119th Brigade (United Kingdom)
| 119th Infantry Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 22 July 1915–2 May 1918 14 June 1918–May 1919 9 November 1943 – 12 April 1944 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 British Army
|
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Infantry and deception |
| Size | Brigade |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
C. Cunliffe-Owen F.P. Crozier |
The 119th Brigade, originally the Welsh Bantam Brigade, was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army during World War I. Part of Lord Kitchener's 'New Armies', it served in the 40th Division on the Western Front. The brigade number was reactivated for deception purposes during World War II.
119th Brigade was a New Army or 'Kitchener's Army' formation raised during 1915. An earlier 119th Brigade had been raised in late 1914 as part of the 'Fifth New Army', but when the Fourth New Army was broken up in April 1915 to provide reserve units for the First to Third New Armies, the formations of the Fifth took their place, and the original 119th Brigade was renumbered 100th Brigade. By the time the new 119th Brigade was organised the flow of volunteers had dwindled, and the standard of height for infantry soldiers had been lowered in order to encourage recruitment. The brigade's four battalions were composed entirely of these 'bantams' recruited in Wales. The Welsh Bantam Brigade adopted the number 119 when it was assigned to 40th Division in September 1915.
The original units forming 119th Brigade were as follows:
Divisional organisation and training was delayed because the other brigades contained a large proportion of under-developed and unfit men, unlike 119's 'hardy, well-knit Welshmen'. The rest of the division had to undergo a drastic weeding-out and the drafting in of new battalions before it was fit for service. This was completed in February 1916. Divisional training was then intensified and it was warned for overseas service in May 1916. Disembarkation was carried out at Le Havre between 2 and 6 June, and 40th Division concentrated in the Lillers area by 9 June ready to take its place in the line. Units went into the trenches attached to formations of I Corps for familiarisation, and then the division took over its own section of line. 18th Welch of 119th Brigade carried out 40 Division's first trench raid in July 1916.
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