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British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division (World War II)
Encyclopedia
For the First World War unit, see 51st (Highland) Division (World War I).
The 51st (Highland) Infantry Division was a British
Territorial Army division
that fought during the Second World War
. The division was nicknamed the "Highway Decorators" in reference to the 'HD' insignia which adorned road signs along their axis of advance.
formed part of the British Expeditionary Force
at the start of World War II. With the capture of two of its brigade
s in France the division effectively ceased to exist. The 9th (Highland) Infantry Division was renumbered as the 51st and subsequently served in the North Africa campaign. From there it went to Sicily before returning to France as part of the invasion of Northern Europe.
fortress of the Maginot Line
and had thus escaped being encircled with the rest of the BEF
at Dunkirk
. It was then pulled back to a new line roughly along the River Somme
, where it was attached to the French Tenth Army
. For some time, it was forced to hold a line four times longer than that which would normally be expected of a division.The Div was attacked very heavily over the 5th/6th June with the major attack initally falling on the 7th Bn Argyl and Sutherland highlanders before the other Bns of the 154 Bde we enveloped. The Argyls lost heavily the worst day in their history. being overwhelmed the Bde was forced to retire to the west. During this period, the 154th Brigade was detached to form "Arkforce
" and was able to escape the German drive into central France and Normandy. However, the 152nd and 153rd Brigades were trapped at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux
, and surrendered on 12 June, along with the Division's commander. General Fortune was one of the most senior British officers taken prisoner in World War II. He was knighted by King George VI
after the war.
From the British point of view, the defeat of the 51st Division was the end of the Allied resistance during the battle of France.
Subsequently most were held at Stalag XX-A
at Toruń
, around 120 miles (193.1 km) NW of Warsaw
. In early 1945 they took part in the Long March
, marching around 450 miles (724.2 km) in the depths of winter to Stalag XIB/357 at Bad Fallingbostel
on the Lüneburg
Heath, north of Hanover
.
On 12 June 2010, Veterans of the 51st Highland Division attended a commemorative ceremony for the 70th Anniversary of the battle at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux.
, a 2nd Line Territorial Army duplicate of the 51st Division, was converted into the new 51st Division, with the 26th and 27th Brigades redesignated as 152nd and 153rd Brigades, and the 28th being merged with the severely under strength 154th Brigade. Two years of home defence followed on the south coast of England and north-east coast of Scotland.
(October–November 1942). It then played a major part in Operation Lightfoot, where it was in the center of the Northern Push, between the Australian 9th Division
and the 2nd New Zealand Division. It faced the 21st Panzer Division and some Italian units. Initially unsuccessful during Lightfoot, the minefields
it cleared were key in achieving a breakout during Operation Supercharge. It was involved in the battle at Wadi Akarit, Tunisia in early April 1943, and took part in the frontal assault on strongpoints guarded by deep minefields, where it was on the far right of the line. The battalion commander of the 7th Argylls, Lt Col Lorne Campbell
, was awarded the Victoria Cross
for his leadership during the battle. Later, the division took part in the invasion of Sicily and later, the invasion of Italy
. It was then recalled from the 8th Army
in Italy, on the wishes of the 8th Army's ex-commander, General Bernard Law Montgomery, together with 7th Armoured Division and 50th (Northumbrian) Division, to prepare for the invasion of North-West Europe. Montgomery later commented "Of the many fine divisions that served under me in the Second World War, none were finer than the Highland division."
, it was sent across the Orne River
, and spent two months supporting the 6th Airborne Division in its bridgehead. During this period it fought many difficult actions at places such as Breville
(11–12 June) and Colombelles
(11 July). Its performance in Normandy was, overall, considered disappointing, particularly by General Montgomery
, who stated in a telegram to Field Marshal Brooke that the division "had failed every mission it was given". This led to the replacement of its Normandy commander, Major-General D.C. Bullen-Smith, with Major-General Tom Rennie, who had served with the division in France, North Africa and Sicily before being elevated to command of 3rd Infantry Division for the Normandy invasion.
On 1 August 1944 the division, along with the rest of I Corps, became part of the newly-activated First Canadian Army
. The division fought alongside this army in Operation Totalize, before advancing to Lisieux
. It then continued east over the river Seine and headed, on Montgomery's order for Saint-Valéry-en-Caux
, the scene of the division's surrender in June 1940. The division 's massed pipes and drums played in the streets of the town, and a parade included veterans of the 1940 campaign were with the 51st in 1944. A similar event occurred at Dieppe
when it was liberated by the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division
.
, the battle for Le Havre. After the successful capture of the town, the division went on to take part in the Battle of the Scheldt
in October 1944, finally passing into reserve and garrisoning the Meuse
during the Battle of the Bulge
, now as part of XXX Corps. It was not involved in heavy fighting during the early stages of the battle and was deployed as a stopgap in case the Germans broke through. In January 1945 the division, along with the rest of XXX Corps, helped to cut off the northern tip of the German salient, linking up with the US 84th Infantry Division at Nisramont on 14 January. Following this, the division was involved in Operation Veritable
, the clearing of the Rhineland and the later Rhine crossings, ending the war in the Bremerhaven
area of Northern Germany. During the North-West Europe campaign 51st (Highland) Division had suffered a total of 19,524 battle casualties
153rd Infantry Brigade
154th Infantry Brigade
Divisional Support Units
(formerly 26th Infantry Brigade) :
153rd Infantry Brigade
(formerly 27th Infantry Brigade
) :
154th Infantry Brigade
(formerly 28th Infantry Brigade) :
Divisional Support Units
The dance was published in the first post-World War II edition (Book Thirteen) of "The Scottish Country Dance Book".
The 51st (Highland) Infantry Division was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Territorial Army division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
that fought during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The division was nicknamed the "Highway Decorators" in reference to the 'HD' insignia which adorned road signs along their axis of advance.
Overview
The 51st Division commanded by Major-General Victor FortuneVictor Fortune
Major-General Sir Victor Morven Fortune KBE, CB, DSO was a British Army officer. He saw service in both World Wars...
formed part of the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
at the start of World War II. With the capture of two of its brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s in France the division effectively ceased to exist. The 9th (Highland) Infantry Division was renumbered as the 51st and subsequently served in the North Africa campaign. From there it went to Sicily before returning to France as part of the invasion of Northern Europe.
France 1940
After three years of training under Major General Fortune's command, the 51st Infantry Division departed from Southampton and disembarked at Le Havre in mid-January 1940. It was stationed in front of the Ouvrage HackenbergOuvrage Hackenberg
Ouvrage Hackenberg, one of the largest of the Maginot Line fortifications, is part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay. It is situated twenty kilometers east of Thionville, in the Moselle département, near the village of Veckring, on the Hackenberg . It is located between gros ouvrage Billig and...
fortress of the Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
and had thus escaped being encircled with the rest of the BEF
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
at Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
. It was then pulled back to a new line roughly along the River Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
, where it was attached to the French Tenth Army
Tenth Army (France)
The Tenth Army was a Field army of the French Army during World War I. It took part in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. After the armistice it was part of the occupation of the Rhineland...
. For some time, it was forced to hold a line four times longer than that which would normally be expected of a division.The Div was attacked very heavily over the 5th/6th June with the major attack initally falling on the 7th Bn Argyl and Sutherland highlanders before the other Bns of the 154 Bde we enveloped. The Argyls lost heavily the worst day in their history. being overwhelmed the Bde was forced to retire to the west. During this period, the 154th Brigade was detached to form "Arkforce
Arkforce
Arkforce was an improvised formation of the British Expeditionary Force formed on 9th June 1940, commanded by Brigadier A C L Stanley-Clarke DSO of 154 Brigade and charged with the aiding the defence of Le Havre during the Battle of France. The force's formation was centred on Arques-la-Bataille...
" and was able to escape the German drive into central France and Normandy. However, the 152nd and 153rd Brigades were trapped at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small fishing port and light industrial town situated in the Pays de Caux, some west of Dieppe at the junction of the D53, D20, D79 and the D925 roads...
, and surrendered on 12 June, along with the Division's commander. General Fortune was one of the most senior British officers taken prisoner in World War II. He was knighted by King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
after the war.
From the British point of view, the defeat of the 51st Division was the end of the Allied resistance during the battle of France.
Subsequently most were held at Stalag XX-A
Stalag XX-A
Stalag XX-A was a German World War II PoW Camp located in Thorn/Toruń, Poland. It was not a single camp and contained as many as 20,000 men at its peak. The main camp was located in a complex of fifteen forts that surrounded the whole of the city...
at Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
, around 120 miles (193.1 km) NW of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. In early 1945 they took part in the Long March
The March (1945)
"The March" refers to a series of death marches during the final stages of the Second World War in Europe. From a total of 257,000 western Allied prisoners of war held in German military prison camps, over 80,000 POWs were forced to march westward across Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Germany in...
, marching around 450 miles (724.2 km) in the depths of winter to Stalag XIB/357 at Bad Fallingbostel
Bad Fallingbostel
Bad Fallingbostel is the district town of the Heidekreis district in the German state of Lower Saxony. Since 1976 the town has had a state-recognised Kneipp spa and has held the title of Bad since 5 August 2002. It has close ties to Walsrode, a few miles to the west...
on the Lüneburg
Lüneburg
Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
Heath, north of Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
.
On 12 June 2010, Veterans of the 51st Highland Division attended a commemorative ceremony for the 70th Anniversary of the battle at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux.
A Division Reborn
In August 1940, the British 9th (Highland) Infantry DivisionBritish 9th (Highland) Infantry Division
The 9th Infantry Division was a second line Territorial Army formation at the beginning of the Second World War. After the surrender of the 51st Highland Division in 1940, the 9th Division, a replica of the 51st Division, was reorganised as the new 51st Infantry Division...
, a 2nd Line Territorial Army duplicate of the 51st Division, was converted into the new 51st Division, with the 26th and 27th Brigades redesignated as 152nd and 153rd Brigades, and the 28th being merged with the severely under strength 154th Brigade. Two years of home defence followed on the south coast of England and north-east coast of Scotland.
The Mediterranean
Arriving in North Africa in June 1942, the new 51st Highland Division experienced its first battle at El AlameinSecond Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
(October–November 1942). It then played a major part in Operation Lightfoot, where it was in the center of the Northern Push, between the Australian 9th Division
Australian 9th Division
The 9th Division was a division of the Australian Army that served during World War II. It was the fourth division of the Second Australian Imperial Force and was formed in the United Kingdom in late 1940 from infantry brigades and support units which had been previously raised in Australia and...
and the 2nd New Zealand Division. It faced the 21st Panzer Division and some Italian units. Initially unsuccessful during Lightfoot, the minefields
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
it cleared were key in achieving a breakout during Operation Supercharge. It was involved in the battle at Wadi Akarit, Tunisia in early April 1943, and took part in the frontal assault on strongpoints guarded by deep minefields, where it was on the far right of the line. The battalion commander of the 7th Argylls, Lt Col Lorne Campbell
Lorne Campbell
Lorne Campbell was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 140 games in various professional leagues, including the National Hockey Association and International Professional Hockey League . Amongst the teams he played for were the Cobalt Silver Kings.-Playing career:Campbell first...
, was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for his leadership during the battle. Later, the division took part in the invasion of Sicily and later, the invasion of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was then recalled from the 8th Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
in Italy, on the wishes of the 8th Army's ex-commander, General Bernard Law Montgomery, together with 7th Armoured Division and 50th (Northumbrian) Division, to prepare for the invasion of North-West Europe. Montgomery later commented "Of the many fine divisions that served under me in the Second World War, none were finer than the Highland division."
Salerno Mutiny
When a group of recuperating wounded soldiers of the 51st returned from their North African hospital to rejoin the division in Italy, they were split up instead and ordered to various units and formations totally unrelated to the 51st Division or its component regiments. Some soldiers of the division regarded this as administrative high-handedness and refused to follow these orders. The mutineers were distributed to various units regardless, while ringleaders were sentenced to death.Battle of Normandy
The 51st Division landed in Normandy on 7 June, as part of I Corps. After spending a brief period supporting 3rd Canadian Infantry Division3rd Canadian Infantry Division
The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Canadian Army from 1940 to c.1945.- History :The formation of the division was authorized on 17 May 1940...
, it was sent across the Orne River
Orne River
The Orne is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées...
, and spent two months supporting the 6th Airborne Division in its bridgehead. During this period it fought many difficult actions at places such as Breville
Battle of Bréville
The Battle of Bréville was fought by the British 6th Airborne Division and the German 346th Infantry Division, between the 8 and 13 June 1944, during the invasion of Normandy in the Second World War....
(11–12 June) and Colombelles
Colombelles
Colombelles is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.It is located on the Canal de Caen à la Mer.-Population:...
(11 July). Its performance in Normandy was, overall, considered disappointing, particularly by General Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
, who stated in a telegram to Field Marshal Brooke that the division "had failed every mission it was given". This led to the replacement of its Normandy commander, Major-General D.C. Bullen-Smith, with Major-General Tom Rennie, who had served with the division in France, North Africa and Sicily before being elevated to command of 3rd Infantry Division for the Normandy invasion.
On 1 August 1944 the division, along with the rest of I Corps, became part of the newly-activated First Canadian Army
First Canadian Army
The First Canadian Army was the senior Canadian operational formation in Europe during the Second World War.The Army was formed in early 1942, replacing the existing unnumbered Canadian Corps, as the growing number of Canadian forces in the United Kingdom necessitated an expansion to two corps...
. The division fought alongside this army in Operation Totalize, before advancing to Lisieux
Lisieux
Lisieux is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Lisieux is the capital of the Pays d'Auge area, which is characterised by valleys and hedged farmland...
. It then continued east over the river Seine and headed, on Montgomery's order for Saint-Valéry-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small fishing port and light industrial town situated in the Pays de Caux, some west of Dieppe at the junction of the D53, D20, D79 and the D925 roads...
, the scene of the division's surrender in June 1940. The division 's massed pipes and drums played in the streets of the town, and a parade included veterans of the 1940 campaign were with the 51st in 1944. A similar event occurred at Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
when it was liberated by the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division
2nd Canadian Infantry Division
The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the First Canadian Army, mobilized on 1 September 1939 at the outset of the Second World War. It was initially composed of volunteers within brigades established along regional lines, though a halt in recruitment in the early months of...
.
After Normandy
Leaving St Valery, 51st Division was engaged in Operation AstoniaOperation Astonia
Operation Astonia was a World War II battle fought from 10 September 1944 to 12 September 1944.The Allied objective of the operation was the capture of the German-held Channel port of Le Havre,France,coveted by the Allies to improve their supply system.The Allies hoped to find the port intact and...
, the battle for Le Havre. After the successful capture of the town, the division went on to take part in the Battle of the Scheldt
Battle of the Scheldt
The Battle of the Scheldt was a series of military operations of the Canadian 1st Army, led by Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds. The battle took place in northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands during World War II from 2 October-8 November 1944...
in October 1944, finally passing into reserve and garrisoning the Meuse
Meuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, now as part of XXX Corps. It was not involved in heavy fighting during the early stages of the battle and was deployed as a stopgap in case the Germans broke through. In January 1945 the division, along with the rest of XXX Corps, helped to cut off the northern tip of the German salient, linking up with the US 84th Infantry Division at Nisramont on 14 January. Following this, the division was involved in Operation Veritable
Operation Veritable
Operation Veritable was a Second World War pincer movement conducted by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group to clear and occupy the land between the Rhine and Maas rivers. It took place between 8 February and 11 March 1945. It was a part of General Dwight Eisenhower's "broad front"...
, the clearing of the Rhineland and the later Rhine crossings, ending the war in the Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
area of Northern Germany. During the North-West Europe campaign 51st (Highland) Division had suffered a total of 19,524 battle casualties
51st (Highland) Infantry Division, 1939-1940
152nd Infantry Brigade152nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 152nd Infantry Brigade was a British Territorial Army division that fought during the Second World War...
- 2nd Battalion, The Seaforth HighlandersSeaforth HighlandersThe Seaforth Highlanders was a historic regiment of the British Army associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The Seaforth Highlanders have varied in size from two battalions to seventeen battalions during the Great War...
(regular army) - 4th Battalion, The Seaforth HighlandersSeaforth HighlandersThe Seaforth Highlanders was a historic regiment of the British Army associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The Seaforth Highlanders have varied in size from two battalions to seventeen battalions during the Great War...
- 4th Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron HighlandersQueen's Own Cameron HighlandersThe Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1793. In 1961 it was merged with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders...
153rd Infantry Brigade
153rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
153rd Infantry Brigade, part of The 51st Division, was a British Territorial Army brigade that fought during the Second World War. The division was referred to as the "Highway Decorators" by other divisions who became used to discovering the 'HD' insignia painted wherever the Highlanders had...
- 4th Battalion, The Black WatchBlack WatchThe Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
- 1st Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders (regular army)
- 5th Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders
154th Infantry Brigade
154th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
154th Infantry Brigade was part of The 51st Division and was a British Territorial Army division that fought during the Second World War...
- 1st Battalion, The Black Watch (regular army)
- 7th Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland HighlandersArgyll and Sutherland HighlandersThe Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland....
- 8th Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Divisional Support Units
- 1st Lothians & Border YeomanryLothian and Border HorseThe Lothians and Border Horse was a Yeomanry regiment, part of the British Territorial Army. It was ranked 36th in the Yeomanry order of precedence, and based in the Scottish Lowland area, recruiting in the Lothian and along the border with England.-Origins:...
- 75th (Highland) Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 76th (Highland) Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 77th (Highland) Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 51st (West Highland) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 236th Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 237th Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 238th Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 1st Battalion, The Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment (The Middlesex Regiment) (Machine Gun)
- 7th Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers(Machine Gun)
- 7th Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment (Infantry Sappers)
- 6th Battalion, The Royal Scots Fusiliers (Infantry Sappers)
51st (Highland) Infantry Division, 1940-1945
152nd Infantry Brigade152nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 152nd Infantry Brigade was a British Territorial Army division that fought during the Second World War...
(formerly 26th Infantry Brigade) :
- 2nd Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders
- 5th Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders
- 5th Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
153rd Infantry Brigade
153rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
153rd Infantry Brigade, part of The 51st Division, was a British Territorial Army brigade that fought during the Second World War. The division was referred to as the "Highway Decorators" by other divisions who became used to discovering the 'HD' insignia painted wherever the Highlanders had...
(formerly 27th Infantry Brigade
27th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 27th Infantry Brigade was a British Army brigade during the Second World War and Korean War. In Korea, the brigade was known as 27th British Commonwealth Brigade due to the addition of Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Indian units....
) :
- 5th Battalion, The Black Watch
- 1st Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders
- 5/7th Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders
154th Infantry Brigade
154th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
154th Infantry Brigade was part of The 51st Division and was a British Territorial Army division that fought during the Second World War...
(formerly 28th Infantry Brigade) :
- 1st Battalion, The Black Watch
- 7th Battalion, The Black Watch
- 7th Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Divisional Support Units
- 1st/7th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment
- 2nd Derbyshire YeomanryDerbyshire YeomanryThe Derbyshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, which served as a cavalry regiment and dismounted infantry regiment in the First World War and provided two reconnaissance regiments in the Second World War, before being amalgamated into The Leicestershire...
, Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army... - 126th Field Regiment, Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- 127th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 128th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 61st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 274th Field Company, Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- 275th Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 276th Field Company, Royal Engineers
Commanders
- Maj.Gen. Victor FortuneVictor FortuneMajor-General Sir Victor Morven Fortune KBE, CB, DSO was a British Army officer. He saw service in both World Wars...
: 1937 - 12 June 1940 (Captured) - Maj.Gen. Sir Alan Cunningham: 7 August 1940 - 7 October 1940
- Maj.Gen. Sir Neil RitchieNeil RitchieGeneral Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie GBE, KCB, DSO, MC, KStJ was a senior British army officer during the Second World War.-Military career:...
: 7 October 1940- 11 June 1941 - Maj.Gen. Douglas WimberleyDouglas WimberleyMajor-General Douglas Neil Wimberley CB, DSO, MC was commander of the 51st Division at the Second Battle of El Alamein in World War II and lead it across North Africa to Sicily....
: 11 June 1941 - 8 August 1943 - Maj.Gen. D.C.Bullen-Smith: 8 August 1943 - 26 July 1944
- Maj.Gen. Tom Rennie: 26 July 1944 - 23 March 1945 (Killed in Action)
- Maj.Gen. Gordon MacMillanGordon Holmes MacMillanGeneral Sir Gordon Holmes Alexander MacMillan, Lord MacMillan of MacMillan of Knap, KCB, KCVO, CBE, DSO and MC with two bars was a British General who commanded several British Army divisions during World War II and who was decorated for bravery in World War I...
: 23 March 1945 - 28 May 1945 - Maj.Gen. James Cassels: 28 May 1945 - March 1946
Music
- "The 51st (Highland) Division's Farewell to Sicily", a folk song written by Hamish HendersonHamish HendersonHamish Scott Henderson, was a Scottish poet, songwriter, soldier, and intellectual....
, a former officer who served in the 51st Division during the Sicilian campaign. It has been recorded by a number of folk singers, including Dick GaughanDick GaughanRichard Peter Gaughan usually known as Dick Gaughan is a Scottish musician, singer, and songwriter, particularly of folk and social protest songs.-Early years:...
. - "The Beaches of St. Valery", performed by the Battlefield BandBattlefield BandBattlefield Band is a Scottish traditional music group. Founded in Glasgow in 1969, they have released over 30 albums and undergone many changes of lineup. As of 2010, there are no founder members in the band....
. Written by Davy Steel, it tells the story of the 51st Division's struggle to reach Saint-Valéry-en-Caux in 1940 only to find that no ships had been sent to evacuate them. - "The Old Boys", performed by the Scottish group RunrigRunrigRunrig are a Scottish Celtic rock group formed in Skye, in 1973 under the name 'The Run Rig Dance Band'. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The current line-up also includes longtime members Malcolm Jones, Iain Bayne, and more...
, who sing in both English and GaelicScottish Gaelic languageScottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
. The song which first appeared on the album Recovery (1981) and was reprised on Protera (2003) speaks of the declining numbers of Gaelic speaking members of the 51st who fought at St Valery. - "Farewell, 51st, farewell!", a folk song written by Andy StewartAndy Stewart (musician)Andrew "Andy" Stewart MBE was a Scottish singer and entertainer.-Career:The use of tartan patriotism and stereotypical Scottish humour goes back to Sir Harry Lauder and music hall songs. In the 1960s this strand was continued by the entertainer Andy Stewart.He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in...
, about scrapping of the 51st Division, but indicates that they will never be forgotten, as the lyrics say "On the glory road of fame, there is honour tae your name. Farewell 51st, Farewell."
Dance
- "The Reel of the 51st DivisionReel of the 51st HighlandersOne of the most popular Scottish country dances of all time, the Reel of the 51st Highland Division is a modern Scottish country dance written by Lieutenant J.E.M. ‘Jimmy’ Atkinson of the 7th Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders while in a POW camp during the Second World War...
" was written in the Laufen PoW camp by soldiers captured at St Valery. It was the very first modern Scottish Country DanceScottish country danceA Scottish country dance is a form of social dance involving groups of mixed couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns according to a predetermined choreography...
published by the Royal Scottish Country Dance SocietyRoyal Scottish Country Dance SocietyThe Royal Scottish Country Dance Society , was founded in 1923 as the Scottish Country Dance Society by Jean Milligan and Ysobel Stewart of Fasnacloich, who wanted to preserve country dancing as performed in Scotland, country dancing having fallen into disuse after the influx of continental...
. The original tune written in Laufen has been superseded by the traditional reel "The Drunken Piper" and the dance was re-cast from its original form involving a longwise set of ten men to the more usual four couple set. The original ten-man version is still danced in some parts.
The dance was published in the first post-World War II edition (Book Thirteen) of "The Scottish Country Dance Book".
See also
- British Divisions in World War IIBritish Divisions in World War IIThis page is a list of British Army divisions that fought in World War II.-Armoured:*Guards Armoured Division*1st Armoured Division*2nd Armoured Division - Formed 15 December 1939 in the UK. Served in Egypt from January 1941 until March 1941 and from April 1941 until May 1941, and in Libya from...
- British Army Order of Battle - September 1939