305th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

305th Infantry Brigade (305 Bde) was a formation of the British Army organised from surplus Royal Artillery (RA) personnel retrained as infantry towards the end of World War II.

Origin
By the end of 1944, 21st Army Group was suffering a severe manpower shortage, particularly among the infantry. At the same time the German Luftwaffe was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious aerial attacks on the United Kingdom could be discounted. In January 1945 the War Office began to reorganise surplus anti-aircraft and coastal artillery regiments in the UK into infantry battalions, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties in North West Europe, thereby releasing trained infantry for frontline service. 305th was one of seven brigades formed from these new units.

Composition
305th Infantry Brigade was formed on 22 January 1945 by conversion of Headquarters 49th Anti-Aircraft Brigade within 2 Anti-Aircraft Group. It was commanded by Brigadier R.C. Foot (Brigadier M.A. Carthew from 4 July 1945) and comprised the following Territorial Army RA units:


 * 622nd Infantry Regiment Royal Artillery formed by 117th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA (TA).


 * 624th Infantry Regiment Royal Artillery formed by 82nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA (TA), which had briefly (January–April 1942) seen active service in North Africa as part of 1st Support Group in 1st Armoured Division.


 * 639th (Essex Regiment) Infantry Regiment Royal Artillery formed by 64th (Essex Regiment) Searchlight Regiment RA (TA), which had originally been converted from 1/6th Battalion Essex Regiment.

Service
After infantry training, including a short period attached to 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division, 305 Bde came under the orders of 21st Army Group on 18 April 1945, and landed on the Continent two days later.

External sources

 * Land Forces of Britain, The Empire and Commonwealth


 * The Royal Artillery 1939–45


 * The Patriot Files