24th Infantry Brigade ( United Kingdom ) The 24th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation from the First World War to 1999 . History . 1914 - 1918 . The Brigade was first formed as part of the 8th Infantry Division by battalions returning from overseas stations to reinforce British forces on the Western Front in France . The Brigade moved to France with the rest of the 8th Division in November 1914 and fought there for the entire war . 1939 - 1945 . In 1940 as 24th Guards Brigade , under the command of Brigadier Colin Gubbins , it was part of Lieutenant General H . R . S . Massey ' s unsuccessful British force that was sent to Norway in April . It arrived in Narvik on April 15 , 1940 and was evacuated on June 8 , 1940 . In 1942 - 1943 the Brigade formed part of the British 1st Infantry Division and the British 6th Armoured Division during the fighting in Tunisia and Algeria . From December 7 , 1943 to August 31 , 1945 it served in the Italian Campaign mainly with the 6th South African Armoured Division . As 24th Guards Brigade it was part of the force that liberated Trieste in 1945 , but soon afterwards lost its ' Guards ' title as the Guards units were withdrawn from the brigade . Post World War II . The Brigade was withdrawn from Trieste by 1954 . In 1960 as 24th Infantry Brigade Group the brigade ' s commander , Brigadier D . G . Horsford , was rushed from Kenya to Kuwait to take command of the British land forces assembled to dissuade President Kassem of Iraq from invading the country ( Operation Vantage ) . By December 1963 Kenya gained its independence , and the Brigade was reduced to two battalions , 2nd Battalion Scots Guards and 1st Battalion Staffordshire Regiment , both at Kahawa , plus 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery and 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders at Gilgil . It was involved in putting down indigenous army mutinies which sprang up in Zanzibar , Tanzania , Uganda ( see Ugandan People ' s Defence Force ) , and Kenya itself in January 1964 . Brigade Headquarters left Kenya for Aden at the end of October 1964 , and stayed there until the final British evacuation of Aden in November 1967 . On its return home it joined 3rd Infantry Division in 1968 as part of Army Strategic Command and was based at Crownhill Fort in Plymouth , now restored and a museum . The accommodation being across the A386 in Plumer barracks , on Fort Austin Avenue . The Brigade arrived in Northern Ireland at the start of The Troubles in mid - 1969 and was back again in June 1970 . The brigade was soon afterward reorganised as 24th Airmobile Brigade at Streatlam barracks , Barnard Castle , County Durham . At this time the Brigade headquarters consisted of elements from various units . There was a large contingent of Royal Corps of Signals ( 210 Signal Squadron ) , Royal Pioneer Corps , Intelligence Corps and Royal Army Ordnance Corps . After its reformation in 1983 , It became part of the 2nd Infantry Division . It had the war role of putting an airmobile anti - tank barrier in the face of any Soviet breakthrough of I ( BR ) Corps defences in Germany . Elements served with UNPROFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995 , as part of the ' Rapid Reaction Force . ' It combined with elements of 5th Airborne Brigade to become 16 ( Air Assault ) Brigade . Notes . Additional information from 24149293 Signalman C . O . Napier . 210 signal squadron 1969 to 1972 .