301st Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=301st Infantry Brigade
|image=File:301st_infantry.svg
|caption=Brigade insignia, incorporating crossed cannons in Royal Artillery colours
|dates=15 January 1945 –
|country={{flag|United Kingdom|23px}}
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|branch={{army|United Kingdom|23px}}
|type=Infantry Brigade
|role=Lines of Communication
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|battles=Second World War
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The 301st Infantry Brigade was a formation of the British Army organised from surplus Royal Artillery (RA) personnel retrained as infantry towards the end of the Second World War.
Origin
By the end of 1944, 21st Army Group was suffering a severe manpower shortage, particularly among the infantry.Ellis, pp. 141–2. At the same time the German Luftwaffe was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious aerial attacks on the United Kingdom could be discounted. In January 1945 the War Office began to reorganise surplus anti-aircraft and coastal artillery regiments in the UK into infantry battalions, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties in North West Europe, thereby releasing trained infantry for frontline service.Ellis, pp. 369, 380.{{cite web|url=https://ra39-45.co.uk/units/infantry-regiments-ra |title=Inf Rgts Index}} The 301st Brigade was the first of seven brigades formed from these new units.Joslen, p. 397.{{cite web|url=https://ra39-45.co.uk/units/infantry-regiments-ra/301-infantry-brigade |title=301 Inf Brigade}}
Order of Battle
The 301st Infantry Brigade was formed on 15 January 1945 within Scottish Command from the following Territorial Army RA units:
- 616th Infantry Regiment, Royal Artillery{{cite web|url=https://ra39-45.co.uk/units/infantry-regiments-ra/616-infantry-regiment-rata |title=616 Inf Rgt}} formed by 508th (Tynemouth) Coast Regiment RA (TA){{cite web|url=https://ra39-45.co.uk/units/coast-regiments/508-tynemouth-coast-regiment-rata |title=508 Coast Rgt}}
- 617th Infantry Regiment, Royal Artillery{{cite web|url=https://ra39-45.co.uk/units/infantry-regiments-ra/617-infantry-regiment-rata |title=617 Inf Rgt}} formed by 512th (East Riding) Coast Regiment RA (TA)[https://ra39-45.co.uk/units/coast-regiments/512-east-riding-coast-regiment-rata 512 Coast Rgt]
- 619th Infantry Regiment, Royal Artillery{{cite web|url=https://ra39-45.co.uk/units/infantry-regiments-ra/619-infantry-regiment-rata|title= 619 Inf Rgt}} formed by 524th (Lancashire and Cheshire) Coast Regiment RA (TA){{cite web|url=https://ra39-45.co.uk/units/coast-regiments/524-lancashire-cheshire-coast-regiment-rata |title=524 Coast Rgt}}
Service
Brigadier J. Vicary was appointed to command the 301st Brigade on 26 January 1945. After infantry training, the brigade came under the orders of 21st Army Group on 9 May, and landed on the Continent on 15 May (a week after VE Day), where it came under the command of First Canadian Army.
Notes
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References
- Lionel Ellis, "History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West", Volume II: "The Defeat of Germany", London: HMSO, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, {{ISBN|1-84574-059-9}}.
- {{Joslen-OOB}}
External sources
- [https://ra39-45.co.uk The Royal Artillery 1939–45]
{{British infantry brigades of the Second World War}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
Category:Military units and formations established in 1945
Category:Infantry brigades of the British Army in World War II