145 (South) Brigade (United Kingdom)
| 145th (South) Brigade | |
|---|---|
 Insignia of 145 (South) Brigade | |
| Active |
1908–1945 1995–Present |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 British Army |
| Type | Regular and TA |
| Part of | Support Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Aldershot Garrison |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Brigadier Andrew Hughes |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol | Roebuck |
145 (South) Brigade was a regional brigade of the British Army that saw active service in both the First and Second world wars.
History
First formed on the creation of the Territorial Force in 1908 as the South Midland Brigade in the South Midland Division. After the outbreak of the First World War, it was numbered as the 145th (South Midland) Brigade (along with the 143rd Brigade and 144th Brigade) in the 48th (South Midland) Division. The brigade was in continuous service in France on the Western Front until the Armistice in 1918 with Germany. The division was disbanded in 1919 as was the rest of the Territorial Force.[1]
The brigade was reformed, as the 145th Infantry Brigade, in 1920 when the Territorial Force was renamed the Territorial Army and continued to serve alongside the 143rd and 144th brigades in 48th Division. During the early stages of the Second World War, the 145th Brigade, and the rest of the division, was sent to France in January 1940 to join the rest of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Franco-Belgian border. The brigade fought in the Battle of Dunkirk and had to be evacuated to England after the German Army threatened to cut off the entire BEF from the main French Armies. Following its withdrawal from France, the division was on home defence, anticipating a possible German invasion which, fortunately, never arrived. In late 1942 the division and brigade were reduced to a Lower Establishment and became a training formation in the UK until it was again disbanded in 1945.[1]
In 1994, 145 Brigade was reformed through the renaming of Aldershot Area, part of the old South-Eastern District, assuming responsibility for all army units in the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. In doing so it joined 4th Division.
World War One formation
- 1/5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment (until September 1918)
- 1/4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- 1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- 1/4th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment)
World War II formation
- 4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- 4th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (to February 1940)
- 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment (from February 1940)
The Present
It became 145 (South) Brigade in 2007 and currently has its headquarters in Aldershot, Hampshire, England. It administers the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It also directly commands Regular Army and Territorial Army (TA) soldiers and Army cadets. These comprise one TA infantry battalion (7 Rifles), two University Officers' Training Corps (Oxford and Southampton Universities) and four Army County Cadet Forces. The Brigade moved into a new headquarters building, named Roebuck House, in November 2011. The building will be officially opened in 2012. With the disbandment of 4th Division, the brigade came under the control of the new Support Command on 2 April 2012.[2] Under Army 2020, this Brigade will not exist.[3]
References
External links
- 145 (South) Brigade - on British Army official website
- 145 (South) Brigade, Community Engagement