page_title: 56th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
section_title: Second World War
hierarchical_section_title: 56th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) / History / Second World War
caption_attribution_description: English: The British Army in Normandy 1944 Infantry of 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment file past a knocked out German Panther tank on a road near Tilly-sur-Seulles, 19 June 1944.
context_page_description: The 56th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in both the First and the Second World Wars.
context_section_description: During the Second World War the 56th Independent Infantry Brigade was reformed in the United Kingdom on 15 February 1944. The brigade consisted of three Regular Army infantry battalions that had all seen service overseas: the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers (SWB), which had fought in the Norwegian Campaign in 1940, 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment and 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, which both fought at the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940.
  The 56th Brigade took part in the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, as part of the Allied invasion of Normandy, where it formed the right flank of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division on Gold Beach. It remained attached to the 50th Division until 10 June, after which it was attached to the 7th Armoured Division until 12 June, then reverting to the 50th Division and came under command of the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division in early August 1944. On 20 August the brigade was permanently attached to the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, then commanded by Major General Evelyn Barker, a decorated veteran of the Great War. Serving alongside the 56th Brigade in the division were the 146th and 147th Infantry Brigades, along with supporting divisional units. The brigade replaced the 70th Brigade, which was disbanded due to heavy losses.
  The 56th Brigade took part in the Normandy landings, liberated Bayeux on 7 June leaving the town mainly intact. All its battalions were involved in the taking of Tilly-sur-Seulles with the 2nd Essex finally investing the town. Later actions were north of St Germain d'Ectot and the liberation of Thury-Harcourt in the Suisse Normande. It was prominent in the drive towards Le Havre and the 49th was one of the assault divisions taking the city in Operation Astonia in September 1944. Continuing to fight in Belgium at Poppel and then the Netherlands it was the assault brigade for the final assault on Arnhem in April 1945. The 56th served well, and ended the war in Germany. The division came mainly under command of First Canadian Army throughout the campaign.
caption: Infantrymen of the 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment file past a knocked out German Panther tank on a road near Tilly-sur-Seulles, France, 19 June 1944.
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