World War I The Brigade traces its historic title back to the
First World War when the original 107th Infantry Brigade fought with distinction, alongside its sister formations of 108th Infantry Brigade and 109th Infantry Brigade, as the senior component of
36th (Ulster) Division. In September 1914 it was raised the 1st Brigade of that Division, but on 2 November 1914 it was renumbered 107. The 36th Division itself had been formed in September 1914 as part of the New Armies raised by
Kitchener. It consisted of the old
Ulster Volunteer Force, which had originally been raised to resist the imposition of
Home Rule. Casualties throughout the War meant that many of the original battalions were to be amalgamated or disbanded as hostilities continued. In early 1918, on re-organisation, 107 Brigade consisted of the 1st and 2nd (Regular) and the 15th (Service) Battalions of the Royal Irish Rifles. In March 1918 the 36th Division, in the St Quentin Sector, was part of the
Fifth Army and it was upon this Army that the main weight of the
German spring offensive fell. The retreat which followed ended on 29 March and the Ulster Division moved north to the Ypres Salient. It thereafter took part in the successful offensive operations, which culminated in the cessation of hostilities in November 1918. •
Brig Gen Couchman
CB until 20 Oct 1915 • Brig Gen W M Withycombe
CMG DSO until 7 Mar 1917 • Brig Gen F J M Rowley DSO until 2 Jun 1917 • Brig Gen W M Withycombe CMG DSO until 20 Apr 1918 • Brig Gen E I de S Thorpe CMG DSO until 18 Sep 1918 • Brig Gen H J Brock CB CMG DSO
Order of battle World War I From 5 November 1915 to 3 February 1916, the 107th Brigade was attached to
4th Division •
107th Brigade Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals, at
Belfast • 5th Battalion,
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at
Derry • 6th Battalion,
Royal Ulster Rifles at Belfast • 5th Battalion,
Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) at
Armagh •
661st (Ulster) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, at
Bangor, County Down •
591st (Antrim) Independent Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, at Bangor • 601st Company,
Royal Army Service Corps • 107th Brigade
Royal Army Ordnance Corps • 107th Brigade
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers • 107th Field Ambulance,
Royal Army Medical Corps Modern times In July 1965 it became known that the reorganisation of the Territorial Army into the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve would entail the disbandment of 107 (Ulster) Brigade on 31 March 1967. This was part of the complete reorganisation, announced in the
1966 Defence White Paper, which abolished the former regimental and divisional structure of the Territorial Army. A cell within
Headquarters Northern Ireland then oversaw the administration of the Territorial Army in Northern Ireland until the decision was taken that 107 Brigade would again enter the British Army's Order of Battle and this took place on 2 November 1988. It was formed as an administrative headquarters to coordinate the TA units in Northern Ireland. It only became a deployable formation in the 1990s. The Brigade merged on 15 December 2006 into the
39 Infantry Brigade, which was itself replaced by the new regional brigade headquarters,
38 (Irish) Brigade, on 1 August 2007. ==References==