Essex Brigade

Essex Brigade 161st (Essex) Brigade 161st Infantry Brigade 161st Independent Infantry Brigade
54th (East Anglian) Division badge, Second World War
Active	1888–1941, 1947
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Territorial Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division
Engagements	Gallipoli Campaign Senussi Campaign Battle of Romani First Battle of Gaza Second Battle of Gaza Third Battle of Gaza Battle of Megiddo (1918)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Col Edward Bulfin Brig-Gen Sydney Lawford

The Essex Brigade, later 161st Brigade and 161st Infantry Brigade, was a volunteer infantry brigade formation of the British Army in existence from 1888 until 1941, and again from 1947. It served at Gallipoli and in Palestine during World War I and returned to Egypt in the early part of World War II before transferring to the British Indian Army and redesignated 161st Indian Infantry Brigade. In peacetime and during the wars the brigade was an integral part of the 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division and contained mostly battalions of the Essex Regiment.

The Cardwell Reforms introduced the concept of 'localisation of the forces', whereby the country was divided into county sub-districts organised round the newly linked Line infantry battalions, to which the Militia and Volunteer Corps of the county were attached. The County of Essex was covered by Brigade No 44 based on the depot of the 44th Foot, later the Essex Regiment, at Warley Barracks.

Under a short-lived mobilisation scheme around 1880 the volunteers in Essex were organised into two local Brigades:

Local Brigade No 5

Local Brigade No 6

In 1883, the RVCs formally became Volunteer Battalions (VBs) of their linked county regiment.