10th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
| 10th Infantry Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 4th Infantry Division |
| Engagements | World War I - First Battle of the Marne, First Battle of Ypres, Battle of the Somme, Battle of Passchendaele, World War II - Battle of Belgium, Battle of France, Tunisian Campaign, Italian Campaign, Battle of Monte Cassino |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
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The 10th Infantry Brigade was a Regular Army infantry brigade of the British Army. During the First and Second World Wars this brigade was part of the 4th Division throughout both world wars.
History
First World War
With the 4th Division, the 10th brigade served with the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front and was one of the first British units to be sent overseas upon the declaration of war. The brigade fought in the Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat from Mons and many other battles such as that as First Ypres, the Somme and Third Ypres. In October 1914, Lieutenant Bernard Montgomery of the 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, part of the 10th Brigade, was badly wounded in Belgium when he was shot through the right lung by a German sniper and hit again in the knee.
Second World War
The 10th Infantry Brigade again saw active service as part of the British Expeditionary Force that was sent to France after the outbreak of war in 1939. The brigade and division were evacuated at Dunkirk after fierce fighting in the battles of France and Belgium. After being based in the United Kingdom, the brigade spent many years on home defence and training duties, anticipating a German invasion which never arrived. The brigade was later sent to Algeria and Tunisia in 1943. After this the brigade fought in Italy where it saw extremely hard fighting at Monte Cassino through most of 1944, before being shipped off to Greece to help calm the Civil War as part of Lieutenant-General Ronald Scobie's III Corps, where it ended the war.
After the war
Following the reactivation of the 4th Infantry Division on April 1, 1956 from the 11th Armoured Division, the 10th Brigade again became part of the division (along with the 11th and 12th brigades). However it was disbanded later.
Component Units during World War I
- 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
- 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (until August 1917)
- 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers (until November 1916)
- 1/7th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (from January 1915 until March 1916)
- Household Battalion (from November 1916 until February 1918)
- 3/10th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (from August 1917 until February 1918)
- 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment (from February 1918)
Component Units during World War II
- 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
- 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment (to May 1940)
- 1/6th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (from May 1940)
Commanders during World War II
- Brig. Evelyn Barker: 1938 - 1940
- Brig. Walter Clutterbuck: 1940 - 1941
- Brig. Owen Murton Wales: 1941 - 1942
- Brig. John Harold Hogshaw: 1942 - 1943
- Brig. Stephen Shoosmith: 1943 - 1945
- Brig. R.C.H. Kirwan: 1945
External links
- 10th Infantry Brigade at Orders of Battle.com