British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
The
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was a 1st Line
Territorial Army division during the
Second World war . Its unit badge had Two Ts, to represent the two boundaries to its recruitment area, the River Tyne, and the River Tee.
1939 - 1940
Active, in
1939 as a Motor division, this formation was sent to
France in
1940 , and was involved in the evacuation at
Dunkirk. It remained in
Great Britain until
22nd April 1941 when it was sent to
North Africa .
North Africa and Sicily
It saw service in the
Western Desert Campaign ,losing one of its brigades (
British 150th Infantry Brigade ) at
Gazala. It later took part in the retreat to
El Alamein, where it was held in reserve because it was understrength. In the
2nd Battle of El Alamein, it was initially deployed in the south, where it was to attack the Italian Folgore (Airborne) Division, supported by elements of the British 7th Armoured Division. Since it was understrength, due to the loss of one of its brigades (The 150th), the 1st Free French Brigade and 1st Greek Brigade were attached to it for the battle. It was then transferred North to take part in
Operation Supercharge.
The division fought in
Tunisia, where it assaulted the
Wadi Akrit Position, and then was involved in the
Sicily landings of
1943, where it landed at Avola. The
168th Infantry Brigade was attached from the
56th Infantry Division during this campaign.
North West Europe
On the
19th October 1943 the division was withdrawn to
Great Britain for reforming and traing before landing on
Gold Beach on
D-Day 6th June 1944, with the
231st Brigade (Previously an independent unit formed from regular troops stationed on
Malta) permanently attached, and the 56th Infantry Brigade temporarily attached. It was considered to have performed very well in Normandy, in fact, out of the 3 Divisions that were veterans of the desert (the others being
7th Armoured Division and 51st Highland), it was considered to have performed the best. It was one of the driving forces behind the British Advance, and was exhausted by the end of the battle. It later played a minor role in
Operation Market Garden, where the 231st Brigade was detached to help support the advance of
Guards Armoured. The division stayed in North West Europe until December
1944 when it was again returned to
Great Britain for the remainder of the war, and was converted into a training Division. At the end of the war, it was sent to
Norway, and converted into British Ground forces, Norway.
*Maj.Gen.G.Le Q Martel
*Maj.Gen.
W.H.Ramsden*Maj.Gen.J.S.Nichols
*Maj.Gen.
S.C.Kirkman*Maj.Gen.
D.A.H.Graham*Maj.Gen.L.O.Lynne
*5th Battalion,
East Yorkshire Regiment*6th Battalion,
Green Howards*7th Battalion,
Green Howards(This brigade over run in
North Afica and not re-formed)
*4th Battalion,
East Yorkshire Regiment*4th Battalion,
Green Howards*5th Battalion,
Green Howards*6th Battalion,
Durham Light Infantry*8th Battalion,
Durham Light Infantry*9th Battalion,
Durham Light Infantry(Temporarily attached during the Invasion of Sicily)
*10th Battalion,
The Royal Berkshire Regiment*1st Battalion,
The London Scottish*1st Battalion,
The London Irish Rifles*1st Battalion,
The Dorsetshire Regiment*1st Battalion,
The Hampshire Regiment*2nd Battalion,
The Devonshire Regiment*
Order of Battle of 50th Division*
British Divisions in WWII
