122nd Brigade (United Kingdom)
| 122nd Brigade | |
|---|---|
 Brigade sign. This was not worn on the uniform, but on signs and vehicles. | |
| Active | 1915–1918 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements | First World War * Battle of Flers-Courcelette * Battle of the Lys and the Escaut |
The 122nd Brigade was a formation of the British Army during the First World War.
History[edit]
The 122nd Brigade was raised as part of the New Army also known as Kitchener's Army, and assigned to the 41st Division.
1916[edit]
On 15 September 1916, troops of the 122nd Brigade, led by a Mark I tank, entered the eastern part of Flers on the Somme and took part in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. This was the first time tanks had been deployed on the Western Front.[1][2][3] The village of Flers itself was taken by the 122nd Brigade which had a total casualty roll of 1,200 out of 1,800 who went into action.[4]
1918[edit]
The 122nd Brigade also fought in the Battle of the Lys and the Escaut.[5]
Formation[edit]
- 12th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (Bermondsey)[6]
- 15th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (2nd Portsmouth)[6]
- 11th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment (Lewisham), disbanded in March 1918[6]
- 18th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps (Arts and Crafts)[6]
- 122nd Machine Gun Company, from May 1916 to March 1918[6]
- 122nd Trench Mortar Battery, from June 1916[6]
Official sources[edit]
War diaries[edit]
- The National Archives of the UK (TNA): WO 95/2632/1 (01/05/1916–31/07/1916)
- The National Archives of the UK (TNA): WO 95/2632/2 (01/08/1916–30/09/1916)
- The National Archives of the UK (TNA): WO 95/2632/3 (01/10/1916–31/10/1916)
- The National Archives of the UK (TNA): WO 95/2632/4 (01/11/1916–31/12/1916)
- The National Archives of the UK (TNA): WO 95/2632/5 (01/01/1917–30/04/1917)
- The National Archives of the UK (TNA): WO 95/2632/6 (01/05/1917–30/06/1917)
- The National Archives of the UK (TNA): WO 95/2633/1 (01/07/1917–31/10/1917)
- The National Archives of the UK (TNA): WO 95/2633/2 (01/03/1918–31/10/1919)
- The National Archives of the UK (TNA): WO 95/4243 (01/11/1917–28/02/1918)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "A Mark I tank surrounded by troops of 122nd Brigade, 17 September 1916". National Army Museum. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ Oldfield, Paul (2016). Victoria Crosses on the Western Front: Somme 1916. Great Britain: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. pp. 112, 117. ISBN 978-1-4738-7457-2.
- ^ McEwen, Andrew (Autumn 2011). ""A useful accessory to the infantry, but nothing more": Tanks at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, September 1916" (PDF). Canadian Military History. 20 (4): 7–22.
- ^ Lawford, Sir Sydney T. B.; Towsey, F. W., eds. (1936). The History of the 12th (Bermondsey) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. United Kingdom: Naval & Military Press. p. 59. ISBN 9781781515853.
- ^ Edmonds, Sir James Edward; Maxwell-Hyslop, R. (1947). Military Operations: France and Belgium 1918. Vol. V: 26th Sept.–11th Nov. The Advance to Victory. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. pp. 433–443.
- ^ a b c d e f "41st Division". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
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