Difference between revisions of "70th Infantry Brigade"

Revision as of 09:55, 11 June 2011

Background to the creation of the Brigade

A conference had been held on 9.6.1939 to discuss the proposed title of 23rd Division in the context of the duplication of the size of the Territorial Army – whether in fact it should be 63rd Division.

Reference was made to the First World War links with 50th Division, when the 23rd Division had included both the 12th and 13th Battalions DLI (New Army) and had fought on the left of the 50th Division at the Somme in 1916. The 50th and 23rd Divisions had met again at the 3rd Battle of Ypres in 1917.

The prevailing view was that the title of 23rd Division was most appropriate and this was eventually authorised after an appeal by ex-officers to Mr Hore-Belisha, the Secretary of State for War.

Separation of the Brigades was intended to be on a geographical basis. The initial idea was to create a 150th (N.Durham) Brigade under Brigadier Kirkup, containing the 9th, 12th and 11th Battalions of The Durham Light Infantry, headquartered at Chester-le-Street. The 151st Brigade would then be a South Durham Brigade, under Brigadier Churchill, with 6th, 8th and 10th Battalions of The Durham Light Infantry, with their HQ at Durham City.

Both Brigades were intended to be part of the 50th Division. When duplication of the scale of manpower was being planned the original 150th Brigade and its duplicate had been intended to make up the 23rd Division – both 23rd and 50th Divisions were intended to be motorised.

However, the annual training for the existing 151st Brigade at Whitby had been fixed for 10th – 24th September 1939 so that the Battalions could take part in some exercises in Yorkshire – separation into the new Brigades was to be deferred until after the conclusion of this camp, as all personnel would be attending – recruits for the two weeks, trained men taking part in the exercises on the second week.

Mobilisation orders interfered with these plans with one Division being required to go overseas as soon as possible - this of course was 50th Division.

As a result, all trained men except the duplicate COs, Adjutants, Quartermasters and a cadre were kept in the original 151st Brigade Battalions - 6th, 8th and 9th Battalions of The Durham Light Infantry - which then formed 50th Division, along with 150th Brigade, and departed for the B.E.F. in France in due course.

The duplicate Battalions of those in the 151st Brigade - namely 10th, 11th and 12th Battalions of The Durham Light Infantry formed 70th Brigade.

The Commander of 50th Division, Maj Gen le Q Martel instructed on 14 6 1939 that the procedure for the final separation of the original and duplicate units should be….”The date from which a duplicate unit is considered sufficiently organised to be independent of the “original” unit will be decided and reported to 50th Division”.

For the time being, 69th and 70th Brigades in the 23rd Division were administered by the 50th Division and this applied when embodiment took place on 1 9 1939.

War Diary

70th Infantry Brigade War Diary 1939

70th Infantry Brigade War Diary 1940

70th Infantry Brigade War Diary 1941

70th Infantry Brigade War Diary 1942

70th Infantry Brigade War Diary 1943

70th Infantry Brigade War Diary 1944