144th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

Gloucester and Worcester Brigade 144th (Gloucester and Worcester) Brigade 144th Infantry Brigade 144th Infantry (Reserve) Brigade
First World War divisional sign
Active	1908-1919 1920-1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Territorial Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	48th (South Midland) Division
Insignia
Identification symbol	Second World War

The 144th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in World War I and again in the early stages of World War II before being reduced to a reserve brigade and remained in the United Kingdom for the rest of the war. In both world wars the brigade served with 48th (South Midland) Division.

The Gloucester and Worcester Brigade was first raised under the Haldane Reforms in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force, which was formed by amalgamating the Volunteer Force and the Yeomanry, consisting of the 4th (City of Bristol) and 6th Volunteer battalions of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the 7th and 8th battalions of the Worcestershire Regiment. The brigade was assigned to the South Midland Division.

The South Midland Division was mobilised on 4 August 1914, a day after the outbreak of World War I. Most of the men of the brigade, when asked, volunteered for overseas service. Those who did not were formed into 2nd Line duplicate battalions and brigade, forming the 2nd Gloucester and Worcester Brigade, part of the 2nd South Midland Division, later to become 183rd (2/1st Gloucester and Worcester) Brigade and 61st (2nd South Midland) Division. The 1st Line battalions were also assigned the '1/' prefix, becoming, for example, 1/7th Worcesters and the 2nd Line became 2/7th Worcesters.

On 15 May 1915 the brigade was numbered the 144th (Gloucester and Worcester) Brigade and the division became 48th (South Midland) Division. In March 1915 the division was warned to prepare for overseas service on the Western Front to reinforce the Regulars of the British Expeditionary Force. The brigade served with the 48th Division throughout the war in the trenches of the Western Front in the Somme offensive of July 1916, pursuing the German Army in the retreat to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 and later in the Third Battle of Ypres. In late 1917 the brigade was transferred to the Italian Front from 1917, and ended the war in Italy.