1st Infantry Brigade (Guards)

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1st Mechanised Brigade
Active	1914 - 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 1st Infantry Brigade is a British Army formation with a long history including service during the First and Second World Wars .

1 History
- 1.1 Commanders (World War 2)
2 Battles and Engagements (World War 2)
3 Structure (World War 2)
4 Structure today (1 Mechanised Brigade)
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

Initially as 1st (Guards) Brigade, the formation was part of 1st Division during World War I. On formation of the Guards Division in August 1915, the Brigade lost 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards and 1st Battalion, Scots Guards and was redesignated without the Guards reference in its title. It was with the 1st Division throughout the war.

As the 1st Guards Brigade, it was again part of the regular army British 1st Infantry Division during the Battle of France in June 1940. It fought through the North African campaign as part of the First Army, and served with many divisions during the Italian Campaign.

At the end of the war, back as part of the 1st Infantry Division, it was transferred to Palestine for internal security duties.

After the war the brigade only remained in Palestine for a short time. It was transferred to Egypt for a few months before going back to Palestine in April 1946. Two years later as the British mandate over Palestine ended the brigade and division returned to Egypt. In October 1951, British forces pulled out of Egypt outside of the Suez Canal Zone, and later the brigade returned to the United Kingdom, though it was in Cyprus during the EOKA insurgency for a period in 1957-8.

By the early 1980 the brigade, having lost its 'Guards' title some time before, had been based in the UK for many years, forming the UK Mobile Force earmarked to reinforce Denmark in the event of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. After the end of the Cold War it was reassigned as part of the new 3rd (UK) Division and subsequently became a Mechanised Brigade. It is now headquartered at Tidworth.