composed largely of conscripts. In October the battalion became part of the 208th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), then serving in Scotland under Scottish Command, but in December was transferred to Brigadier The O'Donovan's 125th Infantry Brigade (which also included the 1/5th and 1/6th Battalions of the Lancashire Fusiliers), part of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division commanded by Major-General Henry Willcox, which had fought with distinction in France with the BEF, and was now stationed in East Anglia on anti-invasion duties. In late June 1941, after commanding his battalion for over 10 months, he went on to be Chief Instructor at the Senior Officers' School, Sheerness, and was promoted to the local rank of colonel in late July. The school was then focused on preparing relatively junior officers, mainly majors, for the command of battalions and regiments. Promoted to the acting rank of brigadier in March 1942 (and acting colonel on the same date, six months later temporary colonel and temporary brigadier), Lyne was given command of the 169th (London) Infantry Brigade, part of the 56th (London) Infantry Division, then commanded by Major General Eric Miles, who Lyne knew briefly when the latter was General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 42nd Division from late April 1941. The brigade, which Lyne would command for the next two years in several different countries and in some of the most difficult battles of the war, was known as the "Queen's Brigade" as it contained three second-line Territorial Army (TA) battalions of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey). The 169th Brigade had formerly been the 35th Infantry Brigade, part of the 12th (Eastern) Division, which had been severely mauled while serving with the BEF before joining the 56th Division in July 1940, after the 12th Division was broken up, which was then the 1st London Division before being redesignated 56th Division in November, the 35th Brigade becoming the 169th Brigade at the same time. The 169th Brigade was one of three brigades which constituted the 56th Division, the other two being the 167th and 168th, along with supporting divisional troops. The division was then serving in East Anglia, Lyne's brigade stationed in Nacton, Suffolk, and in June orders were received to prepare to mobilise for active service overseas. The Middle East and North Africa The next few weeks for the 56th Division were hectic as it began to mobilise for service overseas, which was