107th (Ulster) Brigade - Post World War II

Post World War II

The second 107 Brigade was to be a Territorial Army formation. The Territorial Army throughout the United Kingdom was reconstituted in 1947 and, for the first time, there was a full scale TA organisation of all Arms in Ulster. Authority was given by the War Office for the formation on 1 January 1947 of 107 (Ulster) Independent Infantry Brigade (TA). Also at this time, Territorial infantry battalions of the three Regular infantry regiments of Northern Ireland were being formed, in addition to the various supporting Arms and Services

The strength of the Brigade at the end of 1947 was 77 Officers and 227 other ranks. As money became available for new and improved TA Centres recruiting continued to improve throughout the succeeding years, reaching a peak of almost 4,000 men in I960.

It was at this time that the Brigade sign of the Red Hand of Ulster set on a green shamrock superimposed on a black square was adopted, reflecting both the Red Hand used by the 36th (Ulster) Division and the shamrock used by both the 16th (Irish) Division of the First World War and the 38th (Irish) Brigade of the Second World War.

The first Camp for the whole Brigade, then with a complement of 73 officers and 710 other ranks, was for seven days duration in June 1948 at Ballyedmond, Co Down. By the late 1950s and early 1960s the numbers involved had grown considerably. The Brigade Camp at Bulford in 1956 and the 1959 and 1962 camps both at Castlemartin in Pembrokeshire, South Wales involved over 3,000 men and women. These involved sailings of three ships and up to eight special trains for each leg of the journey.

In July 1965 it became known that the reorganisation of the Territorial Army into the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve would entail the disbandment of 107 (Ulster) Brigade on 31 March 1967. This was part of the complete reorganisation, announced in the 1966 Defence White Paper, which abolished the former regimental and divisional structure of the TA.