The Strike Brigade

The 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade is a British Army formation with a long history including service during the First and Second World Wars. It is based in the Wiltshire town of Tidworth.

World War I
Initially as 1st (Guards) Brigade, the formation was part of 1st Division during World War I. On formation of the Guards Division in August 1915, the Brigade lost 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards and 1st Battalion, Scots Guards and was redesignated without the Guards reference in its title. It was with the 1st Division throughout the war. It saw action at the Battle of Mons, the First Battle of the Marne, the First Battle of the Aisne, the First Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Passchendaele, the Battle of Aubers Ridge, the Battle of Loos, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Pozières and the Battle of Épehy.

World War II
As the 1st Guards Brigade, it took part in the Battle of France in June 1940 and the subsequent Dunkirk evacuation. In 1942 it took part in Operation Torch: the allied landings in north western Africa, arriving in Algiers in November 1942.

The brigade saw action at the Battle of Fondouk, Battle of El Kourzia and Battle of Tunis in April and May 1943. Subsequently, the Brigade served in the Italian Campaign for the rest of the war under command of various divisions, seeing action in the Battle of Monte Cassino (where the brigade played a holding "hinge" role during Operation Diadem) and the Battle of Liri Valley in May 1944.

Commanders (World War II)

 * Brig. M.B.Beckwith-Smith
 * Brig. F.A.V. Copland-Griffiths
 * Brig. S.A. Foster
 * Brig. P.G.S. Gregson-Ellis
 * Brig. J.C. Haydon
 * Brig. C.A.M.D. Scott
 * Brig. G.L. Verney

Battles and Engagements (World War II)

 * Fondouk - 7th to 11 April 1943
 * El Kourzia - 22nd to 26 April 1943
 * Tunis - 5th to 12 May 1943
 * Battle of Monte Cassino - 11th to 18 May 1944
 * Liri Valley - 18th to 30 May 1944

Structure (World War II)

 * 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards
 * 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards
 * 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
 * 8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
 * 3rd Battalion, Welsh Guards
 * 1st Battalion, The Welch Regiment

Post war
After the War the brigade, having lost its 'Guards' title, was transferred to Palestine for internal security duties and then to Egypt for a few months before going back to Palestine in April 1946. Two years later as the British mandate over Palestine ended the brigade and division returned to Egypt. In October 1951, British forces pulled out of Egypt outside of the Suez Canal Zone, and later the brigade returned to the United Kingdom, though it was in Cyprus during the EOKA insurgency for a period in 1957-8.

By the early 1980s the brigade, having been based in the UK for many years, formed the nucleus of the UK Mobile Force earmarked to reinforce Allied Forces Northern Europe in the event of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. After the end of the Cold War it was reassigned as part of the new 3rd (UK) Division and subsequently became a Mechanized Brigade. In 1996 it was deployed to the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, with Multi-National Division (South-West), in 2000 it deployed to Sierra Leone and in 2002 it deployed to Kosovo.

Iraq
More recently it deployed to Iraq on Operation Telic. Under Army 2020, it will be renamed as 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade and remain at its present location in Tidworth, forming part of the Reaction Force.

Afghanistan
The brigade was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick XVII

Current Formation

 * 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade Units 2014
 * Household Cavalry Regiment (Formation Reconnaissance)
 * 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (Armoured)
 * 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (Armoured Infantry)
 * 4th Battalion, The Rifles (Mechanized Infantry)
 * 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (Self Propelled Artillery)
 * 22 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
 * 3 Logistic Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
 * 5 Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps
 * 6 Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Brigade Commanders
Recent commanders have included:
 * 1946-1947 Brigadier JNR Moore
 * 1947-1949 Brigadier GF Johnson
 * 1952-1954 Brigadier GC Gordon-Lennox
 * 1997-1999 Brigadier J McColl
 * 1999-2000 Brigadier JP Riley
 * 2001-2002 Brigadier S Mayall