The 44th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in both the First and the Second World Wars, and served with the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division.
First World War
The brigade was raised, as 44th Brigade, in 1914 as part of Kitchener's New Armies shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. With the 15th (Scottish) Division, the brigade saw active service on the Western Front in Belgium and France.
The brigade command the following units: 9th (Service) Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) (until February 1918) 8th (Service) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) 9th (Service) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders (left January 1915) 10th (Service) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders (left May 1916) 8th/10th (Service) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders (from May 1916 until June 1918) 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (from January 1915 until June 1918) 1/4th (City of Dundee) Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) (from November 1915 until January 1916) 44th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (formed 12 January 1916, moved to 15th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 17 March 1918) 44th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 25 June 1916) 4th/5th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) (from June 1918) 1/5th (Buchan and Formartine) Battalion, Gordon Highlanders (from June 1918)
In May 1916 the 8th and 10th (Service) battalions of the Gordon Highlanders merged to form the 8th/10th Battalion.
The North Uist-born war poet Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna, a highly important figure in 20th century Scottish Gaelic literature, saw combat with the 7th (Service) Battalion King's Own Cameron Highlanders, 44th Infantry Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division during the trench warfare along the Western Front and vividly described his war experiences in verse.
Second World War
The brigade was also active during the Second World War as the 44th Infantry Brigade, the formation was organised as a 2nd Line Territorial Army Brigade as a duplicate of the 155th Infantry Brigade, and again formed part of 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, which was itself the duplicate of the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division. Throughout the war the brigade went through many changes and reorganisations.
Order of battle
The brigade had the following composition: 8th Battalion, Royal Scots 6th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers 7th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers (until 5 October 1942) 44th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 14 October, disbanded 14 December 1940) 11th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (from 14 October until 27 December 1942) 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers (from 28 December 1942)
Training
The brigade remained in England at the Dene Park battle school near Tonbridge, for most of the war, before crossing the channel to fight in Normandy as part of Operation Overlord on 13 June 1944, a week after D-Day on 6 June. The brigade was now commanded by Brigadier Harry Cumming-Bruce.
On 7 November 1942, 181st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery ('The Shropshire Gunners') was assigned to the division and began training with 44th Brigade, with whose units it would operate in action: 177 Battery supporting 8th Royal Scots 178 Battery supporting 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers 179 Battery supporting 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers
Operation Epsom
Operation Epsom was an attack by the British Second Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey, which was intended to outflank and seize Caen in France during the Battle of Normandy. It failed with heavy casualties but forced the Germans to abandon their offensive plans in Normandy and tied most of their armoured units to a defensive role.
A preliminary attack, Operation Martlet, was launched on June 25 by the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division of XXX Corps, to secure ground on the flank of the intended advance. The attack gained some ground but the weather was still foul and the attackers were hampered by muddy ground and lack of air support. Some dominating terrain on the right flank of the intended attack by VIII Corps was still in German hands.
Nevertheless, to be certain of anticipating any German attack the main attack was launched on June 26. Although held up on parts of the front by infantry of 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division and the 31st Armoured Brigade gained four miles on their left flank. Further to their left the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division also gained ground. John Keegan described their advance: