49th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 49th Infantry Brigade, later known as 49th (Eastern) Infantry Brigade during the Cold War, was a brigade of the British Army.

This article is about the Cold War unit. For the World War I unit, see 49th Brigade (United Kingdom).
49th Infantry Brigade
49th (Eastern) Infantry Brigade
ActiveAugust 1914–1919
1953–1967
1983–2015
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeInfantry
SizeBrigade
Part ofEastern District
Garrison/HQChetwynd Barracks, Chilwell
EngagementsWestern Front

First World War

The brigade started its existence as part of the 16th (Irish) Division, part of Kitchener's Army in the First World War. The 16th Division served through the war on the Western Front.[1]

Cold War

The 49th Brigade also served in Kenya during the Mau Mau Uprising from 1953 to 1955-6, incorporating the 1st Battalion, Royal Northumbrian Fusiliers, and the 1st Battalion, Royal Innskilling Fusiliers, joined by the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers, from January 1955.[1]

However the core of the brigade's present history descends from the 49th (West Riding) Division, which fought in both World Wars. In the Second World War, the division was involved in the Norwegian Campaign, the guarding of Iceland, and Operation Overlord, where it landed in Normandy under XXX Corps. It was part of the reformed Territorial Army (as an armoured formation for a time) from 1947 to 1967.[1]

The Brigade Headquarters was reformed as a regular HQ with TA units in 1982 as part of 2nd Infantry Division.[2] It consisted of 5th and 7th Battalions, Royal Anglian Regiment, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, 3rd Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, the Royal Yeomanry, equipped with Fox armoured cars, 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery, with 105mm Light Guns, and 307 OP Battery RA (V). The Division was tasked with the wartime rear-area security of the I (BR) Corps sector, behind the forward armoured divisions, during any Soviet thrust into Western Europe.[1]

1990s to disbandment

Following the end of the Cold War, the Brigade was reorganised as 49 (East Midlands) Brigade on 1 April 1992, and then as 49 (East) Brigade on 1 April 1995 following the merger with 54 (East Anglia) Brigade.[1]

The brigade now has regional responsibility for Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Leicester, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Rutland. In April 2000 the Brigade came under command of the 4th Division based in Aldershot. As from 1 April 2007, the Brigade came under the command of the 5th Division based in Shrewsbury and as of 2012 the Brigade came under the command of Support Command.[3]

Under Army 2020, 49 (East) Brigade was merged with 7th Armoured Brigade to become 7th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters East on 13 February 2015.[4]

Structure in 1989

Below is the structure of the brigade in 1989, just before the end of the Cold War.

References
  1. "49 Brigade: History". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  2. Black, Harvey. "The Cold War Years. A Hot War in reality. Part 6".
  3. "HQ Regional Command". Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  4. "49 (East) Brigade Officially Disbanded". Forces TV. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  5. "Territorial Army (Hansard, 9 June 1998)". api.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  6. British Army, Master Order of Battle 1991.
  • Official website
  • David C Isby and Charles Kamps Jr, Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, 1985
  • Gregory Blaxland, The Regiments Depart: A History of the British Army 1945-70, William Kimber, London, 1971.

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