World War I 20th Brigade (United Kingdom)

1 world war i

1.1 order of battle 1914
1.2 1st battle of ypres
1.3 1915
1.4 order of battle september 1915
1.5 1916
1.6 1917
1.7 italian front
1.8 brigade commanders 1914–18

world war i

soon after outbreak of world war i, new 20th brigade organised, composed of last 3 regular infantry battalions left in britain after british expeditionary force (bef) went france. although not officially designated guards brigade, did contain 2 guards battalions (1st grenadier guards warley barracks , 2nd scots guards tower of london), 2nd border regiment stationed @ pembroke dock. both guards battalions largely composed of reservists recalled colours. guards officer, brigadier-general h.g. ruggles-brise, appointed command brigade.

20th brigade assembled @ lyndhurst, hampshire, forming part of 7th division, otherwise composed of regular battalions brought various overseas stations. 2nd battalion gordon highlanders returned cairo complete 20th bde before division sailed southampton.

order of battle 1914

the composition of 20 bde on embarkation follows:

1st bn grenadier guards
2nd bn scots guards
2nd bn border regiment
2nd bn gordon highlanders

1st battle of ypres

7th division landed @ zeebrugge on 7 october 1914, intended assist belgian army in defence of antwerp. in event cover belgian retreat , take defensive positions @ ypres joined rest of bef after race sea. thereafter 20th brigade engaged in heavy fighting @ langemarck , gheluvelt during first battle of ypres. several other senior officers got out among units exercise personal command during confused fighting, ruggles-brise wounded, being carried half dead of dreadful wound on stretcher on 2 november. battalion commanders having become casualties, brigade major (major a.b.e. cator) took command senior officer in brigade.

on 5 december, badly-depleted brigade reinforced territorial force unit, 1/6th (banff , donside) battalion gordon highlanders, had been serving ghq troops since landing in france. 20th brigade s last major action in 1914 failed attack on farm position @ la boutillerie 2nd scots guards , 2nd border on 18 december. dead action buried during christmas truce.

1915

during first half of 1915, brigade involved in battles of neuve chapelle (10–13 march), aubers ridge (9 may – in reserve), festubert (15–19 may) , givenchy (15–16 june).

when guards division formed in august 1915, 20 bde s 2 guards battalions left join it, being replaced 2 new army battalions sent england, 8th , 9th battalions devonshire regiment. new battalions blooded @ battle of loos.

order of battle september 1915

for battle of loos, composition of 20 bde (with casualties in brackets) follows:

2nd bn border regiment (234)
2nd bn gordon highlanders (457)
1/6th (banff , donside) bn gordon highlanders (297)
8th (service) bn devonshire regiment (619)
9th (service) bn devonshire regiment (256)
55th field company royal engineers – attached battle
no 1 mortar battery – attached battle
xiv brigade, royal horse artillery – attached battle

1916

in january 1916, 1/6th gordons returned ghq troops in exchange 1/6th bn cheshire regiment, battalion left brigade 39th division in february, after 20 bde reverted normal four-battalion formation. in line new organisation infantry brigades, formed machine-gun company , trench mortar battery in february 1916.

during battle of somme, 20 bde involved in following actions:

capture of mametz 1 july
battle of bazentin ridge (14–17 july)
attack on high wood (20 july)
battle of guillemont (3–7 september).

1917

in part of 1917, 20 bde involved in following actions:

operations on ancre (january–march)
german retreat hindenburg line (14 march–5 april)
battle of bullecourt (3–16 may)

during third battle of ypres 20 bde engaged at:

battle of polygon wood (1–3 october)
battle of broodseinde (4 october)
battle of polecappelle (9 october)
2nd battle of passchendaele (26–29 october)

italian front

on 17 november, 7th division entrained italian front part of reinforcements rushed assist italian army after defeat of caporetto. division remained on piave front until 23 february 1918, when ordered return france. however, these orders cancelled in march, , division moved asiago plateau, taking part in fighting there in june.

as part of army-wide reorganisation, 20th machine-gun company left 20 bde in spring 1918 join 7th division machine-gun battalion. more fundamental reorganisation took place in september 1918: in preparation move france 20 bde reduced 3 battalions in line current establishment western front. 9th devons transferred division in france, divisional move once again countermanded. reduced brigade took part in final actions of war on italian front, battle of vittorio veneto, including passage of piave (23 october–4 november), capture of grave di papadopoli (23–26 october) , crossing of tagliamento (3 november). brigade demobilised in italy after armistice austria.

brigade commanders 1914–18

the following officers commanded 20 bde during world war i:

brigadier-general h.g. ruggles-brise, 15 september–2 november 1914 (wounded)
major a.b.e. cator, 2–14 november 1914 (acting)
brigadier-general f.j. heyworth, 14 november 1914 – 16 august 1915
brigadier-general hon j.f. hepburn-stuart-forbes-trefusis, 16 august–24 october 1915 (died of wounds)
lieutenant-colonel j.d. ingles, 24–26 october 1915 (acting)
lieutenant-colonel l.b. boyd-moss, 26 –29 october 1915 (acting)
brigadier-general c.j. deverell, 29 october 1915 – 7 august 1916
brigadier-general h.c.r. green, 7 august 1916.




^ becke, pt 1, p. 82.
^ atkinson, pp. 2–3.
^ http://www.1914-1918.net/7div.htm
^ archived copy . archived original on 2013-05-25. retrieved 2013-06-12. 
^ archived copy . archived original on 2013-03-11. retrieved 2013-06-12. 
^ http://www.1914-1918.net/border.htm
^ atkinson, p. 4.
^ london gazette 9 october 1914
^ http://www.1914-1918.net/gordon.htm
^ edmonds 1914, vol ii.
^ farrar-hockley, ypres.
^ farrar-hockley, ypres, p. 180.
^ edmonds, 1914, vol ii, appendix 4, p. 488.
^ http://www.1914-1918.net/truce.htm
^ http://www.1914-1918.net/devons.htm
^ cherry, pp. 92, 97.
^ atkinson, pp. 205, 231.
^ atkinson, appendix iii, p. 502.