Military Wiki
in: Articles using infobox military unit, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Military units and formations established in 1940,
and 5 more

209th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

Sign in to edit
209th Infantry Brigade
Active 13 October 1940-1 September 1944
Country  United Kingdom
Branch Flag of the British Army British Army
Type Infantry Brigade
Role Home Defence

209th Infantry Brigade (209 Bde) was a Home Defence formation of the British Army during World War II.

Origin[]

The brigade was formed for service in the United Kingdom on 13 October 1940 by No 9 Infantry Training Group in the South West Area of Southern Command. Under the name of 209th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) it was initially composed of newly-raised battalions of the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment).[1][2]

Composition[]

The composition of 209 Bde was as follows:[1]

  • 7th Bn The Buffs (until 7 November 1941, when it converted to 141st Regiment Royal Amoured Corps)[3]
  • 8th Bn The Buffs (until 22 September 1942)
  • 9th Bn The Buffs (21 October 1940 – 15 August 1941, and 24 November 1941 – 25 October 1943)
  • 10th Bn The Buffs (until 25 October 1943)
  • 11th (Royal Militia of Jersey) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (from 24 September 1942)[4]
  • 14th Bn Durham Light Infantry (25 September 1942 – 14 November 1944)
  • 18th Bn Welch Regiment (20 November 1943 – 19 September 1944)
  • 6th Bn Northamptonshire Regiment (from 19 November 1943)
  • 2/5th (Glamorganshire) Bn Welch Regiment (from 19 September 1944)[5]
  • 11th Bn South Staffordshire Regiment (from 15 November 1944)

Commanders[]

The commanders of 209 Bde were:[1]

  • Brigadier C.C. Hewitt (until 21 May 1941)
  • Brigadier G. St G. Robinson (21 May–20 October 1941)
  • Brigadier R.C. Matthews (28 October 1941 – 17 August 1942)
  • Brigadier W.G. Hewett (10 August 1942 – 10 August 1944)
  • Brigadier N.P. Proctor (10 August 1944 – 14 February 1945)
  • Brigadier A. Gilroy (from 14 February 1945)

Service[]

On 28 February 1941, HQ South West Area formed Devon and Cornwall County Division, which included the brigade. On 1 December 1941, the County Division was redesignated 77th Infantry Division and the brigade became 209th Infantry Brigade.[1][6] The 77th was a Reserve Division, later designated a Holding Division with the role of sorting, retraining and temporarily holding personnel before they were reassigned to other units. It was formally disbanded on 1 September 1944 when its divisional and brigade HQs adopted the numbers of the recently-disbanded 45th (Holding) Division. 209 Bde was redesignated 135th Infantry Brigade. All these formations remained within the UK throughout the war.[1][7]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Joslen, p. 372.
  2. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20060103223059/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/003Buffs.htm
  3. ↑ Forty, p. 51.
  4. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20051230140127/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-channel/militia/jersey.htm
  5. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20051227015921/http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-wales/vinf/gl-2.htm
  6. ↑ Joslen, pp. 100, 108.
  7. ↑ Joslen, pp. 73–4, 100, 321.

References[]

  • George Forty, British Army Handbook 1939–1945, Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 1998, ISBN 0 7509 1403 3.
  • 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.
All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at 209th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) and the edit history here.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.