141st (5th London) Brigade

Origin

When the Territorial Force was created in 1908 under the Haldane Reforms, the existing volunteer units in the London area were brought together into a new London Regiment and organised into two divisions with a full complement of infantry brigades and supporting arms. 5th London Brigade formed part of 2nd London Division, with the following composition:

First World War

The outbreak of war on 4 August saw 5th London Brigade at Perham Down on Salisbury Plain, where it had just arrived for its annual training camp with the rest of 2nd London Division. They were immediately recalled to London to complete their mobilisation and by mid-August 5 London Brigade had reached its war station round Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The County of London Territorial Force Association immediately began raising '2nd Line' battalions, which quickly led to the formation of a duplicate 2/5th London Brigade (eventually 180th Brigade); consequently 5th London Brigade was renumbered 1/5th and its battalions were similarly prefixed (1/17th–1/20th).

In October 1914, 2nd London Division was selected for service on the Western Front and progressive training was carried out through the winter. 5th London Bde was the leading element of the division to land in France on 9 & 10 March 1915. In May the division (already known in France simply as 'The London Division' to distinguish it from the Regular Army 2nd Division) took its place in the line and was designated 47th (1/2nd London) Division, with the brigades numbered consecutively: 5th London became 141st (1/5th London) Brigade.

Actions

During World War I the brigade was engaged in the following operations:

1915

1916

1917

1918

First World War order of battle

There were few changes to the brigade's prewar Order of Battle during the campaign:

After the Armistice, 47th Division was engaged in railway repair and then settled down around Béthune to await demobilisation. This began in January, and the last troops left France on 10 May 1919. The brigade was demobilised at Felixstowe in May–June 1919.

Interwar years

47th Division and its subformations began to reform in the redesignated Territorial Army in 1920. 141 Bde was reformed with its original battalions, and with brigade HQ at the Duke of York's Headquarters.

In the 1930s, reorganisation of the TA saw the brigade's units being retasked (the 19th and 20th Bns became searchlight regiments in 1935) and posted away. The brigade was disbanded in 1936.

The rapid expansion of the TA after the Munich Crisis saw 5th London Brigade reformed with Second Line TA battalions, to provide a duplicate of 2nd London Infantry Brigade. 5th London Brigade resumed its number as 141 (London) Brigade on 21 November 1940.

Second World War

The composition of 141st (London) Brigade during World War II was as follows:

The 141st Infantry Brigade did not see any active service in World War II. It mobilised as a motor brigade, but became a conventional infantry brigade in June 1940. Between April and October 1944 it was responsible for an embarkation sector in Southampton for the Normandy landings. The brigade was disbanded on 27 October 1944. On 17 November 1944, 220th Brigade (which had recently joined 47th Division, now reformed as a reserve division) was renumbered 141st Infantry Brigade, but without any London connection. The new brigade had the following composition:

The brigade was not included in the Territorial Army when it reformed in 1947, although three of its traditional battalions (London Rifle Brigade, London Scottish and London Irish Rifles) formed the bulk of 168th (Lorried) Infantry Brigade in 56th (London) Armoured Division.

Commanders

141 Brigade was commanded by the following officers: