145th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 145th (South) Brigade


caption=Insignia of 145 (South) Brigade
dates= 1908-1945
1995-Present
country= Great Britain
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branch= British Army
type= Territorial Army
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command_structure=4th Division
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145 Brigade is a brigade of the British Army.

History

First formed in 1908, the brigade, together with 143 Brigade and 144 Brigade eventually formed the 48th (South Midland) Division in Second Army during World War I. The brigade was in continuous service in France until the Armistice in 1918 when it was disbanded. During this period it was composed of four infantry battalions:
*1/5th Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment (until September 1918)
*1/4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
*1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
*1/4th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment)

The Brigade saw action in France at the start of the Second World War as part of I Corps. Following its withdrawal, it became a training formation in the UK until it was again disbanded in 1945.

In 1995, 145 Brigade was reformed through the renaming of Aldershot Area, part of the old South-Eastern District, assuming responsibility for all army units in the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. In doing so it joined 4th Division. It was given the title 'Home Counties', with its most known component being the Royal Rifle Volunteers. As the wild roebuck deer was common to all counties it was adopted as the Brigade emblem.

Following re-organisation the Brigade area of responsibility was reduced to Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and to reflect this the Brigade title was changed to 'South' in 2007. As part of the Infantry restructuring the Royal Rifle Volunteers became the 7th (V) Battalion, The Rifles in 2007.

External links

* [http://www.army.mod.uk/145bde/index.htm Official site for 145 (South) Brigade]
* [http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regts/the_rifles/regiment_today/battalions_locations/7rifles/index.htm Official site for 7th Battalion, The Rifles]