Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Brigade 154th (3rd Highland) Brigade 154th Infantry Brigade |
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Active | 1908–1919 1928–1946 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Brigade |
Part of | 51st (Highland) Infantry Division |
Battle honours | Battle of France North Africa Sicily Normandy Holland Belgium Germany |
Insignia | |
Identification symbol |
As part of 51st Division |
The 154th Infantry Brigade (part of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division) was an infantry brigade of the British Army division that fought during both the First the Second world wars. The brigade was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as the Argyll and Sutherland Brigade and was later redesignated as the 154th (3rd Highland) Brigade. The division was referred to as the "Highway Decorators" by other divisions who became used to discovering the 'HD' insignia painted wherever the Highlanders had passed through.
154th Brigade was luckier than its sister brigades of the 51st Division (152nd and 153rd). It was detached in June 1940 to form the mobile battlegroup "Arkforce" and was able to escape from Northern France while the rest of the division was forced to surrender at St Valery-en-Caux. However, the brigade was severely understrength by the time it returned to Britain, and in August 1940 it was reorganised and merged with the 28th Infantry Brigade of 9th (Highland) Infantry Division to form part of the new 51st Division. In this capacity it went on to serve in North Africa, Sicily and North-West Europe.