72nd Brigade (United Kingdom)
72nd Brigade 72nd Independent Infantry Brigade 72nd Infantry Brigade | |
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![]() Formation sign for the 72nd Independent Infantry Brigade, January 1941 — June 1943.[1] | |
Active | 1914 — 1919 21 January 1941 — 1 June 1943 28 April 1944— |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Type | Infantry Brigade |
Role | Infantry |
Insignia | |
72nd Brigade battle patches used in the First World War, from August 1916.[2] | ![]() Top (l-r) 8th Queen's (West Surrey), 9th East Surrey, 8th Royal West Kent, 1st N Staffs. Lower 72nd MG Company. |
Formation sign of the 72nd Indian Infantry Brigade.[3] | ![]() Used with the 29th Brigade's sign to form the 39th Division's sign. |
The 72nd Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army in the First World War and the Second World War.
First World War[edit]
Formation and Service[edit]
It was raised as part of the new army (Kitchener's Army) and assigned to the 24th Division and served on the Western Front during the First World War.
![](http://chped.net/https/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/The_British_Army_on_the_Western_Front_Q3054.jpg/220px-The_British_Army_on_the_Western_Front_Q3054.jpg)
The brigade was disbanded after the war.
Order of battle[edit]
During the First World War the following units served in the 72nd Brigade.[4]
- 8th (Service) Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (to 17th Brigade in February 1918)
- 8th (Service) Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment) (to 17th Brigade in October 1915)
- 9th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment
- 8th (Service) Battalion, Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)
- 1st Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) (from 17th Brigade in October 1915)
- 72nd Machine Gun Company
- 72nd Trench Mortar Battery
Second World War[edit]
Formation and Service[edit]
![](http://chped.net/https/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/The_British_Army_in_Burma_1945_SE2137.jpg/220px-The_British_Army_in_Burma_1945_SE2137.jpg)
In January 1941, the 72nd Independent Infantry Brigade was formed. In 1943, the Brigade HQ was re-designated the 5th Parachute Brigade after its units were dispersed.[5] A new 72nd Infantry Brigade was formed on 28 April 1944 from the 72nd Indian Infantry Brigade which was renamed and joined the 36th Infantry Division.[6]
Order of battle[edit]
During the Second World War the following units served in the Brigade.[5]
- As the 72nd Independent Infantry Brigade
- 13th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers (21 January 1941 — 24 September 1942)
- 6th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (21 January 1941 — 14 January 1942)
- 15th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment (21 January 1941 — 25 May 1942)
- 4th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment (14 January 1942 — 8 October 1942)
- 11th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment (8 October 1941 — 25 May 1943)
- 9th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (9 September 1942 — 21 May 1943)
- As the 72nd Infantry Brigade in India
- 6th Battalion, South Wales Borderers (28 April 1944 — 18 July 1945)
- 10th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment (28 April 1944 — 31 August 1945)
- 9th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment (28 April 1944 — 31 August 1945)
References[edit]
- ^ Cole p. 130
- ^ Hibberd p. 24
- ^ Cole p. 87
- ^ "24th Division". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
- ^ a b Joslen p. 303
- ^ "72nd Indian Infantry Brigade". www.odersofbattle.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
Bibliography[edit]
- Cole, Howard (1973). Formation Badges of World War 2 Britain, Commonwealth and Empire. London: Arms and Armour Press.
- Hibbard, Mike; Gibbs, Gary (2016). Infantry Divisions, Identification Schemes 1917 (1 ed.). Wokingham: The Military History Society.
- Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1960]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84342-474-1.