225th Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 225th Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army in World War I and World War II. It existed under several variations of the 225 Brigade title.

World War I
On the outbreak of World War I the Territorial Force (TF) immediately mobilised for home defence, but shortly afterwards (31 August 1914), its units were authorised to raise 2nd battalions formed from those men who had not volunteered for, or were not fit for, overseas service, together with new volunteers, while the 1st Line went overseas to supplement the Regulars. Early in 1915 the 2nd Line TF battalions were raised to full strength to form new divisions, and began to form Reserve (3rd Line) units to supply drafts. The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions (termed Provisional Battalions from June 1915).

5th Provisional Brigade
5th Provisional Brigade was formed mainly from details of regiments from East and South-East England, with the following composition:
 * 5th Provisional Yeomanry Squadron from details of 1st and 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigades and Shropshire Yeomanry
 * 5th Provisional Battery Royal Field Artillery
 * 5th Provisional Brigade Ammunition Column RFA
 * 5th Provisional Field Company Royal Engineers
 * 3/6th (Cyclist) Battalion Norfolk Regiment disbanded March 1916
 * 63rd Provisional Battalion from details of 8th Battalion Middlesex Regiment
 * 65th Provisional Battalion
 * 68th Provisional Battalion
 * 69th Provisional Battalion (The Queen's). This battalion was formed on 19 June 1915 at Tunbridge Wells by amalgamating the Home Service men of the 3/4th and 2/5th Battalions of the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. After working on coast defences the battalion moved to Lowestoft in July to join 5th Provisional Brigade.
 * 5th Provisional Field Ambulance from 2/3rd East Anglian and 3/2nd Wessex Field Ambulances Royal Army Medical Corps
 * 5th Provisional Brigade Train Army Service Corps

During the autumn of 1915, 5th Provisional Bde was stationed in Suffolk, attached to 58th (2/1st London) Division for administration, and to 1/1st Mounted Division for operations. In April 1916 2/1st East Anglian (Essex) Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery joined the brigade and remained with it until the end of the war. By July 1916 the brigade was under the control of Northern Army of Central Force, with its battalions billeted as follows:
 * Brigade Headquarters: St Olaves
 * 63rd Provisional Bn: Gorleston
 * 65th Provisional Bn: Great Yarmouth
 * 68th Provisional Bn: Lowestoft
 * 69th Provisional Bn: Lowestoft

225th Mixed Brigade
The Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The Provisional Brigades thus became anomalous, and at the end of 1916 their units became numbered battalions of their parent units. Part of their role was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas. 4th Provisional Brigade became 225th Mixed Brigade in December 1916, with its units redesignated as follows:
 * 5th Provisional Battery became 1207th Home Counties Battery RFA
 * 5th Provisional Field Company became 604th Home Counties Field Company RE
 * 63rd Provisional Bn became 32nd Bn Middlesex Regiment
 * 65th Provisional Bn became 15th Bn Essex Regiment
 * 68th Provisional Bn became 18th Bn Bedfordshire Regiment
 * 69th Provisional Bn became 19th Bn Queen's Regiment
 * 5th Provisional Brigade Train became 837 Company ASC

In May 1918 each of the Mixed Brigades was called upon to provide a battalion (redesignated a Garrison Guard battalion) to reconstitute the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, which had been virtually destroyed during the German Spring Offensive. 225th Mixed Bde supplied 15th Essex and immediately raised a new 18th (Home Service) Battalion Essex Regiment to take over its coast defence duties. The brigade remained with this composition until the end of the war, after which it was demobilised.

225th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home)
A new 225th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was formed for service in the United Kingdom on 14 November 1940. It was commanded by Brigadier J.W. Pendlebury and initially consisted of newly raised infantry battalions from North-West England.

The composition of 225th Bde was as follows:
 * 10th Battalion King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
 * 14th Battalion King's Regiment (Liverpool) (until 9 February 1941)
 * 9th Battalion Border Regiment (until 17 November 1941)
 * 9th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment (until 27 May 1941)
 * 12th Battalion King's Regiment (Liverpool) (28 May – 13 November 1941)
 * 15th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (from 19 November 1941)
 * 11th Battalion King's Regiment (Liverpool) (from 19 November 1941)

Upon formation 225 Bde brigade came under Western Command until 10 February 1941 when it briefly came under command of 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division. On 12 March 1941, 225 Bde became part of the newly created Northumberland County Division.

Northumberland County Division was broken up on 30 November 1941, when the headquarters of 225th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was redesignated HQ 35th Army Tank Brigade. Its infantry battalions were converted to the arrmoured role as follows:
 * 10th Battalion King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) became 151st Regiment Royal Armoured Corps
 * 11th Battalion King's Regiment (Liverpool) became 152nd Regiment Royal Armoured Corps
 * 15th Battalion Durham Light Infantry became 155th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps

The 225th Brigade number has never been reactivated.

External sources

 * The Long, Long Trail
 * The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918
 * David Porter's work on Provisional Brigades at Great War Forum