The 69th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army in the Second World War. It was a second-line Territorial Army formation, and fought in the Battle of France with the 23rd (Northumbrian) Division. The brigade was later part of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division. It went on to fight in the North African campaign, the Allied invasion of Sicily, the Normandy landings and the North West Europe campaign.
Order of Battle First World War
11th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) 8th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment) 9th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment) 11th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 69th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (formed 4 March 1916, moved to 23rd Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 1 April 1918) 69th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 13 June 1916)
Order of Battle Second World War
69th Infantry Brigade was constituted as follows during the war: 5th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment 6th Battalion, Green Howards 7th Battalion, Green Howards 69th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 1 September 1940, disbanded 1 January 1941) 69th Infantry Brigade Support Company (from 16 May 1943, left 31 December 1943)
Commanders
The following officers commanded 69th Infantry Brigade during the war: Brigadier Viscount Downe Brigadier J.A. Barstow Brigadier G.W.E.J. Erskine (later C.O. British 7th Armoured Division) Brigadier L.L. Hassall Brigadier Edward Cunliffe Cooke-Collis Brigadier A.G.B. Stanier
North Africa
In April 1941 the 69th Brigade, as part of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, was dispatched to the Middle East first via Cyprus, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and then into Libya as part of XIII Corps in the British Eighth Army which was one of the best-known formations in the Second World War.
Battle of Gazala
The "Gazala Line" was a series of occupied "boxes" each of brigade strength set out across the desert with minefields and wire watched by regular patrols between the boxes. The Free French were to the south at the Bir Hakeim box. The line was not equally staffed with a greater number of troops covering the coast leaving the south less protected.
By late May Rommel was ready. Facing him on the Gazala defences were 1st South African Division, nearest the coast, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division (on their left) and 1st Free French Brigade furthest left at Bir Hakeim. The British 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions waited behind the main line as a mobile counter-attacking force while 2nd South African Division formed a garrison at Tobruk and 5th Indian Infantry Division (which had arrived in April to relieve 4th Indian Infantry Division) were held in reserve.
The 69th Brigade position at the start of the battle can be seen in the map (right), it was during this battle that their sister brigade the 150th Infantry Brigade was destroyed in its isolated brigade box by the Afrika Corps and never reformed. The 69th Brigade and the remaining units of 50th Northumbrian Division had to escape by attacking west through the enemy lines then sweeping back east to the south of the enemy forces, eventually they reached the El Alamein line by 1 July.
El Alamein
The Battle of El Alamein is usually divided into five phases, consisting of the break-in (23–24 October), the crumbling (24–25 October), the counter (26–28 October), Operation Supercharge (1–2 November) and the breakout (3–7 November). No name is given to the period from 29 to 30 October when the battle was at a standstill.
In the 2nd Battle of El Alamein, 69th Infantry Brigade and 50th (Northumbrian) Division were initially deployed in the south (see map), where it was to attack the Italian 185th Parachute Division Folgore, supported by elements of the British 7th Armoured Division. Since the division was understrength, owing to the loss of the 150th infantry Brigade, the 1st Free French Brigade and 1st Greek Brigade were attached to it for the battle. It was then transferred north to take part in Operation Supercharge.
Tunisia
Mareth Line
The division fought in Tunisia, where Montgomery launched his major attack, Operation Pugilist, against the Mareth Line in the night of 19 March 1943 – 20 March 1943. The 69th Infantry Brigade part of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, with difficulty, penetrated the Italian held line near Zarat. The terrain and heavy rain, however, prevented deployment of tanks and anti-tank guns and the 15th Panzer Division's counter-attack on 22 March recaptured much of the bridgehead.