943, the brigade HQ was redesignated as the HQ of the 57th Infantry Division for deception purposes.[3] The brigade was disbanded in July 1944.[4]
Order of battle World War II
- 30th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment
Headquarters 42 (North West) Brigade was reformed at Fulwood Barracks in 1991, so perpetuating the memory of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division, and became the regional military headquarters for North West England.[5]
Under Army 2020, it was renamed 42nd Infantry Brigade and became the regional point of command for the North West of England.[6]
Current operations
The brigade today provides the Regional Point of Command for the British Army in the region of North West England and the Isle of Man. Its headquarters are situated at Fulwood Barracks in Preston.
Current formation
Units include:[6]
- 42nd Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North West in Preston
- 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment in Chester
- 4th Battalion, Mercian Regiment in Wolverhampton (Army Reserve - paired with 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment)
- 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment in Weeton (rotates to British Forces Cyprus)
- 4th Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment in Preston (Army Reserve - paired with 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment)
References
- ↑ "42nd (North West) Brigade : history". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ↑ Baker, Chris. "The Long Long Trail". Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- ↑ Joslen, pp. 92, 287, 354.
- ↑ Joslen, p. 287
- ↑ "Fulwood Barracks". Lancashire Infantry Museum. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- 1 2 "Army 2020 Report" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
Sources
- Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2003, ISBN 1843424746.
External links
- 42 (North West) Brigade - on British Army official website