19th Light Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 19th Light Brigade was a Regular Army infantry brigade of the British Army. It fought in the First and Second world wars. The brigade became 19 Light Brigade in 2005, and moved to Northern Ireland following the end of Operation Banner and "normalisation" of British military operations in the province. Following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), the Brigade entered suspended animation in March 2013.
19th Brigade 19th Infantry Brigade 19th Light Brigade | |
---|---|
Insignia of 19 Light Brigade | |
Active | 1892–1901 1914–1919 1938–1939 1950–2013 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Light infantry |
Size | Brigade |
Part of | 3rd Division |
Garrison/HQ | Catterick Garrison |
Engagements | First World War Second World War War in Afghanistan |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Horace Smith-Dorrien |
History
First World War
The 19th Infantry Brigade was formed in France as an independent brigade[1] It saw action on the Western Front including the Battle of Mons in August 1914.[2] It then joined the 2nd Division on 19 August 1915, but left to join the 33rd Division on 25 November 1915.[3]
Order of battle
Its components included:[3]
- 2nd Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers
- 1st Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
- 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
- 1/5th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (later 5/6th Battalion) – joined 19 November 1914
Second World War
The 19th Infantry Brigade was a regular British Army formation at the beginning of the Second World War. It had been raised in 1938 for Internal Security in Palestine, and appears to have joined the 7th Infantry Division on its reformation in September–October 1938. On 3 September 1939, it was converted to HQ Jerusalem Area.[4]
Post-1945
In the 1980s, the 19th Brigade was based at Colchester as part of the 3rd Armoured Division.[5]
Structure in 1989:[6]
- Headquarters 19th Infantry Brigade and 209th Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals
- 1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Border Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment
- 45th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 34th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers
It would have had to cross the Channel to join the rest of the division, stationed with the British Army of the Rhine in Germany. Following the disbandment of the 3rd Armoured Division following the end of the Cold War, the brigade joined the new 3rd Mechanised Division, and moved to Catterick Garrison in Yorkshire in April 1993.[7]
As part of the Delivering Security in a Changing World review in 2003, it was announced that the brigade was to become a 'Light' formation. The Brigade deployed on Operation Telic 2 between May and November 2003 taking over from 7 Armoured Brigade.[8] The brigade became 19 Light Brigade as of 1 January 2005, and deployed to Iraq on Operation Telic 9 (November 2006 – May 2007) for an unusually long 7-month tour before handing over to 1 Mechanised Brigade and returning to Catterick. It then began moving to Northern Ireland following the end of Operation Banner and "normalisation" of British military operations in the province.[9]
- Structure 2007:[10]
- HQ 19 Light Brigade
- 209 Signal Squadron, Royal Signals
- The Queen's Royal Lancers
- 1st Battalion, The King's Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
- 1st Battalion, The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets / 2nd Battalion The Rifles
- 40th Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 43rd Battery Royal Artillery
- 38th Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
- 4th Logistic Support Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps
- 19th Light Brigade Combat Service Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- 24th Medical Squadron, 3rd Combat Support Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps
- 150 Provost Company, Royal Military Police
The Brigade deployed on Operation Herrick 10 in April 2009, replacing 3 Commando Brigade, where it planned and executed Operation Panther's Claw – named after Bagheera, the panther forming the Brigade insignia. The Bde returned to the UK in October 2009 having taken significantly more casualties than seen in previous operational tours of Afghanistan.[11]
Secretary of Defence Liam Fox announced on 18 July 2011 that it was to be disbanded as part of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR)[12] in March 2013.[13]
Structure
Component units in 2007:[14]
- HQ and 209 Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals
- The Queen's Royal Lancers
- 1st Battalion, The King's Regiment
- 1st Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets
- 40th (Lowland) Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 43 Battery, Royal Artillery
- 4th (Logistic Support) Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps
- 19th (Combat Support Service) Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- 24 Medical Squadron, 3rd (Combat Support) Medical Regiment
- 150 Provost Company, Royal Military Police
Brigade Commanders
Recent commanders have included:[15]
- 1967–1969 Brigadier WNR Scotter, Late KORBR
- 1969–1971 Brigadier GLC Cooper, Late RE
- 1973–1975 Brigadier JM Glover, Late RGJ
- 1975–1977 Brigadier RF Vincent, Late RA
- 1985–1987 Brigadier TP Toyne Sewell, Late KOSB
- 1989–1991 Brigadier CD Farrar-Hockley, Late PARA
- 1991–1993 Brigadier EJ Webb-Carter, Late GREN GDS
- 1994–1995 Brigadier RDS Gordon, Late 17/21L
- 1995–1997 Brigadier ADA Duncan, Late PWO
- 1997–2000 Brigadier PTC Pearson, Late RGR
- 2000–2001 Brigadier NH Rollo, Late RE
- 2001–2003 Brigadier WH Moore, Late RA
- 2003–2005 Brigadier C Chapman, Late PARA
- 2005–2007 Brigadier TP Evans, Late RIFLES
- 2007–2010 Brigadier TB Radford, Late RIFLES
- 2010–2012 Brigadier SR Skeates, Late RA
- 2012–2013 Brigadier EJR Chamberlain, Late RIFLES
References
- Becke 1935, p. 75
- "The Battle of Mons". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- "The 2nd Division in 1914–1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- Joslen (1960), p. 261
- Black, Harvey. "The Cold War Years. A Hot War in reality. Part 6".
- "BOAR 1989" (PDF).
- 19th Light Brigade Global Security
- Carney, Stephen A. (30 September 2011). "Allied Participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom" (PDF). Center of Military History, United States Army. p. 120.
- Northern Ireland-based 19 Light Brigade disbanded BBC, 19 July 2011
- "19th Mechanized Brigade". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
- MOD press release
- Hansard 18 July 2011, Column 637
- 'Farewell to 19 Light Brigade,' Soldier, September 2011, p.12
- "19 Light Brigade". 13 February 2008. Archived from the original on 13 February 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- Army Commands Archived July 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
Bibliography
- Becke, Major A.F. (1935). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 1. The Regular British Divisions. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 1-871167-09-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Joslen, Lt-Col. H.F. (2003) Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, ISBN 1-84342-474-6
External links
- 19 Light Brigade- on British Army official website
- British Army Dispositions in 1939
- "Reinforcements Fly To M.E." British Pathe newsreel 1951