The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 proposed a comprehensive Mobilisation Scheme for units of the Volunteer Force, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war.

He was succeeded by Col the Hon Henry Crichton, retired from the 21st Hussars, who moved the brigade HQ to his home at Netley Castle.

The TF also introduced higher formations, the Hampshire Brigade now forming part of the Wessex Division.

TF brigades now adiopted a standard four-battalion establishment, so the 8th (Isle of Wight Rifles, 'Princess Beatrice's) Bn remained unattached under the orders of Southern Command, allocated to 'Southern and South Western Coast Defences'.

The division's infantry battalions (without their brigade headquarters) embarked at Southampton on 8 October and then were convoyed to Bombay.

[4][12] By early 1915 the need was growing for troops to be sent from India to various theatres of war, and the first drafts and formed units from the Wessex Divisions began to go on active service, particularly to the Mesopotamian Front.

[20] However, unlike, most Territorial divisions which formed an exact 'mirror' duplicate of 2nd Line units, the 43rd (Wessex) was instead split on a geographical basis.

The brigade continued to serve with the 43rd Division and was preparing to go overseas to the Franco-Belgian border to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

The brigade was at the time commanded by Brigadier Frederick Browning, a Regular Army officer of the Grenadier Guards.

However, the BEF's retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk during the Battle of France cancelled these plans and the division instead remained in Kent on the defensive and prepared for a potential German invasion of England.

After the Axis surrender in May 1943, it then went on to fight in the Italian Campaign from September 1943 until late 1944, when it was then deployed to Greece to help calm the Greek Civil War.

The 128th Infantry Brigade fought in many battles in Italy including the Salerno landings in September 1943, Naples, and at the Gothic Line.