The brigade was stationed in Sierra Leone from January to June 1941. It then travelled on to Egypt, arriving in July, where it came under Middle East Forces, spending short periods under command of 4th Indian Infantry Division, XIII Corps, and British Eighth Army, while most of its units were stripped away. In November 1941, Brigade HQ and 1/4th Essex sailed again to Cyprus, where it was joined by two Indian Army battalions and assigned to 5th Indian Division. On 26 November 1941 the brigade was transferred to the Indian Army as 161st Indian Infantry Brigade. As an Indian Army formation, it took part in the Western Desert and Burma campaigns, playing a large part in fighting the Imperial Japanese Army in the Siege of Kohima in mid-1944.