The 142nd (6th London) Brigade (142 Bde) was an infantry brigade of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army, that served in the First and the Second World Wars, and remained in the United Kingdom throughout the latter.
History
Origin
When the Territorial Force was created in 1908 under the Haldane Reforms, the existing Volunteer units in the London area were brought together into a new London Regiment and organised into two divisions with a full complement of infantry brigades and supporting arms. Four battalions from South London (formerly part of the Surrey Brigade) constituted the 6th London Brigade in 2nd London Division, with the following composition:
6th London Brigade Headquarters, Duke of York's Headquarters, Chelsea
21st (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (1st Surrey Rifles), headquartered in Camberwell. 22nd (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (The Queen's), headquartered in Bermondsey. 23rd (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment, headquartered in Clapham Junction. 24th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (The Queen's) headquartered in Kennington. No 4 (6th London Brigade) Company, 2nd London Divisional Train, Army Service Corps headquartered at the Duke of York's Headquarters
First World War
The outbreak of war on 4 August saw 6th London Brigade at Perham Down on Salisbury Plain, where it had just arrived for its annual training camp with the rest of 2nd London Division. They were immediately recalled to London to complete their mobilisation and by mid-August, 6 London Bde had reached its war station round Watford, Hertfordshire. The County of London Territorial Force Association immediately began raising '2nd Line' battalions, which quickly led to the formation of a duplicate 2/6th London Brigade (eventually 181st Brigade); consequently 6th London Brigade was renumbered 1/6th and its battalions were similarly prefixed (1/21st–1/24th).
In October 1914, 2nd London Division was selected for service on the Western Front and progressive training was carried out through the winter. The division embarked for France in March 1915, concentrating round Béthune. In May the division (already known in France simply as 'The London Division' to distinguish it from the Regular Army 2nd Division) took its place in the line and was designated 47th (1/2nd London) Division, with the brigades numbered consecutively: 6th London became 142nd (1/6th London) Brigade.
The division suffered casualties from shellfire while holding the line as neighbouring formations fought the Battle of Aubers Ridge, (9 & 15 May), but Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby's 142 Bde carried out the division's first offensive action, on 25 May during the Battle of Festubert. The attack on the 'S' Bend was timed for 18.30, to precede a Canadian night attack further along the line. The 23rd and 24th Londons swept across the open ground and immediately captured the German front trenches with few losses. However, German listening posts had given warning of the impending attack, and they had registered their artillery onto their own trenches. The divisional historian records that the Londoners now encountered 'a fierce and deadly enfilading fire from the German guns, and particularly from a heavy battery posted near Auchy-les-la Bassée, far to the south and out of range of the guns of our Division'.
The brigade supports, 21st Londons, and the 20th Londons from divisional reserve, were brought up and desperate attempts made to extend the brigade's gains, 'but tremendous losses were suffered by the men crowded in the captured trenches. Nothing could be done to keep down this enfilading fire, and by the following morning much of the captured trenches had been knocked to bits and had to be abandoned, but a considerable part of their front line was retained and taken into our own trench system'.
Actions
The brigade was engaged in the following further operations:
1915
Battle of Loos 25 September – 1 October
Battle of the Hohenzollern Redoubt 13–19 October
1916
Vimy Ridge 21 May
Battle of the Somme: Battle of Flers-Courcelette 15–19 September Capture of High Wood 15 September Battle of the Transloy Ridges 1–9 October Capture of Eaucourt l'Abbaye 1–3 October Attacks on the Butte de Warlencourt 7–8 October
1917
Battle of Messines 7–13 June
3rd Battle of Ypres: Battle of Pilckem Ridge] (in reserve) 31 July – 2 August) In the line 18 August – 2 September and 8–17 September Battle of Cambrai: Capture of Bourlon Wood 28 November German counter-attacks 30 November – 3 December