214th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)


The 214th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army raised during World War II that saw active service on the North West Europe.

Origin

The brigade was formed for service in the United Kingdom on 11 October 1940 by No 14 Infantry Training Group in Western Command as the 214th Independent Infantry Brigade . It was initially composed of newly raised battalions from English infantry regiments. On 1 December 1941 it was redesigned as the 214th Independent Infantry Brigade for general service.

Service

On 5 September 1943 the brigade joined the 43rd Infantry Division, replacing the 34th Tank Brigade, and along with the 129th Infantry Brigade and 130th Infantry Brigade reformed the 43rd Division as a standard infantry division, after the experiment with Mixed divisions was abandoned.
The Brigade landed in Normandy on 24 June 1944 under the command of Brigadier Hubert Essame and fought in the Battle of Normandy, where it faced off against the German 9th SS Panzer Division at Hill 112, in July 1944 during the Battle for Caen.
resting during the assault on Geilenkirchen in Germany, 18 November 1944.
The 214th Brigade, along with the rest of the 43rd Division, were the first British units to cross the Seine river, with an assault crossing at the French town of Vernon opposed by the German 49th Infantry Division. This enabled the armour of XXX Corps under Lieutenant General Brian Horrocks to thrust across northern France into Belgium.
They later played a major role in Operation Market Garden, as the support to the Guards Armoured Division.
They went on to play a small part in the Battle of the Bulge, where it was placed on the Meuse as a reserve, and a large part in the fighting in the Klever Reichswald and the Crossing of the Rhine.
By the end of hostilities they had reached the Cuxhaven peninsula of northern Germany.

Order of battle

The 214th Brigade had the following composition during World War II:
The 214th Brigade had the following commanders during World War II: