222nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)


The 222nd Infantry Brigade was a Home Service formation of the British Army that existed under various short-lived titles in both the First and Second World Wars

World War I

Formation and Service

On the outbreak of World War I, the Territorial Force immediately mobilised for home defence. On 31 August 1914, its units were authorised to raise 2nd battalions 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 units to supply drafts. The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions.

Order of Battle

The 2nd Provisional Brigade formed in North East England in May 1915 with the following composition:
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 the 10th Provisional Brigade. The 26th and 27th Provisional Battalions also left the 2nd Provisional Brigade, and the 23rd Provisional Battalion joined. The 2nd Provisional Brigade was billeted in and around Clacton and St Osyth in Essex. Here it came under the orders of Southern Army.
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. The 2nd Provisional Brigade became the 222nd Infantry Brigade, with its subunits re-designated as follows:
On 26 November 1917, 1204th Battery transferred to 12th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, which was reforming in 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division.
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 178th (2/1st Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Brigade of 59th (2nd North Midland) 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.

Second World War

Formation and Service

On 31 October 1940, a new brigade titled the 222nd Independent Infantry Brigade was formed for service in the United Kingdom After a brief spell attached to the East Anglian 18th Infantry Division, the Brigade became part of the Norfolk County Division on 24 December 1940. On 18 November 1941 the Norfolk County Division became the 76th Infantry Division and the Brigade was retitled as the 222nd Infantry Brigade.
The 222nd Brigade was disbanded on 18 November 1943.

Order of Battle

The following units served in the brigade:

Commanders

The following officers commanded 222nd Brigade during the war:
  • Brigadier C.L.B. Duke
  • Brigadier H.St G. Schomberg
  • Brigadier J.M. Rawcliffe

External sources