The newly-appointed Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging the first 100,000 volunteers to come forward.

[7][8] The brigade was composed as follows:[7][8] Following massive casualties during the German spring offensive all infantry battalions of 14th (L) Division were reduced to training cadres (TCs) in April.

The division then proceeded from Boulogne to Brookwood and Cowshott Camp in England on 17 June to be reconstituted with TCs brought up to strength with troops of medical category B.

[7] The following officers commanded the brigade during the war:[7] The formation sign of 14th (L) Division was a light infantry green rectangle crossed by two white lines, one horizontal the other diagonal.

[12] Within the division the units wore a variety of identifying signs; for 42nd Bde these were:[13] The brigade HQ was reformed in the UK on 26 July 1943 during World War II, and on landing in North Africa on 25 August was formed as a security force to protect lines of communication.