Mobilisation On the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, the Welsh Division's units were at their annual camp when they were ordered to return to their headquarters to mobilise. They gathered at their war stations by 11 August. On that date, TF units were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service and on 15 August the
War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 percent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. The 5th and 6th Cheshires were among the earliest TF battalions to volunteer and left the brigade to join the
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the
Western Front. Initially they were replaced in the 1st Cheshire Brigade by their second line battalions, the 2/5th and 2/6th, but although uniformed and partially equipped, these units were totally unarmed. The Welsh Division had concentrated in the
Northampton area by the end of August 1914, where training was frequently interrupted by trench digging operations along the East Coast. On 18 November 1914 the Welsh Division was warned for garrison service in
India, but this order was cancelled on 25 November. Nevertheless, preparations continued for service overseas, and in April the unarmed and untrained 2nd Line battalions were replaced by other TF units that were fit for service (the 2/5th and 2/6th Cheshires joined the
2/1st Cheshire Brigade in the
2nd Welsh Division). The Cheshire Brigade gained two 1st Line battalions of the
Welsh Regiment previously assigned to the independent South Wales Brigade. On 13 May 1915, the 1st Welsh Division became the
53rd (Welsh) Division and the Cheshire Brigade was designated the
159th (Cheshire) Brigade. It had been at
Cambridge since December 1914, now it moved to
Bedford.
Order of Battle The brigade had the following composition during the war: • 1/4th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment –
left for Western Front 31 May 1918 • 1/5th (Earl of Chester's) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment –
left for Western Front 14 February 1915 •
1/6th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment –
left for Western Front 9 November 1914 • 1/7th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment –
left for Western Front 1 June 1918 • No 2 (Cheshire) Section, Welsh Divisional Signal Company, RE • Cheshire Brigade Company, Welsh Divisional T & S Column, ASC –
left in England • 1/4th Battalion, Welsh Regiment –
joined 17 April 1915; amalgamated 30 July 1918 • 1/5th Battalion, Welsh Regiment –
joined 17 April 1915; amalgamated 30 July 1918 • 248 (Wessex) Horse Transport Company, ASC –
joined 17 March 1916 • 159th Machine Gun Company,
Machine Gun Corps (MGC) –
formed 20 April 1916; joined 53rd Battalion, MGC, April 1918 • 159th Trench Mortar Battery –
joined 28 June 1917 • 3rd Battalion,
152nd Punjabis –
joined 4 June 1918 • 2nd Battalion
153rd Punjabis –
joined 5 June 1918 • 4th/5th Battalion, Welsh Regiment –
formed 30 July 1918 • 1st Battalion, 153rd Punjabis –
joined 2 August 1918 Gallipoli On 2 July 1915 the 53rd (Welsh) Division was ordered to refit for service in the
Mediterranean. It embarked at
Devonport and the transports reached
Alexandria between 25 and 30 July before going on to
Lemnos between 29 July and 7 August. On the night of 8/9 August the division landed at
Suvla Bay on the
Gallipoli peninsula, where an
assault landing had been made two days before. After the failure of the Suvla Bay operations, the troops dug in and endured months of trench warfare and sickness. Due to casualties, the 1/4th and 1/5th Welsh had to be amalgamated as the 4th Welsh Composite Battalion. The number of sick grew worse after a three-day blizzard began on 27 November, and 53rd (W) Division was greatly reduced. 159th Brigade was attached to 2nd Mounted Division from 29 November to 9 December while preparations were made for evacuation. On 11 and 12 December the survivors of 53rd (W) Division were taken off the beach to
Mudros, where they transhipped to transports to take them back to Alexandria.
Egypt 53rd (Welsh) Division began arriving at Alexandria on 20 December and entrained for Wardan, where the last unit arrived on 23 December. Once in
Egypt the division was slowly rebuilt from drafts and returned casualties. The 1/4th and 1/5th Welsh resumed their separate identities on 20 February 1916. The division took its place in the
Suez Canal defences, with 159th Brigade in the Beni Salama sector. 159th Brigade was not engaged at the
Battle of Romani on 4–5 August.
Palestine In late 1916 the
Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) initiated the
Sinai and Palestine Campaign, during which 159th Brigade participated in the following actions: •
Second Battle of Gaza 17–19 April 1917: the brigade attacked with a single
Mark I Male tank in support. The brigade took its objective without opposition, but once again the attack was halted and the troops dug in. •
Third Battle of Gaza 27 October–7 November 1917: 53rd (W) Division marched off into the waterless hills before attacking, and the 4th and 5th Welsh suffered severely from thirst while driving in the Turkish positions, the 7th Cheshires protecting their flank. The 4th Welsh named the position they took as 'Stone High Hill'. Next day the brigade broke two Turkish counter-attacks. On 6 November a general advance began. •
Capture of Tel el Khuweilfe 7 November 1917: the situation was confused by dense fog, and after the advance the Turks still held Hill 1250 between 159th and
160th (Welsh) Brigades, 7th Cheshires running into a strong position across a ravine. It was mid-afternoon. before Brig-Gen Money was able to disengage 5th Welsh and send it to stop a Turkish counter-attack from Hill 1250 that had nearly reached Divisional HQ. •
Capture of Jerusalem 7–9 December 1917: the advance from
Hebron by 'Mott's Detachment' was led by 7th Cheshires under Lt-Col H.M. Lawrence, supported by cycle troops and
sappers, followed by 159th Brigade and then the rest of the division. The Turks abandoned their trenches under artillery fire and 7th Cheshires pushed on to
Solomon's Pools. Jerusalem fell to
60th (2/2nd London) Division on 9 December. • Affair at Zamby, 17–21 December: 7th Cheshires attempted to seize the hill of Ras ez Zamby on 17 December but ran into enfilade fire; 160th Brigade cleared 'Cheshire Ridge' on 21 December. •
Defence of Jerusalem 27–30 December 1917 •
Battle of Tell 'Asur 9–12 March 1918: On the night of 6/7 March 159th Brigade occupied the of
No man's land between the two armies to the jumping-off line selected for the next attack. Then early on the morning of 9 March the brigade attacked, 4th Cheshires supported by 7th Cheshires and 4th Welsh supported by 5th Welsh. The brigade advanced over a bare open ridge, but artillery support helped. The final objectives, however, proved too strong, and had to be taken next day. After a four-day operation 159th Brigade attacked before dawn on 12 March and took most of its objectives without opposition, with 4th Welsh taking a number of prisoners. The
German spring offensive on the Western Front led to urgent calls for reinforcements for the BEF, and the EEF was forced to relinquish many of its veteran battalions. 53rd (Welsh) Division was among those changed to an
Indian Army establishment of one British and three Indian battalions to each brigade. 159th Brigade lost its two remaining Cheshire battalions, while the 4th and 5th Welsh combined into a single battalion once more. The brigade was joined by three newly-formed Indian Army battalions. . For a few days after the battle 53rd Division was employed in clearing the battlefield and working on the
Nablus road. It then moved back by way of Tell 'Asur (26 September) to
Ramla (12 October). On 27 October it entrained for Alexandria and was
en route when the campaign was ended by the
Armistice of Mudros. Orders for
demobilisation arrived on 20 December and Indian units began to leave. By 7 March 1919 159th Brigade had been reduced to a
cadre. On 15 June the last British cadres moved to
Port Said for transport home.
Brigade commanders The following officers commanded the brigade during World War I: •
Colonel E.A. Cowans, appointed 25 June 1914, promoted to
Brigadier-General 5 August 1914 on the outbreak of war; wounded 14 August 1915 •
Lieutenant-Colonel H. Backhouse (7th Cheshire), acting, 14 August 1915 • Brig-Gen W.J.C. Butler, 24 August 1914 • Brig-Gen A.E. Cowans resumed command 21 September 1915; invalided 12 November 1915 • Lt-Col G.H. Swindells (4th Cheshire), acting, 12 November 1915 • Brig-Gen R.O'B. Taylor, 19 November 1915 • Lt-Col H.J. Kinsman, acting, 27 March 1916 • Brig-Gen J.H.Du B. Travers, 29 March 1916, sick 27 October 1917 • Lt-Col H.M. Lawrence (7th Cheshire), acting, 27 October 1917 • Brig-Gen
Noel Money (formerly 2/4th
Royal West Kent Regiment), 28 October 1917 ==Postwar==