British 51st Highland Division D-Day to Victory

51st Division patch

51^st Highland Division D-Day to Victory

Division commanders: Major-General C. Bullen-Smith

Major-General T. G. Rennie (7/26/44) KIA 3/24/45

Major-General G.H.A. MacMillan (3/25/45)

Component units:

152nd Infantry Brigade: Brigadiers D.H. Haugh, A.J.H. Cassel (6/24/44)

2nd Seaforth Highlanders

5th Seaforth Highlanders

5th Cameron Highlanders

153rd Infantry Brigade: Brigadiers H. Murray, J.R. Sinclair (8/19/44)

5th Black Watch

1st Gordon Highlanders

5/7th Gordon Highlanders

154th Infantry Brigade: Brigadier J. A. Oliver

1st Black Watch

7th Argylle & Sutherland Highlanders

7th Black Watch

126^th Field Rgt Royal Artillery (3 bttys of 8-25 pdrs in two troops)

127^th Field Rgt Royal Artillery (3 bttys of 8-25 pdrs in two troops)

128^th Field Rgt Royal Artillery (3 bttys of 8-25 pdrs in two troops)

61^st Anti-Tank Rgt Royal Artillery (4 bttys each with 1 troop towed 6pdr,

2 troops towed 17 pdrs. By Operation Plunder (March 24,1945)

Archer Self-Propelled guns were used in the 17pdr troops.

40^th Light AA Rgt Royal Artillery (3 bttys of 18 4Omm AA guns in 3 troops each)

1/7^th Bttn The Middlesex Rgt, "The Die-Hards", (HQ coy. and 4 coy. machine guns)

51^st Engineer Rgt: 274th Field Coy.

275th Field Coy.

276th Field Coy.

239th Field Park Coy.

16th Bridging Platoon

51^st Recce Rgt: 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry RAC

On 9 Septermber the 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry swapped all
its Humbers for Daimlers, giving it a unique organization during
the advance to Dunkirk and afterwards.

Attached units:

79^th Medium Regiment RA (The Scottish Horse)

Medium Artillery support was normally allocated from Corps AGRA, usually one battery of 4-5.5 inch guns in two troops.

Armor and artillery support was assigned for specific tasks. At one period or another the following were assigned to the Division for support:

Totalize (7 Aug 44) 33rd Armoured Brigade

Northamptonshire Yeomanry

144th RAC Rgt

148th RAC Rgt

LeHavre (10 Sept 44)

34th Tank Brigade (less 147th Rgt)

Reichwald (l6 Jan 45)

Squadron of Crocodile flame tanks from

1st Fife & Forfar Yeomanry (79 ArDiv)

(8 Feb 45)

107th Rgt from 34th Tank Brigade

Rhine Crossing (23 Mar 45)

Northamptonshire Yeomanry (Buffaloes)

Staffordshire Yeomanry (DD Tanks)

454 Mtn Battery (3.7" Howitzers)

(these could be transported in Buffaloes)

Ardennes (Dec 44-Jan 45)

33rd Tank Brigade

Kangaroos and Buffaloes were used for transport missions in Holland and Rhine Crossing.

Wasp flame throwers were used in Holland

See Spearhead organization tables

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