140th ( 4th London ) Brigade 140th ( 4th London ) Brigade ( 140 Bde ) was an infantry formation of Britain ' s Territorial Army that served in World War I and World War II . Origin . When the Territorial Force was created in 1908 under the Haldane Reforms , the existing volunteer units in the London area were brought together into a new London Regiment and organised into two divisions with a full complement of infantry brigades and supporting arms . 4th London Brigade formed part of 2nd London Division , with the following composition : The 4th London was sometimes known as ' The Grey Brigade ' from the original uniform colour of its constituent Rifle Volunteer battalions . This name was carried over from the South London Volunteer Infantry Brigade of the 1890s in which they had served . World War I . The outbreak of war on 4 August saw 4th London Brigade at Perham Down on Salisbury Plain , where it had just arrived for its annual training camp with the rest of 2nd London Division . They were immediately recalled to London to complete their mobilisation and by mid - August 4 London Bde had reached its war station round St Albans , Hertfordshire . The County of London Territorial Force Association immediately began raising ' Second Line ' battalions , which quickly led to the formation of a duplicate 2 / 4th London Brigade ( eventually 179th Brigade ) ; consequently 4th London Brigade became 1 / 4th and its battalions similarly renumbered ( 1 / 13th – 1 / 16th ) . Order of Battle . Several of the London battalions were politically well - connected and were selected for overseas service ahead of the bulk of the Territorial Force . Thus the London Scottish , Queen ' s Westminsters and Kensingtons went to the Western Front as individual battalions attached to the British Expeditionary Force , the London Scottish being the first TF infantry battalion to see action , at Messines on 31 October 1914 . These battalions were replaced by others from 2nd London Bde of 1st London Division , which had been temporarily broken up . The following units served in 140 Bde during World War I : The 1 / 15th Londons ( Civil Service Rifles ) was the only prewar battalion of the brigade to serve with it throughout the war . Service . In October 1914 , 2nd London Division was selected for service on the Western Front and progressive training was carried out through the winter . The division embarked for France in March 1915 , concentrating round Béthune . In May the division ( already known in France simply as ' The London Division ' to distinguish it from the Regular Army 2nd Division ) took its place in the line and was designated 47th ( 1 / 2nd London ) Division , with the brigades numbered consecutively : 4th London became 140th ( 1 / 4th London ) Brigade . Actions . During World War I the brigade was engaged in the following operations : 1915 1916 1917 Early in 1918 the brigade was completely reorganised ( " see Order of Battle above " ) 1918 After the Armistice , 47th Division was engaged in railway repair and then settled down around Bethune to await demobilisation . This began in January , and the last troops left France on 10 May 1919 . The brigade was demobilised at Felixstowe in May – June 1919 . Interwar years . 47th Division and its subformations began to reform in the redesignated Territorial Army in 1920 . 140 Bde was reformed with brigade HQ at the Regimental Headquarters of the Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks in Birdcage Walk . Initially the brigade was composed of its original prewar battalions , but in 1921 the Civil Service Rifles merged with the Queen ' s Westminsters , and the brigade was brought up to strength by the addition of the Artists ' Rifles : In the 1930s , reorganisation of the TA saw the division ' s traditional battalions being retasked and posted away , and it was disbanded in 1936 along with its brigades . The rapid expansion of the TA after the Munich Crisis saw 4th London Brigade reformed with Second Line TA battalions , to provide a duplicate of 1st London Brigade . 4th London Brigade resumed its number as 140 ( London ) Brigade on 21 November 1940 . World War II . The composition of 140 ( London ) Bde during World War II was as follows : 140 Bde did not see any active service in World War II . It mobilised as a motor brigade , but became a conventional infantry brigade in June 1940 . It was disbanded on 31 August 1944 . On 17 November 1944 , 213th Brigade ( which had recently joined 47th Division , now reformed as a reserve division ) was renumbered 140th Infantry Brigade , but without any London connection . The new brigade had the following composition : 140 Bde was not included in the Territorial Army when it reformed in 1947 . Commanders . 140 Brigade was commanded by the following officers :