42 (North West) Brigade

The North West region is home to two Infantry Battalions and a General Support Medical Regiment from the Regular Army totalling 2000 soldiers. There are 10 major Territorial Army units including a Royal Artillery Regiment, a Royal Engineer Regiment, a Royal Signals Regiment, two Infantry Battalions, two Field Hospitals, a Transport Regiment and two University Officer Training Corps adding up to over 4,100 officers and soldiers. The Army's commitment to youth is shown by the presence of some 7000 cadets. The North West also provides nearly 20% of the Army's recruits, many of whom serve in our local county regiments: The King's Own Royal Border Regiment, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment, The King's Regiment and The Cheshire Regiment.

Units from 42 (North West) Brigade have recently been deployed on operations in Northern Ireland, the Balkans and Sierra Leone. An infantry platoon from a TA infantry regiment deployed to Afghanistan to assist in the peacekeeping mission, the first time the TA infantry had deployed as a composite unit to an operational theatre since the World War II. Additionally, each year, over 200 TA and women serve voluntarily as individual reinforcements on operations with the Regular Army. Both Regular and TA troops from the Region provided valuable assistance in fighting the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak in Cumbria and Lancashire.

The Brigade can trace its origins from the end of the 19th Century when the 11th (Lancashire) Brigade fought with distinction in South Africa. Indeed their famous battle of Spion Kop is recalled with many football grounds in the North West having an area still known as "The Kop". When 13 Territorial Divisions were formed in 1907 two were formed in Lancashire – the 42nd and the 55th. In both World Wars the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division was the first Territorial Division to be deployed from Britain. In World War I it recorded the highest number of VCs (12) among the non-regular divisions – including the only double VC to be awarded during the war. Further changes saw the North West District formed near Preston and in 1992 the creation of the current 42nd (North West) Brigade. The brigade's role is to provide a firm base and communal focus for the Army in the North West of England and the Isle of Man. It's units train for operations and take part in exercises at home and overseas. the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division was one of the first TA Divisions to deploy and in 1940 formed part of the BEF in France. Prior to deployment, the division adopted a new formation badge.