169th (3rd London) Brigade

North London Brigade 3rd London Brigade 169th (3rd London) Brigade 3rd London Infantry Brigade 169th (London) Infantry Brigade
Formation sign of the 56th (1/1st London) Division, First World War.
Active	1888–1915 1915–1920 1920–1940 1940–1947
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry Motorised infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	56th (London) Infantry Division
Nickname(s)	"The Black Cats" (Second World War) "The Queen's Brigade"
Engagements	First World War Second World War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Lewis Lyne
Insignia
Identification symbol	56th Division insignia during the Second World War, featuring Dick Whittington's black cat on a red background.

The 169th (3rd London) Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in both the First and the Second World Wars. Throughout its existence the brigade, serving under numerous many different titles and designations, was an integral part of the 56th (London) Infantry Division. It served on the Western Front (World War I) and in the North African and Italian campaigns during World War II.

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 as the 19th Century progressed. 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 North London Brigade was one of the formations organised at this time. The Commanding Officer of the Coldstream Guards and his Adjutant were ex officio the brigade commander and Brigade major, while the Coldstream Guards' orderly room at Wellington Barracks acted as Brigade Headquarters. The brigade's original composition was:

North London Brigade

This organisation was carried over into the Territorial Force (TF) when that was created under the Haldane Reforms in 1908, the North London Brigade becoming the 3rd London Brigade in 1st London Division. The commander and staff continued to be provided by the Coldstream 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: