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The '''54th Infantry Brigade''' was an [[infantry]] [[brigade]] of the [[British Army]] that saw active service in both the [[World War I|First]] and [[World War II|Second]] World Wars.
The '''54th Infantry Brigade''' was an [[infantry]] [[brigade]] of the [[British Army]] that saw active service in both the [[World War I|First]] and [[World War II|Second]] World Wars.


==History==
==First World War==
===First World War===
The brigade was originally raised in 1914, as the '''54th Brigade''', in the First World War as part of [[Kitchener's Army|Kitchener's New Armies]] and joined the [[18th (Eastern) Division]], serving with it throughout the war mainly on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] from 1915 to 1918.
The brigade was originally raised in 1914, as the '''54th Brigade''', in the First World War as part of [[Kitchener's Army|Kitchener's New Armies]] and joined the [[18th (Eastern) Division]], serving with it throughout the war mainly on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] from 1915 to 1918.


====First World War Order of Battle====
===Order of battle===
The 54th Brigade was constituted as follows during the war:
⚫
* 10th (Service) Battalion, [[Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)]] ''(left October 1914)''
<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=20 January 2012|publisher=The Long Long Trail|title=18th (Eastern) Division|url=http://www.1914-1918.net/18div.htm}}</ref>
⚫
* 10th (Service) Battalion, [[Royal Fusiliers|Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)]] ''(left October 1914)''
* 11th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
* 11th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
* 12th (Service) Battalion, [[Royal Sussex Regiment]] ''(left February 1915)''
* 12th (Service) Battalion, [[Royal Sussex Regiment]] ''(left February 1915)''
* 12th (Service) Battalion, [[Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment)]] ''(disbanded February 1918)''
* 12th (Service) Battalion, [[Middlesex Regiment|Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment)]] ''(disbanded February 1918)''
* 8th (Service) Battalion, [[Northamptonshire Regiment]] ''(from November 1914)''
* 8th (Service) Battalion, [[Northamptonshire Regiment]] ''(from November 1914)''
* 7th (Service) Battalion, [[Bedfordshire Regiment]] ''(joined February 1915)''
* 7th (Service) Battalion, [[Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment|Bedfordshire Regiment]] ''(joined February 1915)''
* 2nd (Service) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment ''(from May 1918)''
* 2nd (Service) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment ''(from May 1918)''
* 54th Machine Gun Company, [[Machine Gun Corps]] ''(formed 13 February 1916, moved to 18th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 16 February 1918)''
* 54th Machine Gun Company, [[Machine Gun Corps]] ''(formed 13 February 1916, moved to 18th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 16 February 1918)''
* 54th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 1 June 1915)''<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=20 January 2012|publisher=The Long Long Trail|title=18th (Eastern) Division|url=http://www.1914-1918.net/18div.htm}}</ref>
* 54th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 1 June 1915)''


===Second World War===
===Second World War===
[[File:The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H2702.jpg|thumb|left|A soldier of the 4th Battalion, [[Royal Norfolk Regiment]], mans a trench near a [[Pillbox (military)|pillbox]] at [[Great Yarmouth]], [[Norfolk]], 31 July 1940.]]
[[File:The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H2702.jpg|thumb|left|A soldier of the 4th Battalion, [[Royal Norfolk Regiment]], mans a trench near a [[Pillbox (military)|pillbox]] at [[Great Yarmouth]], [[Norfolk]], 31 July 1940.]]

The brigade was disbanded in 1919 after the war. Reformed in 1939 in the [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] (TA) as the '''54th Infantry Brigade''', it was part of the [[18th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|18th Infantry Division]]. The brigade spent the early years of the [[World War II]] in the [[United Kingdom]] on home defence and training duties, anticipating a [[Operation Sea Lion|German invasion]]. With the rest of the division, the brigade was sent to Singapore, under the command of [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] [[Edward Backhouse (British Army officer)|Edward Backhouse]], in 1942 and, after the [[Battle of Singapore]] against the [[Imperial Japanese Army]], surrendered along with the rest of the Singapore garrison. They became [[Prisoner of war|prisoners]] of the Japanese for the next three years in harsh and degrading treatment.
The brigade was disbanded in 1919 after the war. Reformed in 1939 in the [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] (TA) as the '''54th Infantry Brigade''', it was part of the [[18th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|18th Infantry Division]]. The brigade spent the early years of the [[World War II]] in the [[United Kingdom]] on home defence and training duties, anticipating a [[Operation Sea Lion|German invasion]]. With the rest of the division, the brigade was sent to Singapore, under the command of [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] [[Edward Backhouse (British Army officer)|Edward Backhouse]], in 1942 and, after the [[Battle of Singapore]] against the [[Imperial Japanese Army]], surrendered along with the rest of the Singapore garrison. They became [[Prisoner of war|prisoners]] of the Japanese for the next three years in harsh and degrading treatment.


====Order of battle====
===Order of battle===
The 54th Brigade was constituted as follows during the war:
The 54th Brigade was constituted as follows during the war:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/939BXIE.pdf|title=United States Army Command and General Staff College}}</ref>
* 4th Battalion, [[Royal Norfolk Regiment]]
* 4th Battalion, [[Royal Norfolk Regiment]]
* 4th Battalion, [[Suffolk Regiment]]
* 4th Battalion, [[Suffolk Regiment]]
* 5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
* 5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
* 54th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company ''(formed 7 November, disbanded 14 December 1940)''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/939BXIE.pdf|title=United States Army Command and General Staff College}}</ref>
* 54th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company ''(formed 7 November, disbanded 14 December 1940)''


==Postwar==
===After World War II===
In the 1980s, the 54th Brigade was again active as '''54th (East Anglia) Brigade''', a Territorial Army regional brigade in the United Kingdom.<ref>David Isby and Charles Kamps Jr., Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, 1985</ref> It was amalgamated with [[49th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|49 Brigade]] and thus disbanded in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/structure/30010.aspx|title=49 Brigade: History|publisher= Ministry of Defence|accessdate=15 August 2015}}</ref>
In the 1980s, the 54th Brigade was again active as '''54th (East Anglia) Brigade''', a Territorial Army regional brigade in the United Kingdom.<ref>David Isby and Charles Kamps Jr., Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, 1985</ref> It was amalgamated with [[49th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|49 Brigade]] and thus disbanded in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/structure/30010.aspx|title=49 Brigade: History|publisher= Ministry of Defence|accessdate=15 August 2015}}</ref>


Revision as of 20:00, 15 September 2016

54th Brigade
54th Infantry Brigade
54th (East Anglia) Brigade
18th Division insignia, World War I
Active1914-1919
1939-1942
1980-1995
Country United Kingdom
Branch Territorial Army
TypeInfantry
SizeBrigade
Part of18th (Eastern) Division
18th Infantry Division
Garrison/HQPrince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham

The 54th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in both the First and Second World Wars.

First World War

The brigade was originally raised in 1914, as the 54th Brigade, in the First World War as part of Kitchener's New Armies and joined the 18th (Eastern) Division, serving with it throughout the war mainly on the Western Front from 1915 to 1918.

Order of battle

The 54th Brigade was constituted as follows during the war: [1]

Second World War

A soldier of the 4th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment, mans a trench near a pillbox at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, 31 July 1940.

The brigade was disbanded in 1919 after the war. Reformed in 1939 in the Territorial Army (TA) as the 54th Infantry Brigade, it was part of the 18th Infantry Division. The brigade spent the early years of the World War II in the United Kingdom on home defence and training duties, anticipating a German invasion. With the rest of the division, the brigade was sent to Singapore, under the command of Brigadier Edward Backhouse, in 1942 and, after the Battle of Singapore against the Imperial Japanese Army, surrendered along with the rest of the Singapore garrison. They became prisoners of the Japanese for the next three years in harsh and degrading treatment.

Order of battle

The 54th Brigade was constituted as follows during the war:[2]

Postwar

In the 1980s, the 54th Brigade was again active as 54th (East Anglia) Brigade, a Territorial Army regional brigade in the United Kingdom.[3] It was amalgamated with 49 Brigade and thus disbanded in 1995.[4]

References

  1. ^ "18th (Eastern) Division". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  2. ^ "United States Army Command and General Staff College" (PDF).
  3. ^ David Isby and Charles Kamps Jr., Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, 1985
  4. ^ "49 Brigade: History". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
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