1st Guards Brigade (United Kingdom)
1st Guards Brigade | |
---|---|
Active | 20 August 1915 – 1919 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Brigade |
Part of | Guards Division |
Engagements | First World War
|
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | George Jeffreys |
The 1st Guards Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army, formed in the First World War. It was formed in August 1915 by the redesignation of the 4th (Guards) Brigade on its transfer from the 2nd Division to the Guards Division. It served with the Guards Division on the Western Front for the rest of the war.
History
4th (Guards) Brigade
The
The brigade was among the first British formations to be sent overseas as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), crossing to France between 11 and 16 August 1914. It served on the Western Front in 1914 and 1915 taking part in the Battle of Mons (23 and 24 August 1914), the First Battle of the Marne (6 – 9 September), the First Battle of the Aisne (13 – 20 September), the First Battle of Ypres (19 October – 30 November), and the Battle of Festubert (15 – 20 May 1915).[5]
Formation
On 19 August 1915, the brigade was transferred complete to the newly formed Guards Division and redesignated as 1st Guards Brigade the next day.[6] It remained with the division for the rest of the war, serving exclusively on the Western Front.[7]
War service
In September 1915, the brigade took part in the
In February 1918, British[a] divisions on the Western Front were reduced from a 12-battalion to a 9-battalion basis (brigades from four to three battalions).[6] As a result, the 4th Guards Brigade was formed on 8 February 1918 by taking a battalion from each of the brigades of the Guards Division and the 1st Guards Brigade lost the 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards.[8][b]
1918 saw the return of the war of movement. It had to withstand the
Post-war
After the signing of the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the brigade was at Assevent, north-east of Maubeuge,[10] and on 17 November it regained 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards from the disbanding 4th Guards Brigade. The next day it began the march on Germany and crossed the frontier on 11 December. By 19 December it had reached the Cologne area. Battalions started returning to England on 20 February 1919 and the last units had completed the move by 29 April.[9]
Order of battle
The following units served in the brigade:[6]
- 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards
- 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards
- 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards (joined the 4th Guards Brigade on 8 February 1918,[8] returned on 17 November 1918[11])
- 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
- 1st Guards Brigade Machine Gun Company (formed 1–19 September 1915; joined the 4th Battalion, Machine Gun Guards on 1 March 1918[8])
- 1st Guards Trench Mortar Battery (formed 2–18 May 1916[8])
Commanders
The brigade had the following commanders:[12]
From | Name | Notes |
---|---|---|
29 June 1915 | Brigadier General G.P.T. Feilding | wounded, 8 December 1915[c] |
8 December 1915 | Lieutenant Colonel G.D. Jeffreys | acting |
13 December 1915 | Brigadier-General G.P.T. Feilding | invalided for treatment, 15 December 1915 |
15 December 1915 | Lieutenant-Colonel G.D. Jeffreys | acting |
9 January 1916 | Brigadier-General C.E. Pereira | |
31 December 1916 | Brigadier-General G.D. Jeffreys | |
22 September 1917 | Brigadier-General C.R. Champion de Crespigny |
See also
Notes
- ^ As distinct from the Canadian and the New Zealand divisions which remained on a 12-battalion basis.
- ^ 4th Guards Brigade also gained the 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards from the 2nd Guards Brigade and the 4th Battalion, Grenadier Guards from the 3rd Guards Brigade.[8]
- ^ Brigadier General G.P.T. Fielding was in command of the 4th (Guards) Brigade before it was redesignated as 1st Guards Brigade.[13]
References
- ^ "The Anglo-Allied Army at napoleonic-literature.com". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ^ "Wellington's Army in 1815". Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ^ Conrad, Mark (1996). "The British Army, 1914". Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ^ Becke 1935, p. 44
- ^ Becke 1935, p. 46
- ^ a b c Becke 1935, p. 28
- ^ a b Becke 1935, p. 30
- ^ a b c d e Becke 1935, p. 29
- ^ a b Becke 1935, p. 31
- ^ James 1978, p. 41
- ^ Becke 1935, p. 27
- ^ Becke 1935, p. 26
- ^ Becke 1935, p. 42
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.
- James, Brigadier E.A. (1978). British Regiments 1914–18. London: Samson Books Limited. ISBN 0-906304-03-2.
External links
- Baker, Chris. "The Guards Division". The Long Long Trail. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- "Guards Division on The Regimental Warpath 1914 - 1918 by PB Chappell". Archived from the original on 15 February 2013. Retrieved 2015-04-09.