Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' introduced by the Cardwell Reforms, existing RVCs were brigaded with Regular and Militia regiments in their district.

[1][2][3] The 1881 Childers Reforms took Cardwell's scheme a stage further, the linked battalions converting into single two-battalion regiments.

[4][5][6][7][8][9] While the sub-districts were later referred to as 'brigades', they were purely administrative organisations and the Volunteers were excluded from the mobilisation part of the Cardwell system.

[5][7][8][9][13][14] The Manchester Brigade comprised the 5th–8th Battalions and formed part of the East Lancashire Division of the TF:[15][16][17] On the outbreak of the First World War, the majority of the men volunteered for overseas service.

The division began disembarking at Alexandria on 25 September and the bulk (including the Manchester Brigade) concentrated at Cairo.

[15] The 127th Brigade participated in the Battle of Krithia Vineyard (6–13 August) and then for the rest of 1915 was engaged in trench warfare.

It remained in the Canal Defences for the whole of 1916, rebuilding its strength, and taking part in the Battle of Romani (4–5 August).

[15] When the Hindenburg Line was breached during the Battle of the Canal du Nord on 27 September 1918, 127th Brigade's attack was completely successful.

But in the afternoon the attack was resumed and 127th Brigade pushed on to the final objective, which 1/6th Manchesters took after dark without much difficulty.

[27] After the Selle, 42nd Division was withdrawn into reserve and halted around Beauvois-en-Cambrésis from 24 October until the advance was resumed on 3 November.

The brigade was mobilised, along with the rest of 42nd Division and the Territorial Army, in late August 1939 due to the worsening situation in Europe.

The 44th had, along with the 42nd Division, initially been held back from joining the BEF sooner for potential operations in Northern Europe although, as it turned out, this plan never came to anything and both were sent to France at around the same time.

[31] The battalion had arrived from Highland Area in Scottish Command[33] and joined in order to strengthen the brigade, as part of the BEF's official policies, and took place in all the 1st Line Territorial divisions that joined the BEF[34] (except the three 2nd Line divisions that arrived in April and were subsequently mauled in the fighting to come).

When the German attack on France and the Low Countries of Belgium and the Netherlands began on 10 May 1940, 127th Brigade was assigned to 'Macforce', a scratch force commanded by the Director of Military Intelligence with the BEF, Lieutenant-General Noel Mason-Macfarlane.

Macforce assembled on 17 May with the role of covering the crossings over the River Scarpe[31][35] As German pressure increased, the BEF was forced to withdraw to Dunkirk and 127th Brigade returned to 42nd Division on 20 May.