- Light Infantry Brigade
The Light Infantry Brigade was an administrative formation of the
British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular Englishlight infantry regiments.After the
Second World War the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter. Infantry Depot J atFarnborough was the headquarters for the six English light infantry regiments. In 1948, the depots adopted names and this depot became the Light Infantry Brigade, with all regiments being reduced to a single battalion at the same time.The Light Infantry Brigade was formed on
14 July ,1948 , combining the depots of the following regiments:
*The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)
*The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
*The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
*The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
*The King's Shropshire Light Infantry
*The Durham Light Infantry Under the Defence Review announced in July, 1957, the infantry of the line was reorganised, and by 1959 the Brigade was reduced to four battalions: ["Merged regiments and new brigading - many famous units to lose separate identity", The Times, July 25, 1957]
*On
April 1 ,1958 the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry were transferred to theGreen Jackets Brigade
*October 6 ,1959 the Somerset Light Infantry and the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry were amalgamated as theSomerset and Cornwall Light Infantry [Army Order 40/1959]From 1958 all regiments adopted a common brigade cap badge, a silver bugle-horn. [A L Kipling and H L King, "Head-dress badges of the British Army", Volume 2, London, 1979]
On
July 1 ,1968 the Light Infantry Brigade was united with the Green Jackets Brigade, to form the Light Division. Nine days later, the four light infantry regiments were amalgamated into a single "large regiment" namedThe Light Infantry .References
* [http://www.lightinfantryreunited.co.uk Light Infantry Reunited - Site for all ex and serving Light Infantry/RGJ and Rifles personnel]
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