224th Brigade (United Kingdom)
| 4th Provisional Brigade 224th Mixed Brigade 224th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) |
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|---|---|
| Active | 1915–1919 10 October 1940 – 22 December 1941 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
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| Branch |
 British Army
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| Type | Infantry Brigade |
| Role | Training and Home Defence |
| Part of | Durham and North Riding County Division (1941) |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
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The 224th Brigade was a Home Defence formation of the British Army in World War I and World War II. It existed under several variations of the 224th Brigade title.
On the outbreak of World War I the Territorial Force (TF) immediately mobilised for home defence, but shortly afterwards (31 August 1914), its units were authorised to raise 2nd battalions formed from those men who had not volunteered for, or were not fit for, overseas service, together with new volunteers, while the 1st Line went overseas to supplement the Regulars. Early in 1915 the 2nd Line TF battalions were raised to full strength to form new divisions, and began to form Reserve (3rd Line) units to supply drafts. The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions (termed Provisional Battalions from June 1915). The 4th Provisional Brigade was formed mainly from details of regiments from Wales and North-West England, with the following composition:
In March 1916 the Provisional Brigades were concentrated along the South and East Coast of England. The units of the brigade moved from their home depots to Norfolk, where it was attached to 64th (2nd Highland) Division under the control of Northern Army of Central Force, with its battalions billeted across Norfolk as follows:
In September 1916 the brigade was joined by 2/1st Home Counties (Kent) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (4 x 4.7-inch guns) at Mundesley.
The Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The Provisional Brigades thus became anomalous, and at the end of 1916 their units became numbered battalions of their parent units. Part of their role was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas. The 4th Provisional Brigade became the 224th Mixed Brigade in December 1916, with its units re-designated as shown below: In May 1918 each of the Mixed Brigades was called upon to provide a battalion (re-designated a Garrison Guard battalion) to reconstitute the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, which had been virtually destroyed during the German Spring Offensive. The Brigade supplied the 23rd Cheshire Regiment to the 178th (2/1st Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Brigade and immediately raised a new 24th (Home Service) Battalion, Cheshires to take over its coast defence duties. The brigade remained with this composition until the end of the war, after which it was demobilised.
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