As the name suggests, it commanded infantry battalions recruited in the East Midlands of England: Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

[2] The battalions were organized on an 8-company basis, but shortly after the outbreak of the First World War they were reorganized on the regular army standard of four companies in January 1915.

It immediately mobilized and concentrated at Bury St Edmunds;[4] it was employed on coastal defence duties in East Anglia until May 1915.

2nd Line units performed the home defence role, although in fact most of these were also posted abroad in due course.

[11] Likewise, the 1/1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment landed at Le Havre on 15 February 1915 and joined the 82nd Brigade in 27th Division.

[13] In May 1915, the brigade concentrated with its division in the St Albans area to prepare for overseas service.

[3] On the night of 10/11 August 1915 the brigade landed at Suvla with its division as part of IX Corps.

[17] The brigade's first attack was against Kiretch Tepe Ridge and Kidney Hill in support of the 10th (Irish) Division on 15 August which cost a high price: the 1/5th Bedfords suffered casualties of 14 officers and 300 other ranks, the 1/10th Londons 6 and 260 and the 1/11th Londons 9 and 350 (the 1/4th Northants had not yet landed).

[18] After the failure of the Battle of Scimitar Hill (21 August), the Suvla front subsided into trench warfare.

[17] Still with XXI Corps, in 1918 the brigade took part in the Fight at Ras el'Ain (12 March) and Berukin (9 and 10 April).

On 6 January 1919, the 162nd Brigade Trench Mortar Battery was disbanded marking the start of the demobilization process.

[26] By 1939, it became clear that a new European war was likely to break out, and as a direct result of the German invasion of Czechoslovakia on 15 March,[23] the doubling of the Territorial Army was authorised, with each unit and formation forming a duplicate.

TA units were reactivated on 1 January 1947, though no personnel were assigned until commanding officers and permanent staff had been appointed in March and April 1947.