168th (2nd London) Brigade

East London Brigade 2nd London Brigade 168th (2nd London) Brigade 2nd London Infantry Brigade 168th (London) Infantry Brigade 168th (Lorried) Infantry Brigade
Formation sign of the 56th (1st London) Division, World War I.
Active	1888–1919 1920–1946 1947–1961
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry Motorised infantry Lorried infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	56th (London) Infantry Division 56th (London) Armoured Division
Nickname(s)	"The Black Cats" (World War II)
Engagements	World War I World War II
Commanders
Notable commanders	Francis Matthews
Insignia
Identification symbol	56th Division insignia during the Second World War, featuring Dick Whittington's black cat on a red background.

The 168th (2nd London) Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army that saw service during both World War I and World War II. Throughout its existence, serving under many different titles and designations, the brigade was an integral part of the 56th (London) Infantry Division. It served on the Western Front during World War I and in the Italian Campaign during World War II. It was finally disbanded in the 1960s.

The Volunteer Force of part-time soldiers was created following an invasion scare in 1859, and its constituent units were progressively aligned with the Regular British Army during the later 19th Century. The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 introduced a Mobilisation Scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training.

The East London Brigade was one of the formations organised at this time. The Commanding Officer of the Grenadier Guards and his Adjutant were ex officio the brigade commander and Brigade major, while the Grenadier Guards' orderly room at Wellington Barracks acted as Brigade Headquarters. The assembly point for the brigade was at Caterham Barracks, the Guards' depot conveniently situated for the London Defence Positions along the North Downs. The brigade's original composition was:

East London Brigade

This organisation was carried over into the Territorial Force (TF) created under the Haldane Reforms in 1908, the East London Brigade becoming the 2nd London Brigade in 1st London Division. The commander and staff continued to be provided by the Grenadier Guards up to the outbreak of war in 1914. All of the Volunteer Battalions in the Central London area became part of the all-Territorial London Regiment and were numbered sequentially through the London brigades and divisions: