Wessex Division/Brigade Insignia

[sailorbear]

Hi All.

The following extract from Wikipedia:
The 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was an infantry division of Britain's Territorial Army (TA). First formed as the Wessex Division in the Territorial Force in 1908, the division was broken up during World War I and never served as a complete formation. Reformed in the TA in 1920, it served with distinction in World War II in the campaign in North West Europe from June 1944 until May 1945, suffering heavy casualties but gaining an excellent reputation and was known to the Germans as the Yellow Devils. The division was reformed again in the postwar TA, becoming 43rd (Wessex) Division/District in 1961 and finally being disbanded in 1967.

Can anyone answer the following:

Did the Wessex Division and the Wessex Brigade exist at the same time, as the Wessex Brigade was created in 1948 and the Wessex Division, wasn't disbanded until 1967?

Following on from that, what insignia did they wear (cloth formation/divisional patches, not cap badges). I have three examples of a Wessex Wyvern patch, one woven yellow thread wyvern on black felt background (I think modern copy), one printed yellow wyvern on mid blue background, the last a woven silk badge, gold/yellow wyvern on a royal blue background. Can anyone tell me who wore which? and if there are any other variations and who wore them?

Many thanks

Tony

[grey_green_acorn]

Tony,
The Wessex Brigade 1948 - c1968 was an Infantry Training Brigade Group and nothing really to do with 43rd Wessex Division. Generally, after WW2 all infantry regiments were placed in regional training brigade groupings for recruiting and training purposes at a brigade depot.
So into the Wessex Brigade went the Devons, Dorsets, Glosters, Hampshires, Berkshires and Wiltshires. They wore regimental cap badges until 1958 when the Wessex Wyvern cap badge was introduced. They also wore the cloth arm badge shown below.

Tim

[sailorbear]

Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn

Tony,
The Wessex Brigade 1948 - c1968 was an Infantry Training Brigade Group and nothing really to do with 43rd Wessex Division. Generally, after WW2 all infantry regiments were placed in regional training brigade groupings for recruiting and training purposes at a brigade depot.
So into the Wessex Brigade went the Devons, Dorsets, Glosters, Hampshires, Berkshires and Wiltshires. They wore regimental cap badges until 1958 when the Wessex Wyvern cap badge was introduced. They also wore the cloth arm badge shown below.

Tim

Cheers Tim, tha'st excellent! Thank you.