Lucknow Brigade

The Lucknow Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army formed in 1907 as a result of the Kitchener Reforms. It was mobilized as 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade at the outbreak of the First World War as part of Indian Expeditionary Force E. It served in Egypt in 1915 before being broken up in January 1916.

For another First World War formation, see 8th (Lucknow) Cavalry Brigade.
For the Second World War formation, see 22nd Indian Infantry Brigade.

Lucknow Brigade
22nd (Lucknow) Brigade
ActiveJune 1907 – January 1916
July 1917 – December 1941
Country British India
AllegianceBritish Crown
Branch British Indian Army
TypeInfantry
SizeBrigade
Part of8th (Lucknow) Division
Indian Expeditionary Force E
11th Indian Division
Garrison/HQLucknow
EngagementsFirst World War
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
Actions on the Suez Canal
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Maj.-Gen. A. Wilson

The brigade was reformed in India in 1917 for internal security duties and to aid the expansion of the Indian Army in the last year of the war. It remained part of the British Indian Army between the wars under several designations and was the 6th (Lucknow) Infantry Brigade in September 1939.

History

The Kitchener Reforms, carried out during Lord Kitchener's tenure as Commander-in-Chief, India (1902–09), completed the unification of the three former Presidency armies, the Punjab Frontier Force, the Hyderabad Contingent and other local forces into one Indian Army. Kitchener identified the Indian Army's main task as the defence of the North-West Frontier against foreign aggression (particularly Russian expansion into Afghanistan) with internal security relegated to a secondary role. The Army was organized into divisions and brigades that would act as field formations but also included internal security troops.[1]

The Lucknow Brigade was formed in June 1907[lower-alpha 1] as a result of the Kitchener Reforms. The brigade formed part of the 8th (Lucknow) Division.[2]

22nd (Lucknow) Brigade

In October 1914, the brigade was mobilized as the 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade[3] and was sent to Egypt as the core of Indian Expeditionary Force E.[4] The brigade joined the 11th Indian Division when it was formed in Egypt on 24 December and served on the Suez Canal Defences. After the defeat of the Turkish attempts to cross the canal on 3–4 February 1915, the division acted as a relieving depot for the divisions in France.[lower-alpha 2] It was broken up on 31 May 1915 and the brigade came under direct command of the Suez Canal Defences.[7] The brigade was broken up in January 1916.[8]

Reformed brigade

The Lucknow Brigade was reformed in 8th (Lucknow) Division in July 1917.[3] It remained with the division for the rest of the war, carrying out internal security duties. In the final year of the war, the division (and brigade) took part in the general expansion of the Indian Army as new units were formed.[9]

Post-war

The brigade remained part of the British Indian Army after the end of the war. It underwent a number of changes of designation between the World Wars: 73rd Indian Infantry Brigade from May until September 1920, 19th Indian Infantry Brigade from November 1920 and 6th (Lucknow) Infantry Brigade from sometime in the 1920s.[10] For its subsequent history, see 6th (Lucknow) Infantry Brigade.[11]

Orders of battle

Commanders

The brigade had the following commanders during its existence:[10]

FromRankNameNotes
1 June 1907[2]Major-GeneralSir J.R.L. Macdonald
November 1908Brigadier-GeneralJ.A. Bell
1910Major-GeneralH.B.B. Watkis
22 October 1911[8]Major-GeneralA. Wilson
16 November 1914[8]Brigadier-GeneralS. Geoghegan
21 December 1915[8]Brigadier-GeneralW.A. WatsonBrigade broken up in January 1916
July 1917Major-GeneralE.S. MayBrigade reformed
26 November 1917[3]Brigadier-GeneralO.C. Wolley-Dod
27 November 1918[3]Brigadier-GeneralA.G. Pritchard
January 1920Brigadier-GeneralH. de C. O'Grady
December 1922Brigadier-GeneralJ.H. Keith Stewart
December 1923Brigadier-GeneralA.E. McNamara
November 1926BrigadierJ. Kennedy
June 1930BrigadierO.H.L. Nicholson
May 1933BrigadierK.McG. Laird
June 1935BrigadierC. Hemsley
February 1936BrigadierH.R.C. Lane
December 1936BrigadierR.C. Money
September 1939BrigadierW.O. Lay

See also

Notes
  1. 1 June 1907 was the appointment date of the first commanding officer of the brigade.[2]
  2. The infantry divisions in France were the 3rd (Lahore)[5] and 7th (Meerut).[6]

References
  1. Haythornthwaite 1996, p. 244
  2. The late Lieutenant General H.G. Hart. "Hart's Annual Army List for 1908". London: John Murray. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  3. Perry 1993, p. 100
  4. Perry 1993, p. 172
  5. Perry 1993, p. 53
  6. Perry 1993, p. 89
  7. Perry 1993, p. 122
  8. Perry 1993, p. 119
  9. Perry 1993, p. 104
  10. Mackie 2015, p. 368
  11. Kempton 2003b, p. 14
  12. Perry 1993, p. 102
  13. Perry 1993, p. 14
  14. Perry 1993, p. 87
  15. Perry 1993, p. 120

Bibliography
  • Haythornthwaite, Philip J. (1996). The World War One Source Book. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-351-7.
  • Kempton, Chris (2003b). 'Loyalty & Honour', The Indian Army September 1939 – August 1947. Vol. Part II Brigades. Milton Keynes: The Military Press. ISBN 0-85420-238-2.
  • Mackie, Colin (June 2015). "Army Commands 1900-2011" (PDF). www.gulabin.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  • Perry, F.W. (1993). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions. Newport: Ray Westlake Military Books. ISBN 1-871167-23-X.
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