203rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

203rd Infantry Brigade
203rd Infantry Brigade
Active	11 October 1940-1 September 1944
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry Brigade
Role	Home Defence
Part of	Devon and Cornwall County Division; 77th Division

203rd Infantry Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army during the Second World War.

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The brigade was formed as 203rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) for service in the United Kingdom on 11 October 1940 by No 3 Infantry Training Group in the South West Area (later Devon and Cornwall County Division) of Southern Command. It consisted of five recently formed infantry battalions.^[1]^[2] Home brigades had a purely static defence role.^[3]

203rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) served in SW Area/Devon and Cornwall County Division until 1 December 1942, when the County Division was renamed 77th Infantry Division and the brigade was redesignated 203rd Infantry Brigade.^[1]^[4]^[5] On 1 September 1944, 77th Division was disbanded and its personnel reformed as 45th (Holding) Division. At the same time 203rd Brigade was redesignated 134th Infantry Brigade (replacing a disbanded formation with the same number). All of these formations remained in the United Kingdom throughout the war.^[1]^[6]^[7]

203rd Brigade was composed as follows:^[1]

As part of the Devon and Cornwall County Division:

11th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (formed in July 1940 at York;^[8] to 214 Bde 14 July 1941^[9])
7th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment (formed in July 1940, at Beverley^[10])
8th Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (formed in July 1940 at Bedford^[11])
6th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (formed in May 1940 at Truro as 50th Holding Battalion, DCLI; became 6th Bn on 9 October 1940^[12])
8th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment (formed in Summer 1940 at Otley; converted into 145th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps, on 1 November 1941^[13]^[14])

Between 30 June and 19 July 1941, the 7th East Yorks, 6th DCLI and 8th Beds & Herts were all transferred to reconstitute 73rd Independent Bde, which took over all the static units in Cornwall.^[15] This left 203rd Bde with only the 8th Duke of Wellington's under command, but the following units were added to it over time:^[1]

12th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment (from 226th Brigade 19 July 1941;^[16] left 8 September 1942)
9th Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) (from 209th Bde 16 August 1941; returned to 209th Bde 14 November 1941^[17])

As part of 77th Division:

9th Battalion, Essex Regiment (from 226th Bde 23 November 1941;^[16] to 219th Bde 17 September 1942^[18])
10th Battalion, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) (from 210th Bde 25 November 1941;^[19] on 28 May 1942 this battalion was used to reconstitute the Regular 2nd Bn (captured at the Fall of Hong Kong 25 December 1941);^[20] 2nd Bn went to 199th Bde on 15 September 1942^[21])
11th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (from 214th Bde 10 September 1942;^[9] to 209th Bde 23 September 1942^[17])
2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (from 219th Bde 15 September 1942;^[18] to 134th Bde 3 January 1943^[7])
10th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment (from 219th Bde 18 September 1942;^[18] left 24 October 1943 and disbanded 4 December at Durham^[22])
15th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) (from 219th Bde 28 September 1942;^[18] left 24 October 1943 and disbanded 4 December at Durham^[23])
8th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment (from 134th Bde 4 January 1943;^[7] to 211th Bde 2 November 1943^[24])
11th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment (from 199 Bde 16 October 1943;^[21] to 209 Bde 14 November 1943^[17])
11th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment (from 213th Bde 17 November 1943;^[25] to 143rd Bde 24 July 1944^[26])
9th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (from 213th Bde 17 November 1943;^[25] to 144 Bde 22 July 1944^[27])

As part of 45th Division (renamed as 134th Infantry Brigade) to end of war:

7th Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles (from 144th Bde 15 November 1943^[27])
11th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (from 45th Bde 23 July 1944^[28])
2/6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers ( from 220th Bde 25 July 1944^[29])
14th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (from 209th Bde 15 November 1944^[17])

The following officers commanded the brigade:^[7]

Brigadier G.E.M. Whittuck ( until 16 August 1941)
Brigadier G.H. Gilmore (16 August 1941–1 August 1944)
Brigadier J.H. Hogshaw (from 1 August 1944)

[1]
Joslen, p. 366.
[2]
Joslen, p. 108
[3]
Joslen, p. 223.
[4]
Collier, Map 20.
[5]
Joslen, pp. 100, 108.
[6]
Joslen, pp. 73, 100.
[7]
Joslen, p. 320.
[8]
Frederick, p. 180.
[9]
Joslen, p. 377.
[10]
Frederick, p. 182.
[11]
Frederick, p. 231.
[12]
Frederick, p. 138.
[13]
Forty p. 50
[14]
Frederick, pp. 12, 96.
[15]
Joslen, p. 304.
[16]
Joslen, p. 389.
[17]
Joslen, p. 372.
[18]
Joslen, p. 382.
[19]
Joslen, p. 373.
[20]
Frederick, pp. 190–2.
[21]
Joslen, p. 363.
[22]
Frederick, p. 212.
[23]
Frederick, p. 200.
[24]
Joslen, p. 374.
[25]
Joslen, p. 376.
[26]
Joslen, p. 328.
[27]
Joslen, p. 329.
[28]
Joslen, p. 290.
[29]
Joslen, p. 383.

Basil Collier, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom, London: HM Stationery Office, 1957/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004 ISBN 978-1-84574-055-9.
George Forty, British Army Handbook 1939–1945, Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 1998, ISBN 978-0-75245240-1.
J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X.
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.

[Joslen-1] [1]
Joslen, p. 366.

[2] [2]
Joslen, p. 108

[3] [3]
Joslen, p. 223.

[4] [4]
Collier, Map 20.

[5] [5]
Joslen, pp. 100, 108.

[6] [6]
Joslen, pp. 73, 100.

[Joslen320-7] [7]
Joslen, p. 320.

[8] [8]
Frederick, p. 180.

[Joslen,_p._377-9] [9]
Joslen, p. 377.

[10] [10]
Frederick, p. 182.

[11] [11]
Frederick, p. 231.

[12] [12]
Frederick, p. 138.

[13] [13]
Forty p. 50

[14] [14]
Frederick, pp. 12, 96.

[15] [15]
Joslen, p. 304.

[Joslen389-16] [16]
Joslen, p. 389.

[Joslen372-17] [17]
Joslen, p. 372.

[Joslen382-18] [18]
Joslen, p. 382.

[19] [19]
Joslen, p. 373.

[20] [20]
Frederick, pp. 190–2.

[Joslen,_p._363-21] [21]
Joslen, p. 363.

[22] [22]
Frederick, p. 212.

[23] [23]
Frederick, p. 200.

[24] [24]
Joslen, p. 374.

[Joslen376-25] [25]
Joslen, p. 376.

[26] [26]
Joslen, p. 328.

[Joslen329-27] [27]
Joslen, p. 329.

[28] [28]
Joslen, p. 290.

[29] [29]
Joslen, p. 383.

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203rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

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203rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

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Origin

Service

Order of Battle

Commanders

Notes

References