12th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

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12th Mechanised Brigade
Active	1899 - present day
Country	Great Britain
Branch	British Army
Type	Mechanised Infantry
Part of	3rd (UK) Mechanised Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II

The 12th Infantry Brigade (now 12 Mechanised Brigade) is a regular British Army brigade which has served since 1899.

1 History
2 Organisation
- 2.1 Component units in World War II
- 2.2 Component units in 2006
3 External links

[edit] History

The brigade was first formed in December 1899 as 12th Infantry Brigade, part of 6th Division. Three years later it was disbanded, but it was reformed in May 1907 as part of 4th Division and served in the First World War.

[edit] World War II

As part of the 4th Infantry Division, it served in France in 1940, Algeria and Tunisia in 1943, Italy 1944 and ended the War in Greece.

[edit] Post-1945

It was disbanded in March 1947, but reformed from 91 Lorried Infantry Brigade in April 1956 but then disbanded in December 1957.

From June 1960 the brigade was in Germany with 1st Division but then placed within 2nd Division until it was disbanded on restructuring of the Army in September 1976. As part of the five-battle group division scheme from 1976 to 1983 it was part of 2nd Armoured Division, converted to armour. Moved to 1st Armoured Division it remained, with a spell under HQ 3rd Armoured Division during Operation Granby, until disbandment under Options for Change.

Following the Strategic Defence Review, the Brigade was reformed in mechanised form from the disbanding 5th Airborne Brigade. It is now based at Bulford, Wiltshire (having formerly been in Aldershot) and is part of the 3rd (UK) Division.