1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade


The 1st Infantry Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during World War II. It was formed in 1940 from battalions of the Royal West African Frontier Force and served in the East African campaign against the Italians and against the Japanese in Burma.

History

The 1st Infantry Brigade was originally raised in 1940 as the 3rd Brigade. In this guise it was involved in the East African Campaign against the forces of the Italian Colonial Empire in Kenya under the command of Brigadier Gerald Smallwood. Later it was renamed the 23rd Brigade and was attached to the 1st Division. In February 1941, the 23rd Brigade took the Italian Somaliland capital of Mogadishu. On 10 March 1941, the Brigade quickly advanced to Degehabur, about south of Jijiga, and captured the city days later without resistance, before it participated in the reoccupation of British Somaliland later in the year.
In 1944 the Brigade was attached to the 82nd Division and renamed the 1st Infantry Brigade. In this same year it sailed for Ceylon, where the complete division was assembled on 20 July. They then moved to Burma and took part in the third Arakan campaign in December 1944.
During this campaign, the Brigade first advanced south along the Kalapanzin valley, then crossed a steep and jungle-covered mountain range to converge with the British 81st Division on Myohaung at the mouth of the Kaladan River. This move forced the Japanese to evacuate the Mayu peninsula which they had held for almost four years, and retreat south along the coast. They continued to advance maintaining pressure on the Japanese, capturing the port of Gwa shortly before the Japanese abandoned Burma.

Formations

The 1st Infantry Brigade was made up of the following units: