227th Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army formed for Home Service under various short-lived titles in the First and the Second World Wars. Later it was upgraded to a field formation composed of Scottish troops, and saw heavy fighting in the Normandy and North West Europe Campaign.

First World War On the outbreak of the First World War, the Territorial Force (TF) immediately mobilised for home defence, but shortly afterwards (31 August 1914), 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.Becke, p. 6. Early in 1915 the 2nd Line TF battalions were raised to full strength to form new divisions, and began to form Reserve (3rd Line) units to supply drafts.Becke, pp. 6, 65. The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions (termed Provisional Battalions from June 1915).

10th Provisional Brigade 10th Provisional Brigade was formed with the following composition:10th Provisional Brigade War Diary, The National Archives (TNA), Kew file WO 95/5458. 10th Provisional Cyclist Company formed in July 1915 from the home service details of 2/1st Northern Cyclist Battalion 21st Provisional Battalion formed on 26 May 1915 at Long Benton, Northumberland, as Northern Coast Defence Battalion from home service details of the 4th and 7th Battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers. Name changed to 21st Provisional Battalion on 10 June 1915.Army Council Instructions, January 1916, Appendix 18.35th Northumberland Fusiliers War Diary, TNA file WO 95/5458.Northumberland Fusiliers at Long, Long Trail. 84th Provisional Battalion formed in June 1915 from home service details of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions, Hampshire RegimentHampshire Regiment at Long, Long Trail. 85th Provisional Battalion formed at Yeovil in April 1915 from home service details of the South Western Brigade (4th and 5th Battalions, Somerset Light Infantry, 4th Battalion Devonshire Regiment and 4th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment).James, p. 57.Somerset LI at Long, Long Trail. 86th Provisional Battalion formed in August 1915 from home service details of the 5th and 8th Battalions, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and 4th, 5th (Prince of Wales's) and 6th Battalions, Devonshire Regiment.James, p. 55.Devonshire Regiment at Long, Long Trail. 4th Northern Home Battery, Royal Field Artillery, became 10th Provisional Battery RFA in May 1915. 10th Provisional Field Company Royal Engineers. 10th Provisional Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps, formed from home service details of 3rd Lowland Field Ambulance. 839 Horse Transport Company Army Service Corps, formed at Herne Bay, Kent, 23 April 1916, provided the 10th Provisional Brigade Train.839 Company ASC War Diary, TNA file WO 95/5458.

By July 1916 the brigade was at Herne Bay under the control of Southern Army of Central Force.Distribution of Northern and Southern Armies (Home Defence), TNA file WO 33/765.

227th 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. 10th Provisional Brigade became 227th Mixed Brigade at Herne Bay in December 1916, with its units redesignated as follows: 10th Provisional Battery became 1212th (West Riding) Battery, RFA. 10th Provisional Field Company became 649th (West Riding) Field Company, RE. 21st Provisional Battalion became 35th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers on 1 January 1917.Frederick, pp. 184–5.Frederick, p. 278.James, p. 47. 84th Provisional Battalion became 17th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment on 1 January 1917.Frederick, p. 252.James. p. 80. 85th Provisional Battalion became 11th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry on 1 January 1917.Frederick, p. 136. 86th Provisional Battalion became 15th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment on 1 January 1917.Frederick, p. 87. 10th Provisional Field Ambulance became 335th Lowland Field Ambulance RAMC. 839 HT Company ASC constituted 227 Mixed Brigade Train.

On 26 November 1917, 1212th (WR) Bty transferred to XLIII Brigade, RFA, which was reforming in 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 75–82.

By early 1918 the brigade had moved from Kent to Suffolk, with its HQ at Saxmundham, and was attached to 67th (2nd HC) Division. Here it was joined by the following units: 2/25th (Cyclist) Battalion, London Regiment in March 1918. 2/1st Welsh (Carnarvonshire) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, joined from 68th (2nd Welsh) Division in May 1918.Becke, p. 85.

In May 1918 each of the Mixed Brigades was called upon to provide a battalion (redesignated a Garrison Guard battalion) to reconstitute the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, which had been virtually destroyed during the German spring offensive. 227th Mixed Brigade supplied 11th Somerset Light Infantry and immediately raised a new 13th (Home Service) Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry to take over its coast defence duties.Becke, pp. 20–21. The brigade remained with this composition until the end of the war, after which it was demobilised in June 1919.

Second World War In the Second World War, the brigade number was reactivated for 227th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home). formed within Scottish Command on 15 February 1941, initially for service in the United Kingdom (the suffix '(Home)' was dropped on 1 December 1941). The brigade was always composed of Scottish regiments.Joslen, pp. 390–1.

Order of Battle The brigade had the following units: 7th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (left 13 October 1941) 9th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (left 30 November 1942) 12th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (24 February 1941 – 7 May 1942) 10th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) (4 March 1941 – 18 November 1942) 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (7 May 1942 – 18 August 1842) Lovat Scouts (30 September 1942 – 9 July 1943) 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots (18 November 1942 – 15 March 1943) 10th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (joined 3 December 1942) 13th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (20 January–9 July 1943) 4th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) (20 June–9 July 1943) 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (previously 15th Battalion, redesignated after 2nd Battalion captured at the fall of Singapore; joined 15 July 1943)Joslen, pp. 370, 390, 531.Keegan, pp. 169–70. 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders (previously 15th Battalion, redesignated after 2nd Battalion captured at Singapore; joined 31 July 1943)Joslen, pp. 370, 390, 450.

During July 1943 three of the brigade's Territorial Army and hostilities-only battalions were replaced by two reconstituted Regular battalions of Highland regiments serving in Orkney, the brigade was redesignated 227th (Highland) Infantry Brigade and assigned to 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division.

Commanders The brigade had the following commanders: Brigadier G.P. Miller Brigadier J.R. Mackintosh-Walker (from 29 July 1942; killed 15 July 1944) Brigadier Edward Colville (from 16 July 1944)

'Scottish Corridor'

The 227th (Highland) Brigade landed in Normandy on 18 June 1944 with 10th Highland Light Infantry (10 HLI), 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (2 A&SH) and 2nd Gordon Highlanders (2 Gordons). It was soon thrown into action in Operation Epsom on 26 June, when 15th (Scottish) Division was given the task of advancing five miles to capture the bridges over the Odon, thereby creating what became known as 'Scottish Corridor' to allow 11th Armoured Division to cross and push on to the Orne and the high ground south of Caen. 227 Brigade was in divisional reserve for this operation. The leading brigades lost heavily during close fighting, and the armour was held up. At 18.00, 15th (Scottish) was ordered to resume the advance, and 227th Brigade moved up. The Official History records that 'The brigade's leading battalions started ... in torrential rain. On the eastern road the advanced guard reached the outskirts of Colleville but the main body was held up near the Salbey stream, about a mile south of Cheux, and got no further that night; on the western road only the ground skirting Cheux was reached, when the infantry and supporting tanks were embroiled in confused fighting, there and round le Haut du Bosq. In the fading light and blinding downpour there was not enough time left to oust the enemy from their strong hold of the ridge'.Ellis, Vol I, pp. 278–9.McKee, pp. 162–70.

227th Brigade renewed the attack early the next morning. 10th HLI were held up by tanks of 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, but 2nd Argylls made rapid progress against light opposition, taking the last two miles to the Tourmauville Bridge at a run and seizing a bridgehead for the Sherman tanks of 23rd Hussars from 11th Armoured to cross over.Ellis, p. 280.Keegan, pp. 176–8.McKee, pp. 172–8. The following day (28 June) 2nd Argylls were ordered to move upstream towards the Odon bridges at Gavrus. Patrols found them undefended, and the battalions seized these as well. But while still isolated, they were counter-attacked by tanks and infantry of the newly arrived 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg. However, they held on to the bridges until reinforcements arrived.Ellis, p. 282.Keegan, pp. 178–81.

Bluecoat In the early part of July 1944, 15th (Scottish) took part in the fighting round Caen, then at the end of the month it moved west to the Caumont sector, where it was to join in VIII Corps's break-out southwards from the Normandy bridgehead (Operation Bluecoat). Its attack on 30 July was led by 227th Brigade advancing alongside 11th Armoured on the right and 43rd (Wessex) Division on the left. 227 Brigade was organised as a brigade group, with an additional infantry battalion, supported by 4th Tank Battalion, Grenadier Guards from 6th Guards Tank Brigade (Churchill tanks) and accompanied by flail tanks to deal with the mines sown thickly by both sides during the previous two months of stalemate. They began their advance a few minutes before 07.00. First the Highlanders had to clear two village strongpoints within a mile of Caumont and then capture les Logues and Point 226 (or Quarry Hill) a few miles further south. 'As soon as the leading troops showed themselves on the forward slopes of the Caumont ridge they ran into heavy defensive fire, and seven of the Churchills and two flail tanks were put out of action by mines'.Ellis, Vol I, p. 390 However, the surviving flails made passages, the tanks caught up with the infantry and the first objectives were taken by 10.00. While the infantry carried on mopping-up, the tanks drove on to Point 226. 43rd (Wessex) had been held up, so 6th Guards Tank Brigade took Point 306 on the left as well, and then had to hold on until 18.00 when the first infantry caught up. Now they came under heavy shelling followed by an attack from Jagdpanthers of 654 schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung (654th Heavy Anti-Tank Battalion), which drove over Point 226. However, with the arrival of more of 227th Brigade's infantry, the position on Point 226 was consolidated, the tanks remaining all night while the infantry continued mopping up.Ellis, Vol I, p 390–1.McKee, pp. 332–3. Over succeeding days VIII Corps advanced towards Mont Pincon, beginning the process of closing the Falaise 'Pocket'.

Crossing the Seine