222nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)


 *  '2nd Provisional Brigade' and '222nd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home)' redirect here

222nd Infantry Brigade was a Home Service formation of the British Army that existed under various short-lived titles in both World War I and World War II

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).

Composition
2nd Provisional Brigade formed in North East England in May 1915 with the following composition:
 * 21st Provisional Battalion (originally 1st North Coast Defence Bn, formed on 26 May 1915 from Home Service details of 4th and 7th Bns Northumberland Fusiliers; retitled 21st Prov. Bn 10 June 1915)
 * 22nd Provisional Battalion (originally 2nd North Coast Defence Bn, from Home Service details of 5th and 6th Bns Northumberland Fusiliers)
 * 24th Provisional Battalion (Home Service details of 4th, 5th and 6th Bns Green Howards)
 * 25th Provisional Battalion (Home Service details of 4th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment and 5th Bn Durham Light Infantry)
 * 26th Provisional Battalion (Home Service details of 5th, 6th and 7th Bns West Yorkshire Regiment)
 * 27th Provisional Battalion (Home Service details of West Riding Regiment and York and Lancaster Regiment)
 * 2nd Provisional Battery Royal Field Artillery (from 1st Northern Coast Battery)
 * 2nd Provisional Field Company Royal Engineers
 * 2nd Provisional Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps (from 4th London Field Ambulance)

In March 1916 the Provisional Brigades were concentrated along the South East Coast of England. 21st Battalion, which had been guarding the Northumberland Coast, moved to Herne Bay, Kent and joined 10th Provisional Brigade. 26th and 27th Provisional Battalions also left 2nd Provisional Brigade, and 23rd (formerly Durham Light Infantry details) joined. 2nd Provisional Brigade was billeted in and around Clacton and St Osyth in Essex. Here it came under the orders of Southern Army.

Service
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 the remaining battalions became numbered battalions of their parent units. Part of their role was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas, alongside units of the Training Reserve. 2nd Provisional Brigade became 222nd Infantry Brigade, with its subunits redesignated as follows:
 * 36th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (from 22nd Provisional Battalion, to 59th Division May 1918)
 * 37th (Home Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (raised 27 April 1918)
 * 18th Battalion Green Howards (from 24th Provisional Battalion)
 * 26th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (from 23rd Provisional Battalion)
 * 27th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (from 25th Provisional Battalion)
 * 1204th (Northumberland) Battery, RFA (from 2nd Provisional Battery)
 * 641st Field Company, RE (from 2nd Provisional Field Company)
 * 222nd Infantry Brigade Train Army Service Corps (later 834 Horse Transport Company, ASC)
 * 330th (London) Field Ambulance (from 2nd Provisional Field Ambulance)

222nd Brigade had no divisional allocation and remained subordinate to Southern Army and later Eastern Command. In May 1918 each of the non-divisional home service brigades provided one Garrison Guard battalion to reconstitute the 59th Division in France. 222nd Brigade supplied the 36th Northumberland Fusiliers, which was replaced in the brigade by a newly-raised Home Service battalion of the regiment.

The brigade never served overseas, and was demobilised early in 1919.

World War II
A new brigade under the title of 222nd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was formed for service in the United Kingdom on 31 October 1940, largely from battalions of East Anglian regiments.

Composition
The following units served in 222 Bde:
 * 8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment (until 14 December 1942)
 * 8th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment (renamed 1st Bn 27 May 1942, replacing Regular battalion captured at Singapore, left 9 December 1942)
 * 11th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers (until 7 September 1942)
 * 9th Battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (7 September–10 October 1942)
 * 4th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment (3 October 1942–14 November 1943)
 * 7th (Cumberland) Battalion Border Regiment (9 December 1942–14 November 1943)
 * 16th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, (joined 14 December 1942, renamed 1st Bn 1 January 1943, replacing Regular battalion captured at Tobruk)

Commanders
The following officers commanded 222 Bde during World War II:
 * Brig C.L.B. Duke
 * Brig H.St G. Schomberg (from 5 November 1940)
 * Brig J.M. Rawcliffe (from 12 August 1941)

Service
After a brief spell attached to the East Anglian 18th Infantry Division, 222 Bde became part of Norfolk County Division on 24 December 1940. On 18 November 1941 the Norfolk County Division became 76th Infantry Division and 222nd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) was retitled 222nd Infantry Brigade.

222 Bde was disbanded on 18 November 1943.

External sources

 * The Long, Long Trail
 * The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918
 * Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth
 * David Porter's work on Provisional Brigades at Great War Forum