Formation patch: 27 British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade

27th Infantry Brigade cloth formation sign. The badge is a blue felt equilateral triangle with a smaller inverted equilateral triangle of red wool flannel stitched at its centre. Each of the three smaller blue triangles thus formed is embroidered in red or orange cotton with the numeral '9'.

The British 27 Infantry Brigade, (comprising 1 Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment and 1 Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) representing part of the British commitment to the defence of its colonies in the far east, had been moved to Hong Kong in 1949. In August 1950, the brigade was ordered to Korea to help in halting the invasion of the south by communist North Korea. At the start of October, it was joined by 3 Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, and was renamed '27 British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade'. This force, later augmented by 2 Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, was involved in very heavy fighting during the advance to the Chongchon river and the subsequent retreat to the 38th Parallel. In late April 1951, as the two British battalions were due to be relieved by 1 Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers and 1 Battalion, The King's Shropshire Light Infantry, the Australian and Canadian units fought the successful defensive battle of Kapyong, for which they were each later awarded a US Presidential Citation. On the night of 25-26 April 1951, 27 British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade officially became 28 British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade, under which title it fought for the remainder of the Korean War. Australian troops normally wore the 27 Brigade formation sign on the puggaree of their slouch hats.