15 (North East) Brigade

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The Army's Largest Brigade. The Merlin, a small bird of prey which lives and hunts in the hills and moorlands of North East England, is the emblem of the Army’s largest brigade. 15 (North East) Brigade covers an area the size of Belgium and serves a civilian population of more than 8.5 million.

Location and Role. 15 (North East) Brigade, with its HQ at Imphal Barracks in York, trains and administers over 10,500 Regular and Territorial Army (TA) soldiers, preparing them for operations. Many of them have recently served on peacekeeping and peace support operations in the Balkans. The Brigade has an emergency planning and home defence role, liaising with the police, fire and ambulance services in 27 unitary authorities and three shire counties.

Brigade Units. The Brigade administers over 50 units covering the full range of military capabilities; infantry, engineers, signalers and transport. It is home to the only TA Parachute Battalion in the UK as well as two of the Army’s three MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) Artillery Regiments. The Defence School of Transport, the largest driving school in Europe, is based in Leconfield, East Yorkshire. The Army Foundation College at Harrogate trains 16 year olds for the Royal Armoured Corps, the Royal Artillery and the Infantry.

The Cadets. The Army Cadet Force and Combined Cadet Force, the Army’s voluntary youth organisation for 13 to 18 year olds, is strong in the North East with 7,700 cadets.

History. The 15th Infantry Brigade was first formed in 1905 and up to the outbreak of the First World War served in Ireland. During the First World War the Brigade saw action at Mons, Le Cateau, the crossings of the Marne and Aisne rivers, and Flanders. It distinguished itself at Ypres in November 1914.

In 1929 the Brigade moved to York. It served in all theatres except the Pacific during the Second World War - traveling some 30,000 miles. The Brigade was disbanded in Hanover in March 1948 and was reformed in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire in January 1982 providing a one star command structure for various TA units. It moved from Topcliffe to York in November 1992.

The Brigade has been restructured several times - the last being as a result of the Government’s Strategic Defence Review in 1998.

Queens Own Yeomanry on exercise