11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East

The 11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East is a British Army regular formation that is part of the Army’s 'Adaptable Force' meaning it has operational units under command, as well as regional responsibilities across the South East of England. The Brigade was re-established on 1 August 2014 when 145 (South) Brigade was re-designated as Headquarters 11th Infantry Brigade.

It served in both the First and Second World Wars. Deactivated in 1958 it was reactivated in 2008 to assume command of the planned Operation Herrick deployment to Afghanistan in late 2009.

First World War
The 11th Infantry Brigade was part of the 4th Infantry Division.

Commanders

 * Brigadier-General Aylmer Hunter-Weston: 1914–1915

Component units

 * 1st Bn. Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry)
 * 1st Bn. The East Lancashire Regiment
 * 1st Bn. The Hampshire Regiment
 * 1st Bn. The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)

Second World War
The 11th Infantry Brigade was originally part of the 4th Infantry Division, serving with it during the Battle of France in 1940 and then in the United Kingdom up until 6 June 1942 when it was reassigned to join 78th Infantry Division (commanded by Vivyan Evelegh, a previous commander of the brigade) which was being newly formed to take part in Operation Torch as part of the First Army (commanded by Kenneth Anderson, also a previous commander of the brigade). The brigade landed in North Africa at Algiers in November 1942 and fought with 78th Division throughout the Tunisian Campaign which ended with the Axis surrender in May 1943. It then served with 78th Division throughout the campaigns in Sicily and Italy.

Commanders
Commanders included:
 * Brig. Kenneth Arthur Noel Anderson: 1938–1940
 * Brig. Brian Horrocks: 1940
 * Brig. John Malcolm Lawrence Grover: 1940–1941
 * Brig. Vyvyan Evelegh: 1941
 * Brig. Guy Francis Gough: 1941–1942
 * Brig. Edward Earnshaw Eden Cass: 1942–1943
 * Brig. Keith Arbuthnott: 1943–1944
 * Brig. John Alexander Mackenzie: 1944
 * Brig. Gerald Ernest Thubron: 1944–1945

Component units
Units included:
 * 2nd Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers
 * 1st Battalion, the East Surrey Regiment
 * 1st Battalion, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (to January 1940)
 * 5th Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment (from January 1940)

21st century
In 2008, it was announced that 11 Light Brigade would be reformed to assume command of the planned Operation Herrick deployment to Afghanistan in late 2009. The Brigade was headquartered in Aldershot and was formed using units from existing formations. It was disbanded in 2010 on its return from Afghanistan, with its component units returning to their previous formations.


 * 11 Light Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (261)
 * The Household Cavalry Regiment
 * 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
 * 3rd Battalion, The Rifles
 * 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Welch Fusiliers)
 * A Company, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Regiment Of Wales)
 * 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th & 33rd/76th Foot) (Green Howards)
 * 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
 * 28 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
 * 10 Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment RLC

During the Brigades deployment in Helmand, Afghanistan, it also commanded a Danish Battalion from the Royal Danish Guard Hussar Regiment with its own logistical detachment.

Current
The brigade is the Regional Point of Command for the South East of England, as well as responsibility for British Forces Brunei. The units under it are the Welsh Guards, 3rd Battalion, the Royal Welsh, the Grenadier Guards, the London Regiment and Royal Gurkha Rifles.