151st Infantry Brigade ( United Kingdom ) The 151st Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation during World War II . It was part of the 50th ( Northumbrian ) Infantry Division , and for most of its existence consisted of three battalies of the Durham Light Infantry ( DLI ) . History . This brigade was a 1st Line Territorial Army unit . During the war , the Brigade fought in France in 1940 , in North Africa in 1942 and 1943 , in Sicily in 1943 , and in France , Belgium , and the Netherlands in 1944 . Battle of France . 50th Division with the Brigade was deployed to France with the British Expeditionary Force ( BEF ) in January 1940 . The BEF was deployed on the border of Belgium , around the city of Lille . In May 1940 , German armoured forces broke through French positions east of the BEF , and moved rapidly across its rear , separating it from the main French armies . Arras counterattack . To close this gap , General Weygand ordered a counterattack by British forces around the city of Arras . " Frankforce " was to include the 5th and 50th Divisions and the 1st Army Tank Brigade . The attack was actually made by just two battalions of the 151st Brigade , the 6th and 8th DLI , with the 4th and 7th Royal Tank Regiment s . The attack made significant progress before it was stopped , and the shocked Germans estimated that five divisions had attacked . It may have been one of the factors for the surprise German halt on 24 May that let the BEF begin evacuation from Dunkirk . Evacuation . After the failure of the Arras attack , the BEF had to get out of France . Most of 151st Brigade and 50th Division were fortunate enough to get out at Dunkirk , but had to leave all equipment behind . On returning home , 151st Infantry Brigade and 150th Infantry Brigade were joined by the 69th Infantry Brigade , from the now disbanded 23rd ( Northumbrian ) Division , to complete 50th Division . It remained in Britain until 22 April 1941 , when it was sent to the Middle East . North Africa . In April 1941 , 50th Division with the Brigade was dispatched to the Middle East . The Brigade was first deployed in Cyprus , then in Iraq , Syria , and Egypt . In May 1942 , 50th Division was deployed in Libya as part of XIII Corps in Eighth Army . Battle of Gazala . On 27 May 1942 , Rommel attacked the Allied position at Gazala , leading the Afrika Korps in a flanking march around the left ( southern ) end of the Allied line . 50th Division held the center of the Allied line , with 151st Brigade on its right ( see map at right - 151st Brigade ' s " box " is due south of the town of Gazala ) . During the battle , 151st Brigade remained facing east against a feigned Axis attack , and did repulse a feinting attack by Italian troops . By 14 June , Rommel had won a decisive victory , and Eighth Army ordered the evacuation of the Gazala line . 50th Division was cut off from the coast road to Tobruk , so General Ramsden ordered 151st Brigade ( and 69th Brigade ) to break through the Italian forces to their front , then circle south before turning east . This remarkable maneuver succeeded completely . On the evening 14 June , 8th Battalion DLI made 151st Brigade ' s breakthrough , and the rest of the Brigade followed , except for 9th Battalion DLI . 9th DLI was cut off to the west , went north , and joined 1st South African Division ' s retreat along the coast . The rest of 151st Brigade continued east into Egypt , where 9th DLI rejoined them . Mersa Matruh . 50th Division was transferred to X Corps on 24 June . Eighth Army ordered X Corps and XIII Corps to make a rear - guard stand at Mersa Matruh . 151st Brigade was deployed about 17 miles south of Mersa Matruh . On 27 June , the German 90th Light Division attacked 151st Brigade , striking 9th DLI which lost 300 prisoners . On 28 June , British forces abandoned the Mersa Matruh position . On 1 July , 50th Division was withdrawn into Eighth Army reserve in Egypt . Private Adam Wakenshaw VC . Adam Herbert Wakenshaw , 28 year old private in the 9th DLI , was awarded the Victoria Cross for his valiant actions in the face of the enemy on 27 June 1942 south of Mersa Matruh . El Alamein . On 5 October , 50th Division rejoined XIII Corps in preparation for the Second Battle of El Alamein . During the opening phase of the battle ( 24 – 25 October ) , 50th Division attacked the Italian 185th Parachute Division Folgore in the southern part of the line with little success . On 29 October , 151st Brigade was attached to the 2nd New Zealand Division for Operation " Supercharge " , a new attack at " Kidney Ridge " on 2 November . 151st Brigade was on the right for the initial drive through the German minefields , which started at 1 AM and was a success . The next afternoon , while the tank forces battled , 151st Brigade pressed on to " SKINFLINT " , a position about two miles west - south - west of Kidney Ridge . That evening , 151st Brigade was withdrawn to XXX Corps reserve , and took no further part in the battle . On 11 November it was returned to 50th Division . Tunisia . By March 1943 , Eighth Army had driven Axis forces all the way across Libya and into Tunisia . Here the Axis forces made a stand , occupying the old French fortifications of the Mareth Line . 50th Division , now part of XXX Corps , was part of the assault on 19 March 1943 ( Operation Pugilist ) . After the collapse of the Mareth Line , Axis forces retreated north , shortening the front . On 24 April , 50th Division was withdrawn to Eighth Army reserve . Invasion of Sicily . 50th Division , with the Brigade , was again assigned to XIII Corps for Operation " Husky " , the Allied invasion of Sicily . On 10 July , the 151st Brigade landed in the Gulf of Noto , at Avola ; its objective was the hills above the landing beaches . The Brigade fought in eastern Sicily until 13 August , a few days before the fall of Messina . Northwest Europe . D - Day . After Sicily , 50th Division , including the Brigade , did not participate in the Allied invasion of Italy . Instead , by request of General Bernard Law Montgomery , on 19 October 1943 , 50th Division was withdrawn to Britain for reforming and training , in preparation for the invasion of northwest Europe . The Division and Brigade were under XXX Corps in the British Second Army . Assignment . 50th Division was designated to land on Gold Beach , in company with the 8th Armoured Brigade . The 151st Brigade was part of the second wave , to land after the beach was secure and push inland . The Brigade was to move southwest from Gold Beach toward " Route Nationale " 13 . Action . The 151st Brigade came ashore as planned , and got to the outskirts of Bayeux . During the next week the Brigade advanced past Bayeux . On 14 June , the Brigade fought in Operation Perch against the Panzer Lehr Division . The Brigade made the initial assault on the villages of Lingèvres and Verrières , which were captured by the 9th DLI . Later that day the Brigade and the 231st Brigade , also of the 50th Division , were cut off south of the villages , formed a " brigade box " and repulsed heavy German counterattacks before withdrawing . The Brigade continued to fight in Normandy until the German rout in August . Operation Market Garden . 151st Brigade was part of " Garden " , the ground component of Operation Market - Garden . The " Garden " force was XXX Corps , spearheaded by the Guards Armoured Division , with the 43rd Wessex and 50th Division in reserve . On 23 September , 151st Brigade was ordered to move north and east of Eindhoven with 231st Brigade to guard the right flank . On 30 September , all of 50th Division was tasked with guarding the bridge and bridgehead north of Nijmegen , called " the Island " . The first German counterattack was by seventy tanks and the equivalent of an infantry division . There were several more strong German attacks , and 50th Division and the Brigade took substantial losses . Training service . After this very heavy fighting , 50th Division and the Brigade were pulled out of action . On 2 December , the Division and Brigade were withdrawn to Britain , and converted to training formations . The 9th DLI was removed from the Brigade , and replaced by 1st / 7th Battalion of the Queen ' s Royal Surrey Regiment . The Brigade was disbanded at the end of August 1945 .