The 56th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in both the First and the Second World Wars. History First World War The 56th Brigade was raised soon after the outbreak of the First World War in September 1914 from men, mainly from Lancashire and Northern England, volunteering for Kitchener's New Armies. The 56th Brigade was assigned to the 19th (Western) Division and served on the Western Front from 1915 and was disbanded after the war. The brigade saw service at the Battle of Loos in late 1915, and at during the Somme offensive, at Albert and Pozières and later at Messines in June 1917, Third Ypres and, in 1918, at Sambre, part of the Hundred Days Offensive. Order of battle 7th (Service) Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) (disbanded February 1918) 7th (Service) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment (disbanded February 1918) 7th (Service) Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment (disbanded February 1918) 7th (Service) Battalion, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) (disbanded February 1918) 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) (from 3 December 1915 to 19 December 1915) 56th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (formed 14 February 1916, moved to 19th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 14 February 1918) 56th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 17 June 1916, broken up 5 February 1918, reformed 6 March 1918) 9th (Service) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (from February 1918) 1/4th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry (from February 1918) 8th (Service) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment (from February 1918) Commanders Brigadier-General B. G. Lewis (from 18 September 1914, sick 17 December 1915) Lieutenant-Colonel C. S. Shepherd (Acting, from 17 December 1915 until 19 December 1915) Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. P. Winser (Acting, from 19 December 1915 until 22 December 1915) Brigadier-General C. A. C. van Straubenzee (from 22 December 1915 until 6 June 1916) Lieutenant-Colonel T. Fitzjohn (Acting, from 6 June 1916 until 11 June 1916) Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. P. Winser (Acting, from 11 June 1916 until 13 June 1916) Brigadier-General F. G. M. Rowley (from 13 June 1916 until 20 November 1916) Brigadier-General W. Long (from 20 November 1916, KIA 28 January 1917) Colonel C. V. Trower (Acting, from 28 January 1917 until 1 February 1917) Brigadier-General E. Craig-Brown (from 1 February 1917 until 5 September 1917) Lieutenant-Colonel T. Fitzjohn (Acting, from 5 September 1917 until 6 September 1917) Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. P. Winser (Acting, on 6 September 1917) Brigadier-General F. G. Willan