225th Brigade (United Kingdom)


The 225th Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army in the First and the Second World Wars. It existed under several variations of the 225th Brigade title.

World War I

On the outbreak of World War I, the Territorial Force immediately mobilised for home defence, but shortly afterwards, 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 units to supply drafts. The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions.

5th Provisional Brigade

5th Provisional Brigade was formed mainly from details of regiments from East and South-East England, with the following composition:
68th Provisional Battalion from Home Service details of 5th Bn, Bedfordshire Regiment and 1st Bn, Hertfordshire Regiment
During the autumn of 1915, 5th Provisional Brigade was stationed in Suffolk, attached to 58th (2/1st London) Division for administration, and to 1st Mounted Division for operations. In April 1916 2/1st East Anglian 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:

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. 5th Provisional Brigade became 225th Mixed Brigade in December 1916, with its units redesignated as follows from 1 January 1917:
On 26 November 1917, 1207th Battery transferred to 12th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, which was reforming in 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division.
In May 1918 each of the Mixed Brigades was called upon to provide a battalion to reconstitute the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, which had been virtually destroyed during the German Army's Spring Offensive. 225th Mixed Brigade supplied 15th Essex to 177th (2/1st Lincoln and Leicester) Brigade and immediately raised a new 18th 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.

World War II

Formation and Service

The 225th Independent Infantry Brigade was formed for service in the United Kingdom on 14 November 1940, during the Second World War. It was commanded by Brigadier J.W. Pendlebury and initially consisted of newly raised infantry battalions from North-West England. Upon formation the 225th 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, the Brigade became part of the newly created Northumberland County Division. The Northumberland County Division was broken up on 30 November 1941, when the headquarters of 225th Independent Infantry Brigade was re-designated HQ 35th Army Tank Brigade. Its infantry battalions were converted to the armoured role as shown:

Order of Battle

The composition of 225th Brigade was as follows:
The 225th Brigade number has never been reactivated.

External sources