| 1st Guards Brigade | |
|---|---|
 Guards Division Insignia. | |
| Active | 20 August 1915 – 1919 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | Guards Division |
| Engagements | First World War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | George Jeffreys |
The1st Guards Brigade was aninfantrybrigade of theBritish Army, formed in theFirst World War. It was formed in August 1915 by the redesignation of the4th (Guards) Brigade on its transfer from the2nd Division to theGuards Division. It served with the Guards Division on theWestern Front for the rest of the war.
The4th Brigade was aninfantrybrigade of theBritish Army with a history that stretched back to theNapoleonic Wars.[1][2] At the outbreak ofWorld War I in August 1914, the 4th Brigade was aregular army formation stationed inLondon District and assigned to the2nd Division.[3] It was designated as4th (Guards) Brigade as it commanded fourbattalions ofFoot Guards.[4]
The brigade was among the first British formations to be sent overseas as part of theBritish Expeditionary Force (BEF), crossing to France between 11 and 16 August 1914. It served on theWestern Front in 1914 and 1915 taking part in theBattle of Mons (23 and 24 August 1914), theFirst Battle of the Marne (6 – 9 September), theFirst Battle of the Aisne (13 – 20 September), theFirst Battle of Ypres (19 October – 30 November), and theBattle of Festubert (15 – 20 May 1915).[5]
On 19 August 1915, the brigade was transferred complete to the newly formedGuards Division and redesignated as1st Guards Brigade the next day.[6] It remained with the division for the rest of the war, serving exclusively on the Western Front.[7]
In September 1915, the brigade took part in theBattle of Loos (26 September – 8 October) andHohenzollern Redoubt (18 – 19 October). In 1916, it fought in the later stages of theBattle of the Somme, in particular theBattle of Flers–Courcelette (15 – 16 and 20 – 22 September), theBattle of Morval (25 – 28 September), and theCapture of Lesboeufs (25 September). In 1917, it saw action in theBattle of Passchendaele including theBattle of Pilckem Ridge (31 July – 2 August), theBattle of Poelcappelle (9 October), and theFirst Battle of Passchendaele (12 October). It then took part in theBattle of Cambrai (24 November – 3 December).[7]
In February 1918, British[a] divisions on theWestern Front were reduced from a 12-battalion to a 9-battalion basis (brigades from four to three battalions).[6] As a result, the4th Guards Brigade was formed on 8 February 1918 by taking a battalion from each of the brigades of the Guards Division and the 1st Guards Brigade lost the 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards.[8][b]
1918 saw the return of the war of movement. It had to withstand theGerman Army'sSpring Offensive in theFirst Battles of the Somme (1 – 25 March) then switched over to counter-attack in theSecond Battles of the Somme (21 – 23 August), theSecond Battle of Arras (26 August – 3 September), theBattles of the Hindenburg Line (12 September – 12 October), and in theFinal Advance in Picardy including the battles of theSelle and of theSambre. Its final action was the Capture ofMaubeuge on 9 November.[9]
After the signing of theArmistice of 11 November 1918, the brigade was atAssevent, north-east of Maubeuge,[10] and on 17 November it regained 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards from the disbanding 4th Guards Brigade. The next day it began the march on Germany and crossed the frontier on 11 December. By 19 December it had reached theCologne area. Battalions started returning to England on 20 February 1919 and the last units had completed the move by 29 April.[9]
The following units served in the brigade:[6]
The brigade had the following commanders:[12]
| From | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 29 June 1915 | Brigadier GeneralG.P.T. Feilding | wounded, 8 December 1915[c] |
| 8 December 1915 | Lieutenant ColonelG.D. Jeffreys | acting |
| 13 December 1915 | Brigadier-General G.P.T. Feilding | invalided for treatment, 15 December 1915 |
| 15 December 1915 | Lieutenant-Colonel G.D. Jeffreys | acting |
| 9 January 1916 | Brigadier-GeneralC.E. Pereira | |
| 31 December 1916 | Brigadier-General G.D. Jeffreys | |
| 22 September 1917 | Brigadier-GeneralC.R. Champion de Crespigny |