TheWessex Brigade was an administrative formation of theBritish Army from 1948 to 1968. TheBrigade administered the regularinfantryregiments of theWessex area of south and south westEngland.
After theSecond World War the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter. The depots were territorially organised, andInfantry Depot H atBulford Camp in Wiltshire was the headquarters for the six county regiments that recruited inBerkshire,Devon,Dorset,Gloucestershire,Hampshire, theIsle of Wight andWiltshire.[1]
In 1948, the depots adopted names and this depot became the Wessex Brigade, with all regiments being reduced to a single battalion at the same time. The Wessex Brigade was formally formed atExeter on 28 October 1948 and combined the depots of the following regiments:[2]
Under theDefence Review announced in July 1957, the infantry of the line was reorganised, and the number of battalions was reduced to four by amalgamation. Accordingly, on 17 May 1958, the Devonshire Regiment and Dorset Regiment were amalgamated into theDevonshire and Dorset Regiment, while on 9 June 1959 the Royal Berkshire Regiment and the Wiltshire Regiment were merged into theDuke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire).[3]
Proposals were made over the next decade to amalgamate the Gloucesters and Royal Hampshires, which went as far as the battalions reducing ready for amalgamation, but this was cancelled less than two weeks before formation day.
From 1958 all regiments in the Brigade adopted a common cap badge consisting of the Wessexwyvern on a plinth inscribedWessex.[4] From 1960 the Wessex Brigade was based atWyvern Barracks inExeter.[5]
On 1 July 1968 the Wessex Brigade was united with theWelsh andMercian Brigades, to form the Prince of Wales's Division.[6]
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