131st Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)

Surrey Brigade
131st (Surrey) Brigade
131st Infantry Brigade
131st Lorried Infantry Brigade
131st Infantry Brigade
Active1888–1903
1908–1919
1920–1946
1947–1961
CountryUnited Kingdom
Branch Territorial Army
TypeInfantry
Lorried Infantry
SizeBrigade
Part of44th (Home Counties) Division
7th Armoured Division
Nickname(s)"The Queen's Brigade"
EngagementsSecond World War
Dunkirk evacuation
Western Desert Campaign
Tunisia Campaign
Italian Campaign
Battle of Normandy
North Germany
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Lashmer Whistler

The 131st Infantry Brigade, originally the Surrey Brigade was an infantry formation of Britain's Territorial Army that saw service during both the First and the Second World Wars. In the First World War the brigade was in British India for most of the war and did not see service as a complete unit but many of its battalions would see service in the Middle East.

The brigade, assigned to the 44th (Home Counties) Division, saw extensive service in the Second World War, in France and was later evacuated at Dunkirk in May 1940. It later saw service in the North African Campaign in late 1942 at El Alamein and Tunisia, Salerno in Italy, both in late 1943, and the invasion of Normandy and throughout North-west Europe from June 1944 until May 1945. From late 1942, when 44th Division was broken up, the brigade served with the 7th Armoured Division. Some sources call the brigade the 131st (Queen's) Brigade, due it being composed solely composed of battalions from the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey).