20th Brigade (20th Bde) was an infantry formation of the British Army first organised in the Second Boer War. In the First World War, the brigade fought on the Western Front and on the Italian Front as part of 7th Division. The brigade was re-raised under during the Second World War and briefly served in France until being converted to an armoured formation.
Second Boer War British Army brigades had traditionally been ad hoc formations known by the name of their commander or numbered as an integral part of a division. However, units deployed to the Second Boer War in 1899 were organised into sequentially numbered brigades that were frequently reassigned between divisions.Amery, Vol II, p. 114.Dunlop, p 74. 20th Brigade was formed in South Africa in 1900 under the command of Major-General Arthur Paget as part of Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen's 1st Division. It comprised two regular infantry battalions that were already serving in the theatre and had seen much action, together with two Militia battalions newly arrived from Britain:Amery, Vol IV, pp. 78, 209.
Order of Battle 1900 The composition of 20th Bde in May–June 1900 was as follows:Amery, Appendix, p 507.Miller, p. 186 & fn 94. 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers – two companies had served under Methuen at the Battles of Belmont and Graspan,Creswicke, pp. 92–3. the remainder under Lieutenant-General GatacreCreswicke pp 160. 2nd Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry – had served in 9th Brigade under Methuen's command at Graspan and Modder RiverCreswicke pp. 93–108. 4th (Militia) Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 4th (Militia) Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
When the Militia were embodied in November 1899 and invited to volunteer for overseas service, it had been intended to employ them in garrisons and on lines of communication. in order to release Regular troops for frontline service.Dunlop, p. 90. However, 20th Brigade with its mix of Regulars and Militia was immediately thrown into action during Lord Roberts' advance through the Transvaal. Methuen's 1st Division assembled at Boshof and was assigned to guard Roberts' left flank in the Orange Free State. Leaving half of the Cameronians to guard Boshopf, 20th Bde assisted General Hunter's 10th Division at Christiana then 1st Division captured Hoopstad by a surprise night attack. Methuen's men earned the nickname of 'the Mobile Marvels' for their hard marching. At the end of May Methuen marched to relieve Lindley, and left 20th Bde there to guard the town while he continued on to relieve Heilbron in June.Amery, Vol IV, pp. 266, 302.Hay, pp. 320–1, 351–2.Miller, pp. 186–9, fn 94.Wylly, pp. 76–7.
The defences of Lindley were under constant sniping and shellfire by the Boers, while supply columns had to fight their way in. On 26 June there was sharp firing followed by a Boer attack on the picquets held by the KOYLI, Cameronians and South Staffs. Private Charles Ward of the KOYLI won a Victoria Cross for carrying a message for reinforcements and then returning under fire. The Boers were driven off. On 2 July the mounted troops left Lindley and cleared the country toward Leeuw Kop while the South Staffs made a demonstration against the ridge east of the town. Next day Lindley was evacuated and the infantry moved to carry the Boer position at Leeuw Kop with artillery support. Abandoning Lindley, the column then followed the Boers towards Bethlehem and successfully attacked the town. The demoralised Orange Free State Boers had now been driven into a trap in the Brandwater Basin.Amery, Vol IV, pp. 300–9.Wylly, pp. 77–8.
The brigade remained in Bethlehem until 15 July, bringing up supply convoys, then when most of the convoy escorts had rejoined it marched out to join the columns advancing into the basin. At this point Paget had the 1st Munsters, half the 2nd KOYLI, six companies of the Cameronians, four guns of 38th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, two guns of the City Imperial Volunteers, and 300 Imperial Yeomanry, assisting in the capture of Slabbert's Nek. Although the trap was not complete, Christiaan de Wet leading the escape of some of the Boers, Commandant Prinsloo and some 4000 men surrendered to the British forces on 29 July. 20th Bde escorted the prisoners to Winburg on 9 August. From Winburg trainloads of prisoners were sent down to Cape Town, guarded by detachments of the 4th South Staffs.Amery, Vol IV, pp. 314, 317–24, 330–1, 339–42 .Wylly, pp. 78–9.
By now the remaining Boers in Orange Free State had broken up into small parties, and British forces spent many months pursuing them, especially the guerrillas led by Christiaan de Wet (in the 'Great de Wet Hunt'). For the rest of the war, formal divisional and brigade organisations dissolved into ad hoc columns formed and reformed for specific tasks.Amery, Vol IV, p. 412.Miller, pp. 200–10.
First World War Mobilisation Soon after the outbreak of the First World War, a new 20th Brigade was organised, composed of the last three Regular infantry battalions left in Britain after the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) went to France.Becke, pt 1, p. 82. Although not officially designated a Guards brigade, it did contain two Guards battalions (1st Grenadier Guards from Warley Barracks and 2nd Scots Guards from the Tower of London), together with 2nd Border Regiment stationed at Pembroke Dock.Atkinson, pp. 2–3.7th Division at Long, Long Trail.Grenadier Guards at Long, Long Trail.Scots Guards at Long, Long Trail.Border Regiment at Long, Long Trail. Both Guards battalions were largely composed of Reservists recalled to the Colours.Atkinson, p. 4. A Grenadier Guards officer, Brigadier-General H.G. Ruggles-Brise, was appointed to command the brigade.London Gazette 9 October 1914
20th Brigade assembled at Lyndhurst, Hampshire, forming part of 7th Division, which was otherwise composed of Regular battalions brought back from various overseas stations. 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders returned from Cairo to complete 20th Bde just before the division sailed from Southampton.Gordon Highlanders at Long, Long Trail.
Order of Battle 1914 The composition of 20th Bde on embarkation was as follows: 1st Bn Grenadier Guards 2nd Bn Scots Guards 2nd Bn Border Regiment 2nd Bn Gordon Highlanders
First Ypres 7th Division landed at Zeebrugge on 7 October 1914, intended to assist the Belgian Army in the defence of Antwerp. In the event all it could do was help to cover the Belgian retreat and then take up defensive positions at Ypres where they were joined by the rest of the BEF after the Race to the Sea. Thereafter 20th Brigade was engaged in heavy fighting at Langemarck and Gheluvelt during the First Battle of Ypres.Edmonds 1914, Vol II.Farrar-Hockley, Ypres. Like several other senior officers who got out among their units to exercise personal command during this confused fighting, Ruggles-Brise was wounded, being carried back 'half dead of a dreadful wound on a stretcher' on 2 November. All the battalion commanders also having become casualties, the Brigade Major (Major A.B.E. Cator) took command as senior officer in the brigade.Farrar-Hockley, Ypres, p. 180.First Ypres at Long, Long Trail.
On 5 December, the badly-depleted brigade was reinforced by a Territorial Force unit, the 1/6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion Gordon Highlanders, which had been serving as GHQ troops since landing in France.Edmonds, 1914, Vol II, Appendix 4, p. 488. 20th Brigade's last major action in 1914 was a failed attack on the Well Farm position at La Boutillerie by 2nd Scots Guards and 2nd Border on 18 December. The dead from this action were buried during the Christmas truce. Christmas truce at Long, Long Trail
Neuve Chapelle
The 20th Brigade was in support on the first day of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle (10 March 1915), moving up to the front that night and only suffering a few casualties from stray shrapnel.Atkinson, pp. 136, 143.Edmonds and Wynne, 1915, Vol I, pp. 109–10.Neuve Chapelle at Long, Long Trail. On the second day it was tasked with moving out from the 'Moated Grange' position into the gap between the leading brigades of 7th and 8th Divisions and then advance to take Aubers village. Although the orders arrived late, the brigade moved off on time at 07.00 in column of platoons, but came under heavy shellfire and flanking machine gun fire and suffered severely. Most of the two leading battalions (1st Grenadiers and 2nd Gordons) had to take what cover they could before even reaching the position of the leading brigades, having suffered about 500 casualties. A new attack was ordered for the afternoon but failed.Atkinson, pp. 143–5.Edmonds and Wynne, 1915, Vol I, pp. 121–7. The following morning (12 March) the Scots Guards and Border Regiment were instructed to pass through the leading brigades. Although the attack was postponed, the runners carrying the recall orders were killed and the leading companies of both battalions advanced into No Man's Land until they were pinned down by machine gun fire from a German position known as the Quadrilateral. When the delayed British bombardment came down, it was accurate and effective, completely demoralising the German defenders. The Scots Guards and Border Regiment crept forward under cover of the bombardment and rushed the Quadrilateral, taking 400 prisoners. However, the brigade was unable to push any further through the maze of trenches.Atkinson, pp. 145–52.Edmonds and Wynne, 1915, Vol I, pp. 139–41.
Aubers Ridge and Festubert At the Battle of Aubers Ridge on 9 May, 20th Bde was in readiness to follow up any success by the assaulting 8th Division, but the attack was a failure and the brigade was not employed. Next day it was moved southwards to trenches near Béthune to prepare for a resumption of the attack (the Battle of Festubert beginning on 15 May).Atkinson, pp. 163–6.Edmonds, 1915, Vol II, pp. 32, 40.Aubers Ridge at Long, Long Trail.
At the Battle of Festubert the brigade attacked at dawn on the second day, with the Scots Guards and Border Regiment moving close up to the German line before the bombardment ended. The Borders on the left were halted by heavy enfilade fire, but the Scots Guards managed to get past the German front line. The Germans fought tenaciously and attempts to get further on were shot down as soon as the men rose to attack. F Company of the Scots Guards simply disappeared in the German positions. Accurate German artillery fire on the support and reserve lines broke the cohesion of the attack, though some of 2nd Gordons managed to get up between the two leading battalions. The Grenadiers moved up to help the Scots Guards consolidate their position and repulse a counter-attack, but could not get further ahead. The Borders had been pushed back to the British line but the rest of 7th Division dug in on the old German positions, 20th Bde assisted by 55th Field Company, Royal Engineers. They could only be supported by already tired troops. However, the Germans pulled back during the night. Smaller attacks were made over succeeding days until the offensive was called off. Casualties in 7th Division had been around 40 per cent.Atkinson, pp. 167–74, 182–3.Cherry, pp. 22–3.Edmonds, 1915 Vol II, pp. 59–62.Festubert at Long, Long Trail.